Question

Evolutionary biology: Compare and contrast the Hamilton & Zuk hypothesis to the Immunocompetence Handicap hypothesis.

Answer 1

The Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis posits that sexual ornaments are the indicators of parasite and disease-resistance.Hamilton and Zuk suggested that females could continuously base their choice of mates on heritable resistance to parasites.

Generated in a process of coadaptational cycles of hosts and their parasites and advertized in terms of individual differences in plumage features or displays of the chosen sex. Secondary sexual traits of individual hosts is dependent on their overall health and vigour. continuously generating heritable resistance to parasites and have a negative effects on host viability.

The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis suggests that the immune system competes for resources with sexually selected ornaments.Females have superior immunocompetence compared with males.There are genetic variation in immune traits. The offspring derived from males differing in ornament expression .The genetic benefit of female choice is small concerning offspring immunocompetence.

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