The Allure of Infection
While mates typically discriminate against infected partners (Hamilton
& Zuk 1982; Borgia 1986; Able 1996), there may be some scenarios in
which infection (or infection-mimicry) could enhance an individual’s
attractiveness. Here we consider three such cases: i) situations in
which infections can indicate terminal reproductive investment, ii)
instances in which tolerance of parasites is an indicator of potential
genetic benefits, and iii) situations in which infection could provide
species-identification cues. Mimicry in these scenarios would of course
not be maintained by costs to attractiveness as outlined in theSickly Defender Hypothesis , but could be maintained by more
conventional mechanisms (Andersson 1994).