The correlation between anisogamy and sexual selection intensity—the broad theoretical predictions

2024/07/12 by Jussi Lehtonen, George A. Parker · 2 voices · 19 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Psychology · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Biology #Computer science #Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior #Evolutionary biology #Plant and animal studies #Psychology #Selection (genetic algorithm) #Sexual dimorphism #Sexual selection #Zoology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/evlett/qrae029

published in Evolution Letters 8(6), 749-755 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2024/07/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Darwin and Bateman suggested that precopulatory sexual selection is more intense on males than females, and that this difference is due to anisogamy (i.e., dimorphism in gamete size and number). While a recent paper apparently presents empirical support for this hypothesis, another appears at first sight to present evidence against it. We argue that this is partly due to lack of transparent theoretical predictions, and discuss and analyze sexual selection theory in relation to anisogamy evolution. On one hand, we find that there exists relatively little theory that can directly address all the tested predictions; on the other, the picture painted by current theory indicates that both sets of empirical results broadly match predictions about the causal link between anisogamy and sexual selection, thus reconciling the two apparently opposing claims. We also discuss in a very broad, general sense how anisogamy is expected to affect sexual selection.

Citations

• Intra-sexual selection in Drosophila
• The Optimal Balance between Size and Number of Offspring

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• Diagnosing confounded Bateman gradients. [europepmc]
• The Evolution of Same-sex Sexual Behavior: Using Old Theory to Answer New Questions. [europepmc]
• Simulations provide a mechanistic interpretation of Bateman gradients [europepmc]
• The logic of conventional and reversed Bateman gradients. [europepmc]

Discussions

• I am loving the @evolletters.bsky.social cover by G. Moggioli. This issue has 3 articles about the Darwin-Bateman paradigm. Lehtonen & Parker doi.org/10.1093/evle... provide theory, w/ comments by @ti [bsky, 80 points, 2 comments]
• Evolutionary theory predicts the difference in gamete size b/w females and males explains the direction of sexual selection. Two studies seem to provide contradictory evidence, but a study in @evollet [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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