Sexual Selection in Male Guppies

Abstract

This experiment studies sexual selection in male guppies. In particular, we hope to answer why some guppies attract more mates than others, and how much of an impact each characteristic of guppies (color,size, fertility indicators) has on mate selection. Research on this topic has been primarily about female mate selection regarding the characteristics of male guppies, not about male mate selection. To determine how male guppies select mate, male guppies were given a choice between 3D models of female guppies with varying colors, and then mating choice indicators were observed. This experiment shows how sexual preference shapes species characteristics and natural selection.