The roles filled by males increase the survival of the species through several key mechanisms:
- Genetic quality control: Males act as a pre-zygotic filter of genetic defects by undergoing stronger sexual selection pressures. This purges deleterious mutations from the population, thereby improving overall genetic health and adaptability of the species
- Paternal care: In many species, males contribute directly to offspring survival by providing care such as protection, grooming, and provisioning food. This paternal care increases infant survival rates, especially in species where males protect infants from infanticide or help with feeding, which is critical during vulnerable early life stages
- Dominance and reproductive success: High-ranking males often have better access to resources and mates, which leads to offspring with higher fitness and survival chances. Dominant males may also provide better protection for their offspring, further increasing survival rates
- Facilitating adaptation and speciation: Male competition and sexual selection drive evolutionary processes that can lead to the emergence of new species and better adaptation to environmental changes, thus enhancing species survival over time
- Mating strategies linked to care: In some primates, males provide care to infants regardless of paternity to increase future mating opportunities, which indirectly benefits offspring survival by ensuring ongoing male involvement and protection
In summary, males contribute to species survival by enhancing genetic quality, providing direct care and protection to offspring, securing resources and mates that improve offspring fitness, and driving evolutionary adaptation through sexual selection and competition. These roles collectively increase the likelihood that offspring survive and reproduce, sustaining the species across generations.
