Ecology & Evolution of Sexual Selection

性选择是进化变化的强大推动力，因为非随机交配增加了生殖成功的个体差异，从而改变了等位基因从一代传到下一代的频率。虽然性选择通常与男性精细的形态、行为和生理特征的进化以及女性对其中一些特征的偏好有关，但关于它的操作及其对物种适应和进化的短期和长期影响，我们仍然有很多不清楚的地方。*目前的建议整合了行为、生态、进化和遗传技术，以检验两个(不相互排斥的)研究领域的假设：(1)对雌性配偶偏好变异的原因和后果的持续和扩大的研究；(2)关于性别选择是与自然选择互补还是对立的测试。我们的研究将使用两种果蝇：黑腹果蝇，它被广泛用作求偶/交配行为的模型，其中有许多强大的遗传工具可用；斑翅果蝇，铃木果蝇，一种入侵的(和经济破坏性的)物种。*第一区：尽管性别选择的模型隐含或明确地假设雌性都表现出对雄性特征的相同偏好，但在现实中，雌性对未来雄性的吸引力往往不同。交配的个体间差异改变了性选择的强度和/或方向，从而改变了物种的进化轨迹。尽管女性伴侣选择的差异具有潜在的重要性，但它在很大程度上被忽视了。在接下来的5年里，我们将继续探索导致这种变异的遗传和环境因素，以及变异对男性和女性终生生殖成功的影响。我们将测试个体偏好的变化是否源于未来伴侣发出的大量不同的(可能是相互冲突的)信号。通过实验进化，我们将测量女性偏好如何随着交配成本/收益的变化而演变。*区域2：性选择是促进还是阻碍适应性进化的问题是有争议的。如果性选择所偏爱的特征是整体“质量”的信号，那么非随机交配将补充自然选择。然而，如果增加个体生殖成功的特征是以生存为代价(或对异性成员来说)，那么自然选择和性选择将起相反的作用，从而干扰物种适应环境的能力。我们计划用果蝇的实验进化来验证这一点。由于性选择的机会(强度)以及环境都很容易操纵，因此可以对个体的健康状况进行有意义的测量。**

Sexual selection is a powerful agent of evolutionary change, as non-random mating increases individual variation in reproductive success, thereby altering the frequencies of alleles passed on from one generation to the next. While sexual selection is commonly associated with the evolution of elaborate morphological, behavioural and physiological traits in males, as well as preferences for some of these traits in females, there is a great deal that we still do not understand about its operation, and its short-and long-term impact on species adaptation & evolution.***The current proposal integrates behavioural, ecological, evolutionary & genetic techniques to test hypotheses in 2 (not-mutually exclusive) areas of research: (1) the continued & expanded study of the causes & consequences of variation in female mate preferences; (2) tests of whether sexual selection is complementary or antagonistic to natural selection. Our research will use 2 species of fruit flies: D. melanogaster, which has served extensively as a model for courtship/mating behaviour & in which a number of powerful genetic tools are available; and the spotted-wing fly, D. suzukii, an invasive (& economically destructive) species.***Area 1: While models of sexual selection assume, either implicitly or explicitly, that females all exhibit the same preferences for male traits, in reality, females often differ in their attraction towards prospective males. Inter-individual variation for mates alters the strength &/or direction of sexual selection, thereby altering a species' evolutionary trajectory. Despite its potential importance, variation in female mate choice has been largely overlooked. Over the next 5yrs we shall continue exploring the genetic & environmental factors contributing to this variation, & the impact of variation to lifetime reproductive success in both males & females. We shall test whether individual preference variation is due to the multitude of different (& possibly conflicting) signals presented by prospective mates. Using experimental evolution, we shall measure how female preferences evolve in response to manipulated costs/benefits of mating. ***Area 2: The question whether, sexual selection promotes or impedes adaptive evolution is contentious. If traits favoured by sexual selection are signals of overall “quality”, then non-random mating will complement natural selection. However, if traits that increase individual reproductive success come at a cost of survival (or to members of the opposite sex), then natural & sexual selection will act in opposition, thereby interfering with the ability of species to adapt to their environment. We plan to test this empirically testing this using experimental evolution using Drosophila sp. as the opportunity (& intensity) of sexual selection, as well as the environment, can be easily manipulated, & meaningful measurements of individual fitness can be made. **