TY - JOUR
T1 - What is genetic quality?
AU - Hunt, John
AU - Bussière, Luc F.
AU - Jennions, Michael D.
AU - Brooks, Robert
PY - 2004/6
Y1 - 2004/6
N2 - Mate choice is favored by indirect selection if choosy females mate with males of high genetic quality. We believe, however, that testing hypotheses about indirect selection has been constrained by how we conceptualize and therefore empirically measure male genetic quality. Here, we argue that genetic quality is the breeding value of an individual for total fitness. We can therefore learn little about genetic quality from measures of only a few fitness components. We explain breeding value for total fitness, drawing on concepts from life-history theory and quantitative genetics, and suggest how approaches incorporating these insights might result in empirical progress.
AB - Mate choice is favored by indirect selection if choosy females mate with males of high genetic quality. We believe, however, that testing hypotheses about indirect selection has been constrained by how we conceptualize and therefore empirically measure male genetic quality. Here, we argue that genetic quality is the breeding value of an individual for total fitness. We can therefore learn little about genetic quality from measures of only a few fitness components. We explain breeding value for total fitness, drawing on concepts from life-history theory and quantitative genetics, and suggest how approaches incorporating these insights might result in empirical progress.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=2942629625&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tree.2004.03.035
DO - 10.1016/j.tree.2004.03.035
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:2942629625
SN - 0169-5347
VL - 19
SP - 329
EP - 333
JO - Trends in Ecology and Evolution
JF - Trends in Ecology and Evolution
IS - 6
ER -