Dissertation Research: Inheritance of Paternal Condition and the Effects of Differential Maternal Investment in the Red Junglefowl

许多物种的雌性在选择配偶时是有选择性的，可能是为了试图为它们的后代获得最好的基因。为了支持这一观点，最近的研究发现，长相更漂亮的父亲所生的孩子通常身体状况更好。尽管这似乎支持了这样一种观点，即吸引力标志着一种可遗传的父性，但也存在另一种可能性。越来越多的理论和经验证据表明，当母亲与有魅力的男性交配时，可能会增加生殖方面的投资。因此，一只漂亮雄性的后代可能会处于更好的状态，因为它的母亲会对她的配偶的吸引力做出反应，提供额外的投资。本研究采用人工授精的方法，将父本遗传效应和母本投资效应分离，以评估这两个因素在决定红毛鸡后代状况中的相对作用。在整个动物界都发现了许多择偶和吸引的模式，如果不考虑这些重要的现象，对动物的研究是不完整的。近年来，在理解动物何时以及为什么在择偶方面取得了长足的进步。这个项目试图通过填补我们对女性挑剔的好处的知识的空白，为这种理解增加重要的组成部分。

Females of many species are selective when choosing a mate, possibly in an attempt to obtain the best genes for their offspring. In support of this idea, recent studies have found that the offspring of more attractive fathers are generally in better condition. Although this appears to support the notion that attractiveness signals an inheritable paternal quality, another possibility exists. A growing body of theoretical and empirical evidence indicates that mothers may increase investment in reproduction when mated to an attractive male. Therefore, the offspring of an attractive male could be in better condition because its mother, responding to the attractiveness of her mate, provided extra investment. Using artificial insemination, this study experimentally separates paternal genetic effects from maternal investment effects to assess the relative roles of these two factors in determining offspring condition in red junglefowl. Many patterns of mate selection and attraction are found throughout the animal kingdom, and the study of animals is not complete without consideration of these important phenomena. In recent years, great strides have been made in understanding when and why animals are selective in their mate choice. This project seeks to add important components to this understanding by filling gaps in our knowledge of the benefits to females in being choosy.