The Handicap Principle: A Missing Piece of Darwin's Puzzle (book)

*The Handicap Principle: A Missing Piece of Darwin's Puzzle* by Amotz Zahavi explores how animals develop costly traits, like peacock feathers, that seem disadvantageous but actually signal their strength and fitness to mates. This honest signal helps ensure mates choose healthy partners, boosting reproductive success. The book explains that such traits, though seemingly a burden, serve as reliable indicators of quality, aiding in mate selection and survival. Zahavi's work adds to understanding natural selection by highlighting how certain costly features evolve because they effectively communicate an individual's status or stamina.