runaway selection hypothesis

runaway selection hypothesis, in biology, an explanation first proposed by English statistician R.A. Fisher in the 1930s to account for the rapid evolution of specific physical traits in male animals of certain species. Some traits—such as prominent plumage, elaborate courtship behaviours, or extreme body ornamentation—are so strongly preferred by females of certain species that they will mate only with those males possessing the strongest expression of the trait. In subsequent generations, male offspring are more likely to possess that physical trait, whereas female offspring are more likely to possess a preference for that trait in males. Over time, the species may be characterized by extreme sexual dimorphism.

Evidence supporting this hypothesis has been found in several species. One of the most dramatic examples is the African long-tailed widowbird (Euplectes progne); the male possesses an extraordinarily long tail. This feature can be explained by the females’ preference for males with the longest tails. This preference can be demonstrated experimentally by artificially elongating the tails of male widowbirds. Similarly, male European sedge warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) with the longest and most elaborate birdsongs are the first to acquire mates in the spring.