Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
PLoS One. 2007 Aug 15;2(8):e744. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000744.
The genetic benefits of mate choice are limited by the degree to which male and female fitness are genetically correlated. If the intersexual correlation for fitness is small or negative, choosing a highly fit mate does not necessarily result in high fitness offspring.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Using an animal-model approach on data from a pedigreed population of over 7,000 collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), we estimate the intersexual genetic correlation in Lifetime Reproductive Success (LRS) in a natural population to be negative in sign (-0.85+/-0.6). Simulations show this estimate to be robust in sign to the effects of extra-pair parentage. The genetic benefits in this population are further limited by a low level of genetic variation for fitness in males.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The potential for indirect sexual selection is nullified by sexual antagonistic fitness effects in this natural population. Our findings and the scarce evidence from other studies suggest that the intersexual genetic correlation for lifetime fitness may be very low in nature. We argue that this form of conflict can, in general, both constrain and maintain sexual selection, depending on the sex-specific additive genetic variances in lifetime fitness.
配偶选择的遗传益处受到雌雄适合度遗传相关性程度的限制。如果适合度的两性间相关性很小或为负，那么选择一个高度适合的配偶并不一定会产生高适合度的后代。
方法/主要发现：利用来自一个超过 7000 只戴帽的花雀（Ficedula albicollis）的血统种群的动物模型方法，我们估计自然种群中终生繁殖成功率（LRS）的两性遗传相关性为负值（-0.85+/-0.6）。模拟结果表明，这个估计在多配偶父权的影响下仍然保持着符号的稳健性。在这个种群中，由于雄性适合度的遗传变异水平较低，遗传益处进一步受到限制。
结论/意义：在这个自然种群中，由于适合度的性拮抗效应，间接性选择的潜力被消除了。我们的发现和其他研究的稀缺证据表明，在自然界中，终生适合度的两性遗传相关性可能非常低。我们认为，这种形式的冲突通常可以根据终生适合度的性别特定加性遗传方差来限制和维持性选择。
