Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jun Abe, Ryosuke Iritani, Koji Tsuchida, Yoshitaka Kamimura, Stuart A. West
Summary: Melittobia australica females exhibit a sophisticated sex ratio behavior, producing consistently female-biased offspring sex ratios when they have not dispersed and adjusting their sex ratio based on the number of females laying eggs when they have dispersed. This indicates that dispersal status serves as an indirect cue for relatedness and influences their sex ratio adjustments.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Raphael Igor Dias, Karina Nascimento Cardoso
Summary: This study examines sexual selection and mating preferences in the campo flicker, finding assortative mating for neck and throat coloration. Additionally, individuals with larger crowns and a lighter yellow neck coloration were more likely to reproduce. These findings have important implications for understanding the mechanisms of sexual selection and population genetics in cooperative breeders.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Aneta Arct, Szymon M. Drobniak, Samantha Mellinger, Rafal Martyka, Lars Gustafsson, Mariusz Cichon
Summary: The study suggests that females may engage in extra-pair copulations to modify their initial mate choice when constrained by their social mate. Factors such as genetic similarity, adult phenotypic traits, and partner age can affect extra-pair paternity patterns, with the interaction between social partners' ages playing an important role. The results highlight the importance of considering both male and female characteristics in investigating extra-pair paternity patterns.
Article
Ecology
Raissa A. de Boer, Regina Vega-Trejo, Alexander Kotrschal, John L. Fitzpatrick
Summary: The meta-analysis of 139 studies on diploid animals reveals that they tend to mate without avoiding kin, with the degree of relatedness and prior experience affecting the behavior. Unbiased mating in terms of kinship appears to be common across animals. The findings challenge the widely held view of inbreeding avoidance as a given in experimental studies.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jamie Winternitz
Summary: Immune defence is crucial for fitness, and individuals may prefer mates who ensure immunocompetent offspring. Studies have found evidence of MHC-based sexual selection in the Soay sheep population, but distinguishing postcopulatory MHC-dissimilar mate choice from genome-wide effects remains a challenge. Comprehensive sampling in the study ensures generalizability and sets a gold standard for research on immune gene-based sexual selection.
Article
Biology
Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: This study examined kin recognition behavior in the orb-weaver spider and found a chemical signal-based mechanism for kin recognition. Males showed a preference for mating with sisters over leaving, possibly due to the ability to recognize relatives through specific cuticular substances.
Article
Ecology
Samuel R. