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Sympatric speciation by sexual conflict
Sergey Gavrilets1, David Waxman
1Department of Ecology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, USA. sergey@tiem.utk.edu
Summary
Sexual conflict can end the evolutionary arms race between sexes. Females may diversify, trapping males and reducing their mating success, or males may diversify in response, leading to sympatric speciation.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Speciation research
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Sexual conflict is a known driver of coevolutionary dynamics between sexes.
- This conflict can lead to genetic divergence and allopatric speciation.
- Existing models often focus on an unending evolutionary chase.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore alternative outcomes of sexual conflict beyond the coevolutionary chase.
- To investigate how sexual conflict over mating rate can influence speciation.
- To present a mathematical model demonstrating novel evolutionary regimes.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simple mathematical model.
- Analysis of evolutionary dynamics under sexual conflict over mating rate.
- Simulation of genetic diversification and reproductive isolation.
Main Results:
- Sexual conflict can lead to female genetic diversification, halting the coevolutionary chase and reducing male mating success.
- Males can respond to female diversification by diversifying themselves.
- This reciprocal diversification can result in sympatric speciation through the formation of reproductively isolated clusters.
Conclusions:
- Sexual conflict has broader implications for speciation than previously understood.
- Female-driven diversification offers a novel pathway to end coevolutionary arms races.
- The model supports sympatric speciation as a potential outcome of sexual conflict and diversification.