A PEACOCK’S TAIL or a lion’s mane are used for showing off, but could also hint at a species’ risk of decline in a changing climate, according to a new study from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

Males of many animal species compete for mates, either by producing showy ornaments to attract females, such as the plumes and bright colours of male birds of paradise, or, like stags and elephant seals, by fighting with other males for access to mates.

Scientists have shown over the last few years that in many of these cases the winning males are fitter because they carry genes that make them better adapted to the environment — the so-called ‘good genes’ effect.

The researchers from QMUL’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences investigated whether these ‘sexually selected’ animals might be better able to cope with changes in the environment such as increasing temperatures or acidity.

Using a sophisticated mathematical simulation model that integrates both ecological and evolutionary processes, the researchers found that sexually selected species can adapt faster to new environments, and are less likely to go extinct.

However, when the populations are small, the presence of competitive males can actually make a population more likely to become extinct.

This is because males pay a high price for engaging in their competitions. Either they have to invest lots of energy in expensive displays, which then make them more vulnerable to predators, or they get injured and even killed in fights with other males.

Co-author Dr Rob Knell said:

“Sexual selection is extremely common and is responsible for many of the most spectacular features that we see in modern animals, and as the environment changes this result will help conservationists assess the vulnerability of some of our favourite animals to global warming, ocean acidification and a multitude of other threats.”

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