Peacocks participating in a lek reminds me of high school dances. An all boy high school would extend a number of invitations to other schools to join them for a dance party. These schools were of the all female variety, allowing a small group of young men to a wide selection of young women. In leks, a group of peacocks perform in front of a bunch of female spectators, seemingly giving them all an advantageous platform to show off their strengths. Cruelly, however, usually only one or two peacocks clearly seem to be a worthy hottie, and they are the ones that attract a disproportionate number of peahens.
If you were a bad dancer or weren’t born with the best tail feathers, why would you ever participate in a lek? To very altruistically make that handsome peacock look a lot better?
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Perhaps the answer lies in the Price equation, where your inclination to help another is based on how closely related you are to your kin. The males who participate in a lek are all related, so really, by helping them find a good wife(/wives) at least some of your genes will be passed on.
If you were a boy from a single sex school, you’d want to pride yourself in belonging to a school known for the best parties and most successful guys. Or the hottest high school girl in the world is dating a guy from your chemistry class!
-Christie
