Sexy sons: a dead end for cytoplasmic genes

Critics of sexual conflict theory argue that females may gain a net reproductive benefit from mating with manipulative males because the direct costs that they suffer may be offset by the production of sexy, i.e. manipulative, sons. However, this exclusive focus on nuclear gene effects represents an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2004-08, Vol.271 (Suppl 5), p.S306-S309
Main Author:	Zeh, J. A.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Animals Antagonistic Coevolution Biological Evolution Cytoplasmic Genes Cytoplasmic inheritance Evolution Evolutionary genetics Extrachromosomal Inheritance - genetics Female Female animals Male Male animals Mating behavior Mitochondria Mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial genes Models, Biological Nucleocytoplasmic Conflict Selection, Genetic Sex Ratio Sexual Behavior, Animal Sexual selection Sexy Sons Spermatozoa Spermatozoa - physiology wolbachia
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Summary:	Critics of sexual conflict theory argue that females may gain a net reproductive benefit from mating with manipulative males because the direct costs that they suffer may be offset by the production of sexy, i.e. manipulative, sons. However, this exclusive focus on nuclear gene effects represents an incomplete view of female fitness. Females differ fundamentally from males in transmitting not only nuclear genes but also a wide range of cytoplasmic genetic elements (CGEs) that can have profound effects, from male killing to influencing development of the nervous system and cognitive ability. Maternal transmission of CGEs has two major implications for sexual selection. First, the evolution of male fitness traits, such as sperm competitive ability, may be constrained because response to selection on mitochondrial genomes can occur only through the female line. Second, CGEs bear the direct costs of male manipulation but gain no indirect benefits when females produce sexy sons. This should result in perpetual antagonistic coevolution between nuclear genes involved in male manipulation and CGEs that promote female resistance to male sexually selected traits. Explicit consideration of the consequences of selection acting on CGEs is therefore necessary for a better understanding of the relationship between sexual selection and sexual conflict.
ISSN:	0962-8452 1471-2954