Social and environmental selection on femal ornaments and armanents

Darwin's theory of sexual selection is remarkably successful in explaining how elaborate signals evolved in male animals, but it is unclear whether similar processes drive the evolution of female signals. We will conduct empirical and comparative tests of hypotheses for female trait elaboration, capitalising on inter- and intra-specific variation in female signal form, social organisation and signalling environments. Our study will generate new insight into the processes that promote and constrain phenotypic diversity in nature.