Influence of Inbreeding on Female Mate Choice in Two Species of Drosophila

Abstract

Many organisms have been reported to choose their mates in order to increase the heterozygosity of their offspring by avoiding mating with relatives or homozygous individuals. Most previous studies using Drosophila melanogaster have used artificial chromosomes or extreme inbreeding treatments, situations unlikely to be matched in nature. Additionally, few studies have examined the interaction between female inbreeding status and her choice of mate. Using females and males from populations that had experienced either random mating or one generation of sib-sib inbreeding, we measured the preferences of females for males. Our results indicate that outbred males were chosen more often than inbred males and that this preference may be more pronounced in outbred females than in inbred ones.

How do familiarity and relatedness influence mate choice in Armadillidium vulgare?

“…vulgare , further experiments are needed to investigate the long-term effect of inbreeding on the fitness of offspring. Indeed, in several species, harmful effects of inbreeding depression impact offspring fitness in particular [2], for example, via a lower growth rate and lower fecundity [72], lower sperm competition success [73], a decrease in attractiveness to mates [74], a higher parasitism risk [75] and a higher mortality risk [71]. To conclude, the mating preference of A .…”