Evol Ecol Res 4: 351-369 (2002)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Niche shifts and expansion due to sexual selection

Stephen R. Proulx*

Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada

Address all correspondence to Stephen R. Proulx, Department of Biology, 1210 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
e-mail: proulx@proulxresearch.org

ABSTRACT

Several theoretical studies have shown that niche breadth evolution is weighted by gene flow and selection pressures to maintain adaptation within the current niche. However, these studies have assumed that mating pairs form at random within demes. I extend previous models to include sexual selection and find that non-random mating can alter the likelihood of niche expansion in mainland/island structured populations. Under random mating, an allele that improves fitness on the island will only spread if individuals are more than compensated in island fitness for any loss of mainland fitness. In contrast, under sexual selection, an island-adapted allele can spread even when it causes a complete loss of fitness on the mainland.

Keywords: evolution, mating systems, niche breadth, sexual selection.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2002 Stephen R. Proulx. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.