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FRIMEDBIO-Fri prosj.st. med.,helse,biol

Measuring Genetic Mating Systems and Sexual Selection Using a Sex-Role Reversed Pipefish.

Awarded: NOK 4.0 mill.

Summary The interaction between molecular biology and animal behaviour has sparked a new understanding of mating systems and sexual selection. However, controversies remain, and at least ten different mating system metrics have been advocated to best meas ure patterns of mating. One aim of this project is to experimentally evaluate these metrics in a study of sexual selection in the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. We will address effects of population density and sex ratio on mating system measures and the int ensity of sexual selection. We will form breeding populations at different densities and sex ratios, and use molecular parentage analysis to resolve the genetic mating systems. This will allow the simultaneous estimation of all proposed mating system meas ures and provide insights into the measurement of mating systems. It will also further our understanding of the roles of density and spatial structure in the sexual selection process, topics that have been understudied in behavioural ecology. We also aim to explore consequences from a recent change in pipefish habitat due to eutrophication and global warming, presumably affecting both population densities and, thereby, sexual selection. Another goal is to resolve the role of immunesystem (MHC genes) durin g mate choice: male as well as female pipefish make adaptive mate choices, but many offspring are lost during a male's pregnancy, possibly due to unfavourable MHC combinations. Hence, a disassortative mutual MHC based mate choice may be beneficial. We wil l MHC type males and females, mate them in various combinations and follow embryo fate, to further elucidate this mating system.

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FRIMEDBIO-Fri prosj.st. med.,helse,biol

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