scholarly journals Sexual selection and population divergence II. Divergence in different sexual traits and signal modalities in field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus )

Evolution ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1614-1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Pascoal ◽  
Magdalena Mendrok ◽  
Alastair J. Wilson ◽  
John Hunt ◽  
Nathan W. Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Teleogryllus Oceanicus ◽  
Field Crickets ◽  
Sexual Traits

scholarly journals Sexual selection and population divergence I: The influence of socially flexible cuticular hydrocarbon expression in male field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus)

Evolution ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Pascoal ◽  
Magdalena Mendrok ◽  
Christopher Mitchell ◽  
Alastair J. Wilson ◽  
John Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Teleogryllus Oceanicus ◽  
Field Crickets

scholarly journals Sexual selection favours good or bad genes for pathogen resistance depending on males' pathogen exposure

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1902) ◽  
pp. 20190226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Joye ◽  
Tadeusz J. Kawecki
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Pathogen Resistance ◽  
Condition Dependence ◽  
Indirect Benefit ◽  
Intestinal Pathogen ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
Pathogen Exposure

Resistance to pathogens is often invoked as an indirect benefit of female choice, but experimental evidence for links between father's sexual success and offspring resistance is scarce and equivocal. Two proposed mechanisms might generate such links. Under the first, heritable resistance to diverse pathogens depends on general immunocompetence; owing to shared condition dependence, male sexual traits indicate immunocompetence independently of the male's pathogen exposure. By contrast, other hypotheses (e.g. Hamilton–Zuk) assume that sexual traits only reveal heritable resistance if the males have been exposed to the pathogen. The distinction between the two mechanisms has been neglected by experimental studies. We show that Drosophila melanogaster males that are successful in mating contests (one female with two males) sire sons that are substantially more resistant to the intestinal pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila —but only if the males have themselves been exposed to the pathogen before the mating contest. By contrast, sons of males sexually successful in the absence of pathogen exposure are less resistant than sons of unsuccessful males. We detected no differences in daughters’ resistance. Thus, while sexual selection may have considerable consequences for offspring resistance, these consequences may be sex-specific. Furthermore, contrary to the ‘general immunocompetence’ hypothesis, these consequences can be positive or negative depending on the epidemiological context under which sexual selection operates.

scholarly journals Sexual selection and speciation in field crickets

2000 ◽  
Vol 97 (26) ◽  
pp. 14449-14454 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Gray ◽  
W. H. Cade
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Field Crickets

scholarly journals Are attractive male crickets better able to pay the costs of an immune challenge?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clint D Kelly ◽  
Melissa Telemeco ◽  
Amy L Toth ◽  
Lyric C Bartholomay
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Immune Activation ◽  
Immune Challenge ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Gryllus Texensis ◽  
Field Crickets ◽  
Sexual Display ◽  
The Face ◽  
Future Reproduction ◽  
Attractive Male

Reproduction and immunity are fitness-related traits that trade-off with each other. Parasite-mediated theories of sexual selection suggest, however, that higher-quality males should suffer smaller costs to reproduction-related traits and behaviours (e.g. sexual display) from an immune challenge because these males possess more resources with which to deal with the challenge. We used Gryllus texensis field crickets to test the prediction that attractive males should better maintain the performance of a fitness-related traits (e.g. calling effort) in the face of an immune challenge compared with unattractive males. We found no support for our original predictions. However, that immune activation causes attractive males to significantly increase their calling effort compared with unattractive males suggests that these males might terminally invest in order to compensate for decreased future reproduction.

scholarly journals Endless forms of sexual selection

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willow R Lindsay ◽  
Staffan Andersson ◽  
Badreddine Bererhi ◽  
Jacob Höglund ◽  
Arild Johnsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Trait Evolution ◽  
Mating Competition ◽  
Mhc Genes

The field of sexual selection has burgeoned with research into trait evolution in the context of ecology, sociality, phylogeny, natural selection, and sexual conflict. This paper is the product of a “stock-taking” workshop; our aim is to stimulate discussion, not to provide an exhaustive review. We identify outstanding questions organized into four thematic sections. 1) Evolution of mate choice and mating systems. Variation in mate quality can generate mating competition and choice in either sex with implications for the evolution of mating systems. Limitations on mate choice may dictate the importance of direct vs. indirect benefits in mating decisions and consequently, mating systems. Specifically, polyandry evolves in response to the strength of pre- vs. post-copulatory selection. The evolution of polyandry may be related to diversity of pathogens and Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes. MHC genes are also potential cues of kinship in avoidance of inbreeding. The balance between inbreeding avoidance and inclusive fitness in mating decisions deserves greater attention. 2) Sender and receiver mechanisms shaping signal design. Mediation of honest signal content likely depends on integration of temporally variable social and physiological costs that are a challenge to measure. The neuroethology of sensory and cognitive receiver biases is the main key to signal form and the ‘aesthetic sense’ proposed by Darwin. Since a receiver bias is sufficient to both start and drive ornament or armament exaggeration, without a genetically correlated or even coevolving receiver, this may be the appropriate ‘null model’ of sexual selection. 3) Genetic architecture of sexual selection. Despite advances in modern molecular techniques, the number and identity of genes underlying performance remain largely unknown. A combination of genomic techniques and long-term field studies that reveal ecological correlates of reproductive success is warranted. In-depth investigations into the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism will reveal constraints and trajectories of sexually selected trait evolution. 4) Sexual selection and conflict as drivers of speciation. Population divergence and speciation is often driven by an interplay between sexual and natural selection. To what extent sexual selection promotes or counteracts population divergence may differ depending on the genetic architecture of traits as well as covariance between mating competition and local adaptation, if traits have multiple functions and if sensory systems used in mate choice are locally adapted. Also, post-copulatory processes, e.g. selection against heterospecific sperm, may influence the importance of sexual selection. Sexual conflict can shape speciation processes, since mate choice selection on females can restrict gene flow whereas selection on males is permissive. We propose that efforts to resolve these four themes can catalyze conceptual progress in the field of sexual selection.

