scholarly journals Sexual selection theory meets disease vector control: Testing harmonic convergence as a “good genes” signal in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. e0009540
Author(s):  
Garrett P. League ◽  
Laura C. Harrington ◽  
Sylvie A. Pitcher ◽  
Julie K. Geyer ◽  
Lindsay L. Baxter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Harmonic Convergence ◽  
Dynamics And Control ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Inherent Quality

Background The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a medically important, globally distributed vector of the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Although reproduction and mate choice are key components of vector population dynamics and control, our understanding of the mechanisms of sexual selection in mosquitoes remains poor. In “good genes” models of sexual selection, females use male cues as an indicator of both mate and offspring genetic quality. Recent studies in Ae. aegypti provide evidence that male wingbeats may signal aspects of offspring quality and performance during mate selection in a process known as harmonic convergence. However, the extent to which harmonic convergence may signal overall inherent quality of mates and their offspring remains unknown. Methodology/Principal findings To examine this, we measured the relationship between acoustic signaling and a broad panel of parent and offspring fitness traits in two generations of field-derived Ae. aegypti originating from dengue-endemic field sites in Thailand. Our data show that in this population of mosquitoes, harmonic convergence does not signal male fertility, female fecundity, or male flight performance traits, which despite displaying robust variability in both parents and their offspring were only weakly heritable. Conclusions/Significance Together, our findings suggest that vector reproductive control programs should treat harmonic convergence as an indicator of some, but not all aspects of inherent quality, and that sexual selection likely affects Ae. aegypti in a trait-, population-, and environment-dependent manner.

scholarly journals Sexual selection theory meets disease vector control: Testing harmonic convergence as a “good genes” signal in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrett P. League ◽  
Laura C. Harrington ◽  
Sylvie A. Pitcher ◽  
Julie K. Geyer ◽  
Lindsay L. Baxter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Harmonic Convergence ◽  
Dynamics And Control ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Inherent Quality

AbstractThe mosquito Aedes aegypti is a medically important, globally distributed vector of the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Although reproduction and mate choice are key components of vector population dynamics and control, our understanding of the mechanisms of sexual selection in mosquitoes remains poor. In “good genes” models of sexual selection, females use male cues as an indicator of both mate and offspring inherent genetic quality. Recent studies in Ae. aegypti provide evidence that male wingbeat acoustics signal aspects of offspring quality and performance during mate selection in a process known as harmonic convergence. However, the extent to which harmonic convergence may signal overall inherent quality of mates and their offspring remains unknown. To examine this, we measured the potential acoustic signaling and heritability of a broad panel of parent and offspring fitness traits in two generations of field-derived Ae. aegypti originating from dengue endemic field sites in Thailand. Our data show that in this population of mosquitoes, harmonic convergence does not signal male fertility, female fecundity, and male flight performance traits, which despite displaying robust variability in both parents and their offspring were only weakly heritable. Together with previous work, our findings suggest that vector reproductive control programs should treat harmonic convergence as an indicator of some, but not all aspects of inherent quality, and that multiple forms of sexual selection are likely at play in Ae. aegypti in a trait, population, and environment dependent manner.

scholarly journals Sexual selection and the evolution of male and female cognition: a test using experimental evolution in seed beetles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Baur ◽  
Jean d’Amour ◽  
David Berger
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Balancing Selection ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Potential Force ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Rate Of Learning ◽  
Seed Beetles

Abstract“The mating mind hypothesis”, originally aimed at explaining human cognition, holds that the socio-sexual environment shapes cognitive abilities among animals. Similarly, general sexual selection theory predicts that mate competition should benefit individuals carrying “good genes” with beneficial pleiotropic effects on general cognitive ability. However, few experimental studies have evaluated these related hypotheses due to difficulties of performing direct tests in most taxa. Here we harnessed the empirical potential of the seed beetle study system to investigate the role of sexual selection and mating system in the evolution of cognition. We evolved replicate lines of beetle under enforced monogamy (eliminating sexual selection) or polygamy for 35 generations and then challenged them to locate and discriminate among mating partners (male assays) or host seeds (female assays). To assess learning, the same beetles performed the task in three consecutive rounds. All lines learned the task, improving both within and between trails. Moreover, polygamous males outperformed monogamous males. However, there were no differences in the rate of learning between males of the two regimes, and polygamous females showed no improvement in host search, and even signs of reduced learning. Hence, while sexual selection was a potent factor that increased cognitive performance in mate search, it did not lead to the general increase in cognitive abilities expected under the “mating mind” hypothesis or general “good genes” theory. Our results highlight sexually antagonistic (balancing) selection as a potential force maintaining genetic variation in cognitive traits.

