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Genes and Group Membership Predict Gidgee Skink (Egernia stokesii) Reproductive Pairs
Sarah K Pearson1, Stephanie S Godfrey1, Nina Schwensow1
1From the School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park 5042, Australia (Pearson, Bull, and Gardner); School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia (Godfrey); School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia (Schwensow); Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany (Schwensow); and Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia (Gardner).
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes influence mate choice in gidgee skinks. Lizards preferred partners with higher genetic diversity and lower relatedness, with group membership also playing a role.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) are crucial for mate choice, disease resistance, and kin recognition.
- MHC-based mate choice is context-dependent, significantly influenced by social structure.
- The Egernia group of lizards, known for social structure diversity, provides a suitable model for studying MHC-based mate choice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mate choice in the gidgee skink (Egernia stokesii), a species with stable social groups.
- To test hypotheses regarding good genes (heterozygosity) and compatible genes in relation to adaptive (MHC) and neutral (microsatellite) genetic diversity.
- To determine the combined influence of genetic factors and social group membership on mate selection.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of 47 gidgee skink individuals for both MHC and microsatellite markers.
- Analysis of pairing preferences based on MHC diversity, microsatellite relatedness, and social group membership.
- Statistical modeling to assess the predictive power of genetic diversity and group affiliation on mate choice.
Main Results:
- Females preferentially paired with males exhibiting higher MHC diversity and lower microsatellite relatedness.
- Males preferred females with higher microsatellite heterozygosity and lower MHC allele sharing.
- Mate choice was strongly biased towards individuals within the same social group, consistent with prior findings.
- A combination of genetic factors and group membership, not group membership alone, predicted mating patterns.
Conclusions:
- Mate selection in gidgee skinks is a complex process influenced by both genetic compatibility (MHC and microsatellites) and social structure.
- The findings highlight the interplay between genetic diversity and sociality in shaping mating behaviors.
- This research contributes to understanding squamate sociality and the evolution of vertebrate social behavior.
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