Fluctuating selection strength and intense male competition underlie variation and exaggeration of a water strider's male weapon.

ABSTRACT: Sexually selected traits can reach high degrees of phenotypic expression and variation under directional selection. A growing number of studies suggest that such selection can vary in space, time and form within and between populations. However, the impact of these fluctuations on sexual trait evolution is poorly understood. In the water strider Microvelia longipes, males display striking trait exaggeration and phenotypic variation manifested as extreme differences in the rear leg length. To study the origin and maintenance of this exaggerated trait, we conducted comparative behavioural, morphometric and reaction norm experiments in a selection of Microvelia species. We uncovered differences both in the mating behaviour and the degree of sexual dimorphism across these species. Interestingl

SUBMITTER: Toubiana W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6501938 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature