Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Mate Choice For Nonadditive Genetic Benefits And The Maintenance Of Genetic Diversity In Song Sparrows, Bryan D. Neff, Trevor E. Pitcher

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

The lek paradox asserts that strong directional selection via female choice should deplete additive genetic variation in fitness and consequently any benefit to females expressing the preference. Recently, we have provided a novel resolution to the paradox by showing that nonadditive genetic effects such as overdominance can be inherited from parent to offspring, and populations with females that express a mating preference for outbred males maintain higher genetic variation than populations with females that mate randomly. Here, we test our dynamic model using empirical data previously published from a small island population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The model assumes …