Sexual Conflict

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David J. Hosken - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Wolbachia infection can bias estimates of intralocus Sexual Conflict
    Ecology and Evolution, 2018
    Co-Authors: Eoin Duffy, Nina Wedell, C. Ruth Archer, Manmohan Sharma, Monika A. Prus, Richa Joag, Jacek Radwan, David J. Hosken
    Abstract:

    Males and females share most of their genome and develop many of the same traits. However, each sex frequently has different optimal values for these shared traits, creating intralocus Sexual Conflict. This Conflict has been observed in wild and laboratory populations of insects and affects important evolutionary processes such as Sexual selection, the maintenance of genetic variation, and possibly even speciation. Given the broad impacts of intralocus Conflict, accurately detecting and measuring it is important. A common way to detect intralocus Sexual Conflict is to calculate the interSexual genetic correlation for fitness, with negative values suggesting Conflict. Here, we highlight a potential confounder of this measure-cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by the intracellular parasite Wolbachia. Infection with Wolbachia can generate negative interSexual genetic correlations for fitness in insects, suggestive of intralocus Sexual Conflict. This is because cytoplasmic incompatibility reduces the fitness of uninfected females mated to infected males, while uninfected males will not suffer reductions in fitness if they mate with infected females and may even be fitter than infected males. This can lead to strong negative interSexual genetic correlations for fitness, mimicking intralocus Conflict. We illustrate this issue using simulations and then present Drosophila simulans data that show how reproductive incompatibilities caused by Wolbachia infection can generate signals of intralocus Sexual Conflict. Given that Wolbachia infection in insect populations is pervasive, but populations usually contain both infected and uninfected individuals providing scope for cytoplasmic incompatibility, this is an important consideration for Sexual Conflict research but one which, to date, has been largely underappreciated.

  • Sexual Conflict and Sperm Competition
    Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2014
    Co-Authors: Dominic A. Edward, Paula Stockley, David J. Hosken
    Abstract:

    Traits that increase a male’s fertilization success during sperm competition can be harmful to females and therefore represent a source of Sexual Conflict. In this review, we consider the variety of male adaptations to sperm competition (MASC) that may give rise to Sexual Conflict—including mate guarding, prolonged copulations, the transfer of large numbers of sperm, and the manipulation of females through nonsperm components of the ejaculate. We then reflect on the fitness economics influencing the escalation of these Sexual Conflicts, considering the likelihood of females evolving traits to offset the negative effects of MASC when compared with the strong selection on males that lead to MASC. We conclude by discussing the potential evolutionary outcomes of Sexual Conflict arising from MASC, including the opportunities for females to mitigate Conflict costs and the prospects for Conflict resolution.

  • intralocus Sexual Conflict unresolved by sex limited trait expression
    Current Biology, 2010
    Co-Authors: Tomohiro Harano, Kensuke Okada, Satoshi Nakayama, Takahisa Miyatake, David J. Hosken
    Abstract:

    Summary Sexually antagonistic selection generates intralocus Sexual Conflict, an evolutionary tug-of-war between males and females over optimal trait values [1–4]. Although the potential for this Conflict is universal, the evolutionary importance of intralocus Conflict is controversial because Conflicts are typically thought to be resolvable through the evolution of sex-specific trait development [1–8]. However, whether sex-specific trait expression always resolves intralocus Conflict has not been established. We assessed this with beetle populations subjected to bidirectional selection on an exaggerated Sexually selected trait, the mandible. Mandibles are only ever developed in males for use in male-male combat, and larger mandibles increase male fitness (fighting [9, 10] and mating success, as we show here). We find that females from populations selected for larger male mandibles have lower fitness, whereas females in small-mandible populations have highest fitness, even though females never develop exaggerated mandibles. This is because mandible development changes genetically correlated characters, resulting in a negative interSexual fitness correlation across these populations, which is the unmistakable signature of intralocus Sexual Conflict [1]. Our results show that sex-limited trait development need not resolve intralocus Sexual Conflict, because traits are rarely, if ever, genetically independent of other characters [11]. Hence, intralocus Conflict resolution is not as easy as currently thought.

