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Evolutionary consequences of sex-specific selection in variable environments : four simple models reveal an array of possible evolutionary outcomes

Connallon, Tim ; Sharma, Shefali and Olito, Colin LU (2019) In American Naturalist 193(1). p.93-105
Abstract
The evolutionary trajectories of species with separate sexes depend on the effects of genetic variation on female and male traits as well as the direction and alignment of selection between the sexes. Classical theory has shown that evolution is equally responsive to selection on females and males, with natural selection increasing the product of the average relative fitness of each sex over time. This simple rule underlies several important predictions regarding the maintenance of genetic variation, the genetic basis of adaptation, and the dynamics of “sexually antagonistic” alleles. Nevertheless, theories of sex-specific selection overwhelmingly focus on evolution in constant environments, and it remains unclear whether they apply under... (More)
The evolutionary trajectories of species with separate sexes depend on the effects of genetic variation on female and male traits as well as the direction and alignment of selection between the sexes. Classical theory has shown that evolution is equally responsive to selection on females and males, with natural selection increasing the product of the average relative fitness of each sex over time. This simple rule underlies several important predictions regarding the maintenance of genetic variation, the genetic basis of adaptation, and the dynamics of “sexually antagonistic” alleles. Nevertheless, theories of sex-specific selection overwhelmingly focus on evolution in constant environments, and it remains unclear whether they apply under changing conditions. We derived four simple models of sex-specific selection in variable environments and explored how conditions of population subdivision, the timing of dispersal, sex differences in dispersal, and the nature of environmental change mediate the evolutionary dynamics of sex-specific adaptation. We find that these dynamics are acutely sensitive to ecological, demographic, and life-history attributes that vary widely among species, with classical predictions breaking down in contexts of environmental heterogeneity. The evolutionary rules governing sex-specific adaptation may therefore differ between species, suggesting new avenues for research on the evolution of sexual dimorphism. (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
American Naturalist
volume
193
issue
1
pages
93 - 105
publisher
University of Chicago Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:30624102
  • scopus:85056790812
ISSN
1537-5323
DOI
10.1086/700720
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b0b4f003-04ac-490b-b472-bf0dfd959d29
date added to LUP
2020-12-18 07:41:52
date last changed
2022-04-26 22:36:58
@article{b0b4f003-04ac-490b-b472-bf0dfd959d29,
  abstract     = {{The evolutionary trajectories of species with separate sexes depend on the effects of genetic variation on female and male traits as well as the direction and alignment of selection between the sexes. Classical theory has shown that evolution is equally responsive to selection on females and males, with natural selection increasing the product of the average relative fitness of each sex over time. This simple rule underlies several important predictions regarding the maintenance of genetic variation, the genetic basis of adaptation, and the dynamics of “sexually antagonistic” alleles. Nevertheless, theories of sex-specific selection overwhelmingly focus on evolution in constant environments, and it remains unclear whether they apply under changing conditions. We derived four simple models of sex-specific selection in variable environments and explored how conditions of population subdivision, the timing of dispersal, sex differences in dispersal, and the nature of environmental change mediate the evolutionary dynamics of sex-specific adaptation. We find that these dynamics are acutely sensitive to ecological, demographic, and life-history attributes that vary widely among species, with classical predictions breaking down in contexts of environmental heterogeneity. The evolutionary rules governing sex-specific adaptation may therefore differ between species, suggesting new avenues for research on the evolution of sexual dimorphism.}},
  author       = {{Connallon, Tim and Sharma, Shefali and Olito, Colin}},
  issn         = {{1537-5323}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{93--105}},
  publisher    = {{University of Chicago Press}},
  series       = {{American Naturalist}},
  title        = {{Evolutionary consequences of sex-specific selection in variable environments : four simple models reveal an array of possible evolutionary outcomes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/700720}},
  doi          = {{10.1086/700720}},
  volume       = {{193}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}