Journal ArticleDOI
The lek paradox and the capture of genetic variance by condition dependent traits
Locke Rowe,David Houle +1 more
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This paper offers a resolution to the lek paradox and rests on only two assumptions; condition dependence of sexually selected traits and high genetic variance in condition, which lead inevitably to the capture of genetic variance into sexually selected trait concomitantly with the evolution of condition dependence.Abstract:
Recent evidence suggests that sexually selected traits have unexpectedly high genetic variance. In this paper, we offer a simple and general mechanism to explain this observation. Our explanation offers a resolution to the lek paradox and rests on only two assumptions; condition dependence of sexually selected traits and high genetic variance in condition. The former assumption is well supported by empirical evidence. We discuss the evidence for the latter assumption. These two assumptions lead inevitably to the capture of genetic variance into sexually selected traits concomitantly with the evolution of condition dependence. We present a simple genetic model to illustrate this view. We then explore some implications of genic capture for the coevolution of female preference and male traits. Our exposition of this problem incidentally leads to new insights into the similarities between sexually selected traits and life history traits, and therefore into the maintenance of high genetic variance in the latter. Finally, we discuss some shortcomings of a recently proposed alternative solution to the lek paradox; selection on variance.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Why do females mate multiply? A review of the genetic benefits.
TL;DR: It is concluded that post‐copulatory mechanisms provide a more reliable way of selecting a genetically compatible mate than pre-copulatory mate choice and that some of the best evidence for cryptic female choice by sperm selection is due to selection of more compatible sperm.
Journal ArticleDOI
The evolution of human mating: Trade-offs and strategic pluralism
TL;DR: During human evolutionary history, there were “trade-offs” between expending time and energy on child-rearing and mating, so both men and women evolved conditional mating strategies guided by cues signaling the circumstances.
Journal ArticleDOI
The segment polarity network is a robust developmental module.
TL;DR: It is suggested, using computer simulations, that the Drosophila segment polarity genes constitute a module, and that this module is resistant to variations in the kinetic constants that govern its behaviour.
Book
Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences
TL;DR: Geary presents a theoretical bridge linking parenting, mate choices, and competition, with children's development and sex differences in brain and cognition, in a lively and nuanced application of Darwin's insight to help explain the authors' heritage and their place in the natural world.
References
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Book
Introduction to quantitative genetics
TL;DR: The genetic constitution of a population: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and changes in gene frequency: migration mutation, changes of variance, and heritability are studied.
Journal ArticleDOI
The evolution of life histories
TL;DR: In this article, age and size at maturity at maturity number and size of offspring Reproductive lifespan and ageing are discussed. But the authors focus on the effects of age and stage structure on fertility.
Journal ArticleDOI
Acquisition and Allocation of Resources: Their Influence on Variation in Life History Tactics
A.J. Van Noordwijk,G. de Jong +1 more
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Comparing evolvability and variability of quantitative traits.
TL;DR: Measures of variation that are standardized by the trait mean are appropriate for making comparisons of genetic variation for quantitative characters to compare evolvabilities, or ability to respond to selection, and to make inferences about the forces that maintain genetic variability.