Work

Artificial selection reveals sex differences in the genetic basis of sexual attractiveness

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: that are targeted by mutual choice and tracked evolutionary changes in males and females alongside changes in mating success. After 10 generations, significant trait evolution occurred in both sexes, but intriguingly there were major sex differences in the associated fitness consequences. Sexually selected trait evolution in males led to a genetically based increase in male mating success. By contrast, although trait evolution also occurred in females, there was no change in mating success. Our results suggest that phenotypic sexual selection on females from male choice is environmentally, rather than genetically, generated. Thus, compared with female choice, male choice is at best a weak driver of signal trait evolution in this species. Instead, the evolution of apparent female ornamentation seems more likely due to a correlated response to sexual selection on males and possibly other forms of natural selection.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720368115

Authors: Thomas P. Gosden, Adam J. Reddiex, Stephen F. Chenoweth

Institution: The University of Queensland

Language: English

Topic: Animal Behavior and Reproduction

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Australian Research Council

Awards: A genomic approach to understanding the maintenance of genetic variation under sexual selection, Understanding how shared between-sex genetic variance constrains the evolution of sexual dimorphism