Mate choice, male morphology and mating systems: Patterns and processes

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My students and I study the evolution of and flexibility in animal reproductive strategies. The objective of this research program is to understand the mechanisms driving evolution of the tremendous diversity in animal colouration, behaviour and mating systems. We take advantage of the striking intra- and inter-population variation in the morphology and behaviour of natural populations of freshwater fish, including guppies, a model for the study of natural and sexual selection. We pair field experiments with lab projects, and do comparative studies on replicate populations of a single species and on multiple species that vary in one or more ecological factors. This research will provide novel insights into several major questions in behaviour and evolution including the origins of mate choice preferences, the proximate role of a neurotransmitter in mediating those preferences, and the effects of interactions between sexual and natural selection on mating systems. These studies will provide explanations for broad patterns in diversity in animal colouration and insights into the ways in which the environment helps to mold this diversity. These projects, each providing opportunities for team research, graduate theses, undergraduate projects and post-doctoral work, will contribute towards a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the ecology and evolution of animal reproduction. The research will result in the training of high caliber students and postdoctoral fellows with expertise in ecology, behaviour and evolutionary biology, who will publish their research in high-impact journals. The broad training provided by this research program with its emphasis on both field and lab experiments, incorporating statistical and molecular skills, will equip students for employment in university research, government, NGOs and the business sector in such fields as the environment, conservation, and the health sciences. Few studies have documented variation in mate choice preferences across multiple populations and, with our rich understanding of guppy ecology and evolution, this is a rare opportunity to fully understand the factors responsible for this variation. In this proposal, we also extend our studies to examine variation in mate choice preferences across multiple, closely-related species, again examining environmental factors that contribute to the variation. Biologists managing and conserving Canadian wildlife will benefit from our findings; for example, our insights (i) may enhance captive breeding programs where animals have been reluctant to mate, and (ii) should improve our understanding of local adaptation so that the costs and benefits of within- versus between population crosses can be evaluated.