Europe PMC · 2026-04-23
Researchers propose a unified three-phase framework for studying sexual selection—the competition to reproduce—that works for both plants and animals. This challenges the long-held assumption that plants, which can't move or choose mates directly, are somehow outside the rules of evolutionary competition.
The paper proposes a three-phase framework (premating, postmating, and postfertilization) that applies equally to plants and animals, providing a common language across taxa.
Traits unique to plants—like relying on bees or wind to move pollen and lacking direct physical contact between mates—do not disqualify plants from sexual selection; they simply represent new biological processes to investigate.
Inconsistent definitions of 'mating success' have been a primary barrier preventing plant and animal researchers from synthesizing findings, a problem this unified framework directly addresses.