1
|
Janas K, Gudowska A, Drobniak SM. Avian colouration in a polluted world: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1261-1277. [PMID: 38494176 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Brilliant, diverse colour ornaments of birds were one of the crucial cues that led Darwin to the idea of sexual selection. Although avian colouration plays many functions, including concealment, thermoregulation, or advertisement as a distasteful prey, a quality-signalling role in sexual selection has attracted most research attention. Sexually selected ornaments are thought to be more susceptible to external stressors than naturally selected traits, and as such, they might be used as a test for environmental quality. For this reason, the last two decades have seen numerous studies on the impact of anthropogenic pollution on the expression of various avian colour traits. Herein, we provide the first meta-analytical summary of these results and examine whether there is an interaction between the mechanism of colour production (carotenoid-based, melanin-based and structural) and the type of anthropogenic factor (categorised as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, urbanisation, or other). Following the assumption of heightened condition dependence of ornaments under sexual selection, we also expected the magnitude of effect sizes to be higher in males. The overall effect size was close to significance and negative, supporting a general detrimental impact of anthropogenic pollutants on avian colouration. In contrast to expectations, there was no interaction between pollution types and colour-producing mechanisms. Yet there were significant differences in sensitivity between colour-producing mechanisms, with carotenoid-based colouration being the most affected by anthropogenic environmental disturbances. Moreover, we observed no significant tendency towards heightened sensitivity in males. We identified a publication gap on structural colouration, which, compared to pigment-based colouration, remains markedly understudied and should thus be prioritised in future research. Finally, we call for the unification of methods used in colour quantification in ecological research to ensure comparability of results among studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Janas
- Ornithological Station, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Gudowska
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dashtbali M, Henshaw JM. Is biased mutation sufficient to save runaway sexual selection? Evolution 2024; 78:1478-1485. [PMID: 38747625 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In the 1980s, groundbreaking theoretical studies showed that ornaments displayed during courtship can coevolve with preferences for such ornaments, leading to extreme exaggeration of both traits. Later models cast doubt on such "runaway" sexual selection, showing that even a small cost of preferences can prevent exaggerated ornaments from persisting long-term. It was subsequently shown that if mutations acting on the ornament are biased-tending to produce smaller rather than larger ornaments-then exaggeration can persist even in the presence of preference costs, seemingly vindicating the original models. Here, we unpack an implicit assumption of these "biased mutation" models: Mutations are assumed to lead, on average, to both smaller and less costly ornaments. Biased mutation consequently generates both a fitness cost (due to reduced mating success) and a fitness benefit (due to increased survival). We lift this assumption by separating an individual's investment in an ornament from their efficiency in converting such investment into ornament size. We assume that biased mutation acts only on efficiency but not on investment, and discuss the plausibility of this alternative assumption. Our model predicts that exaggerated ornaments and preferences can persist stably once they arise, but that strong initial preferences are needed to kick-start the runaway process. Consequently, biased mutation alone may not always be sufficient to save runaway sexual selection.
Collapse
|
3
|
Santiago Araújo R, Nöbel S, Antunes DF, Danchin E, Isabel G. A social learning primacy trend in mate-copying: an experiment in Drosophila melanogaster. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240408. [PMID: 39100186 PMCID: PMC11295924 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Social learning is learning from the observation of how others interact with the environment. However, in nature, individuals often need to process serial social information and may favour either the most recent information (recency bias), constantly updating knowledge to match the environment, or the information that appeared first in the series (primacy bias), which may slow down adjustment to environmental change. Mate-copying is a widespread form of social learning in a mate choice context related to conformity in mate choice, and where a naive individual develops a preference for a given mate (or mate phenotype) seen being chosen by conspecifics. Mate-copying is documented in most vertebrate taxa and in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we tested experimentally whether female fruit flies show a primacy or a recency bias by presenting pictures of a female copulating with one of two contrastingly coloured male phenotypes. We found that after two sequential contradictory demonstrations, females show a tendency to prefer males of the phenotype preferred in the first demonstration, suggesting that mate-copying in D. melanogaster is not based on the most recently observed mating and may be influenced by a form of primacy bias.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Santiago Araújo
- Laboratoire & Évolution Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Sabine Nöbel
- Laboratoire & Évolution Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole and Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST), Toulouse, France
- Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Diogo F. Antunes
- Laboratoire & Évolution Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Etienne Danchin
- Laboratoire & Évolution Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Guillaume Isabel
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lerch BA, Servedio MR. Indiscriminate Mating and the Coevolution of Sex Discrimination and Sexual Signals. Am Nat 2023; 201:E56-E69. [PMID: 36957998 DOI: 10.1086/723213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe presence of same-sex sexual behavior across the animal kingdom is often viewed as unexpected. One explanation for its prevalence in some taxa is indiscriminate mating-a strategy wherein an individual does not attempt to determine the sex of its potential partner before attempting copulation. Indiscriminate mating has been argued to be the ancestral mode of sexual reproduction and can also be an optimal strategy given search costs of choosiness. Less attention has been paid to the fact that sex discrimination requires not just the attempt to differentiate between the sexes but also some discernible difference (a signal or cue) that can be detected. To address this, we extend models of mating behavior to consider the coevolution of sex discrimination and sexual signals. We find that under a wide range of parameters, including some with relatively minor costs, indiscriminate mating and the absence of sexual signals will be an evolutionary end point. Furthermore, the absence of both sex discrimination and sexual signals is always evolutionarily stable. These results suggest that an observable difference between the sexes likely arose as a by-product of the evolution of different sexes, allowing discrimination to evolve.
