Paarungsvorteil für ältere Männchen: Sexueller Konflikt oder Kooperation?

越来越多的证据表明，性冲突是无处不在的，选择作用于个体以最大化他们自己的基因回报，而不管他们的性伴侣的潜在健康后果。在蝴蝶Bcyclus anynana中，年龄较大的雄性比年轻的雄性交配成功率高得多，尽管条件明显较差。这种独特模式背后的原因尚不清楚。在这种背景下，我将使用从行为和化学生态学到分子遗传学的综合方法来回答以下问题：(1)旧的男性交配优势是由较年长的男性更具攻击性的求偶行为(基于较低的剩余生殖值)造成的，还是由女性基于信息素混合物中特定年龄的差异(年龄较大表明健康程度较高)的偏好造成的？(2)女性是从与较年长的男性交配中获得健康益处，还是通过交配后隐秘的配偶选择或很快重新交配而歧视这些优势？回答这些问题将澄清老年男性的交配优势是由于性合作还是性冲突。

Accumulating evidence suggests that sexual conflict is all pervasive, with selection acting on individuals to maximise their own genetic reward, regardless of the potential fitness consequences for their sexual partners. In the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, older males have a much higher mating success than younger ones, despite a clearly poorer condition. The reasons underlying this unique pattern are unclear. Against this background I will use an integrated approach, ranging from behavioural and chemical ecology through to molecular genetics, to answer the following questions: (1) Is the old male mating advantage proximately caused by a more aggressive courtship behaviour of older males (based on a low residual reproductive value) or by female preference based on age-specific variation in pheromone blends (with old age indicating high fitness)? (2) Do females gain a fitness benefit from mating with older males or do they discriminate against these through post-copulatory cryptic mate choice or re-mating soon? Answering these questions will clarify whether old male mating advantage results from sexual cooperation or sexual conflict.