CHEMICAL SIGNALS AND PARASITE-MEDIATED SEXUAL SELECTION

Research into visual and acoustic signals has demonstrated that exagge rated sexual displays often provide an honest indicator of a male's re sistance to parasites. Recent studies with rodents and humans now sugg est that chemosensory signals also reveal a male's disease resistance and his genetic compatibility. Our understanding of sexual selection h as been greatly enriched by considering the mechanisms underlying visu al and acoustic displays, and recent advances in chemical communicatio n will help to determine what kind of information is revealed by an in dividual's scent.