Sexy to die for? Sexual selection and the risk of extinction

摘要: Sexual selection is a field with strong focus on the 'costs' of traits. However, whether such costs have an influence demography population very rarely discussed. Here we present various processes through which sexual might impact viability and thus increase or decrease risk extinction. We argue that evolutionary 'suicide' - as sometimes suggested e.g. to caused extinction Irish elk unlikely in deterministic environments, except if are not paid by same individual bears trait. Thus, intra- inter-locus conflict could principle drive extinct, do know why this does frequently happen. Whether increases decreases risks when populations face variable unforeseen environmental conditions likewise unknown, outline mechanisms account for either pattern. Inbreeding another factor sexually selected species. may be high mating skew, but it also reduced females adaptively choose mates avoid inbred offspring. Finally, intraspecific competition resources taken into account, unclear how viabilities translate faced population. show example where greater mortality males due dimorphism improves carrying capacity environment, presumably viability.