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Handicap theory
How can a female realistically choose “good” genes when in the wild all she has to go on is looks? However Amo Zahavi suggested that certain physical attributes, like ornate tails, showed off a male's hardiness. That they can survive despite having this handicap and therefore must be more fit.
He said that if a female chose a male with a long tail for example is guaranteed to be a high quality mate because only high quality males can afford to be burdened with a long tail. Hamilton and Zuk extended this idea 1984 by suggesting that the males must be healthier because they are able to “advertise” that they are free of disease and parasites. As disease is a major source of juvenile mortality this may have been the driving force behind this evolution of sexual preferences. If the male is free of disease, he must have better genes to combat disease and if the females mates with him then her offspring are likely to also have these genes. Also, if a male has a beautifully kept tail, for example, then this demonstrates his potential parental care in looking after the young.