scholarly journals Endless forms of sexual selection

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willow R. Lindsay ◽  
Staffan Andersson ◽  
Badreddine Bererhi ◽  
Jacob Höglund ◽  
Arild Johnsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Signal Design ◽  
Honest Signal ◽  
Secondary Sexual Traits ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits

In recent years, the field of sexual selection has exploded, with advances in theoretical and empirical research complementing each other in exciting ways. This perspective piece is the product of a “stock-taking” workshop on sexual selection and sexual conflict. Our aim is to identify and deliberate on outstanding questions and to stimulate discussion rather than provide a comprehensive overview of the entire field. These questions are organized into four thematic sections we deem essential to the field. First we focus on the evolution of mate choice and mating systems. Variation in mate quality can generate both competition and choice in the opposite sex, with implications for the evolution of mating systems. Limitations on mate choice may dictate the importance of direct vs. indirect benefits in mating decisions and consequently, mating systems, especially with regard to polyandry. Second, we focus on how sender and receiver mechanisms shape signal design. Mediation of honest signal content likely depends on integration of temporally variable social and physiological costs that are challenging to measure. We view the neuroethology of sensory and cognitive receiver biases as the main key to signal form and the ‘aesthetic sense’ proposed by Darwin. Since a receiver bias is sufficient to both initiate and drive ornament or armament exaggeration, without a genetically correlated or even coevolving receiver, this may be the appropriate ‘null model’ of sexual selection. Thirdly, we focus on the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits. Despite advances in modern molecular techniques, the number and identity of genes underlying performance, display and secondary sexual traits remains largely unknown. In-depth investigations into the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in the context of long-term field studies will reveal constraints and trajectories of sexually selected trait evolution. Finally, we focus on sexual selection and conflict as drivers of speciation. Population divergence and speciation are often influenced by an interplay between sexual and natural selection. The extent to which sexual selection promotes or counteracts population divergence may vary depending on the genetic architecture of traits as well as the covariance between mating competition and local adaptation. Additionally, post-copulatory processes, such as selection against heterospecific sperm, may influence the importance of sexual selection in speciation. We propose that efforts to resolve these four themes can catalyze conceptual progress in the field of sexual selection, and we offer potential avenues of research to advance this progress.

scholarly journals Impact of trait exaggeration on sex-biased gene expression and genome architecture in a water strider

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Toubiana ◽  
David Armisén ◽  
Corentin Dechaud ◽  
Roberto Arbore ◽  
Abderrahman Khila
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
Genome Architecture ◽  
Water Strider ◽  
Secondary Sexual Traits ◽  
Specific Trait ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
Secondary Sexual

AbstractExaggerated secondary sexual traits are widespread in nature and often evolve under strong directional sexual selection. Although heavily studied from both theoretical and empirical viewpoints, we have little understanding of how sexual selection influences sex-biased gene regulation during the development of sex-specific phenotypes, and how these changes are reflected in genomic architecture. This is primarily due to the lack of a representative genome and transcriptomes to study the development of secondary sexual traits. Here we present the genome and developmental transcriptomes, focused on the legs of the water strider Microvelia longipes, a species where males exhibit strikingly long third legs used as weapons. The quality of the genome assembly is such that over 90% of the sequence is captured in 13 scaffolds. The most exaggerated legs in males were particularly enriched in sex-biased genes, indicating a specific signature of gene expression in association with sex-specific trait exaggeration. We also found that male-biased genes showed patterns of fast evolution compared to non-biased and female-biased genes, indicative of directional or relaxed purifying selection. Interestingly, we found that female-biased genes that are expressed in the third legs only, but not male-biased genes, were over-represented in the X chromosome compared to the autosomes. An enrichment analysis for sex-biased genes along the chromosomes revealed that they can arrange in large genomic regions or in small clusters of two to four consecutive genes. The number and expression of these enriched regions were often associated with the exaggerated legs of males, suggesting a pattern of common regulation through genomic proximity in association with trait exaggeration. Our findings shed light on how directional sexual selection drives sex-biased gene expression and genome architecture along the path to trait exaggeration and sexual dimorphism.

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