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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–5Cite as

Male Ornamentation

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Synonyms

Badges of status; Secondary sexual traits

Definition

Sexual selection has shaped the evolution of extravagant secondary sexual characters in males via female choice (intersexual selection) and male-male competition (intra-sexual selection). Visually conspicuous sexually dimorphic characters can play a purely ornamental role in sociosexual interactions as “badges of status” communicating maturity, social status, dominance, and sexual attractiveness. This entry takes a Darwinian comparative approach spanning monkeys, apes, and man to outline how sexual selection has shaped male ornamentation.

Introduction

Sexual selection theory asserts that female choice, male-male competition, or their combination has shaped the evolution of sexually dimorphic male secondary sexual characters (Darwin 1871). Ornaments embellish and elaborate upon underlying bodily or facial structures and, in some cases, are part of coordinated behavioral displays that serve to attract females (Puts 2010). In...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Barnaby J. W. Dixson

Authors
  1. Barnaby J. W. Dixson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barnaby J. W. Dixson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Penn State Worthington Scranton, Scranton, USA

    Douglas Sellers

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Dixson, B.J.W. (2019). Male Ornamentation. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1401-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1401-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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