Intralocus Sexual Conflict Diminishes the Benefits of Sexual Selection
2006
Sexual Selection Comes at a Cost
Sample size: 36
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Alison Pischedda, Adam Chippindale
Hypothesis
Does intralocus sexual conflict diminish the benefits of sexual selection in fruit flies?
Conclusion
Sexual selection does not provide advantages to the next generation, and having fit parents of the opposite sex can lead to lower reproductive success.
Supporting Evidence
- High-fitness females laid 35% more eggs than low-fitness females.
- High-fitness males fathered 44% more offspring than their less-fit counterparts.
- Sons born of high-fitness mothers had substantially fewer offspring than those with low-fitness mothers.
- Daughters sired by high-fitness fathers laid fewer eggs than those with low-fitness fathers.
Takeaway
Choosing a really good mate might not help your kids; in fact, it could make them less successful at having their own kids.
Methodology
Researchers used hemiclonal analysis to study the inheritance of fitness across generations in fruit flies.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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