Multiple sexual ornaments
Open-knowledge reference entry
Many species have multiple sexual ornaments, whereby females select mating partners using several signals instead of only one. Whereas this phenomenon is self-evident and hence long recognized, adaptive explanations of why females use several signals instead of only one signal have been formulated relatively recently. Several hypotheses exist, but mutually exclusive tests are still lacking.
Hypotheses
Several hypotheses attempt to explain why males have multiple sexual ornaments.
Multiple messages hypothesis
The multiple message hypothesis states that different ornaments signal different properties of an individual's overall quality. Models support the possibility that this hypothesis is evolutionarily stable but empirical tests are lacking.
Some ornaments represent long-term or short-term changes in overall condition. Elegant plumes in a bird or antlers in a deer grown once a year could signal the overall condition of an animal during the long period of growth; this is thus an example of a long-term change. Secondary characters like the inflatable bare patches of skin on a grouse species or the colorful patches of skin in a primate species could represent short-term changes.
Redundant signals hypothesis
The redundant signal hypothesis, also known as back-up signal hypothesis, states that each character can only best show partial representation of overall condition.
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