nezmot

Plus, one thing that's often overlooked is the role 'selection' plays. Nope, not the life-or-death type of thing we normally associate with natural selection, but the fact that lady giraffes who happen to have a genetic predisposition for finding long-necked mates attractive, will mate more often with long-necked giraffes with the result that their progeny will likely have a longer neck (due to the father's influence) and a natural predisposition towards finding long-necked mates more attractive than shorter necked ones (due to the mother's influence). Thus a natural feedback loop is created that can potentially rocket a species off into some entirely new arena of development extremely rapidly (in geological terms).

This becomes especially evident in the examples of Peacocks, and other birds where the male develops highly coloured or decorative plumage - often to the detriment of their chances of survival with regards to predators.