We can intuitively define best genes as genes that give us better potential to succeed.
While it's true, it's also true that all of us have huge potential to succeed. All of us are under achievers.
But let's postpone the discussion for latter. Genes do matter. Different genes do give different capability. Some traits, among species, are so important it become common nowadays.
While your success on anything, including getting laid, depends on your choices rather than your genes, your genes still decide how you best achieve success.
Say Mary and Jane lived in the past. Say they were females Cheetah. Mary picks Bob the Slow. Jane picks John the Fastest.
Mary's son will of course be slow. Slow Cheetah's died. So Mary's went extinct. Jane's son will be fast. Fast Cheetah survives. So Jane's genes proliferate.
After a while, all females Cheetah's will be like Jane. Got it?
The same way works if Mary and Jane were human. If Mary pick Bob the poor and Jane pick John the rich. Mary's son will not be good at making money. Jane's son will be.
So Mary's son will have few descendants. Jane's son will have plenty. After a while, all women will be materialistic like Jane. That while, has come a thousands of years ago.
So, considering that factor alone, a male that want to mate with many females do not need to worry about how to attract females. Women want the best genes and will automagically pick males with the most potential to survive. That's just one factor though.
Peacock's elaborate tails do not help his survival. If anything, it reduces it by making the peacocks' easier target for predators. But peahens like peacocks with long tails. Why?
That's where the second factor is. That's the factor of advertising. In advertising, appearance is sometimes more important than real quality. Hence, it is often worthy to sacrifice some real quality for better appearances of it.
After all, some genetic traits like beauty, has no other use besides signaling good genes.
Jim Thio has sinced written about articles on various topics from Science, Insurance and Finances. is a silver medalist in International Physics Olympiad. He's learning evolution theory to understand humans nature and make humans happier. He visions a better world wh. Jim Thio's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.