The Mating Game: A Classroom Activity for Undergraduates That Explores the Evolutionary Basis of Sex Roles

Dani Moore; C. Tate Holbrook; Melissa G. Meadows; Lisa A. Taylor

doi:10.1525/abt.2012.74.9.9

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1 November 2012 The Mating Game: A Classroom Activity for Undergraduates That Explores the Evolutionary Basis of Sex Roles

Dani Moore, C. Tate Holbrook, Melissa G. Meadows, Lisa A. Taylor

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The American Biology Teacher, 74(9):648-651 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2012.74.9.9

Abstract

In species that reproduce sexually, an individual's fitness depends on its ability to secure a mate (or mates). Although both males and females are selected to maximize their reproductive output, the mating strategies of the two sexes can differ dramatically. We present a classroom simulation that allows undergraduates to actively experience how differences in parental investment lead to differences in reproductive behavior. Students will understand why males generally compete for mates whereas females generally choose among mates. The activity provides a foundation for exploring advanced topics in animal behavior, or it can be adapted for introductory biology courses.

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Dani Moore, C. Tate Holbrook, Melissa G. Meadows, and Lisa A. Taylor "The Mating Game: A Classroom Activity for Undergraduates That Explores the Evolutionary Basis of Sex Roles," The American Biology Teacher 74(9), 648-651, (1 November 2012). https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2012.74.9.9

Published: 1 November 2012

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