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Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences logoLink to Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
. 2004 Apr 22;271(1541):771–783. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2688

Do sexual ornaments demonstrate heightened condition-dependent expression as predicted by the handicap hypothesis?

Samuel Cotton 1, Kevin Fowler 1, Andrew Pomiankowski 1
PMCID: PMC1691662  PMID: 15255094

Abstract

The handicap hypothesis of sexual selection predicts that sexual ornaments have evolved heightened condition-dependent expression. The prediction has only recently been subject to experimental investigation. Many of the experiments are of limited value as they: (i) fail to compare condition dependence in sexual ornaments with suitable non-sexual trait controls; (ii) do not adequately account for body size variation; and (iii) typically consider no stress and extreme stress manipulations rather than a range of stresses similar to those experienced in nature. There is also a dearth of experimental studies investigating the genetic basis of condition dependence. Despite the common claim that sexual ornaments are condition-dependent, the unexpected conclusion from our literature review is that there is little support from well-designed experiments.

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Selected References

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