Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Evolution of divergent female mating preference in response to experimental sexual selection

Cite this dataset

Debelle, Allan; Ritchie, Michael G.; Snook, Rhonda R. (2014). Data from: Evolution of divergent female mating preference in response to experimental sexual selection [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3h7g8

Abstract

Sexual selection is predicted to drive the coevolution of mating signals and preferences (mating traits) within populations, and could play a role in speciation if sexual isolation arises due to mating trait divergence between populations. However, few studies have demonstrated that differences in mating traits between populations result from sexual selection alone. Experimental evolution is a promising approach to directly examine the action of sexual selection on mating trait divergence among populations. We manipulated the opportunity for sexual selection (low versus high) in populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Previous studies on these experimental populations have shown that sexual selection manipulation resulted in the divergence between sexual selection treatments of several courtship song parameters, including IPI (inter-pulse interval) which markedly influences male mating success. Here, we measure female preference for IPI using a playback design to test for preference divergence between the sexual selection treatments after 130 generations of experimental sexual selection. The results suggest that female preference has coevolved with male signal, in opposite directions between the sexual selection treatments, providing direct evidence of the ability of sexual selection to drive the divergent coevolution of mating traits between populations. We discuss the implications in the context sexual selection and speciation.

Usage notes