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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.
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Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
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Sex-specific selection patterns in a dioecious insect-pollinated plant.

Estelle Barbot1,2, Mathilde Dufaÿ3, Isabelle De Cauwer1

  • 1Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, Lille, France.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|April 24, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Sexual selection drives floral trait evolution in Silene dioica, with stronger impacts on males than females. Pollinator-mediated selection plays a limited role in this insect-pollinated plant.

Keywords:
Bateman gradientfertility selectionfloral traitsmating successmediated selectionpaternity analysespollinator

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Plant Reproductive Ecology
  • Sexual Selection

Background:

  • Mate acquisition competition is fundamental to sexual organisms.
  • Insect-pollinated plants face pollinator competition, potentially influencing floral trait evolution.
  • Sexual selection may occur if pollinator attraction enhances mating success and reproductive output.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex-specific selection patterns in the insect-pollinated plant Silene dioica.
  • To determine the roles of natural and sexual selection on floral traits.
  • To assess the influence of pollinator-mediated selection versus direct sexual selection.

Main Methods:

  • Measured floral traits and estimated individual fitness in a experimental population of Silene dioica.
  • Applied Bateman's principles to quantify sexual selection.
  • Compared selection strengths in open-pollinated versus hand-pollinated individuals.

Main Results:

  • In females, natural selection favored fertility traits (flower number, gamete number), with similar selection under open and hand pollination, indicating limited pollinator influence.
  • In males, flowering duration and corolla width correlated positively with reproductive success and mating partners, suggesting significant sexual selection.
  • Bateman's metrics confirmed stronger sexual selection in males than in females.

Conclusions:

  • Silene dioica exhibits sex-specific selection patterns, with sexual selection playing a more prominent role in males.
  • Direct sexual selection, rather than pollinator-mediated selection, appears to be a key driver for certain floral traits in males.
  • Understanding these sex-specific dynamics is crucial for comprehending plant mating system evolution.