Collapse
|
5
|
Waffender A, Henshaw JM. Long-term persistence of exaggerated ornaments under Fisherian runaway despite costly mate search. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:45-56. [PMID: 36514848 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Exaggerated ornaments often evolve due to the mating preferences of the opposite sex. Genetic correlations between preferences and ornaments can lead both traits to elaborate dramatically in tandem, in a process known as 'Fisherian runaway'. However, in most previous models of Fisherian runaway, elaborate ornaments are not expected to persist when preferences are consistently costly to the choosing sex. In contrast, we show here that exaggerated male ornaments can be maintained long term even when females must pay a cost to choose their mates. Preferences per se are not costly in our model, but females can only act on their preferences by investing resources in mate search. We predict that mate search effort should decrease with the cost of sampling additional mates and increase with the number of possible ornaments that females can choose from. The potential for multiple exaggerated ornaments to coexist depends on subtleties of their cost structure: strict trade-offs (additive costs) favour sequential ornament evolution, whereas looser trade-offs (multiplicative costs) allow for coexistence. Lastly, we show that pleiotropy affecting both ornaments and preferences makes it difficult for Fisherian runaway to initiate, increasing the evolutionary time until ornamentation. Our model highlights the important but neglected role of mate search effort in sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Waffender
- Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Guerrera AG, Daniel MJ, Hughes KA. Black and orange coloration predict success during male–male competition in the guppy. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Investigating how intrasexual competition and intersexual mate choice act within a system is crucial to understanding the maintenance and diversity of sexually-dimorphic traits. These two processes can act in concert by selecting for the same trait, or in opposition by selecting for different extremes of the same trait; they can also act on different traits, potentially increasing trait complexity. We asked whether male–male competition and female mate choice act on the same male traits using Trinidadian guppies, which exhibit sexual size dimorphism and male-limited color patterns consisting of different colors arranged along the body and fins. We used behavioral assays to assess the relationship between color and competitive success and then compared our results to the plethora of data on female choice and color in our study population. Males initiated more contests if they were larger than their competitor. Males won contests more often if they had more black coloration than their competitor, and the effect of black was stronger when males had less orange than their competitor. Additionally, males won more often if they had either more structural color (iridescence) and more orange, or less structural color and less orange than their competitor, suggesting multiple combinations of color traits predict success. Females from our study population exhibit a strong preference for more orange coloration. Thus, traits favored in male contests differ from those favored by intersexual selection in this population. These results suggest that inter- and intrasexual selection, when acting concurrently, can promote increased complexity of sexually selected traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexa G Guerrera
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL , USA
| | - M J Daniel
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL , USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - K A Hughes
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL , USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
The evolution of mating preferences for genetic attractiveness and quality in the presence of sensory bias. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206262119. [PMID: 35939704 PMCID: PMC9388091 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206262119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aesthetic preferences of potential mates have driven the evolution of a baffling diversity of elaborate ornaments. Which fitness benefit-if any-choosers gain from expressing such preferences is controversial, however. Here, we simulate the evolution of preferences for multiple ornament types (e.g., "Fisherian," "handicap," and "indicator" ornaments) that differ in their associations with genes for attractiveness and other components of fitness. We model the costs of preference expression in a biologically plausible way, which decouples costly mate search from cost-free preferences. Ornaments of all types evolved in our model, but their occurrence was far from random. Females typically preferred ornaments that carried information about a male's quality, defined here as his ability to acquire and metabolize resources. Highly salient ornaments, which key into preexisting perceptual biases, were also more likely to evolve. When males expressed quality-dependent ornaments, females invested readily in costly mate search to locate preferred males. In contrast, the genetic benefits associated with purely arbitrary ornaments were insufficient to sustain highly costly mate search. Arbitrary ornaments could nonetheless "piggyback" on mate-search effort favored by other, quality-dependent ornaments. We further show that the potential to produce attractive male offspring ("sexy sons") can be as important as producing offspring of high general quality ("good genes") in shaping female preferences, even when preferred ornaments are quality dependent. Our model highlights the importance of mate-search effort as a driver of aesthetic coevolution.
Collapse
|
8
|
Yukilevich R, Aoki F. Evolution of choosiness dictates whether search costs of mate choice enhance speciation by sexual selection. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1045-1059. [PMID: 35830473 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The role of sexual selection in speciation is implicated in both empirical case studies and larger comparative works. However, sexual selection faces two major problems in driving speciation. First, because females with novel preferences search for their initially rare males, search costs are expected to curtail initial sexual divergence. Second, if these populations come back into sympatry, sexual divergence may be erased due to hybridization. A major goal is to understand which conditions increase the likelihood of overcoming these problems. Here we generated a diploid population genetic model of how female search costs and evolution of female 'choosiness' (i.e. preference strength) interact to drive speciation in allopatry and secondary contact. We studied the model using numerical simulations in the context of two different male traits, ecologically 'arbitrary' versus 'magic' traits. First, in allopatry, without female search costs only minor and fluctuating sexual isolation evolved. In contrast, with female search costs, sexual isolation was highly curtailed with arbitrary male traits but was greatly facilitated with magic traits. However, because search costs selected for reduced choosiness, sexual isolation with magic traits was eventually eroded, the rate determined by the genetic architecture of choosiness. These factors also played a key role in secondary contact; with evolvable choosiness and female search costs, pure sexual selection models collapsed upon secondary contact. However, when we added selection against hybrids (i.e. reinforcement) to this model, we found that speciation could be maintained under a wide range of conditions with arbitrary male traits, but not with magic male traits. This surprisingly suggests that arbitrary male traits are in some cases more likely to aid speciation than magic male traits. We discuss these findings and relate them to empirical literature on female choosiness within species and in hybrids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roman Yukilevich
- Department of Biology, Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA
| | - Fumio Aoki
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Selection for male stamina can help explain costly displays with cost-minimizing female choice. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03172-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In many species, male lifespan is shorter than that of females, often attributed to sexual selection favouring costly expression of traits preferred by females. Coevolutionary models of female preferences and male traits predict that males can be selected to have such life histories; however, this typically requires that females also pay some costs to express their preferences. Here we show that this problem diminishes when we link coevolutionary models of costly mate choice with the idea of stamina. In our model, the most successful males are those who can combine high attendance time on a lek — or, more generally, tenacious effort in their display time budgets — with high viability such that they are not too strongly compromised in terms of lifespan. We find that an opportunistic female strategy, that minimizes its costs by mating with highly visible (displaying) males, often beats other alternatives. It typically resists invasion attempts of genotypes that mate randomly in the population genetic sense, as well as invasion of stricter ways of being choosy (which are potentially costly if choice requires e.g. active rejection of all males who do not presently display, or risky travel to lekking sites). Our model can produce a wide range of male time budgets (display vs. self-maintenance). This includes cases of alternative mating tactics where males in good condition spend much time displaying, while those in poor condition never display yet, importantly, gain some mating success due to females not engaging in rejection behaviours should these be very costly to express.
