Sexual selection in genetic colour-polymorphic species: a review of experimental studies and perspectives |
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Authors: | Alexandre Roulin Pierre Bize |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biology Building, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland;(2) Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, IBLS, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK |
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Abstract: | Sexual selection theory has primarily focussed on the role of mating preferences for the best individuals in the evolution
of condition-dependent ornaments, traits that signal absolute quality. Because the most suitable mate for one individual is
not always the best for others, however, we argue that non-directional mate choice can promote the evolution of alternative
morphs that are not condition-dependent in their expression (i.e. genetic polymorphism). We list the different mate-choice
rules (i.e. all individuals have the same preference; preference depends on the chooser’s morph; individuals mate preferentially
with conspecifics displaying an uncommon or the most frequent morph) and review experimental studies that investigated mate
choice in natural populations of colour-polymorphic animals. Our review emphasises that although the experimental data support
the idea that sexual selection plays an important role in the evolution of genetic colour polymorphism in many different ways,
little is known about the adaptive value of each mate-choice strategy and about their implication in the evolutionary stability
of colour polymorphism. One way of solving this problem is to determine the adaptive function of colour morphs, a worthwhile
objective, because better understanding of mate-choice rules in polymorphic species should provide important insights into
sexual-selection processes and, in turn, into the maintenance of genetic variation. |
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Keywords: | Alternative strategies Condition-dependence Genetic colour polymorphism Mate choice Polymorphism Sexual selection |
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