Effect of Genetic and Environmental Variation on Diversification Due to Sexual Selection

我们感兴趣的是确定孔雀鱼雌性择偶变异的分子遗传基础，孔雀鱼是性选择和自然选择研究的重要系统。 孔雀鱼雄性色彩鲜艳，而女性不表现出色彩，但确实表现出基于这些男性色彩模式的配偶选择。 孔雀鱼系统的优势之一是雌性在种群内和种群之间表现出择偶的强度和类型的变化。 例如，某些种群的雌性在选择配偶时比其他种群的雌性更喜欢橙子。 这种雌性配偶选择的变异是孔雀鱼成为研究雌性配偶选择进化的重要系统的主要原因之一，因为除非某个性状表现出变异，否则不可能研究该性状的进化。

We are interested in determining the molecular genetic basis for variation in female mate choice in guppies, an important system for studies of sexual and natural selection. Guppy males are brightly colored, while females do not exhibit coloration, but do exhibit mate choice based on these male coloration patterns. One of the strengths of the guppy system is that females exhibit variation within and between populations for the strength and type of mate choice. For example, females from some populations are much more attracted to orange coloration when choosing mates than are females from other populations. This variation in female mate choice is one of the main reasons why the guppy is such an important system for the study of the evolution of female mate choice, because it is not possible to study the evolution of a trait unless that trait shows variation.