The bright colours of the comb and feathers in the peacock are for?

1. Analyze the question The question asks about the function of the bright colours on a peacock (the long, colourful train feathers and crest). In Biology, this belongs to the topic of reproduction and behaviour, specifically sexual dimorphism and sexual selection.

2. Explain the concept In many animals, males have bright colours and elaborate displays to attract females. This is called courtship display. The female (peahen) chooses a mate based on how bright and impressive the male's feathers are. Males with the best display are chosen, so these traits are passed on to the next generation (sexual selection).

3. Go through the options

• A. Sex differentiation: The colours do make males look different from females. However, this is a result (sexual dimorphism), not the main biological purpose of the colours.
• B. Beauty: This is a human idea. Biology looks for functional reasons, not aesthetics.
• C. Courtship: Correct. The male displays and fans out his bright feathers to attract and win a female during the breeding season.
• D. Defence: Bright colours actually make the bird more visible to predators, so they do not help defence. Defence usually involves camouflage or warning colours.

4. Answer The bright colours are used for courtship, which is option C.

5. Exam tip Remember: bright male + display = courtship. When you see a question about showy colours in male birds (peacock, cock, weaver bird), think "attract a mate". Be careful with "sex differentiation", since it describes the difference between the sexes but not the reason for the colours.