Significance statement
In many species, males spend much time and energy on displaying to attract females, but it is not always clear what females gain from paying attention to male displays. The tradition in mathematical models attempting to understand the situation is to assume that random mating is the least costly option for females. However, random mating in the population genetic sense requires females to behave in a manner that equalizes mating success between displaying and non-displaying males, and here we point out that this is biologically unlikely. Opportunistically mating females can cause males to spend much of their time budgets displaying and will shorten male lifespans in a quality-dependent manner.
Collapse
|
10
|
Domínguez-Castanedo O. Perceived mate competition risk influences the female mate choice and increases the reproductive effort in the annual killifish Millerichthys robustus. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1893827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Omar Domínguez-Castanedo
- Departamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso No. 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, 04906 Coyoacán, CDMX, México
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Feagles OS, Höbel G. Female gray treefrogs maintain mate choice decisions under predation threat, but adjust movements to reduce conspicuousness during mate approach. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03124-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
12
|
The significant role of post-pairing male behavior on the evolution of male preferences and female traits. Commun Biol 2022; 5:4. [PMID: 35013514 PMCID: PMC8748628 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02961-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing sexual selection theory postulates that a sufficiently large variation in female fecundity or other direct benefits are fundamental for generating male mate choice. In this study, we suggest that, in addition to pre-pairing preferences, choosy males can also have different post-pairing behaviors, a factor which has been comparatively overlooked by previous studies. We found that both male preferences and female traits could evolve much more easily than previously expected when the choosy males that paired with unpreferred females would allocate more efforts to seeking additional post-pairing mating opportunities. Furthermore, a costly female trait could evolve when there was a trade-off between seeking additional mating and paternal care investment within social pair for choosy males. Finally, a costly male preference and a costly female trait might still evolve and reach a stable polymorphic state in the population, which might give rise to a high variability in male choice and female traits in nature. We suggest that male mate choice may be even more common than expected, which needs to be verified empirically. Lyu and colleagues use theoretical models to examine the relationship between post-pairing male behaviors and female trait evolution. They find that male mate choosiness can be surprisingly influential on the evolution of costly female traits, but also that costly male preference and costly female traits could evolve to a polymorphic equilibrium under certain conditions.
Collapse
|
13
|
Tschol M, Reid JM, Bocedi G. Strong spatial population structure shapes the temporal coevolutionary dynamics of costly female preference and male display. Evolution 2021; 76:636-648. [PMID: 34964487 PMCID: PMC9302702 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Female mating preferences for exaggerated male display traits are commonplace. Yet, comprehensive understanding of the evolution and persistence of costly female preference through indirect (Fisherian) selection in finite populations requires some explanation for the persistence of additive genetic variance (Va) underlying sexual traits, given that directional preference is expected to deplete Va in display and hence halt preference evolution. However, the degree to which Va, and hence preference‐display coevolution, may be prolonged by spatially variable sexual selection arising solely from limited gene flow and genetic drift within spatially structured populations has not been examined. Our genetically and spatially explicit model shows that spatial population structure arising in an ecologically homogeneous environment can facilitate evolution and long‐term persistence of costly preference given small subpopulations and low dispersal probabilities. Here, genetic drift initially creates spatial variation in female preference, leading to persistence of Va in display through “migration‐bias” of genotypes maladapted to emerging local sexual selection, thus fueling coevolution of costly preference and display. However, costs of sexual selection increased the probability of subpopulation extinction, limiting persistence of high preference‐display genotypes. Understanding long‐term dynamics of sexual selection systems therefore requires joint consideration of coevolution of sexual traits and metapopulation dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Tschol
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Realfagbygget, Gløshaugen, Høgskoleringen 5, Trondheim, N-7491, Norway
| | - Greta Bocedi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Gould J, Valdez JW. Dating on your level: assortative mating based on body condition in an amphibian. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Gould
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
| | - Jose W. Valdez
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rowe L, Rundle HD. The Alignment of Natural and Sexual Selection. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021-033324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection has the potential to decrease mean fitness in a population through an array of costs to nonsexual fitness. These costs may be offset when sexual selection favors individuals with high nonsexual fitness, causing the alignment of sexual and natural selection. We review the many laboratory experiments that have manipulated mating systems aimed at quantifying the net effects of sexual selection on mean fitness. These must be interpreted in light of population history and the diversity of ways manipulations have altered sexual interactions, sexual conflict, and sexual and natural selection. Theory and data suggest a net benefit is more likely when sexually concordant genetic variation is enhanced and that ecological context can mediate the relative importance of these different effects. Comparative studies have independently examined the consequences of sexual selection for population/species persistence. These provide little indication of a benefit, and interpreting these higher-level responses is challenging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Howard D. Rundle
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Maisonneuve L, Beneteau T, Joron M, Smadi C, Llaurens V. When Do Opposites Attract? A Model Uncovering the Evolution of Disassortative Mating. Am Nat 2021; 198:625-641. [PMID: 34648401 DOI: 10.1086/716509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDisassortative mating is a rare form of mate preference that promotes the persistence of polymorphism. While the evolution of assortative mating and its consequences for trait variation and speciation have been extensively studied, the conditions enabling the evolution of disassortative mating are still poorly understood. Mate preferences increase the risk of missing mating opportunities, a cost that can be compensated by a greater fitness of offspring. Heterozygote advantage should therefore promote the evolution of disassortative mating, which maximizes the number of heterozygous offspring. From the analysis of a two-locus diploid model with one locus controlling the mating cue under viability selection and the other locus coding for the level of disassortative preference, we show that heterozygote advantage and negative frequency-dependent viability selection acting at the cue locus promote the evolution of disassortative preferences. We predict conditions of evolution of disassortative mating coherent with selection regimes acting on traits observed in the wild. We also show that disassortative mating generates sexual selection, which disadvantages heterozygotes at the cue locus, limiting the evolution of disassortative preferences. Altogether, our results partially explain why this behavior is rare in natural populations.
