Rolff Jens
Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Proc Biol Sci. 2002 Apr 22;269(1493):867-72. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.1959.
The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) of Folstad and Karter has inspired a large number of studies that have tried to understand the causal basis of parasite-mediated sexual selection. Even though this hypothesis is based on the double function of testosterone, a hormone restricted to vertebrates, studies of invertebrates have tended to provide central support for specific predictions of the ICHH. I propose an alternative hypothesis that explains many of the findings without relying on testosterone or other biochemical feedback loops. This alternative is based on Bateman's principle, that males gain fitness by increasing their mating success whilst females increase fitness through longevity because their reproductive effort is much higher. Consequently, I predict that females should invest more in immunity than males. The extent of this dimorphism is determined by the mating system and the genetic correlation between males and females in immune traits. In support of my arguments, I mainly use studies on insects that share innate immunity with vertebrates and have the advantage that they are easier to study.
福尔斯塔德和卡特的免疫能力缺陷假说（ICHH）激发了大量研究，这些研究试图理解寄生虫介导的性选择的因果基础。尽管这一假说基于睾酮的双重功能，而睾酮是一种仅限于脊椎动物的激素，但对无脊椎动物的研究往往为ICHH的特定预测提供了核心支持。我提出了另一种假说，该假说无需依赖睾酮或其他生化反馈回路就能解释许多研究结果。这种替代假说是基于贝特曼原理，即雄性通过增加交配成功率来提高适合度，而雌性则通过长寿来提高适合度，因为它们的繁殖投入要高得多。因此，我预测雌性在免疫方面的投入应该比雄性更多。这种二态性的程度由交配系统以及雄性和雌性在免疫性状上的遗传相关性决定。为支持我的观点，我主要引用了对昆虫的研究，这些昆虫与脊椎动物具有共同的先天免疫，并且具有易于研究的优势。
