# Explaining sex: contrast between social and sexual selection

## TL;DR

The paper compares two theories explaining sexual reproduction: one based on competition and mating success, and another based on cooperation and offspring care.

## Contribution

The paper introduces an alternative framework called 'social selection' that contrasts with traditional sexual selection theory.

## Key findings

- Sexual selection theory relies on competition, conflict, and mating success.
- Social selection theory emphasizes negotiation, teamwork, and offspring delivery.
- The sexual selection system faces logical flaws and lacks factual support.

## Abstract

Darwin’s [The Descent of Man (2nd Edn.) (1871)] theory of sexual selection has been expanded into a system of interlocking hypotheses to explain many features of sexual reproduction. It focusses on mating success and relies on processes featuring bad genes, selfishness, competition, conflict, coercion, ownership and deceit. Logical flaws and an absence of factual support challenge the sexual-selection system. An alternative explanatory system, social selection, focusses on offspring delivery and relies on processes featuring negotiation, teamwork and division of labor. The sexual-selection system and the social-selection system differ in their world views of nature.