  • Sexual Conflict and reproductive isolation in flies
    Biology Letters, 2009
    Co-Authors: David J. Hosken, Stuart Wigby, Tracey Chapman, Oliver Y Martin, David J. Hodgson
    Abstract:

    Sexual Conflict is predicted to generate more rapid reproductive isolation between larger populations. While there is some empirical support for this, the data are inconsistent and, additionally, there has been criticism of some of the evidence. Here we reanalyse two experimental-evolution datasets using an isolation index widely applied in the speciation literature. We find evidence for reproductive isolation through Sexual Conflict in Sepsis cynipsea, but not in Drosophila melanogaster, and this occurred to a greater degree in larger populations, which is consistent with previous findings.

  • How Important Is Sexual Conflict
    The American Naturalist, 2005
    Co-Authors: David J. Hosken, Rhonda R Snook
    Abstract:

    Sexual selection is a fundamental component of evolutionary biology, playing an important role in areas as diverse as extinction rates (e.g., Doherty et al. 2003), the purging of deleterious mutations (e.g., Radwan 2004), and speciation (e.g., Seehausen et al. 1997). In spite of intense study over the last few decades (reviewed in Andersson 1994), the field is currently going through a minor revolution mainly because debate about the costs and benefits of Sexual selection has recently intensified. Until a short time ago, the predominant paradigm was that Sexual selection, while not adaptive (i.e., it was opposed by natural selection), was not costly at equilibrium: the benefits of Sexual selection balanced the natural selection costs. Darwin (1871) clearly recognized that natural selection often opposed Sexual selection but also suggested that Sexual selection could increase the quality of a taxon. This latter view was increasingly embraced, culminating in the notion that Sexual selection is always adaptive because benefits inevitably become linked to good genes (Jennions and Petrie 2000). This somewhat Panglossian position has been questioned by recent suggestions that Sexual selection is driven by direct costs rather than either direct or indirect benefits and that these costs have their roots in Sexual Conflict, that is, the divergent evolutionary interests of males and females (Holland and Rice 1998). While the ubiquitous nature of Sexual Conflict has been long acknowledged (Bateman 1948; Trivers 1972; Parker 1979, 1984; Eberhard 1985; Simmons et al. 1994; Cook and Wedell 1999), as has the fact that this Conflict can in principle generate unresolvable evolutionary arms races between the sexes (Dawkins and Krebs 1979; Parker 1979), it is only relatively recently that Sexually antagonistic evolution generated by Sexual Conflict has been championed as a major mechanism of evolution via Sexual selection

Judith E. Mank - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Signature of Sexual Conflict is Actually Conflict Resolved
    Molecular Ecology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Judith E. Mank, Alison E. Wright
    Abstract:

    There has been substantial interest of late in using population genetic methods to study Sexual Conflict, where an allele increases the fitness of one sex at some cost to the other (Mank 2017). Population genomic scans for Sexual Conflict offer an important advance given the difficulties of identifying antagonistic alleles from more traditional methods, and could greatly increase our understanding of the extent and loci of Sexual Conflict.

  • Phenotypic Sexual dimorphism is associated with genomic signatures of resolved Sexual Conflict
    Molecular Ecology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Alison E. Wright, Thea F. Rogers, Matteo Fumagalli, Christopher R. Cooney, Judith E. Mank
    Abstract:

    Intra‐locus Sexual Conflict, where an allele benefits one sex at the expense of the other, has an important role in shaping genetic diversity of populations through balancing selection. However, the potential for mating systems to exert balancing selection through Sexual Conflict on the genome remains unclear. Furthermore, the nature and potential for resolution of Sexual Conflict across the genome has been hotly debated. To address this, we analysed de novo transcriptomes from six avian species, chosen to reflect the full range of Sexual dimorphism and mating systems. Our analyses combine expression and population genomic statistics across reproductive and somatic tissue, with measures of sperm competition and promiscuity. Our results reveal that balancing selection is weakest in the gonad, consistent with the resolution of Sexual Conflict and evolutionary theory that phenotypic sex differences are associated with lower levels of ongoing Conflict. We also demonstrate a clear link between variation in Sexual Conflict and levels of genetic variation across phylogenetic space in a comparative framework. Our observations suggest that this Conflict is short‐lived, and is resolved via the decoupling of male and female gene expression patterns, with important implications for the role of Sexual selection in adaptive potential and role of dimorphism in facilitating sex‐specific fitness optima.

