Natural selection, it seems, often smiles on strumpets. Sorry, boys. - Olivia Judson

I’m afraid that females in many species often provoke males into fighting over them. When the mood strikes, they make themselves conspicuous—then stand back and watch the battle, before mating with the winner.

You’ve just got a case of SINBAD: Single Income, No Babe, Absolutely Desperate.

The battle of the sexes is no myth. Success at sexual reproduction is at the heart of the evolutionary process. But greater success for her often means less success for him. The upshot? An eternal war—and an astounding diversity of strategies.