1. An Evolutionary Cost of Separate Genders Revealed by Male-Limited Evolution.
- Author
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Prasad, N. G., Bedhomme, S., Day, T., and Chippindale, A. K.
- Subjects
- *
SEXUAL dimorphism , *SEX in plants , *GENETICS , *GENE expression , *GENETIC regulation , *DROSOPHILA melanogaster , *GENOMICS , *POPULATION genetics , *PLANTS ,SEX differences (Biology) - 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
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