Collapse
|
17
|
Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Pruett JA, Ossip-Drahos AG, Campos SM, Seddon RJ, Price SL, Romero-Diaz C, Rivera JA, Vital-García C, Hews DK, Martins EP. Information out of the blue: phenotypic correlates of abdominal color patches in Sceloporus lizards. ZOOLOGY 2021; 149:125961. [PMID: 34592493 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Colorful ornaments are important visual signals for animal communication that can provide critical information about the quality of the signaler. In this study, we focused on different color characteristics of the abdominal patches of males of six lizard species from the genus Sceloporus. We addressed three main objectives. First, we examined if size, brightness, saturation, and conspicuousness of these ornaments are indicative of body size, condition, immune function, or levels of testosterone and corticosterone. Second, we evaluated if the distinct components of these abdominal patches (blue or green patches and black stripes) transmit similar information about the signaler, which would support the redundant signal hypothesis, or if these components are related to different phenotypic traits, which would support the multiple message hypothesis. Third, we compared the phenotypic correlates of these ornaments among our six species to understand the degree of conservatism in the signaling patterns or to find species-specific signals. Using data collected from males in natural conditions and a multi-model inference framework, we found that in most species the area of the patches and the brightness of the blue component are positively related to body size. Thus, these color characteristics are presumably indicative of the physical strength and competitive ability of males and these shared signals were likely inherited from a common ancestor. In half of the species, males in good body condition also exhibit relatively larger blue and black areas, suggesting that the expression of these ornaments is condition-dependent. Abdominal patches also provide information about immunocompetence of the males as indicated by different correlations between certain color characteristics and ectoparasite load, counts of heterophils, and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio. Our findings reveal that area and brightness of the abdominal patches signal the size and body condition of males, whereas blue saturation and conspicuousness with respect to the surrounding substrate are indicative of immune condition, thus supporting the multiple message hypothesis. However, some of these correlations were not shared by all species and, hence, point to intriguing species-specific signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.
| | - Jake A Pruett
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 425 W. University Boulevard, Durant, OK 74701, USA.
| | - Alison G Ossip-Drahos
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Marian University, 3200 Cold Springs Road, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Campos
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
| | - Ryan J Seddon
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA; Center for Global Communication Strategies, University of Tokyo, 3-8-4 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Savannah L Price
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Cristina Romero-Diaz
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Julio A Rivera
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Cuauhcihuatl Vital-García
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Anillo Envolvente y Estocolmo s/n, Colonia Progresista, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, 32310, Mexico.
| | - Diana K Hews
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Emília P Martins
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Amano Y, Wakao Y. Women’s Sensitivity to Men’s Past Relationships: Reliable Information Use for Mate-Choice Copying in Humans. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00295-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
19
|
De Nardo AN, Roy J, Sbilordo SH, Lüpold S. Condition-dependent interaction between mating success and competitive fertilization success in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2021; 75:2014-2026. [PMID: 33834478 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dietary restriction during development can affect adult body size and condition. In many species, larger (high-condition) males gain higher mating success through male-male competition and female choice, and female condition can affect the extent of both female mate choice and male investment in courtship or ejaculates. However, few studies have examined the joint effects and interplay of male and female condition during both the pre- and the postcopulatory phases of sexual selection. We therefore manipulated the larval diet of male and female Drosophila melanogaster to study how body size variation in both sexes biases competitive outcomes at different reproductive stages, from mating to paternity. We did not find a difference in mate preference or mating latency between females of different conditions, nor any interaction between male and female conditions. However, large males were more successful in gaining matings, but only when in direct competition, whereas mating latencies were shorter for low-condition males in noncompetitive settings. Small males also transferred more sperm to nonvirgin females, displaced a larger proportion of resident sperm, and achieved higher paternity shares per mating than large males. In agreement with existing theory, we suggest that small males might partially compensate for their low mating success by strategically investing in larger sperm numbers and potentially other, unmeasured ejaculate traits, when they do have a mating opportunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio N De Nardo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Jeannine Roy
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Sonja H Sbilordo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Lüpold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Domínguez-Castanedo O, Muñoz-Campos TM, Valdesalici S, Valdez-Carbajal S, Passos C. Male mate choice in the annual killifish Millerichthys robustus and its relationship with female polymorphism, size and fecundity. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1883121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Omar Domínguez-Castanedo
- Departamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso No. 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Coyoacán, CDMX 04906, México
| | - Tessy M. Muñoz-Campos
- Licenciatura En Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso No. 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Coyoacán, CDMX 04906, México
| | - Stefano Valdesalici
- Associazione Italiana Killifish, Via Cà Bertacchi 5, 42030 Viano (Reggio Emilia), Italy
| | - Sharon Valdez-Carbajal
- Licenciatura En Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso No. 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Coyoacán, CDMX 04906, México
| | - Carlos Passos
