Question

Male peacocks have tail feathers that make up about 60% of their body length. during the mating season they contract muscles to shake these feathers in front of females; females evaluate the feather rustling as part of selecting their mate. the _____ is the mechanistic cause of this behavior; the _____ is the adaptive function of this behavior.

Answer 1

The first part of the question is: The male's ability to shake its tail is the mechanistic cause of this behaviour. For the second part of the question, the mate choice is the adaptive function of this behaviour.