An Evolutionary Cost of Separate Genders Revealed by Male‐Limited Evolution

2006/12/22 by N. G. Prasad, Nagaraj Guru Prasad, Stéphanie Bedhomme +5 · 31 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #Plant and animal studies

paper · doi:10.1086/509941

Abstract

Theory predicts that intralocus sexual conflict can constrain the evolution of sexual dimorphism, preventing each sex from independently maximizing its fitness. To test this idea, we limited genome-wide gene expression to males in four replicate Drosophila melanogaster populations, removing female-specific selection. Over 25 generations, male fitness increased markedly, as sexually dimorphic traits evolved in the male direction. When male-evolved genomes were expressed in females, their fitness displayed a nearly symmetrical decrease. These results suggest that intralocus conflict strongly limits sex-specific adaptation, promoting the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness. Populations may carry a heavy genetic load as a result of selection for separate genders.

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