Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 11, 2026
07:19
A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: December 30, 2015
10.3K
The evolution of sexually antagonistic phenotypes
Jennifer C Perry1, Locke Rowe2
1Jesus College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3DW, United Kingdom Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|June 3, 2015
Summary
Sexual conflict arises from opposing selection on shared traits between sexes. This study explores female perspectives, ecological factors, and evidence for sexually antagonistic coevolution, highlighting complex evolutionary dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Sexual conflict emerges from sexually antagonistic selection on traits shared between sexes.
- Interlocus sexual conflict arises when traits involved in interactions have distinct genetic underpinnings in males and females.
- This can lead to sex-specific adaptations that benefit one sex at the expense of the other.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine current key issues in the study of sexually antagonistic interactions.
- To investigate the female perspective within sexual conflict dynamics.
- To explore the ecological context and evidence for sexually antagonistic coevolution.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing research on sexual conflict.
- Analysis of theoretical frameworks for interlocus sexual conflict.
- Examination of empirical evidence for coevolutionary dynamics driven by sexual conflict.
Main Results:
- Female-side sexual conflict involves traits that can impose costs on males.
- Ecological factors significantly influence the intensity and nature of sexual conflict.
- Evidence for sexually antagonistic coevolution is present but requires careful evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Understanding sexual conflict requires considering both sexes' adaptations and their interactions.
- The ecological environment plays a crucial role in shaping sexual conflict outcomes.
- Further research is needed to robustly demonstrate sexually antagonistic coevolution in natural systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:46Types of Selection
46.5K
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
46.5K
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
8.2K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
8.2K
01:23Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
459
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
459
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
24.5K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
24.5K
01:20Mate Choice
12.0K
Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
12.0K
01:06Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
765
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
765