assortative mating

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assortative mating A sexual reproduction in which the pairing of male and female is not random, but involves a tendency for males of a particular kind to breed with females of a particular kind, or the converse. If the two partners in each pair tend to be more alike than is expected by chance, then it is referred to as positive assortative mating. Examples include positive assortative mating for height in wind-pollinated plants and for flower colour and time of development to sexual maturity in plants and in many insects with one generation per year.

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