stˈʌdiz səpˈoːɹt ðɪs θˈiəɹi baɪ ʃˈoʊɪŋ ðæt jˈʌŋɡɚ mˈeɪlz mˈeɪlz wɪð lˈɛs wˈɪŋ wˈɛɹ ɑːɹ mˈoːɹ səksˈɛsfəl ɪn kˈoːɹtʃɪp ðɐn ˈoʊldɚ mˈeɪlz, mˈeɪlz ɐksˈɛptᵻd baɪ fˈiːmeɪlz ɑːɹ sɪɡnˈɪfɪkəntli lˈɛs vˈɛɹɪəbəl ɪn sˈaɪz ðɐn mˈeɪlz ɹᵻdʒˈɛktᵻd baɪ fˈiːmeɪlz, pɚsˈɪstəns ˈɪŋkɹiːsᵻz ɐ mˈeɪlz tʃˈæns ʌv kˈɑːpjʊlˌeɪɾɪŋ ˌʌp tʊ ɐ pˈɔɪnt, ænd ðə sˈaɪz ʌv fˈiːmeɪlz ɐksˈɛptᵻd baɪ mˈeɪlz ɪz lˈɛs vˈɛɹɪəbəl ðɐn ðæt ʌv ɹᵻdʒˈɛktᵻd fˈiːmeɪlz.
Studies support this theory by showing that younger males (males with less wing wear) are more successful in courtship than older males, males accepted by females are significantly less variable in size than males rejected by females, persistence increases a male's chance of copulating up to a point, and the size of females accepted by males is less variable than that of rejected females.