Immune-Mediated Change in the Expression of a Sexual Trait Predicts Offspring Survival in the Wild
Immune-Mediated Change in the Expression of a Sexual Trait Predicts Offspring Survival in the Wild
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0025305
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发表时间：
2011-10-03
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Saint Jalme, Michel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Charge, Remi;Sorci, Gabriele;Saint Jalme, Michel
背景资料：性选择的“好基因”理论假设雌性选择的配偶将通过遗传父亲的基因来改善后代的健康状况。尽管这一假说引起了人们的注意，但经验证据仍然很少，主要是因为难以控制许多环境因素，这些因素可能与父本表型和后代适应性共同变化。在这里，我们测试的假设，后代父系的男性的首选表型应该有更好的生存在濒危鸟类，houbara鸨（Chlamydotis undulata undulata.Methodology/主要结果：我们测试，如果自然和实验诱导的变化在求爱显示（以下炎症挑战）预测后代的生存。小鸡是通过雌性的人工授精产生的，确保对生存的任何影响只能来自父系基因的转移。120只后代配备了无线电发射器，并在野外监测了它们的生存情况一年。这使得在自然环境中评估父系基因的潜在益处成为可能，鸟类在自然环境中经历了一系列的环境危害。虽然自然变异的父系求偶显示没有预测后代的生存，父系经受住炎症的侮辱，并保持其求偶活动繁殖后代最好的生存后released.Conclusions：这一发现是相关的启发辩论“好基因”的性选择和管理的支持性育种计划。
Background: The "good genes'' theory of sexual selection postulates that females choose mates that will improve their offspring's fitness through the inheritance of paternal genes. In spite of the attention that this hypothesis has given rise to, the empirical evidence remains sparse, mostly because of the difficulties of controlling for the many environmental factors that may covary with both the paternal phenotype and offspring fitness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that offspring sired by males of a preferred phenotype should have better survival in an endangered bird, the houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata).Methodology/Principal Findings: We tested if natural and experimentally-induced variation in courtship display (following an inflammatory challenge) predicts the survival of offspring. Chicks were produced by artificial insemination of females, ensuring that any effect on survival could only arise from the transfer of paternal genes. One hundred and twenty offspring were equipped with radio transmitters, and their survival monitored in the wild for a year. This allowed assessment of the potential benefits of paternal genes in a natural setting, where birds experience the whole range of environmental hazards. Although natural variation in sire courtship display did not predict offspring survival, sires that withstood the inflammatory insult and maintained their courtship activity sired offspring with the best survival upon release.Conclusions: This finding is relevant both to enlighten the debate on "good genes'' sexual selection and the management of supportive breeding programs.