SEXUAL SELECTION: CHOOSING HIGH‐QUALITY MATES VERSUS AVOIDING LOW‐QUALITY MATES

In an article published by the prestigious journal Evolution, CIBIO-InBIO researchers Ana Cristina Gomes and Gonçalo Cardoso showed that the best strategy for mating may not be to look for the best partner, but to avoid the worst.

The research, which has been highlighted by the media, used a more flexible approach than previous theoretical works and resorted to tools that simulate the evolution of female sexual preferences.

The article brings an important contribution to the field of Evolution by demonstrating that the strategy of avoiding the worst mates may be a distinct form of sexual selection which leads to the evolution of different sexual signals.

To know more about this topic, please follow the links below:
"Fêmeas não querem o melhor parceiro, mas só fugir do pior" | Sábado | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Portugueses descobrem que fêmeas procuram evitar o pior parceiro na hora de acasalar" | Sapo | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Fêmeas procuram evitar o pior parceiro para acasalar, conclui estudo" | Expresso | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Equipa do Porto conclui que fêmeas procuram evitar o pior parceiro para acasalar"  | O Jogo | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Equipa do Porto conclui que fêmeas procuram evitar o pior parceiro para acasalar" | Diário de Notícias | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Fêmeas não procuram o melhor parceiro mas tentam evitar o pior" | Jornal de Notícias | November 13, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)
"Fêmeas não procuram o melhor parceiro mas tentam evitar o pior" | Notícias UP | November 15, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese)

To read the national press release for this study, please click here.

To access the original article, please click here.