  • male biased gene expression resolves Sexual Conflict through the evolution of sex specific genetic architecture
    Evolution Letters (2018) (In press)., 2018
    Co-Authors: Alison E. Wright, Judith E. Mank, Matteo Fumagalli, Christopher R. Cooney, Natasha I Bloch, Filipe G Vieira, Severine D Buechel, Niclas Kolm
    Abstract:

    Many genes are subject to contradictory selection pressures in males and females, and balancing selection resulting from Sexual Conflict has the potential to substantially increase standing genetic diversity in populations and thereby act as an important force in adaptation. However, the underlying causes of Sexual Conflict, and the potential for resolution, remains hotly debated. Using transcriptome resequencing data from male and female guppies, we use a novel approach, combining patterns of genetic diversity and inter-Sexual divergence in allele frequency, to distinguish the different scenarios that give rise to Sexual Conflict, and how this Conflict may be resolved through regulatory evolution. We show that reproductive fitness is the main source of Sexual Conflict, and this is resolved via the evolution of male-biased expression. Furthermore, resolution of Sexual Conflict produces significant differences in genetic architecture between males and females, which in turn leads to specific alleles influencing sex-specific viability. Together, our findings suggest an important role for Sexual Conflict in shaping broad patterns of genome diversity, and show that regulatory evolution is a rapid and efficient route to the resolution of Conflict.

  • population genetics of Sexual Conflict in the genomic era
    Nature Reviews Genetics, 2017
    Co-Authors: Judith E. Mank
    Abstract:

    Sexual Conflict is thought to increase population genetic diversity though balancing selection, which has important evolutionary implications. This Review discusses how population genomic approaches are contributing to a deeper understanding of Sexual Conflict and how it is resolved.

  • Sex-biased gene expression resolves Sexual Conflict through the evolution of sex-specific genetic architecture
    bioRxiv, 2017
    Co-Authors: Alison E. Wright, Matteo Fumagalli, Christopher R. Cooney, Natasha I Bloch, Filipe G Vieira, Severine D Buechel, Niclas Kolm, Judith E. Mank
    Abstract:

    Many genes are subject to contradictory selection pressures in males and females, and balancing selection resulting from Sexual Conflict has the potential to substantially increase standing genetic diversity in populations and thereby act as an important force in adaptation. However, the underlying causes of Sexual Conflict, and the potential for resolution, remains hotly debated. Using transcriptome resequencing data from male and female guppies, we use a novel approach, combining patterns of genetic diversity and inter-Sexual divergence in allele frequency, to distinguish the different scenarios that give rise to Sexual Conflict, and how this Conflict may be resolved through regulatory evolution. We show that reproductive fitness is the main source of Sexual Conflict, and this is resolved via the evolution of male-biased expression. Furthermore, resolution of Sexual Conflict produces significant differences in genetic architecture between males and females, which in turn leads to specific alleles influencing sex-specific viability. Together, our findings suggest an important role for Sexual Conflict in shaping broad patterns of genome diversity, and show that regulatory evolution is a rapid and efficient route to the resolution of Conflict.

Russell Bonduriansky - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sexual Conflict, Facultative ASexuality, and the True Paradox of Sex
    Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2017
    Co-Authors: Nathan W. Burke, Russell Bonduriansky
    Abstract:

    Theory suggests that occasional or conditional sex involving facultative switching between Sexual and aSexual reproduction is the optimal reproductive strategy. Therefore, the true ‘paradox of sex' is the prevalence of obligate sex. This points to the existence of powerful, general impediments to the invasion of obligately Sexual populations by facultative mutants, and recent studies raise the intriguing possibility that a key impediment could be Sexual Conflict. Using Bateman gradients we show that facultative aSexuality can amplify Sexual Conflict over mating, generating strong selection for both female resistance and male coercion. We hypothesize that invasions are most likely to succeed when mutants have negative Bateman gradients, can avoid mating, and achieve high fecundity through aSexual reproduction – a combination unlikely to occur in natural populations.

  • Sexual Conflict, Life Span, and Aging
    Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2014
    Co-Authors: Margo I. Adler, Russell Bonduriansky
    Abstract:

    The potential for Sexual Conflict to influence the evolution of life span and aging has been recognized for more than a decade, and recent work also suggests that variation in life span and aging can influence Sexuallyantagonistic coevolution. However, empirical exploration of these ideas is only beginning. Here, we provide an overview of the ideas and evidence linking inter- and intralocus Sexual Conflicts with life span and aging. We aim to clarify the conceptual basis of this research program, examine the current state of knowledge, and suggest key questions for further investigation.

