sex ratio theory

Sex ratio theory examines how the proportion of males to females in a population affects reproductive strategies and survival. It suggests that the optimal sex ratio can influence parental investment, mating behavior, and resource allocation. When one sex is less common, individuals of that sex may have better chances of reproducing, potentially leading to strategies that skew the ratio towards balancing reproductive opportunities. This theory helps explain variations in sex ratios across species and environments, highlighting how evolutionary pressures shape the distribution of sexes to maximize reproductive success and population stability.