Question

Sometimes animals have traits that don’t seem to make sense, like the long tail feathers of a peacock. Suggest a reason for traits that don’t help an animal survive. Hint: those features might help them do other things.

Answer 1

Such traits listed may help them reproduce. For example, female peacocks tend to breed with males with certain types of tail feathers. While the feather themselves don’t guarantee survival, they certainly increase the chances of their genes being passed down. This can also be seen in humans. Certain characteristics in humans can be considered attractive. While these traits don’t necessarily increase the chances of survival, they do increase the chances of finding a mate and eventually having kids. This results in the dominant traits getting passed down.