  • intralocus Sexual Conflict
    Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2009
    Co-Authors: Russell Bonduriansky, Stephen F Chenoweth
    Abstract:

    Intralocus Sexual Conflict occurs when selection on a shared trait in one sex displaces the other sex from its phenotypic optimum. It arises because many shared traits have a common genetic basis but undergo contrasting selection in the sexes. A recent surge of interest in this evolutionary tug of war has yielded evidence of such Conflicts in laboratory and natural populations. Here we highlight outstanding questions about the causes and consequences of intralocus Sexual Conflict at the genomic level, and its long-term implications for Sexual coevolution. Whereas recent thinking has focussed on the role of intralocus Sexual Conflict as a brake on Sexual coevolution, we urge a broader appraisal that also takes account of its potential to drive adaptive evolution and speciation.

  • intralocus Sexual Conflict and the genetic architecture of Sexually dimorphic traits in prochyliza xanthostoma diptera piophilidae
    Evolution, 2005
    Co-Authors: Russell Bonduriansky, Locke Rowe
    Abstract:

    Because homologous traits of males and females are likely to have a common genetic basis, sex-specific selection (often resulting from Sexual selection on one sex) may generate an evolutionary tug-of-war known as intralocus Sexual Conflict, which will constrain the adaptive divergence of the sexes. Theory suggests that intralocus Sexual Conflict can be mitigated through reduction of the interSexual genetic correlation (rMF), predicting negative covariation between rMF and Sexual dimorphism. In addition, recent work showed that selection should favor reduced expression of alleles inherited from the opposite-sex parent (interSexual inheritance) in traits subject to intralocus Sexual Conflict. For traits under Sexual selection in males, this should be manifested either in reduced maternal heritability or, when Conflict is severe, in reduced heritability through the opposite-sex parent in offspring of both sexes. However, because we do not know how far these hypothesized evolutionary responses can actually proceed, the importance of intralocus Sexual Conflict as a long-term constraint on adaptive evolution remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of Sexual and nonSexual morphological traits in Prochyliza xanthostoma. The lowest rMF and greatest dimorphism were exhibited by two Sexual traits (head length and antenna length) and, among all traits, the degree of Sexual dimorphism was correlated negatively with rMF. Moreover, Sexual traits exhibited reduced maternal heritabilities, and the most strongly dimorphic Sexual trait (antenna length) was heritable only through the same-sex parent in offspring of both sexes. Our results support theory and suggest that intralocus Sexual Conflict can be resolved substantially by genomic adaptation. Further work is required to identify the proximate mechanisms underlying these patterns.

  • intralocus Sexual Conflict can drive the evolution of genomic imprinting
    Genetics, 2004
    Co-Authors: Russell Bonduriansky
    Abstract:

    Genomic imprinting is a phenomenon whereby the expression of an allele differs depending upon its parent of origin. There is an increasing number of examples of this form of epigenetic inheritance across a wide range of taxa, and imprinting errors have also been implicated in several human diseases. Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the evolution of genomic imprinting, but there is not yet a widely accepted general hypothesis for the variety of imprinting patterns observed. Here a new evolutionary hypothesis, based on intralocus Sexual Conflict, is proposed. This hypothesis provides a potential explanation for much of the currently available empirical data, and it also makes new predictions about patterns of genomic imprinting that are expected to evolve but that have not, as of yet, been looked for in nature. This theory also provides a potential mechanism for the resolution of intralocus Sexual Conflict in Sexually selected traits and a novel pathway for the evolution of Sexual dimorphism.

Locke Rowe - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sexual Conflict in its ecological setting
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2018
    Co-Authors: Jennifer C Perry, Locke Rowe
    Abstract:

    Sexual Conflict can lead to rapid and continuous coevolution between females and males, without any inputs from varying ecology. Yet both the degree of Conflict and selection on antagonistic traits...

