Data from: Is there indirect selection on female extra-pair reproduction through cross-sex genetic correlations with male reproductive fitness?

  • Jane Reid (Creator)
  • Matthew Ernest Wolak (Auburn University) (Creator)

Dataset

Description

One key hypothesis explaining the evolution and persistence of polyandry, and resulting female extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems, is that female propensity for extra-pair reproduction is positively genetically correlated with male reproductive fitness and consequently experiences positive cross-sex indirect selection. However, key genetic correlations have rarely been estimated, especially in free-living populations experiencing natural (co)variation in reproductive strategies and fitness. We used long-term life-history and pedigree data from song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to estimate the cross-sex genetic correlation between female propensity for extra-pair reproduction and adult male lifetime reproductive success, and thereby test a key hypothesis regarding mating system evolution. There was substantial additive genetic variance in both traits, providing substantial potential for indirect selection on female reproductive strategy. However, the cross-sex genetic correlation was estimated to be close to zero. Such small correlations might arise because male reproductive success achieved through extra-pair paternity was strongly positively genetically correlated with success achieved through within-pair paternity, implying that the same successful males commonly sire offspring produced by polyandrous and monogamous females. Cross-sex indirect selection may consequently have limited capacity to drive evolution of female extra-pair reproduction, or hence underlying polyandry, in systems where multiple routes to paternity success exist.

Data type

Phenotypic data for analysis of female EPR and male LRS: Phenotypic data for analysis of female extra-pair reproduction and male lifetime reproductive success
lrs.data.Dryad.Final.txt

Phenotypic data for analysis of female EPR and male ARS: Phenotypic data for analysis of female extra-pair reproduction and male annual reproductive success
ars.data.Dryad.Final.txt

Inverse A data for analysis of female EPR and male LRS: Inverse A data for animal model analysis of female extra-pair reproduction and male lifetime reproductive success
lrs.Ainv.Dryad.txt

Inverse A data for analysis of female EPR and male ARS: Inverse A data for animal model analysis of female extra-pair reproduction and male annual reproductive success
ars.Ainv.Dryad.txt

Copyright and Open Data Licencing

This work is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.
Date made available1 May 2018
PublisherDryad Digital Repository
Geographical coverageCanada, British Columbia

Keywords

  • Holocene
  • Mating Systems
  • Melospiza melodia
  • sexual selection

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