Genetic analysis of variation in female preference functions and the consequences for sexual selection

性选择产生于个体繁殖成功的差异，这种差异与同一性别和物种的成员所表现出的特征或行为特征非随机相关。它是由交配和受精的“内性”竞争（通常在雄性之间）和“间性”择偶（通常由雌性施加）引起的。后一个过程被认为是男性复杂的形态、行为和生理特征进化的核心，否则这些特征似乎是不适应的，而女性对这些夸张特征的偏好也是共同进化的。对于女性偏好随时间变化，偏好基因必须存在可遗传的遗传变异，但就目前而言，我们对择偶的遗传基础、择偶中遗传和环境诱导的变异程度以及择偶偏好的差异是否具有适应性知之甚少。 这项拟议中的研究旨在解决这一问题的信息缺乏，这是非常重要的，在评估有关性选择和物种形成过程的大部分理论。

Sexual selection arises from variation in individual reproductive success that is non-randomly associated with the characteristics of traits or behaviours exhibited by members of the same sex and species. It is brought about by "intrasexual" competition for matings and fertilizations (usually among males) and "intersexual" mate choice, (usually exerted by females). The latter process is thought to be central to the evolution of elaborate morphological, behavioural and physiological traits in males that might otherwise seem to be maladaptive, and the co-evolution of preferences for such exaggerated traits in females. For female preferences to change over time, there must be heritable genetic variation for preference genes, but as it stands we know very little about the genetic basis of mate choice, the extent of genetic and environmentally-induced variation in mate choice, and whether differences in mate preferences are adaptive or not. The proposed research is designed to address this dearth of information on a subject that is of great importance in assessing much of the theory concerning processes of sexual selection and speciation.