In our first Certainty vs Controversy class here at Penn State, we discussed the list of strange and thought provoking topics we’d discuss throughout the semester. One in particular caught my attention. Why do peacocks have such unusual tail feathers? Perhaps it’s because my last name is Peacock and perhaps it’s because I never truly understood the concept myself, but instantly I was interested and decided to do some research.
For centuries, kings, queens and men of power used peacocks in their clothing and decoration to represent wealth and superiority. The National Broadcasting Company, or NBC, began to use a peacock as a logo when they began to use color television. There is no doubt that a peacock’s most commonly recognized feature is its blue and green tail feathers with their unique eye-spotted design, but in what way does having such large and colorful feathers work to the birds’ advantage? The answer: “survival of the sexiest”. According to Darwin’s theory of sexual selection,” nature’s extravagance —like the peacock’s tail—are advantages in the mating game” (Tale of the Peacock). Darwin’s theory states that “the peacock tail has gradually evolved because the peahen selects beautiful males for mating” (Burgess 1).
Ultimately, the female peacock, or peahen, is more attracted to the more boisterous looking male of the pack, leaving the unfortunate less beautiful males to bit the dust. When the male peacock spreads his tail feathers to create a spectacular fan of blue and green, the illusion of large penetrating eyes are displayed. Not only do these eyes attract mates, but they also scare away potential predators, like snakes or large wild cats. In some unfortunate cases, however, the males’ train of feathers may “become too heavy to carry around” (Tale of the Peacock), leaving them vulnerable to predators.
Regardless of the dangers they pose, the male peacocks’ tail feathers continue to impress the opposite sex, allowing them to reproduce and thrive through Darwin’s theory of sexual selection. The more extravagant the fan, the more likely a male will find a mate. Accordingly, it is for this reason that peacocks have such unusual tail feather and continue to thrive in the animal kingdom.
Works Cited
“Tale of the Peacock.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/6/l_016_09.html>.
“The Beauty of the Peacock Tail and the Problems with the Theory of Sexual Selection.” Peacock Tail Beauty and Problems with Theory of Sexual Selection. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <https://answersingenesis.org/natural-selection/peacock-tail-beauty-and-problems-theory-of-sexual-selection/>.