An ecological role for assortative mating under infection?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Conservation Genetics

Background:

• Wildlife diseases are emerging at an unprecedented rate, posing significant threats to species, especially those of conservation concern.
• High genetic diversity is crucial for population resistance to environmental changes and novel diseases.
• While the link between disease and disassortative mating (increasing diversity) is studied, the impact of disease on assortative mating (reducing diversity) is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential link between disease and the establishment of assortative mating patterns.
• To investigate how pathogens or parasites might induce assortative mating.
• To highlight the implications of disease-induced assortative mating for genetic variation and population viability.

Main Methods:

• Review of theoretical frameworks on mating patterns and genetic diversity.
• Synthesis of empirical literature on disease-induced assortative mating.
• Identification of knowledge gaps and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Assortative mating can decrease genetic variation, impairing adaptive potential and long-term population viability.
• Pathogen or parasite infection is a plausible mechanism driving assortative mating.
• Existing empirical evidence for disease-induced assortative mating is limited but suggests a need for further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Disease-induced assortative mating represents a significant, understudied threat to the genetic diversity of wildlife populations.
• Conservation strategies must consider the impact of diseases on mating behaviors and genetic structure.
• Further research and improved methodologies are needed to understand and mitigate these effects on population viability.