- Sección de Etología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Harness NCE, Campbell T. Acoustic ranging in meadow katydids: female preference for attenuated calls. BIOACOUSTICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2021.1879681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tamara Campbell
- Biology Department, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Veller C, Muralidhar P, Haig D. On the logic of Fisherian sexual selection. Evolution 2020; 74:1234-1245. [PMID: 32128812 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In Fisher's model of sexual selection, a female preference for a male trait spreads together with the trait because their genetic bases become correlated. This can be interpreted as a "greenbeard" system: a preference gene, by inducing a female to mate with a trait-bearing male, favors itself because the male is disproportionately likely also to carry the preference gene. Here, we use this logic to argue that Fisherian sexual selection in diploids proceeds via two channels: (i) trait-bearing males are disproportionately the product of matings between preference-bearing mothers and trait-bearing fathers, and thus trait and preference genes are correlated "in trans"; (ii) trait and preference genes come into gametic phase disequilibrium, and thus are correlated "in cis." Gametic phase disequilibrium is generated by three distinct mechanisms that we identify. The trans channel does not operate when sexual selection is restricted to the haploid phase, and therefore represents a fundamental difference between haploid and diploid models of sexual selection. We show that the cis and trans channels contribute equally to the spread of the preference when recombination between the preference and trait loci is free, but that the trans channel is substantially more important when linkage is tight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl Veller
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138.,Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
| | - Pavitra Muralidhar
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138.,Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
| | - David Haig
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Han CS, Brooks RC, Dingemanse NJ. Condition-Dependent Mutual Mate Preference and Intersexual Genetic Correlations for Mating Activity. Am Nat 2020; 195:997-1008. [PMID: 32469657 DOI: 10.1086/708497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Although mating represents a mutual interaction, the study of mate preferences has long focused on choice in one sex and preferred traits in the other. This has certainly been the case in the study of the costs and condition-dependent expression of mating preferences, with the majority of studies concerning female preference. The condition dependence and genetic architecture of mutual mate preferences remain largely unstudied, despite their likely relevance for the evolution of preferences and of mating behavior more generally. Here we measured (a) male and female mate preferences and (b) intersexual genetic correlations for the mating activity in pedigreed populations of southern field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) raised on a favorable (free-choice) or a stressful (protein-deprived) diet. In the favorable dietary environment, mutual mate preferences were strong, and the intersexual genetic covariance for mating activity was not different from one. However, in the stressful dietary environment, mutual mate preferences were weak, and the intersexual genetic covariance for mating activity was significantly smaller than one. Altogether, our results show that diet environments affect the expression of genetic variation in mating behaviors: when the environment is stressful, both (a) the strength of mutual mate preference and (b) intersexual genetic covariance for mating activity tend to be weaker. This implies that mating dynamics strongly vary across environments.
Collapse
|
24
|
López-Cortegano E, Carpena-Catoira C, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rolán-Alvarez E. Mate choice based on body size similarity in sexually dimorphic populations causes strong sexual selection. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
25
|
Promiscuity and sex ratio in the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare and consequences on genetic diversity. Behav Processes 2019; 171:104030. [PMID: 31899276 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.104030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In promiscuous mating systems, both males and females mate with several partners. While the benefits of multiple mating are well recognized for males, there are several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses to explain multiple mating for females. Promiscuity is widespread in terrestrial isopods. Here, we placed experimental populations of the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare under varying sex ratios to manipulate the number of available partners, and better characterise the mating system in this species by performing paternity tests using microsatellite markers. We observed that females usually mate multiply with up to 5 males in a single event of reproduction. A higher number of fathers in broods did not increase brood size nor heterozygosity, but increased allelic richness. Promiscuity seems to be asymmetric in this species, with females being less affected by changes in sex ratio than were males and would be an adaptive mating system maximising the offspring genetic diversity.
Collapse
|
26
|
|
27
|
Effects of condition and sperm competition risk on sperm allocation and storage in neriid flies. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractEjaculate traits can be sexually selected and often exhibit heightened condition-dependence. However, the influence of sperm competition risk in tandem with condition-dependent ejaculate allocation strategies is relatively unstudied. Because ejaculates are costly to produce, high-condition males may be expected to invest more in ejaculates when sperm competition risk is greater. We examined the condition-dependence of ejaculate size by manipulating nutrient concentration in the juvenile (larval) diet of the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis. Using a fully factorial design we also examined the effects of perceived sperm competition risk (manipulated by allowing males to mate first or second) on the quantity of ejaculate transferred and stored in the three spermathecae of the female reproductive tract. To differentiate male ejaculates, we fed males nontoxic rhodamine fluorophores (which bind to proteins in the body) prior to mating, labeling their sperm red or green. We found that high-condition males initiated mating more quickly and, when mating second, transferred more ejaculate to both of the female’s posterior spermathecae. This suggests that males allocate ejaculates strategically, with high-condition males elevating their ejaculate investment only when facing sperm competition. More broadly, our findings suggest that ejaculate allocation strategies can incorporate variation in both condition and perceived risk of sperm competition.
