What do females look for in a potential mate? Species B females get nothing from a male except genes, so they should be good ones. This helps explain the flamboyant secondary sexual characteristics of males—“If I can afford to waste all this energy on muscle plus these ridiculous neon antlers, I must be in great shape, with the sorts of genes you’d want in your kids.” In contrast, species A females look for stable, affiliative behavior and good parenting skills in males. This is seen in bird species with this pattern, where males display parenting expertise during courtship—symbolically
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