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Female mate preferences in Drosophila simulans : evolution and costs
Author(s) -
SHARMA M. D.,
TREGENZA T.,
HOSKEN D. J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02033.x
Subject(s) - biology , preference , mate choice , sexual selection , selection (genetic algorithm) , mating preferences , mating , zoology , drosophila (subgenus) , replicate , evolutionary biology , assortative mating , genetics , statistics , mathematics , artificial intelligence , computer science , gene
Female mate preference is central to sexual selection, and all indirect benefit models require that there is genetic variation in female preference. This has rarely been tested however, with relatively few studies documenting heritable variation in female preference and even fewer that have directly selected on mate preference to unequivocally show that it can evolve. Additionally, costs of mate preference are poorly understood even though these have implications for preference evolution. We selected on female preference for ebony‐ males in replicate Drosophila simulans lines, and generated a rapid evolutionary response in both replicates, with the proportion of females mating with ebony ‐males increasing from approximately 5% to 30% after five generations of selection. This increase was independent of changes in ebony ‐males as only females were included in our selection regime. We could detect no cost to mate preference itself other than that associated with the fitness consequences of mating with ebony males.