biostudies-literatureLerch BANational Science Foundatione3002059https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10101644biostudies-literatureUnknown21(4)Predation plays a role in preventing the evolution of ever more complicated sexual displays, because such displays often increase an individual's predation risk. Sexual selection theory, however, omits a key feature of predation in modeling costs to sexually selected traits: Predation is density dependent. As a result of this density dependence, predator-prey dynamics should feed back into the evolution of sexual displays, which, in turn, feeds back into predator-prey dynamics. Here, we develop both population and quantitative genetic models of sexual selection that explicitly link the evolution of sexual displays with predator-prey dynamics. Our primary result is that predation can drive eco-evolutionary cycles in sexually selected traits. We also show that mechanistically modeling the coPLoS biologyPredation drives complex eco-evolutionary dynamics in sexually selected traits.PMC10101644DEB-1939290Servedio MRLerch BAfalsePredation drives complex eco-evolutionary dynamics in sexually selected traits.Predation plays a role in preventing the evolution of ever more complicated sexual displays, because such displays often increase an individual's predation risk. Sexual selection theory, however, omits a key feature of predation in modeling costs to sexually selected traits: Predation is density dependent. As a result of this density dependence, predator-prey dynamics should feed back into the evolution of sexual displays, which, in turn, feeds back into predator-prey dynamics. Here, we develop both population and quantitative genetic models of sexual selection that explicitly link the evolution of sexual displays with predator-prey dynamics. Our primary result is that predation can drive eco-evolutionary cycles in sexually selected traits. We also show that mechanistically modeling the co2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2025-04-19T23:48:30.809Z2025-04-19T23:48:30.809ZS-EPMC101016443701109410.1371/journal.pbio.3002059