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Sexual selection

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sexual selection

–noun Biology.
a special type of natural selection in which the sexes acquire distinct forms either because the members of one sex choose mates with particular features or because in the competition for mates among the members of one sex only those with certain traits succeed.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sexual selection  
n.  Selection driven by the competition for mates, considered an adjunct to natural selection.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

sexual selection

In evolution, the selection of a mate based on secondary sex characteristics. Sexual selection is thought to lead distinct differences in the appearance of the two sexes within a species. For example, the tail of the male peacock may be the result of sexual selection.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: sexual selection
Function: noun
: natural selection for characters that confer success in competition for a mate as distinguished from competition with otherspecies; also : the choice of a mate based on a preference for certain characteristics (as color or bird song)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

sexual selection n.
Selection that is driven by the competition for mates and that is considered an adjunct to natural selection.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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