Collapse
|
28
|
Ledecka D, Zeman M, Okuliarova M. Genetic variation in maternal yolk testosterone allocation predicts female mating decisions in Japanese quail. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
29
|
Finnegan SR, Nitsche L, Mondani M, Camus MF, Fowler K, Pomiankowski A. Does meiotic drive alter male mate preference? Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMale mate preferences have been demonstrated across a range of species, including the Malaysian stalk-eyed fly, Teleopsis dalmanni. This species is subject to sex-ratio (SR), an X-linked male meiotic driver, which causes the dysfunction of Y-sperm and the production of all-female broods. While there has been work considering female avoidance of meiotic drive males, the mating decisions of drive-bearing males have not been considered previously. Drive males may be less able to bear the cost of choice as SR is associated with a low-frequency inversion that causes reduced organismal fitness. Drive males may also experience weaker selection for preference maintenance if they are avoided by females. Using binary choice trials, across two experiments, we confirmed male preference for large (fecund) females but found no evidence that the strength of male preference differs between drive and standard males. We showed that large eyespan males displayed strong preference for large females, whereas small eyespan males showed no preference. Taken together, these results suggest that, even though meiotic drive is associated with lower genetic quality, it does not directly interfere with male mate preference among available females. However, as drive males tend to have smaller eyespan (albeit only ~5% on average), this will to a minor extent weaken their strength of preference.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Ronan Finnegan
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Leslie Nitsche
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matteo Mondani
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Florencia Camus
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin Fowler
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Pomiankowski
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- CoMPLEX, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rystrom TL, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Mate assessment behavior is correlated to learning ability in female threespine sticklebacks. Curr Zool 2019; 65:295-304. [PMID: 31263488 PMCID: PMC6595426 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species, males signal quality with elaborate traits, but females often show inter-individual variation in preference for these traits. Choosing a mate requires multiple cognitive steps; therefore, cognitive style (how an individual processes information) likely influences the perception of sexual signals and ability to choose a high-quality mate. An important component of cognitive style is flexibility; cognitively flexible individuals are more perceptive to shifts in cues. We hypothesized that cognitively flexible individuals would acquire more information about potential mates, better discern between two quality-signaling traits, and thus be more discriminatory. Here, we show that mate assessment is correlated to other cognitive traits. Although we did not detect an effect of cognitive style on mate preference or discrimination, we found that female threespine sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus that spent more time assessing potential mates (more responsive) in a dichotomous mate choice task reached both the initial and reversal learning criterion in a spatial learning task with fewer errors. However, these highly responsive females made more consecutive mistakes immediately at the beginning of the reversal phase, suggesting that they did not quickly adapt to the environmental change but instead rapidly formed strict routines during the learning task that were eventually reversible after repeated errors. Furthermore, we found evidence for condition-dependent mate preference, with larger females preferring the high-quality male. These are among the first results that illustrate how cognitive traits might influence mate choice, which has implications for the strength and direction of sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L Rystrom
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestrasse 13, Münster, Germany.,Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Richardson J, Smiseth PT. Nutrition during sexual maturation and at the time of mating affects mating behaviour in both sexes of a burying beetle. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
32
|
Zinna R, Emlen D, Lavine LC, Johns A, Gotoh H, Niimi T, Dworkin I. Sexual dimorphism and heightened conditional expression in a sexually selected weapon in the Asian rhinoceros beetle. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:5049-5072. [PMID: 30357984 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Among the most dramatic examples of sexual selection are the weapons used in battles between rival males over access to females. As with ornaments of female choice, the most "exaggerated" sexually selected weapons vary from male to male more widely than other body parts (hypervariability), and their growth tends to be more sensitive to nutritional state or physiological condition compared with growth of other body parts ("heightened" conditional expression). Here, we use RNAseq analysis to build on recent work exploring these mechanisms in the exaggerated weapons of beetles, by examining patterns of differential gene expression in exaggerated (head and thorax horns) and non-exaggerated (wings, genitalia) traits in the Asian rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus. Our results suggest that sexually dimorphic expression of weaponry involves large-scale changes in gene expression, relative to other traits, while nutrition-driven changes in gene expression in these same weapons are less pronounced. However, although fewer genes overall were differentially expressed in high- vs. low-nutrition individuals, the number of differentially expressed genes varied predictably according to a trait's degree of condition dependence (head horn > thorax horn > wings > genitalia). Finally, we observed a high degree of similarity in direction of effects (vectors) for subsets of differentially expressed genes across both sexually dimorphic and nutritionally responsive growth. Our results are consistent with a common set of mechanisms governing sexual size dimorphism and condition dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Zinna
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas Emlen
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura C Lavine
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annika Johns
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hiroki Gotoh
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Teruyuki Niimi
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Patricelli GL, Hebets EA, Mendelson TC. Book review of Prum, R. O. 2018. The evolution of beauty: How Darwin's forgotten theory of mate choice shapes the animal world-and us (2017), Doubleday, 428 pages, ISBN: 9780385537216. Evolution 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gail L. Patricelli
- Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California; Davis California 95616
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Tamra C. Mendelson
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Maryland Baltimore County; Baltimore Maryland 21250
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Fuller
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - John A Endler
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn, Ponds, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Scherer U, Tiedemann R, Schlupp I. Male size, not female preferences influence female reproductive success in a poeciliid fish (Poecilia latipinna): a combined behavioural/genetic approach. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:364. [PMID: 29884214 PMCID: PMC5994011 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We investigated the potential role of indirect benefits for female mate preferences in a highly promiscuous species of live-bearing fishes, the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna using an integrative approach that combines methods from animal behavior, life-history evolution, and genetics. Males of this species solely contribute sperm for reproduction, and consequently females do not receive any direct benefits. Despite this, females typically show clear mate preferences. It has been suggested that females can increase their reproductive success through indirect benefits from choosing males of higher quality. Results Although preferences for large body size have been recorded as an honest signal for genetic quality, this particular study resulted in female preference being unaffected by male body size. Nonetheless, larger males did sire more offspring, but with no effect on offspring quality. This study presents a methodical innovation by combining preference testing with life history measurements—such as the determination of the dry weight of fish embryos—and paternity analyses on single fish embryos. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gintis H, van Schaik C, Boehm C. Zoon politikon: The evolutionary origins of human socio-political systems. Behav Processes 2018; 161:17-30. [PMID: 29581024 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We deploy the most up-to-date evidence available in various behavioral fields in support of the following hypothesis: The emergence of bipedalism and cooperative breeding in the hominin line, together with environmental developments that made a diet of meat from large animals adaptive, as well as cultural innovations in the form of fire, cooking, and lethal weapons, created a niche for hominins in which there was a significant advantage to individuals with the ability to communicate and persuade in a moral context. These forces added a unique political dimension to human social life which, through gene-culture coevolution, became Homo ludens-Man, the game player-with the power to conserve and transform the social order. Homo sapiens became, in the words of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, a zoon politikon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Gintis
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, United States.
