Mate choice and evolutionary genetics in Xiphophorus hybrid zones

选择配偶是动物所能做出的最深远的决定之一。 雌性的择偶不仅会影响哪些雄性性状会遗传给下一代，还会影响新物种的形成或两个物种通过杂交的融合。 交配偏好是复杂的，雌性注意许多不同的雄性特征，雌性往往更喜欢自然界中从未发现的雄性特征组合。 复杂的雌性交配偏好是如何驱动雄性性状进化的？该项目利用了墨西哥中部马德雷山脉东方两种剑尾鱼之间显著的自然杂交区。 这两个物种的雄性在外貌上有着显著的不同，而这两个物种的雌性在对雄性特征的偏好上也表现出强烈的差异。 对多种雄性特征的交配偏好将通过向雌性提供雄性的计算机动画剪辑来评估。 基因图谱将用于确定哪些基因组与男性特征和女性偏好相关。 然后，这些遗传信息将被用来测试在野外特征和偏好是如何联系在一起的。 这个项目将直接连接择偶决策的心理与这些决策的进化后果。 该项目将继续与墨西哥研究人员合作，指导少数民族大学生，并在墨西哥农村开展保护、可持续发展和外联工作。

Choosing a mate is one of the most far-reaching decisions an animal can make. A female's mate choice can influence not only which male traits get passed on to the next generation, but also the formation of new species or the fusion of two species through hybridization. Mating preferences are complex, with females paying attention to numerous different male characteristics, and females often prefer male trait combinations never found in nature. How do complicated female mating preferences drive male trait evolution? This project takes advantage of remarkable natural hybrid zones between two species of swordtail fish in the Sierra Madre Oriental of central Mexico. Males of the two species are strikingly different in physical appearance, and females of the two species show strong differences in their preferences for male characters. Mating preferences for multiple male traits will be evaluated by presenting females with computer-animated clips of males. Genetic mapping will be used to identify which sets of genes are associated with male traits and female preferences. This genetic information will then be used to test how traits and preferences are associated in the wild. This project will directly connect the psychology of mate-choice decisions with the evolutionary consequences of these decisions. The project will sustain collaboration with Mexican researchers, mentoring of minority undergraduates, and conservation, sustainable development, and outreach efforts in rural Mexico.