Figure 25.4
-Male turkeys have a snood,a flap of skin that hangs across their beak.Snood length is negatively correlated with parasite load (e.g.,males with longer snoods have fewer parasites),and females prefer to mate with long-snooded males.This is an example of

Question

Figure 25.4 
-Male turkeys have a snood,a flap of skin that hangs across their beak.Snood length is negatively correlated with parasite load (e.g.,males with longer snoods have fewer parasites),and females prefer to mate with long-snooded males.This is an example of

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of a snood is a male secondary sexual characteristic that is subject to female choice, making this an example of sexual selection via female choice. Females prefer to mate with males that have longer snoods, which is likely due to the snood size being an indicator of male quality (i.e., males with long snoods may be healthier and have fewer parasites). This preference for longer snood length is an important factor in driving the evolution of this trait in male turkeys.

Figure 25.4 -Male Turkeys Have a Snood,a Flap of Skin That Hangs