Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
J Evol Biol. 2011 Jun;24(6):1317-24. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02265.x. Epub 2011 Apr 11.
We describe indirect genetic benefits of mate choice in two allopatric populations of cactophilic Drosophila mojavensis. By manipulating mate choice opportunity, we show that greater mate choice among sexually mature adults leads to shorter offspring egg-to-adult development times; the extent of this reduction was influenced by population origin and by host plant environment. We performed multiple-choice mating trials with individually marked flies to investigate whether differential male mating success was a consequence of female choice, male interaction, or both. We demonstrate that male copulation frequency was not random and instead, was determined by female choice. Virgin females in these trials were no less discriminating than females that had been previously exposed to males. These results suggest that there are indirect benefits of female mate choice that are population and environment specific, consistent with the hypothesis of ecologically influenced 'good genes' sexual selection.
我们描述了异地栖居的仙人掌果蝇 Mojavensis 两个种群中配偶选择的间接遗传效益。通过操纵配偶选择机会，我们表明，性成熟个体之间更多的配偶选择会导致后代从卵到成虫的发育时间更短；这种减少的程度受到种群起源和宿主植物环境的影响。我们进行了带有个体标记的果蝇多项选择交配试验，以调查雄性交配成功的差异是否是雌性选择、雄性相互作用还是两者兼而有之的结果。我们证明，雄性交配频率并非随机，而是由雌性选择决定的。在这些试验中，处女雌蝇的辨别力并不亚于以前接触过雄蝇的雌蝇。这些结果表明，存在着具有种群和环境特异性的雌性配偶选择的间接益处，这与受生态影响的“优质基因”性选择假说一致。
