The Genetics of Sexual Selection in Nauphoeta Cinerea

灰霉病性选择的遗传学

• 批准号: 9107078
• 负责人: Allen Moore
• 金额: $ 19.9万
• 依托单位: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-09-01 至 1995-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9107078&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Genetics; Sexual; Selection; Nauphoeta; Cinerea

Most population genetic models assume that mating is random with respect to the character of interest. However mating is often nonrandom with respect to many characters that influence mating success. There is considerable evidence that success in male-male competition and/or female mate choice is a fairly common contributor to nonrandom mating in variety of species. As a result, there has been a growing attempt to generate genetic models of the process and effects of such selection. Unfortunately, the number of models has exceeded our empirical knowledge of this process, resulting in a growing call for studies that begin to test the predictions and assumptions contained in mathematical models. This study will begin to address this need by examining the genetics of secondary sexual characters, courtship pheromones, and sexual behavior in Nauphoeta cinerea. Empirical studies have been hampered by a lack of suitable model species. The cockroach N. cinerea has many attributes that facilitate genetic studies of sexual selection, including short generation time, facultative parthenogenesis, and well characterized behavior. These qualities permit a detailed examination of assumptions and predictions derived from theoretical studies. Variation in female mate choice, male social behavior, male attractiveness, and related male pheromones will be assessed by behavioral assays and gas chromatography. Genetic variances and convariances within and between the sexes will be estimated from a paternal half-sib mating design. Artificial selection based on male attractiveness to females will be used to confirm genetic estimates obtained from the breeding experiments. The information generated from this study will increase our general knowledge of the phenotypic and genetic structure of pheromones and chemical communication. In addition, this study will be sufficiently detailed to test several predictions and assumptions of mathematical models of sexual selection and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Finally, these experiments will provide empirical data that bear on several issues in evolutionary genetics.

大多数种群遗传模型假设交配是随机的，就兴趣的特征而言。然而，就影响交配成功的许多特征而言，交配往往是非随机的。有相当多的证据表明，雄性之间的竞争和/或雌性配偶选择的成功是各种物种中非随机交配的一个相当普遍的因素。因此，越来越多的人试图建立这种选择过程和影响的遗传模型。不幸的是，模型的数量超过了我们对这一过程的经验知识，导致越来越多的人要求开始测试数学模型中包含的预测和假设的研究。本研究将通过研究Nauphoeta cinerea的第二性特征、求爱信息素和性行为的遗传学来开始解决这一需求。由于缺乏合适的模式物种，经验研究受到阻碍。蟑螂具有繁殖时间短、兼性孤雌生殖、行为特征明确等特点，有利于进行性选择的遗传研究。这些特性使我们能够对从理论研究中得出的假设和预测进行详细的检验。雌性配偶选择、雄性社会行为、雄性吸引力和相关雄性信息素的变化将通过行为分析和气相色谱法进行评估。性别内部和性别之间的遗传变异和一致性将从父系半同胞交配设计中估计出来。基于雄性对雌性吸引力的人工选择将用于确认从育种实验中获得的遗传估计。本研究所获得的信息将增加我们对信息素和化学通讯的表型和遗传结构的一般认识。此外，这项研究将足够详细地测试性选择和两性二态进化的数学模型的几个预测和假设。最后，这些实验将为进化遗传学中的几个问题提供经验数据。