Overview

"Primary sexual traits, those structures and processes directly involved in reproduction, are some of the most diverse, specialized, and bizarre in the animal kingdom. Moreover, reproductive traits are often species-specific, suggesting that they evolved very rapidly. This diversity, long the province of taxonomists, has recently attracted broader interest from evolutionary biologists, especially those interested in sexual selection and the evolution of reproductive strategies. Primary sexual characters were long assumed to be the product of natural selection, exclusively. A recent alternative suggests that sexual selection explains much of the diversity of ""primary"" sexual characters. A third approach to the evolution of reproductive interactions after copulation or insemination has been to consider the process one of sexual conflict. That is, the reproductive processes of a species may reflect, as does the mating system, evolution acting on males and on females, but in different directions. In this volume, authors explore a wide variety of primary sexual characters and selective pressures that have shaped them, from natural selection for offspring survival to species-isolating mechanisms, sperm competition, cryptic female choice and sexual arms races. Exploring diverse reproductive adaptations from a theoretical and practical perspective, The Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters will provide an unparalleled overview of sexual diversity in many taxa and an introduction to the issues in sexual selection that are changing our view of sexual processes."

Full Product Details

Author:   Janet Leonard (Research Associate, Research Associate, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California - Santa Cruz) ,  Alex Cordoba-Aguilar (Researcher, Researcher, Instituto de Ecologia, Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 25.10cm , Height: 3.10cm , Length: 18.30cm
Weight:   1.111kg
ISBN:  

9780195325553

ISBN 10:   0195325559
Pages:   552
Publication Date:   05 August 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors Chapter 1 Introduction: Celebrating and Understanding Reproductive Diversity Janet L. Leonard PART I: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Chapter 2 The Distinction between Primary and Secondary Sexual Characters Michael T. Ghiselin Chapter 3 The Evolution of Sexes, Gametes, and Sexual Systems: Natural vs. Sexual Selection Janet L. Leonard Chapter 4 Rapid Divergent Evolution of Genitalia: Theory and Data Updated William G. Eberhard Chapter 5 Killing Time: A Mechanism of Sexual Conflict and Sexual Selection Patricia Adair Gowaty and Stephen P. Hubbell PART II: PRIMARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS IN SELECTED TAXA Chapter 6 Gamete Release and Spawning Behavior in Broadcast Spawning Marine Invertebrates Katie E. Lotterhos and Don R. Levitan Chapter 7 Prosobranchs with Internal Fertilization Alan N. Hodgson Chapter 8 Opisthobranchs Ángel Valdés, Terrence M. Gosliner, and Michael T. Ghiselin Chapter 9 Basommatophoran Gastropods Philippe Jarne, Patrice David, Jean-Pierre Pointier, and Joris M. Koene Chapter 10 Stylommatophoran Gastropods Bruno Baur Chapter 11 An Ancient Indirect Sex Model: Single and Mixed Patterns in the Evolution of Scorpion Genitalia Alfredo V. Peretti Chapter 12 Spider Genitalia: Precise Maneuvers with a Numb Structure in a Complex Lock William G. Eberhard and Bernhard A. Huber Chapter 13 Genitalic Evolution in Opiliones Rogelio Macías-Ordóñez, Glauco Machado, Abel Pérez-González, and Jeffrey W. Shultz Chapter 14 The Evolution of Male and Female Internal Reproductive Organs in Insects Nina Wedell and David J. Hosken Chapter 15 Selective Forces Propelling Genitalic Evolution in Odonata Adolfo Cordero Rivera and Alex Córdoba-Aguilar Chapter 16 Postcopulatory Sexual Selection in the Coleoptera: Mechanisms and Consequences Paul Eady Chapter 17 Fertilization Mode, Sperm Competition, and Cryptic Female Choice Shape: Primary Sexual Characters in Fish Michael Taborsky and Francis C. Neat Chapter 18 Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters in Amphibians. Lynne D. Houck and Paul A. Verrell Chapter 19 Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters in Reptiles Tobias Uller, Devi Stuart-Fox, and Mats Olsson Chapter 20 Sexual Conflict and the Intromittent Organs of Male Birds Robert Montgomerie Chapter 21 Genitalic Traits of Mammals: Systematics and Variation Edward H. Miller Chapter 22 The Evolution of Primary Sexual Characters in Animals: A Summary Alex Córdoba-Aguilar Index

Reviews

<br> A broad and thorough compendium that covers cutting-edge theoretical issues and includes taxonomic overviews by leading experts. For serious students of sexual selection, reproductive behavior, and sexual diversity, this book will uncover a plethora of fascinating facts and make them feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store! -Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis<br> Most biologists, myself included, probably feel they have a good understanding of primary and secondary sexual characters and how they relate to natural and sexual selection. But this volume of well-chosen chapters offers a whole new perspective. A broad spectrum of outstanding authors covers diverse taxa and reproductive modes. Not only does this comprehensive treatment inform Graham Bell's 'queen of problems in evolutionary biology, ' it helps extend this fascinating topic to a broader audience. Well written and edited, richly illustrated, and full of details, the volu