| | - Carel van Schaik
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, United States
| | - Christopher Boehm
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Weaver RJ, Koch RE, Hill GE. What maintains signal honesty in animal colour displays used in mate choice? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0343. [PMID: 28533460 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the colour displays of animals are proposed to have evolved in response to female mate choice for honest signals of quality, but such honest signalling requires mechanisms to prevent cheating. The most widely accepted and cited mechanisms for ensuring signal honesty are based on the costly signalling hypothesis, which posits that costs associated with ornamentation prevent low-quality males from being highly ornamented. Alternatively, by the index hypothesis, honesty can be achieved via cost-free mechanisms if ornament production is causally linked to core physiological pathways. In this essay, we review how a costly signalling framework has shaped empirical research in mate choice for colourful male ornaments and emphasize that alternative interpretations are plausible under an index signalling framework. We discuss the challenges in both empirically testing and distinguishing between the two hypotheses, noting that they need not be mutually exclusive. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive approach to studies of colour signals that includes the explicit consideration of cost-free mechanisms for honesty.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rebecca E Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Varela SAM, Matos M, Schlupp I. The role of mate-choice copying in speciation and hybridization. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1304-1322. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susana A. M. Varela
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Margarida Matos
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology; University of Oklahoma; Norman OK 73019 U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Belliure J, Fresnillo B, Cuervo JJ. Male mate choice based on female coloration in a lizard: the role of a juvenile trait. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josabel Belliure
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Fresnillo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José J Cuervo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Scarponi V, Godin JGJ. Female assessment of male functional fertility during mate choice in a promiscuous fish. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Scarponi
- Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
- Department of Life Sciences; University of Sussex; Brighton UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Duthie AB, Bocedi G, Germain RR, Reid JM. Evolution of precopulatory and post-copulatory strategies of inbreeding avoidance and associated polyandry. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:31-45. [PMID: 28986951 PMCID: PMC5765502 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Inbreeding depression is widely hypothesized to drive adaptive evolution of precopulatory and post-copulatory mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance, which in turn are hypothesized to affect evolution of polyandry (i.e. female multiple mating). However, surprisingly little theory or modelling critically examines selection for precopulatory or post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance, or both strategies, given evolutionary constraints and direct costs, or examines how evolution of inbreeding avoidance strategies might feed back to affect evolution of polyandry. Selection for post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance, but not for precopulatory inbreeding avoidance, requires polyandry, whereas interactions between precopulatory and post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance might cause functional redundancy (i.e. 'degeneracy') potentially generating complex evolutionary dynamics among inbreeding strategies and polyandry. We used individual-based modelling to quantify evolution of interacting precopulatory and post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance and associated polyandry given strong inbreeding depression and different evolutionary constraints and direct costs. We found that evolution of post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance increased selection for initially rare polyandry and that evolution of a costly inbreeding avoidance strategy became negligible over time given a lower-cost alternative strategy. Further, fixed precopulatory inbreeding avoidance often completely precluded evolution of polyandry and hence post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance, but fixed post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance did not preclude evolution of precopulatory inbreeding avoidance. Evolution of inbreeding avoidance phenotypes and associated polyandry is therefore affected by evolutionary feedbacks and degeneracy. All else being equal, evolution of precopulatory inbreeding avoidance and resulting low polyandry is more likely when post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance is precluded or costly, and evolution of post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance greatly facilitates evolution of costly polyandry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. B. Duthie
- Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
| | - G. Bocedi
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - R. R. Germain
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - J. M. Reid
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Manser A, Lindholm AK, Weissing FJ. The evolution of costly mate choice against segregation distorters. Evolution 2017; 71:2817-2828. [PMID: 29071709 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of female preference for male genetic quality remains a controversial topic in sexual selection research. One well-known problem, known as the lek paradox, lies in understanding how variation in genetic quality is maintained in spite of natural selection and sexual selection against low-quality alleles. Here, we theoretically investigate a scenario where females pay a direct fitness cost to avoid males carrying an autosomal segregation distorter. We show that preference evolution is greatly facilitated under such circumstances. Because the distorter is transmitted in a non-Mendelian fashion, it can be maintained in the population despite directional sexual selection. The preference helps females avoid fitness costs associated with the distorter. Interestingly, we find that preference evolution is limited if the choice allele induces a very strong preference or if distortion is very strong. Moreover, the preference can only persist in the presence of a signal that reliably indicates a male's distorter genotype. Hence, even in a system where the lek paradox does not play a major role, costly preferences can only spread under specific circumstances. We discuss the importance of distorter systems for the evolution of costly female choice and potential implications for the use of artificial distorters in pest control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andri Manser
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franz J Weissing
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
RICE WR. HERITABLE VARIATION IN FITNESS AS A PREREQUISITE FOR ADAPTIVE FEMALE CHOICE: THE EFFECT OF MUTATION‐SELECTION BALANCE. Evolution 2017; 42:817-820. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1988.tb02500.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/1987] [Accepted: 02/01/1988] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William R. RICE