  • The genomics of Sexual Conflict
    The American Naturalist, 2018
    Co-Authors: Locke Rowe, Stephen F Chenoweth, Aneil F. Agrawal
    Abstract:

    AbstractSexual dimorphism is a substantial contributor to the diversity observed in nature, extending from elaborate traits to the expression level of individual genes. Sexual Conflict and Sexually antagonistic coevolution are thought to be central forces driving the dimorphism of the sexes and its diversity. We have substantial data to support this at the phenotypic level but much less at the genetic level, where distinguishing the role of Conflict from other forms of sex-biased selection and from other processes is challenging. Here we discuss the powerful effects Sexual Conflict may have on genome evolution and critically evaluate the supporting evidence. Although there is much potential for Sexual Conflict to affect genome evolution, we have relatively little compelling evidence of a genomic signature of Sexual Conflict. A central obstacle is the mismatch between taxa in which we understand Sexually antagonistic selection and those in which we understand genetics.

  • intralocus Sexual Conflict and the genetic architecture of Sexually dimorphic traits in prochyliza xanthostoma diptera piophilidae
    Evolution, 2005
    Co-Authors: Russell Bonduriansky, Locke Rowe
    Abstract:

    Because homologous traits of males and females are likely to have a common genetic basis, sex-specific selection (often resulting from Sexual selection on one sex) may generate an evolutionary tug-of-war known as intralocus Sexual Conflict, which will constrain the adaptive divergence of the sexes. Theory suggests that intralocus Sexual Conflict can be mitigated through reduction of the interSexual genetic correlation (rMF), predicting negative covariation between rMF and Sexual dimorphism. In addition, recent work showed that selection should favor reduced expression of alleles inherited from the opposite-sex parent (interSexual inheritance) in traits subject to intralocus Sexual Conflict. For traits under Sexual selection in males, this should be manifested either in reduced maternal heritability or, when Conflict is severe, in reduced heritability through the opposite-sex parent in offspring of both sexes. However, because we do not know how far these hypothesized evolutionary responses can actually proceed, the importance of intralocus Sexual Conflict as a long-term constraint on adaptive evolution remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of Sexual and nonSexual morphological traits in Prochyliza xanthostoma. The lowest rMF and greatest dimorphism were exhibited by two Sexual traits (head length and antenna length) and, among all traits, the degree of Sexual dimorphism was correlated negatively with rMF. Moreover, Sexual traits exhibited reduced maternal heritabilities, and the most strongly dimorphic Sexual trait (antenna length) was heritable only through the same-sex parent in offspring of both sexes. Our results support theory and suggest that intralocus Sexual Conflict can be resolved substantially by genomic adaptation. Further work is required to identify the proximate mechanisms underlying these patterns.

  • Sexual Conflict and indirect benefits
    Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2003
    Co-Authors: Erin Cameron, Locke Rowe
    Abstract:

    Recent work on Sexual selection and Sexual Conflict has explored the influence of indirect effects on the evolution of female mating behaviour. It has been suggested that the importance of these effects has been underestimated and that the influence of indirect effects may actually be of relatively greater significance than direct effects. Additionally, it has also been suggested that all indirect effects, both good genes and sexy son, are qualitatively equivalent. Here a counterpoint to these suggestions is offered. We argue two main points: (1) it is unlikely that indirect effects will commonly outweigh direct effects, and (2) that there are important differences between good genes and sexy son indirect effects that must be recognized. We suggest that acknowledgement of these distinctions will lead to increased understanding of processes operating in both Sexual Conflict and Sexual selection.

Tracey Chapman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Resource-dependent evolution of female resistance responses to Sexual Conflict.
    Evolution letters, 2020
    Co-Authors: Wayne G. Rostant, Janet S. Mason, Jean‐charles De Coriolis, Tracey Chapman
    Abstract:

    Sexual Conflict can promote the evolution of dramatic reproductive adaptations as well as resistance to its potentially costly effects. Theory predicts that responses to Sexual Conflict will vary significantly with resource levels-when scant, responses should be constrained by trade-offs, when abundant, they should not. However, this can be difficult to test because the evolutionary interests of the sexes align upon short-term exposure to novel environments, swamping any selection due to Sexual Conflict. What is needed are investigations of populations that are well adapted to both differing levels of Sexual Conflict and resources. Here, we used this approach in a long-term experimental evolution study to track the evolution of female resistance to Sexual Conflict in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In resource-rich regimes, high-Conflict females evolved resistance to continual exposure to males. There was no difference in baseline survival, consistent with the idea that responses evolving under nutritional abundance experienced no trade-offs with resistance. In the poor resource regimes, the ability of high-Conflict females to evolve resistance to males was severely compromised and they also showed lower baseline survival than low-Conflict females. This suggested high-Conflict females traded off somatic maintenance against any limited resistance they had evolved in response to Sexual Conflict. Overall, these findings provide experimental support for the hypothesis that evolutionary responses to Sexual Conflict are critically dependent upon resource levels.