<br> A broad and thorough compendium that covers cutting-edge theoretical issues and includes taxonomic overviews by leading experts. For serious students of sexual selection, reproductive behavior, and sexual diversity, this book will uncover a plethora of fascinating facts and make them feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store! -Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis<p><br> Most biologists, myself included, probably feel they have a good understanding of primary and secondary sexual characters and how they relate to natural and sexual selection. But this volume of well-chosen chapters offers a whole new perspective. A broad spectrum of outstanding authors covers diverse taxa and reproductive modes. Not only does this comprehensive treatment inform Graham Bell's 'queen of problems in evolutionary biology, ' it helps extend this fascinating topic to a broader audience. Well written and edited, richly illustrated, and full of details, the v

<br> A broad and thorough compendium that covers cutting-edge theoretical issues and includes taxonomic overviews by leading experts. For serious students of sexual selection, reproductive behavior, and sexual diversity, this book will uncover a plethora of fascinating facts and make them feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store! -Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis<p><br> Most biologists, myself included, probably feel they have a good understanding of primary and secondary sexual characters and how they relate to natural and sexual selection. But this volume of well-chosen chapters offers a whole new perspective. A broad spectrum of outstanding authors covers diverse taxa and reproductive modes. Not only does this comprehensive treatment inform Graham Bell's 'queen of problems in evolutionary biology, ' it helps extend this fascinating topic to a broader audience. Well written and edited, richly illustrated, and full of details, the volume is a must for the broadly trained biologist and naturalist. -John Pearse, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz<p><br> Traits such as gonads, gametes and genitalia are generally thought to be the product of natural selection to improve fertilization efficiency. This fascinating book draws together a growing literature that challenges this view. By considering an unusual diversity of species, and with elegant descriptions of both structure and function, the studies described here demonstrate an important role for sexual selection in the evolution of primary sexual characters. Perfect for a seminar course in behavioral ecology or invertebrate biology. -H. Jane Brockmann, Professor of Biology, University of Florida<p><br>

A broad and thorough compendium that covers cutting-edge theoretical issues and includes taxonomic overviews by leading experts. For serious students of sexual selection, reproductive behavior, and sexual diversity, this book will uncover a plethora of fascinating facts and make them feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store! -Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis Most biologists, myself included, probably feel they have a good understanding of primary and secondary sexual characters and how they relate to natural and sexual selection. But this volume of well-chosen chapters offers a whole new perspective. A broad spectrum of outstanding authors covers diverse taxa and reproductive modes. Not only does this comprehensive treatment inform Graham Bell's 'queen of problems in evolutionary biology, ' it helps extend this fascinating topic to a broader audience. Well written and edited, richly illustrated, and full of details, the volume is a must for the broadly trained biologist and naturalist. -John Pearse, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz Traits such as gonads, gametes and genitalia are generally thought to be the product of natural selection to improve fertilization efficiency. This fascinating book draws together a growing literature that challenges this view. By considering an unusual diversity of species, and with elegant descriptions of both structure and function, the studies described here demonstrate an important role for sexual selection in the evolution of primary sexual characters. Perfect for a seminar course in behavioral ecology or invertebrate biology. -H. Jane Brockmann, Professor of Biology, University of Florida A broad and thorough compendium that covers cutting-edge theoretical issues and includes taxonomic overviews by leading experts. For serious students of sexual selection, reproductive behavior, and sexual diversity, this book will uncover a plethora of fascinating facts and make them feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store! -Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis Most biologists, myself included, probably feel they have a good understanding of primary and secondary sexual characters and how they relate to natural and sexual selection. But this volume of well-chosen chapters offers a whole new perspective. A broad spectrum of outstanding authors covers diverse taxa and reproductive modes. Not only does this comprehensive treatment inform Graham Bell's 'queen of problems in evolutionary biology, ' it helps extend this fascinating topic to a broader audience. Well written and edited, richly illustrated, and full of details, the volume is a must for the broadly trained biologist and naturalist. -John Pearse, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz Traits such as gonads, gametes and genitalia are generally thought to be the product of natural selection to improve fertilization efficiency. This fascinating book draws together a growing literature that challenges this view. By considering an unusual diversity of species, and with elegant descriptions of both structure and function, the studies described here demonstrate an important role for sexual selection in the evolution of primary sexual characters. Perfect for a seminar course in behavioral ecology or invertebrate biology. -H. Jane Brockmann, Professor of Biology, University of Florida

Author Information

Janet L. Leonard is a research associate at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California - Santa Cruz. Throughout her career her research has focused on animal behavior, particularly in invertebrates, working on topics from neuroethology to evolutionary biology. At present she divides her time between theoretical and practical work, the latter focusing on the reproduction and evolution of banana slugs. Alex Córdoba-Aguilar is a researcher at the Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He studies the evolutionary forces that operate on the form and function of genitalic structures in invertebrates, mainly insects, and is the editor of Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research (OUP, 2008).

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