Predator-induced maternal and paternal effects independently alter sexual selection

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Genetics

Background:

• Parental experiences can influence offspring survival and reproduction, impacting fitness.
• Parental effects on mating decisions can shape sexual selection and evolutionary paths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate predator-induced maternal, paternal, and joint parental effects on threespine stickleback daughters' mating behavior.
• To determine how parental predator exposure influences offspring mate preferences and choices.

Main Methods:

• A full factorial design exposed threespine stickleback parents (mothers, fathers, both, or neither) to a model predator.
• Offspring daughters' mating responsiveness, preferences, and mate choices were tested with varied male sexual signals.

Main Results:

• Independent maternal or paternal predator exposure led daughters to prefer intermediate-conspicuous males, relaxing the preference for highly conspicuous mates.
• Combined parental exposure did not yield cumulative effects; instead, it reversed single-parent effects on mate preference.
• Offspring from jointly predator-exposed parents were significantly less likely to mate.

Conclusions:

• Parental predator exposure can induce significant intergenerational effects on offspring reproductive decisions.
• Maternal and paternal effects on mating behavior do not necessarily additively combine.
• These findings highlight the potential for rapid transgenerational adaptation to changing environments through stress-induced parental effects.