  • Sexual Conflict: Mechanisms and Emerging Themes in Resistance Biology*
    The American Naturalist, 2018
    Co-Authors: Tracey Chapman
    Abstract:

    AbstractSexual Conflict is acknowledged as pervasive, with the potential to generate and maintain genetic variation. Mechanistic studies of Conflict have been important in providing direct evidence for the existence of Sexual Conflict. They have also led to the growing realization that there is a striking phenotypic diversity of adaptations whose evolution can be shaped by Sexually antagonistic selection. The mechanisms involved range from the use of genital spines, claspers, songs, and smells to ejaculate molecules. In one well-studied example, Sexual Conflict can occur over the Sexually antagonistic effects of seminal fluid proteins in Drosophila melanogaster. However, an important puzzle remains, namely, why seminal fluid proteins are so numerous and complex, hence whether all or some are involved in mediating Sexual Conflict. I hypothesize that this rich diversity and the complexity of traits subject to Sexually antagonistic selection in general may arise, at least in part, due to the deployment of se...

  • Sexual Conflict and evolutionary psychology:Towards a unified framework
    The Evolution of Sexuality, 2014
    Co-Authors: Tracey Chapman
    Abstract:

    I review Sexual Conflict: what it is, why it occurs, how to measure it, and why it matters. My focus is on our current understanding of Sexual Conflict from the perspective of evolutionary biology, drawing upon studies across diverse species. The aim is also, however, to stimulate discussion at the interface of evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology. The potential for Sexual Conflict is pervasive, particularly in outbreeding, nonmonogamous species. It results from divergence between the sexes over how to maximize their fitness. Sexual Conflict can occur over a range of different reproductive traits and behaviors, from who to mate with, to how much parental care to give. The intensity of Sexual Conflict over the level of expression of any reproductive trait value or behavior can be assessed by measuring its costs and benefits, in terms of lifetime fitness, for individuals of each sex. Though as yet an underexplored idea, outcomes of Sexual interactions between males and females can be viewed in terms of Hamilton’s famous quartet of social behaviors: mutual benefit (cooperation), selfishness, altruism, and spite. Recent work has focused on the mechanisms used by individuals to assess their social and Sexual environment to calibrate their responses to perceived threat levels from Sexual competitors. In this respect, there is the potential for much crossover between evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology to further refine and illuminate common emerging themes.

  • INTERACTIONS BETWEEN GENOTYPE AND Sexual Conflict ENVIRONMENT INFLUENCE TRANSGENERATIONAL FITNESS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER
    Evolution, 2011
    Co-Authors: Jon E. Brommer, Dominic A. Edward, Claudia Fricke, Tracey Chapman
    Abstract:

    Theory predicts that Sexual Conflict can fuel evolutionary change and generate substantial reproductive costs. This was tested here by measuring the fitness of focal individuals across multiple generations using an experimental framework. We manipulated Sexual Conflict through high versus low exposure of females to males across a four-generation pedigree of Drosophila melanogaster, and assessed fitness in 1062 females and 639 males. We used the animal model to estimate (1) genotype by Sexual Conflict environment interactions for female fitness and (2) indirect benefits gained through sons and daughters. Some female genotypes achieved higher fitness under low, in comparison to high, Conflict and vice versa. We found a consistent 10% reduction in female fitness under high Conflict, regardless of maternal history. Following high exposure, females produced sons with increased, but grandsons with decreased, fitness. This opposing effect suggests no consistent fitness gains through sons for females that mated multiply. We saw no indirect benefits through daughters. Our pedigree was based exclusively on maternal links; however, maternal effects are unlikely to contribute significantly unless expressed across multiple generations. In sum, we quantified a significant Sexual Conflict load and a female genotype by Sexual Conflict interaction that could slow the erosion of genetic variation.

  • Sexual Conflict and sex allocation
    Biology Letters, 2009
    Co-Authors: Tracey Chapman
    Abstract:

    The year 2009 is very remarkable, being 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin and 150 years since the publication of On the origin of species by means of natural selection ([Darwin 1859][1]). The phenomena of Sexual Conflict and sex allocation, which are the subjects of this special issue of