Endless forms of sexual selection
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 deliberat...
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PeerJ Inc.
2019-11-01
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Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/7988.pdf |
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Article |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Willow R. Lindsay Staffan Andersson Badreddine Bererhi Jacob Höglund Arild Johnsen Charlotta Kvarnemo Erica H. Leder Jan T. Lifjeld Calum E. Ninnes Mats Olsson Geoff A. Parker Tommaso Pizzari Anna Qvarnström Rebecca J. Safran Ola Svensson Scott V. Edwards |
spellingShingle |
Willow R. Lindsay Staffan Andersson Badreddine Bererhi Jacob Höglund Arild Johnsen Charlotta Kvarnemo Erica H. Leder Jan T. Lifjeld Calum E. Ninnes Mats Olsson Geoff A. Parker Tommaso Pizzari Anna Qvarnström Rebecca J. Safran Ola Svensson Scott V. Edwards Endless forms of sexual selection PeerJ Sexual selection Sexual conflict Mate choice Polyandry Speciation Sensory bias |
author_facet |
Willow R. Lindsay Staffan Andersson Badreddine Bererhi Jacob Höglund Arild Johnsen Charlotta Kvarnemo Erica H. Leder Jan T. Lifjeld Calum E. Ninnes Mats Olsson Geoff A. Parker Tommaso Pizzari Anna Qvarnström Rebecca J. Safran Ola Svensson Scott V. Edwards |
author_sort |
Willow R. Lindsay |
title |
Endless forms of sexual selection |
title_short |
Endless forms of sexual selection |
title_full |
Endless forms of sexual selection |
title_fullStr |
Endless forms of sexual selection |
title_full_unstemmed |
Endless forms of sexual selection |
title_sort |
endless forms of sexual selection |
publisher |
PeerJ Inc. |
series |
PeerJ |
issn |
2167-8359 |
publishDate |
2019-11-01 |
description |
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. |
topic |
Sexual selection Sexual conflict Mate choice Polyandry Speciation Sensory bias |
url |
https://peerj.com/articles/7988.pdf |
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doaj-c83217ed369149ecbd5dabc1081b96002020-11-25T01:49:51ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592019-11-017e798810.7717/peerj.7988Endless forms of sexual selectionWillow R. Lindsay0Staffan Andersson1Badreddine Bererhi2Jacob Höglund3Arild Johnsen4Charlotta Kvarnemo5Erica H. Leder6Jan T. Lifjeld7Calum E. Ninnes8Mats Olsson9Geoff A. Parker10Tommaso Pizzari11Anna Qvarnström12Rebecca J. Safran13Ola Svensson14Scott V. Edwards15Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenNatural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenNatural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayNatural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenInstitute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of AmericaSchool of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, SwedenDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of AmericaIn 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.https://peerj.com/articles/7988.pdfSexual selectionSexual conflictMate choicePolyandrySpeciationSensory bias |