Nonadaptive female pursuit of extrapair copulations can evolve through hitchhiking.

ABSTRACT: Mounting evidence has indicated that engaging in extrapair copulations (EPCs) might be maladaptive or detrimental to females. It is unclear why such nonadaptive female behavior evolves. In this study, we test two hypotheses about the evolution of female EPC behavior using population genetic models. First, we find that both male preference for allocating extra effort to seek EPCs and female pursuit behavior without costs can be maintained and remain polymorphic in a population via frequency-dependent selection. However, both behaviors cannot evolve when females with pursuit behavior suffer from a decline in male parental care. Second, we present another novel way in which female pursuit behavior can evolve; indirect selection can act on this behavior through a ratchet-like mechanism involvi

SUBMITTER: Lyu N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5901172 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature