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Science 1 March 1985:
Vol. 227. no. 4690, pp. 1061 - 1063
DOI: 10.1126/science.227.4690.1061
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Articles

Genetic Consequences of Mate Choice: A Quantitative Genetic Method for Testing Sexual Selection Theory

CHRISTINE R. B. BOAKE 1

1 Department of Biology, University of Chicago, 915 East 57 Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637

To investigate whether female mate choice could be directed at male genetic quality, male chemical signals and progeny fitness were studied in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum). Differences among males in the attractiveness of their pheromone to females were statistically significant. Developmental time of progeny was significantly heritable, indicating that some males have "good genes" for this trait. There was no statistically significant correlation between progeny fitness and male attractiveness. These results do not support the hypothesis that in this species the evolution of female preferences for male pheromone is adaptive.

Submitted on June 12, 1984
Accepted on October 25, 1984


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Adult fitness consequences of sexual selection in Drosophila melanogaster.
D. E. L. Promislow, E. A. Smith, and L. Pearse (1998)
PNAS 95, 10687-10692
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The strength of indirect selection on female mating preferences.
M. Kirkpatrick and N. H. Barton (1997)
PNAS 94, 1282-1286
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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