Sweet FA: The trouble with fluctuating asymmetry

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 616-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Montgomerie
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Sexual Strategies ◽  
Empirical Basis ◽  
Selection Theory ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory

Studies of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in relation to sexual strategies in humans provide the empirical basis for many arguments in support of good genes sexual selection theory. Many FA studies, however, are flawed by bias in experimental design, inconsistent statistical analysis, and the sloppy handling of data.

scholarly journals Sex, Age, and Parental Harmonic Convergence Behavior Affect the Immune Performance of Aedes aegypti Offspring

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M Reitmayer ◽  
Ashutosh K Pathak ◽  
Laura C Harrington ◽  
Melinda A. Brindley ◽  
Lauren J Cator ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Harmonic Convergence ◽  
Parental Mating

AbstractAedes aegypti is an important vector of several pathogenic arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Innovative approaches to control Aedes populations, involving synthetic transgenic modifications as well as Wolbachia bacteria, appear promising. For the various techniques requiring offspring inheritance of a trait, released males must successfully compete for mating partners against wildtype males. However, very little is known about mechanisms of mate selection in mosquitoes in general and in particular about potential correlations between mating success and offspring immune performance.Harmonic convergence signals have been proposed as a cue for females to predict male quality. We investigated whether offspring of converging parental pairs showed differences in immune competence compared to offspring derived from non-converging parental pairs using three different types of immune assays. We found that offspring immune responses (melanization response and response to a bacterial challenge) differed between offspring from converging and non-converging parents. However, immune responses were shaped by several interacting factors such as sex, age, reproductive status, and parental mating behavior. Parental mating behavior had a stronger effect on the immune response of male offspring than on female offspring. Further, a population of female offspring derived from converging parental pairs reached their peak dengue virus dissemination rate earlier compared to a population of offspring derived from non-converging parental pairs. Our results provide insight into a wide range of selective pressures shaping mosquito immune function. Evolutionary trade-offs between naturally and sexually selected traits can have important implications for disease transmission and control and should be considered in the development of reproductive control strategies.

scholarly journals Guitar increases male facebook attractiveness: Preliminary support for the sexual selection theory of music

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigal Tifferet ◽  
Ofir Gaziel ◽  
Yoav Baram
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Adaptive Function ◽  
Selection Theory ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Initial Support ◽  
Preliminary Support ◽  
Evolutionary Explanations

Music is a universal phenomenon that has genetic and brain-localized features. As such, it warrants adaptive evolutionary explanations. While some scholars believe that music arose as a by-product of other adaptations, others argue that music is likely to have served some adaptive function, for example in coalition signaling or mother-child bonding. The sexual selection theory of music suggests that music serves as a signal in mate selection. While this claim is prevalent, it lacks empirical evidence. A facebook experiment revealed that women replied more positively to friendship requests from a man shown in a photo holding a guitar. These results offer initial support for the sexual selection theory of music.

scholarly journals Darwin's bawdy: the popular, gendered and radical reception of the Descent of Man in the US, 1871–1910

BJHS Themes ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Hamlin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Selection Theory ◽  
Scientific Establishment ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
The Us ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Descent Of Man

Abstract Most studies of the American reception of Darwin have focused on the Origin. The Descent of Man, however, was even more widely read and discussed, especially by those outside the emerging scientific establishment. This essay maps the varied, popular and radical responses to the Descent and suggests that these unauthorized readers helped shape the formation of American scientific institutions (by encouraging scientists to close ranks), as well as ordinary Americans’ perceptions of gender and sex. I argue that the radical – freethinkers, socialists and feminists – embrace of sexual selection theory provides one explanation for naturalists’ scepticism of the theory.

More sires may enhance offspring fitness in Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 581-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Banger ◽  
Gabriel Blouin-Demers ◽  
Grégory Bulté ◽  
Stephen C. Lougheed
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Conservative Estimate ◽  
Genetic Quality ◽  
Offspring Fitness ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica

Sexual selection theory predicts that males should be promiscuous to maximize their reproductive success, while females should be choosy. Yet females of many taxa often produce progeny sired by multiple males, indicating that promiscuity can be important for the reproductive success of females. Promiscuity may enhance the fitness of females if it increases the genetic quality, or the genetic variety, and thus the viability of their offspring. We quantified the number of sires per clutch in a population of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica (LeSueur, 1817)) in Lake Opinicon, Ontario, Canada, and tested whether the number of sires affects several metrics of viability in hatchlings. Based on the most conservative estimate, at least 71% of clutches in this population are sired by multiple males, but there was no evidence that larger clutches are sired by more males. Clutches sired by more males had higher hatching success and survival, but the differences were not statistically significant. We did not find any effect of the number of sires on hatchling morphology or locomotor performance. Collectively, our results partially support the hypothesis that promiscuity can increase the reproductive success of female Northern Map Turtles.

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