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Møller AP. SEXUAL SELECTION IN THE MONOGAMOUS BARN SWALLOW (HIRUNDO RUSTICA). I. DETERMINANTS OF TAIL ORNAMENT SIZE. Evolution 2017; 45:1823-1836. [PMID: 28563968 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1991.tb02690.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/1990] [Accepted: 04/19/1991] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The proportion of phenotypic variance in the length of the sexually selected tail of the monogamous barn swallow Hirundo rustica that is attributable to genetic variance was studied in the field in Denmark during a seven-year period. Tail length was on average 20% greater in males than in females. Tail length correlated with wing length, but not with other morphological traits. Tail length increased with the first molt, but remained constant during subsequent years. Changes in tail length between years, owing to molt were significantly affected by sex and by degree of infection with an haematophagous mite (Ornithonyssus bursa). There were significant differences in sexual size dimorphism between years, apparently as a result of environmental conditions in the African winter quarters during molt. Tail length was a highly repeatable morphological trait, and standardization of tail length for age effects only marginally increased repeatability. Heritability of tail length as estimated from regression of values for sons on those of their fathers was 0.59. This suggests that secondary sexual traits affected by strong directional selection still may show a statistically significant heritability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders Pape Møller
- Department of Zoology, Uppsala University, Box 561, S-751 22, Uppsala, SWEDEN
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Iwasa Y, Pomiankowski A. THE EVOLUTION OF MATE PREFERENCES FOR MULTIPLE SEXUAL ORNAMENTS. Evolution 2017; 48:853-867. [PMID: 28568273 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1994.tb01367.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/1993] [Accepted: 08/01/1993] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Males of many species use multiple sexual ornaments in their courtship display. We investigate the evolution of female sexual preferences for more than a single male trait by the handicap process. The handicap process assumes that ornaments are indicators of male quality, and a female benefits from mate choice by her offspring inheriting "good genes" that increase survival chances. A new handicap model is developed that allows equilibria to be given in terms of selection pressures, independent of genetic parameters. Multiple sexual preferences evolve if the overall cost of choice is not greatly increased by a female using additional male traits in her assessment of potential mates. However, only a single preference is evolutionarily stable if assessment of additional male traits greatly increases the overall cost of choice (more than expected by combining the cost of each preference independently). Any single preference can evolve, the outcome being determined by initial conditions. The evolution of one preference effectively blocks the evolution of others, even for traits that are better indicators of male quality. Comparison is made with sexual selection caused by Fisher's runaway process in which male traits are purely attractive characters. This shows that sexual preferences for multiple Fisher traits are likely to evolve alongside preference for a single handicap trait that indicates male quality. This is a general difference in the evolutionary outcome of these two causes of sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoh Iwasa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812, Japan
| | - Andrew Pomiankowski
- Department of Genetics and Biometry, University College London, 4 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Iwasa Y, Pomiankowski A, Nee S. THE EVOLUTION OF COSTLY MATE PREFERENCES II. THE “HANDICAP” PRINCIPLE. Evolution 2017; 45:1431-1442. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1991.tb02646.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/1990] [Accepted: 02/25/1991] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoh Iwasa
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science, Kyushu University; Fukuoka 812 JAPAN
| | | | - Sean Nee
- AFRC Unit of Ecology and Behaviour, Department of Zoology; Oxford University; OX1 3PS UK
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Heisler IL, Curtsinger JW. DYNAMICS OF SEXUAL SELECTION IN DIPLOID POPULATIONS. Evolution 2017; 44:1164-1176. [PMID: 28563885 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1990.tb05223.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/1988] [Accepted: 12/21/1989] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Lorraine Heisler
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; University of Minnesota; 318 Church Street S.E. Minneapolis MN 55455 USA
| | - James W. Curtsinger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; University of Minnesota; 318 Church Street S.E. Minneapolis MN 55455 USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Zuk M, Johnson K, Thornhill R, Ligon JD. MECHANISMS OF FEMALE CHOICE IN RED JUNGLE FOWL. Evolution 2017; 44:477-485. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1990.tb05933.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/1989] [Accepted: 11/20/1989] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Zuk
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
| | - Kristine Johnson
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kirkpatrick M. GOOD GENES AND DIRECT SELECTION IN THE EVOLUTION OF MATING PREFERENCES. Evolution 2017; 50:2125-2140. [PMID: 28565675 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1996.tb03603.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/1995] [Accepted: 07/18/1996] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A model is used to study quantitatively the impact of a good genes process and direct natural selection on the evolution of a mating preference. The expression of a male display trait is proportional to genetic quality, which is determined by the number of deleterious mutations a male carries throughout his genome. Genetic variances and covariances, including the covariance between the preference and male trait that drives the good genes process, are allowed to evolve under an infinitesimal model. Results suggest that the good genes process generates only weak indirect selection on preferences, with an effective selection intensity of a few percent or less. If preferences are subject to direct natural selection of the intensity observed for other characters, the good genes process alone is not expected to exaggerate the male trait by more than a few phenotypic standard deviations, contrary to what is observed in highly sexually selected species. Good genes can, however, cause substantial exaggeration if preference genes are nearly selectively neutral. Alternatively, direct selection on preference genes, acting on mating behavior itself or on the genes' pleiotropic effects, can cause mating preferences and male display traits to be exaggerated by any degree. Direct selection of preference genes may therefore play an important role in species that show extreme sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Kirkpatrick
- Department of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Heywood JS. SEXUAL SELECTION BY THE HANDICAP MECHANISM. Evolution 2017; 43:1387-1397. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1989.tb02590.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/1987] [Accepted: 05/22/1989] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|