Ecological genetics of sexual conflict

Sexually antagonistic coevolution (SAC) is a potent force in evolution.

Though we have learned much about its role in producing phenotypic diversity, we know little about the role of SAC in shaping genetic variation among populations, how genetic variation produces different outcomes of mating interactions, or the interplay between genetics and ecology in those outcomes.

This is partly because the genes underlying sexual conflict traits are often unknown.

One exception is in Drosophila melanogaster where sexual conflict over, for example, the remating rate is mediated by seminal fluid proteins and targets/antagonists in females. My project uses genomic and isofemale line resources recently established from natural populations of D. melanogaster.

I will first evaluate the degree of molecular coevolution across populations at genes underlying sexually antagonistic compounds. I will then investigate the effect of mismatches in genetic differentiation at these genes in mating experiments.

With isofemale lines from populations varying in degrees of mismatch I can test the prediction that populations with relatively more differentiation at genes underlying traits of one sex should produce outcomes closer to the optimum of that sex.

Finally, I will investigate the interplay of genetics and ecology with mating experiments under different environmental conditions. This integrative project will make large contributions to understanding the role of SAC as an evolutionary force.