Science Animals of the Worldusually ages 12–13

Sexual Selection

Explain sexual selection as a form of natural selection: runaway selection for peacock tails, bird of paradise displays, and frog calls; explain kin selection and altruistic behaviour — why worker bees die to protect the hive, why meerkats stand guard at personal risk (Hamilton's rule, inclusive fitness); introduce game theory in animal behaviour using the hawk-dove model; define cognitive ethology and survey evidence for animal emotions, play, and culture

Try this together

Can your child explain why a worker bee dying to protect the hive actually makes evolutionary sense — even though the bee never has its own offspring? What's the logic that makes this a successful strategy?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Animal Intelligenceages 9–11Sexual selection and game theory depends on animal intelligence and complex behaviour

The Red Queen Hypothesisages 11–12Sexual selection and evolutionary game theory depends on understanding co-evolutionary dynamics and the Red Queen hypothesis

Sexual Selectionthis skill · ages 12–13

Unlocks

How Natural Selection Worksages 12–14KS3 natural selection underpins kin selection, sexual selection, and behavioural game theory as extensions of the same mechanism

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

This skill sits beyond Year 6 in the Australian Curriculum, so no F–6 code is matched. It also sits beyond the NSW K–6 syllabuses. It also sits beyond Level 6 in the Victorian Curriculum.

Nearby on the map

Deep-Sea Survivalages 12–13 The Biodiversity Crisisages 12–14 Grouping Species Using DNAages 13–14 The Red Queen Hypothesisages 11–12

All Animals of the World skills →