The genetic basis of female mate preferences

Abstract

We review the evidence for genetic variation in female and male mate preferences. Genetic differences between species and partially isolated races show that preferences can evolve and were genetically variable in the past. Within populations there is good evidence of genetic variation, both of discrete genetic effects (8 cases) and quantitative genetic effects (17 cases), from a diverse range of taxa. We also review evidence for the presence of genetic covariance between mate preferences and sexual traits in the other sex. The 11 studies go a long way to validating the theoretical prediction of positive genetic covariance. The few negative results are best explained by a lack of appropriate experimental design. One unresolved question is whether genetic covariance is due to linkage disequilibrium between unlinked genes or physical linkage. Some evidence points to linkage disequilibrium but this is not yet conclusive.

Positive genetic correlation between female preference and offspring fitness

“…Under the assumption that pleiotropy between female preference genes and genes contributing to productivity is negligible (Lande 1981;Bakker & Pomiankowski 1995), female choice for male genetic quality appears to have generated linkage disequilibrium between preference genes and offspring fitness genes, as predicted by models of good genes' sexual selection (Iwasa et al 1991;Kirkpatrick & Barton 1997). The level of genetic correlation between female preference and offspring fitness detected was small, indicating that the strength of indirect selection on female preference generated by the positive association between preference and fitness genes may be relatively weak (Kirkpatrick & Barton 1997).…”

Linkage of butterfly mate preference and wing color preference cue at the genomic location ofwingless

“…In particular, genetic associations among traits conferring reproductive isolation, in the forms of linkage disequilibrium, physical linkage, and pleiotropy, can facilitate divergence by transferring the effects of natural and sexual selection on some traits to others, resulting in the coordinated evolution of a suite of characteristics that together limit mating between incipient species (11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Genetic linkage of sexual isolating traits is particularly widespread in Lepidoptera, where a disproportionately large number of traits distinguishing closely related species are sex-linked (16)(17)(18).…”

Genetic Analysis of Female Preference Functions as Function‐Valued Traits

“…Although the phenotypic con-sequences of female preference are well described (Jennions and Petrie 1997), much less is known about the genetic basis of female preferences and, subsequently, how female preferences evolve. A number of studies have demonstrated that female preference is heritable (Bakker and Pomiankowski 1995;Jennions and Petrie 1997;Chenoweth and Blows 2006), but the inherent difficulties in quantifying mating preferences (Wagner 1998;Chenoweth and Blows 2006) have limited the application and scope of quantitative genetic experiments on such traits.…”