Abstract
Recent research has highlighted the potential importance of environmental and genotype-by-environment (G×E) variation in sexual selection, but most studies have focussed on the expression of male sexual traits. Consequently, our understanding of genetic variation for plasticity in female mate choice is extremely poor. In this study we examine the genetics of female mate choice in Drosophila simulans using isolines reared across two post-eclosion temperatures. There was evidence for G×Es in female choosiness and preference, which suggests that the evolution of female mate choice behaviour could differ across environments. However, the ranked order of preferred males was consistent across females and environments, so the same males are favoured by mate choice in spite of G×Es. Our study highlights the importance of taking cross-environment perspectives in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the operation of sexual selection.
Highlights
Female mate choice exerts strong sexual selection on males and is thought to drive the evolution of many elaborate sexual traits and displays [1]
Despite an initial reluctance to recognise the importance of mate choice in sexual selection [2,3], research in this area has advanced and female mate choice has been documented in many species and is understood in considerable detail [1,4]
Despite the lack of significant G6E, crossover can be seen in the reaction norms in Figure 1a, and there is evidence for substantial changes in genetic variation in choosiness between temperatures (Table 3)
Summary
Female mate choice exerts strong sexual selection on males and is thought to drive the evolution of many elaborate sexual traits and displays [1]. Despite an initial reluctance to recognise the importance of mate choice in sexual selection [2,3], research in this area has advanced and female mate choice has been documented in many species and is understood in considerable detail [1,4]. Little is known about the genetics underlying plasticity in mate choice, and we have a very limited understanding of the operation and evolution of mate choice across heterogeneous environments. The potential significance of this plasticity in mate choice has been highlighted by recent interest in genotype-by-environment interactions (G6Es) in sexual selection [11,12]. Interest in G6Es in a sexual selection context is more recent, but theoretical and empirical work suggests that G6Es could be of fundamental importance to the operation of sexual selection [12]
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