THE CHANGING WORLD OF LIFE 547 



bull moose are noted for their ferocious battles for possession of the 

 females during the reproductive season. The huge antlers that char- 

 acterize the males are used primarily for fighting other males and are 

 shed shortly after the reproductive period. Through such battles, a 

 strong, vigorous bull will be able to mate with many females and trans- 

 mit genes which will tend to strengthen the entire species. 



The honeybees, as studied in Chapter 16, show an interesting varia- 

 tion where the males do not fight one another, but engage in a sort of 

 endurance contest as they fly in the air in pursuit of the virgin queen. 



Photo by Winchester 



Fig. 34.5. A peacock spreading. Sexual selection might be one explanation for the 

 beautiful feather pattern of the male as compared to the rather drab colored female. 



It is reasonable to assume that one of the strongest drones of the group 

 will outlast the others and mate with the queen and become the father of 

 many thousands of workers. 



Among some birds, there is an elaborate courtship with the males 

 strutting and displaying themselves to their best advantage before the 

 females. In this case, it seems that the females exert some selection and 

 pick the male that has the greatest appeal. This does not necessarily 

 mean that they will pick the strongest, so this method might not be of 

 significance in the preservation of the race, but may account for some 

 of the beautiful feather patterns and shapes among many male birds. 

 The females, on the other hand, usually remain rather drab in compari- 

 son, for they would be too easily visible when sitting on their nest with 

 brilliant plumage, and natural selection keeps them protectively colored. 



