It’s Not about Him: Mismeasuring ‘Good Genes’ in Sexual Selection

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Achorn ◽  
Gil G. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Good Genes

scholarly journals Sexual selection studies: a NESCent catalyst meeting

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Roughgarden ◽  
Elizabeth Adkins-Regan ◽  
Erol Akçay ◽  
Jeremy Chase Crawford ◽  
Raghavendra Gadagkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Behavioral Theory ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Ethical Dimension ◽  
Dependent Process ◽  
Deep Disagreement ◽  
Fecundity Selection ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Political Economic

A catalyst meeting on sexual selection studies was held in July 2013 at the facilities of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) in Durham, NC. This article by a subcommittee of the participants foregrounds some of the topics discussed at the meeting. Topics mentioned here include the relevance of heritability estimates to assessing the presence of sexual selection, whether sexual selection is distinct from natural selection, and the utility of distinguishing sexual selection from fecundity selection. A possible definition of sexual selection is offered based on a distinction between sexual selection as a frequency-dependent process and fecundity selection as a density-dependent process. Another topic highlighted is a deep disagreement among participants in the reality of good-genes, sexy-sons, and run-away processes. Finally, the status of conflict in political-economic theory is contrasted with the status accorded to conflict in evolutionary behavioral theory, and the professional responsibility of sexual-selection workers to consider the ethical dimension of their research is underscored.

scholarly journals The role of oxidative stress in postcopulatory selection

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1813) ◽  
pp. 20200065
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Friesen ◽  
Daniel W. A. Noble ◽  
Mats Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Postcopulatory Selection

Two decades ago, von Schantz et al . (von Schantz T, Bensch S, Grahn M, Hasselquist D, Wittzell H. 1999 Good genes, oxidative stress and condition-dependent sexual signals. Proc. R. Soc. B 266, 1–12. ( doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0597 )) united oxidative stress (OS) biology with sexual selection and life-history theory. This set the scene for analysis of how evolutionary trade-offs may be mediated by the increase in reactive molecules resulting from metabolic processes at reproduction. Despite 30 years of research on OS effects on infertility in humans, one research area that has been left behind in this integration of evolution and OS biology is postcopulatory sexual selection—this integration is long overdue. We review the basic mechanisms in OS biology, why mitochondria are the primary source of ROS and ATP production during oxidative metabolism, and why sperm, and its performance, is uniquely susceptible to OS. We also review how postcopulatory processes select for antioxidation in seminal fluids to counter OS and the implications of the net outcome of these processes on sperm damage, sperm storage, and female and oocyte manipulation of sperm metabolism and repair of DNA to enhance offspring fitness. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fifty years of sperm competition’.

scholarly journals Good-genes effects in sexual selection

1999 ◽  
Vol 266 (1414) ◽  
pp. 85-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Pape Møller ◽  
Rauno V. Alatalo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Good Genes

The quantitative genetics of sexual selection in the dung fly Sepsis cynipsea

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf Blanckenhorn ◽  
Claudia Mühlhäuser
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
Quantitative Genetics ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Selection Models ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits ◽  
Mating Cost

AbstractIn the common dung or black scavenger fly Sepsis cynipsea (Diptera: Sepsidae) several morphological and behavioural male and female traits interact during mating. Previous studies show that males attempt to mount females without courtship, females use vigorous shaking behaviour in response to male mounting, the duration of shaking is an indicator of both direct and indirect female choice and sexual conflict, and larger males enjoy a mating advantage. We conducted a quantitative genetic paternal half sib study to investigate the genetic underpinnings of these traits, notably body size (the preferred trait) and the associated female preference, and to assess the relative importance of various models generally proposed to account for the evolution of sexually selected traits. Several morphological traits and female shaking duration were heritable, thus meeting a key requirement of all sexual selection models. In contrast, two traits indicative of male persistence in mating were not. Male longevity was also heritable and negatively correlated with his mating effort, suggesting a mating cost. However, the crucial genetic correlation between male body size and female shaking duration, predicted to be negative by both 'good genes' and Fisherian models and positive by the sexual conflict (or chase-away) model, was zero. This could be because of low power, or because of constraints imposed by the genetic correlation structure. Based on our rsults we conclude that discriminating sexual selection models by sole means of quantitative genetics is difficult, if not impossible.

scholarly journals Sexual selection and the evolution of male and female cognition: a test using experimental evolution in seed beetles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Baur ◽  
Jean d’Amour ◽  
David Berger
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Balancing Selection ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Potential Force ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Rate Of Learning ◽  
Seed Beetles

Abstract“The mating mind hypothesis”, originally aimed at explaining human cognition, holds that the socio-sexual environment shapes cognitive abilities among animals. Similarly, general sexual selection theory predicts that mate competition should benefit individuals carrying “good genes” with beneficial pleiotropic effects on general cognitive ability. However, few experimental studies have evaluated these related hypotheses due to difficulties of performing direct tests in most taxa. Here we harnessed the empirical potential of the seed beetle study system to investigate the role of sexual selection and mating system in the evolution of cognition. We evolved replicate lines of beetle under enforced monogamy (eliminating sexual selection) or polygamy for 35 generations and then challenged them to locate and discriminate among mating partners (male assays) or host seeds (female assays). To assess learning, the same beetles performed the task in three consecutive rounds. All lines learned the task, improving both within and between trails. Moreover, polygamous males outperformed monogamous males. However, there were no differences in the rate of learning between males of the two regimes, and polygamous females showed no improvement in host search, and even signs of reduced learning. Hence, while sexual selection was a potent factor that increased cognitive performance in mate search, it did not lead to the general increase in cognitive abilities expected under the “mating mind” hypothesis or general “good genes” theory. Our results highlight sexually antagonistic (balancing) selection as a potential force maintaining genetic variation in cognitive traits.

scholarly journals Sexual selection studies: a NESCent catalyst meeting

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Roughgarden ◽  
Elizabeth Adkins-Regan ◽  
Erol Akçay ◽  
Jeremy Chase Crawford ◽  
Raghavendra Gadagkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Behavioral Theory ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Ethical Dimension ◽  
Dependent Process ◽  
Deep Disagreement ◽  
Fecundity Selection ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Political Economic

A catalyst meeting on sexual selection studies was held in July 2013 at the facilities of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) in Durham, NC. This article by a subcommittee of the participants foregrounds some of the topics discussed at the meeting. Topics mentioned here include the relevance of heritability estimates to assessing the presence of sexual selection, whether sexual selection is distinct from natural selection, and the utility of distinguishing sexual selection from fecundity selection. A possible definition of sexual selection is offered based on a distinction between sexual selection as a frequency-dependent process and fecundity selection as a density-dependent process. Another topic highlighted is a deep disagreement among participants in the reality of good-genes, sexy-sons, and run-away processes. Finally, the status of conflict in political-economic theory is contrasted with the status accorded to conflict in evolutionary behavioral theory, and the professional responsibility of sexual-selection workers to consider the ethical dimension of their research is underscored.

Good genes and parental care in human evolution

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Marlowe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Female Preferences

Prior to agriculture, human societies were small, with little variation for good genes sexual selection (GGSS) to work on. Across cultures, variation in paternal care makes the benefits of GGSS highly variable. Despite these caveats, female preferences for traits like male body symmetry suggest one reason for female short-term mating is gene shopping.

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