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Sex differences in developmental plasticity and canalization shape population divergence in mate preferences.

Svensson, Erik LU orcid ; Runemark, Anna LU ; Verzijden, Machteld LU and Wellenreuther, Maren LU (2014) In Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences 281(1797).
Abstract
Sexual selection of high-quality mates can conflict with species recognition if traits that govern intraspecific mate preferences also influence interspecific recognition. This conflict might be resolved by developmental plasticity and learned mate preferences, which could drive preference divergence in populations that differ in local species composition. We integrate field and laboratory experiments on two calopterygid damselfly species with population genetic data to investigate how sex differences in developmental plasticity affect population divergence in the face of gene flow. Whereas male species recognition is fixed at emergence, females instead learn to recognize heterospecifics. Females are therefore more plastic in their mate... (More)
Sexual selection of high-quality mates can conflict with species recognition if traits that govern intraspecific mate preferences also influence interspecific recognition. This conflict might be resolved by developmental plasticity and learned mate preferences, which could drive preference divergence in populations that differ in local species composition. We integrate field and laboratory experiments on two calopterygid damselfly species with population genetic data to investigate how sex differences in developmental plasticity affect population divergence in the face of gene flow. Whereas male species recognition is fixed at emergence, females instead learn to recognize heterospecifics. Females are therefore more plastic in their mate preferences than males. We suggest that this results from sex differences in the balance between sexual selection for high-quality mates and selection for species recognition. As a result of these sex differences, females develop more pronounced population divergence in their mate preferences compared with males. Local ecological community context and presence of heterospecifics in combination with sex differences in plasticity and canalization therefore shape population divergence in mate preferences. As ongoing environmental change and habitat fragmentation bring formerly allopatric species into secondary contact, developmental plasticity of mate preferences in either or both sexes might facilitate coexistence and prevent local species extinction. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences
volume
281
issue
1797
article number
20141636
publisher
Royal Society Publishing
external identifiers
  • pmid:25377451
  • wos:000344594400008
  • scopus:84908698696
  • pmid:25377451
ISSN
1471-2954
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2014.1636
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
45e70c87-6d0c-4515-9251-ebf723b9dcc9 (old id 4820138)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:28:27
date last changed
2023-01-17 20:17:48
@article{45e70c87-6d0c-4515-9251-ebf723b9dcc9,
  abstract     = {{Sexual selection of high-quality mates can conflict with species recognition if traits that govern intraspecific mate preferences also influence interspecific recognition. This conflict might be resolved by developmental plasticity and learned mate preferences, which could drive preference divergence in populations that differ in local species composition. We integrate field and laboratory experiments on two calopterygid damselfly species with population genetic data to investigate how sex differences in developmental plasticity affect population divergence in the face of gene flow. Whereas male species recognition is fixed at emergence, females instead learn to recognize heterospecifics. Females are therefore more plastic in their mate preferences than males. We suggest that this results from sex differences in the balance between sexual selection for high-quality mates and selection for species recognition. As a result of these sex differences, females develop more pronounced population divergence in their mate preferences compared with males. Local ecological community context and presence of heterospecifics in combination with sex differences in plasticity and canalization therefore shape population divergence in mate preferences. As ongoing environmental change and habitat fragmentation bring formerly allopatric species into secondary contact, developmental plasticity of mate preferences in either or both sexes might facilitate coexistence and prevent local species extinction.}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Erik and Runemark, Anna and Verzijden, Machteld and Wellenreuther, Maren}},
  issn         = {{1471-2954}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1797}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
  series       = {{Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences}},
  title        = {{Sex differences in developmental plasticity and canalization shape population divergence in mate preferences.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1636}},
  doi          = {{10.1098/rspb.2014.1636}},
  volume       = {{281}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}