Objetivo
Mate preferences are ubiquitous in nature and it has long been recognised that the sexual selection they generate may have important consequences for the evolution of biodiversity. This is especially true when preferences differ among populations, a situation that appears common in nature. Despite much attention being given to their role in the evolution of extravagant sexual display traits, less work has focused on understanding the mechanisms by which they diverge among populations and in particular the role (if any) male mate choice plays. Using an Australian Drosophila model, we aim to directly test for adaptive population divergence at mate preference loci in nature and develop a detailed understanding of the quantitative genetics of male and female mate preferences. In particular, using a combination of cutting-edge statistical quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, and behavioural assays we will 1) test for adaptive mate preference divergence among natural populations, 2) directly quantify the evolvability of female and male mate preferences and 3) determine the evolutionary coupling of mate preference in males and females by measuring the extent to which their genetic basis is shared between the sexes. A key part of this project is the re-integration of the methods beyond Drosophila, applying the techniques developed to European organisms to gain a more comprehensive understanding of mate preference evolution. The work will be on the frontline of applying quantitative genetics to evolution in the wild and we fully expect that the work outlined in this proposal will make a significant advance in understanding how and why mate preferences diverge. Our results will be of significant importance to evolutionary biologists, behaviourists, and molecular ecologists worldwide and will have important consequences for how we view mating decisions as a generator of phenotypic diversity.
Ámbito científico
Convocatoria de propuestas
FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008
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Régimen de financiación
MC-IOF - International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF)Coordinador
22100 LUND
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