On the evolution of visual female sexual signalling
Authored by Sergey Gavrilets, Kelly Rooker
Date Published: 2018
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2875
Sponsors:
United States National Science Foundation (NSF)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
A long-standing evolutionary puzzle surrounds female sexual signals
visible around the time of ovulation. Even among just primates, why do
some species have substantial sexual swellings and/or bright colorations
visible around females' genital regions, while other species are like
humans, with no signs of ovulation visible? What is the evolutionary
purpose behind not just these signs, but also this great variation seen
among species? Here, we examine the evolutionary trade-offs associated
with visual ovulation signalling using agent-based modelling. Our model
predicts how various factors, including male genetic heterogeneity and
reproductive inequality, female physiological costs, group size, and the
weighting of genetic versus non-genetic benefits coming from males, each
influence the strength of ovulation signalling. Our model also predicts
that increasing the impacts of infanticide will increase ovulation
signalling. We use comparative primate data to show that, as predicted
by our model, larger group size and higher risk of infanticide each
correlate with having stronger visual ovulation signs. Overall, our work
resolves some old controversies and sheds new light on the evolution of
visual female sexual signalling.
Tags
modelling
selection
Mate Choice
chimpanzees
infanticide
Primates
Baboons
Ovulation
Female mating competition
Male mate choice
Reliable indicator hypothesis
Phylogenetic analysis
Concealed ovulation
Swellings