Genotype-by-environment interactions for female preference

C. Narraway, John Hunt, N. Wedell, D. J. Hosken

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sexual selection is responsible for many of the most spectacular displays in nature, and female preference for certain males is central to much of this. However, female preference is relatively poorly understood, particularly the relative importance of a female's genes, the environment and their interaction on her preference. We investigated preference in a no-choice design using Drosophila melanogaster iso-female lines and find that there are genotype-by-environment interactions for female preference. Whereas the choosiness of some female genotypes differed little across environments, that of others differed greatly, so that the choosiness rank of females in one environment did not necessarily predict their rank in another. Furthermore, the genetic variance underlying preference also varied across environments. These findings have important consequences for the evolution of female preference and the male sexual traits preference targets.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2550-2557
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume23
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Keywords

  • Drosophila
  • courtship in animals
  • sexual selection

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