Mostly Male theory

We note that this theory would be applicable even if LEAFYs.s. and NEEDLY did not control maleness and femaleness there simply needs to be some kind of divergence of functional role between them via neofunctionalization (cf. Lynch, 2002). Increase in the effectiveness of C-function genes controlled by LEAFY s.s. could easily lead to the loss of the relatively vulnerable NEEDLY, thereby allowing the immediate (and potentially saltational Bateman and DiMichele, 2002) formation of bisexual cones as flower precursors. The Pleiotropy Constraint model helpfully allows co-expression ofboth the male and female programmes in a single determinate meristem in contrast with the Mostly Male theory, there is no requirement for ectopic expression of either the female or the male developmental programmes. 

Frohlich, M. W. (2002). The Mostly Male theory of flower origins summary and update regarding the Jurassic pteridosperm Pteroma. pp. 85-108 in Cronk, Q. C. B., Bateman, R. M. and Hawkins, J. A. (eds.). Developmental Genetics and Plant Evolution. London Taylor and Francis. 

Frohlich, M. W. and Parker, D. S. (2000). The mostly male theory of flower evolutionary origins. Systematic Botany, 25,155-170. 

This does not mean that the earliest predictions of Sperm Competition Theory have all been supported. In particular, it now seems that there are many more elements to a competitive ejaculate than simply sperm number, with sperm size, sperm morphology and now sperm age being just three that have so far been implicated. It also seems, from this paper, that the most strategic ejaculate may well be different for the IPC male and the EPC male. 

The present results are consistent with both animal and human research showing that female selection of male mates is influenced by body odor (Eklund et al., 1992 Wedekind et al., 1995). Phrased in the language of evolutionary mechanisms and parental investment theory, the Sensory Stimuli and Sexuality Survey suggests that sensory information about mates presumed to be indicative of offspring viability related to immune genetics (i.e., olfaction) is especially important for female heterosexual responses. For males information pertaining to female fecundity (as indicated by physical attractiveness attributes that can be seen) and offspring viability potential (olfaction) are most important in mate selection Olfaction, however, is less involved in sexual arousal for males than it is for females. 

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