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A peacock spreading his tail, displaying his plumage Peahen. Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus Pavo and one species of the closely related genus Afropavo within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as ...
The function of the Indian peacock's elaborate train has been debated for more than a century. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin found it a puzzle, hard to explain through ordinary natural selection. His later explanation, sexual selection, is widely but not universally accepted.
The peacock tail in flight, the classic example of an ornament assumed to be a Fisherian runaway. Fisherian runaway or runaway selection is a sexual selection mechanism proposed by the mathematical biologist Ronald Fisher in the early 20th century, to account for the evolution of ostentatious male ornamentation by persistent, directional female choice.
The peacock's plumage shows intersexual selection, where ornate males compete to be chosen by females. The result is a stunning feathered display, which is large and unwieldy enough to pose a significant survival disadvantage, demonstrating the handicap principle , and possibly provide a means of demonstrating body symmetry, such that peahens ...
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to ... the extravagant plumage of some male birds such as the peacock. ...
The peacock plumage is a classic example of the hypothesized Fisherian runaway.. In the preface, Fisher considers some general points, including that there must be an understanding of natural selection distinct from that of evolution, and that the then-recent advances in the field of genetics (see history of genetics) now allowed this.
1781 painting by Maruyama Okyo Adult female head and upper neck Male profile. The green peafowl is a large bird in terms of overall size. The male is 1.8–3 m (5 ft 11 in – 9 ft 10 in) in total length, including its train, which measures 1.4–1.6 m (4 ft 7 in – 5 ft 3 in); the adult female is around half the total length of the breeding male at 1–1.1 m (3 ft 3 in – 3 ft 7 in) in length.
A male peacock courting a female peahen with his large tail. Biological ornaments are used in courtship displays in many species, especially insects, fish, and birds. A well known ornament used in courting displays is seen in peafowls. Male peacocks spread and shake their tails to attract and impress potential mates.