Review TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution Vol.21 No.6 June 2006 Sexual selection and mate choice Malte Andersson1 and Leigh W. Simmons2 1Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden 2Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia The past two decades have seen extensive growth of characterization of genes and their effects, from DNA sexual selection research. Theoretical and empirical sequences via protein to phenotypic expression at the level work has clarified many components of pre- and of the individual, with possible consequences at the postcopulatory sexual selection, such as aggressive population level and above. competition, mate choice, sperm utilization and sexual conflict. Genetic mechanisms of mate choice evolution Evolution of mate choice have been less amenable to empirical testing, but Although mate choice occurs in males and females [4], for molecular genetic analyses can now be used for incisive convenience we refer here to female choice of male traits. experimentation. Here, we highlight some of the As experimental evidence accumulated, mate choice currently debated areas in pre- and postcopulatory became widely recognized, but the genetic mechanisms sexual selection. We identify where new techniques underlying its evolution remain the subject of debate can help estimate the relative roles of the various (Box 1). Showing how mating preferences evolve geneti- selection mechanisms that might work together in the cally is harder than showing that they exist, and the evolution of mating preferences and attractive traits, problem is aggravated by the possibility that several and in sperm–egg interactions. mechanisms co-occur (Box 1). Moreover, conflicts between the sexes can add further selection pressures on pre- ference and the preferred trait [6,7]. Opinions differ over Introduction the relationships between Fisherian and genetic indicator Twenty years ago, when sexual selection was reviewed in mechanisms of mate choice (e.g. [5,8–13]). Given that the first issue of TREE [1], it was a rapidly growing field. there are qualitative differences between them, we think Darwin’s idea of female preferences for male ornaments there are good reasons to keep the distinction clear was still controversial, although his theory had received [9,11,12]. new support from two directions. First, empirical studies Costs of mate choice, such as the loss of energy and showed that male ornaments are favoured by female time, might prevent Fisherian self-reinforcing coevolution choice in some fishes and birds [1]. Second, a major of the trait and the preference for it, but need not do so; the problem left open by Darwin, the reasons why females outcomes of models depend on the details of several prefer ornamented males, was clarified when genetic assumptions, for instance about sex linkage [10] (reviewed models [2,3] verified the logical coherence of Fisherian in [5]). In spite of being theoretically plausible, the self-reinforcing coevolution of male ornaments and female Fisherian genetic mechanism has been difficult to preferences (Box 1). demonstrate empirically. There is corroborating pheno- These results posed as many interesting questions as typic evidence (e.g. [14,15]), and this is also the case for they answered, and inspired much new research. In the indicator mechanisms (e.g. reviewed in [5,11,16]). These two decades since 1986, sexual selection theory has been and other mechanisms (Box 1) are compatible and might corroborated [4] and enriched with exciting new ideas and co-occur (e.g. [4,12]), and thus a challenging task is to discoveries, some of which we highlight here. We also gauge their relative roles. Estimating the effects of the point to new possibilities for testing genetic mechanisms Fisherian sexy son mechanism might help us to decide of sexual selection in the era of functional genomics. whether it explains why male ornaments and displays are Genetic analyses of sexual selection by mate choice have often extreme, and differ more than do other traits worked so far on a mainly top-down basis, inferring between closely related species, apparently evolving genetic causes from phenotypic patterns, based on few- rapidly and perhaps being involved in speciation locus genetics or quantitative genetics theory [5]. These [2,17,18]. These questions have been with us since Charles remain excellent tools for the analysis of preference– Darwin’s time and have yet to be answered satisfactorily. display coevolution and for other purposes in sexual selection research. However, quantitative trait locus Testing the evolution of trait and preference (QTL) identification and sequencing combined with Molecular genetic and genomic tools enable the detailed functional genomics now provide the opportunity for characterization of genes and their effects (e.g. reviewed in bottom-up approaches, based on the precise [19–21]). Combined with selection experiments that Corresponding author: Andersson, M. ([email protected]). quantify genetic evolution over generations, they offer Available online 3 April 2006 tools for detailed genetic analyses and tests of whether www.sciencedirect.com 0169-5347/$ - see front matter Q 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2006.03.015 Review TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution Vol.21 No.6 June 2006 297 traits, and it can lead to their rapid coevolution if the most Box 1. Mechanisms of mate choice evolution preferred males are polygynous (e.g. [2,5,10,17]). Genetic Several mechanisms have been put forward to explain mate choice: indicator mechanisms, however, depend on overall quality (i) Direct phenotypic effects. Female preference for a male ornament and hence on much or most of the functional genome; they can evolve as a result of direct phenotypic benefits if the ornament reflects the ability of the male to provide material advantages, such can also work in monogamous systems where all males as a high-quality territory, nutrition, parental care or protection. obtain a mate [11,12]. These differences suggest ways in There is considerable empirical support for this mechanism [76]. which the two processes can be distinguished and their Female choice might also evolve as a result of resistance to direct relative importance estimated. costs imposed by males [7,38]. A prediction from the Fisherian mechanism is that (ii) Sensory bias. Female preference favouring a male ornament can initially evolve under natural selection for other reasons, for instance the expression of trait and corresponding preference in the context of foraging or predator avoidance (e.g. [22,77]). Males are positively correlated, and this has been found in evolving traits that exploit this bias then become favoured by mate several species. However, such a correlation could choice. There is increasing phenotypic evidence that some male also arise from other mechanisms of male–female coevolu- ornaments initially evolved through female sensory biases tion [4,8] (Box 1). [22,77,78], but the evolution of female sensory bias itself requires more testing [12]. (iii) Fisherian sexy sons. If there are genetic components to variance in female preference and male trait, a female choosing a male with a Bottom-up genetic testing large trait bears daughters and sons that can both carry alleles for a One possible approach to testing is to identify, sequence, large trait, and for the preference for it. This genetic coupling might lead to self-reinforcing coevolution between trait and preference and characterize in functional detail a gene locus with [2,3,5,10,12,17]. Direct critical testing of this mechanism is difficult, several alleles that influence the expression of an but molecular genetics offers new possibilities (see main text). attractive male trait, and to do likewise for the (iv) Indicator mechanisms (‘good genes’ or ‘handicap mechanisms’) corresponding female preference. Although there are suggest that attractive male traits reflect broad genetic quality. many difficulties, a combination of molecular genetic Inherent in such mechanisms is the maintenance of genetic variation, the ‘paradox of the lek’, and parasite- and pathogen- tools can make such analyses feasible in suitable model mediated mechanisms have been suggested as potential solutions organisms (Box 2). Chromosomal regions hosting genetic (Box 4 [79,80]). In addition, other advantageous genes and relative variation with substantial influence on the expression of freedom from deleterious mutations might lead to high male trait or preference can be identified by QTL analysis condition and expression of sex traits (e.g. [11,81–83]). Female [19,25], followed by nucleotide characterization of the preference for such traits can provide genetic benefits to those of her offspring that inherit favourable alleles from their father (e.g. alleles at the loci. Techniques such as DNA microarrays, reviewed in [5,11,13,84], but see [85]). The resolution of the lek which can detect expression-level polymorphism, are paradox remains a crucial area for sexual selection research. useful in gene hunting for variable loci that influence (v) Genetic compatibility mechanisms. As well as additive genetic the phenotypic traits of interest (e.g. [19,21,26]), as are benefits reflected by indicator traits, there might be non-additive benefits from choosing a mate with alleles that complement the candidate gene approaches [20,26]. genome of the chooser [37,65–68,84]. Examples have been found