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I'm interested in the idea that selection (of a mate) is more important than fitness (for reproductive survival) Something I read about Peacocks made me think about it.
A Peacock has a huge, beautiful tail that seriously hinders its movements, making it an easy catch for predators - however, because the Peahens like Peacocks with big tails, their chicks who will grow up to have big tails (and the preference for big tails) This feedback loop of genetics creates, in the case of the peacock, an extreme body shape - similar things occur in other fowl, insects etc, but often the most extreme body forms relate in part to quality/preference pairings.
The quality/preference pairing might provide a stronger force in evolutionary terms than the speed, tooth sharpness, or other food-related survival of the fittest elements. When we think of evolution, we tend to think of lions chasing gazelles and as a result the lucky lions parent stronger progeny, while the escaping gazelles do the same. But this quality/preference thing to me seems like it could be a much more powerful influence (especially in reasonably 'comfortable' environments)
If that's the case, it could explain the rapid evolution of our species, and mean that without genetics etc we may still be in a period of rapid development.
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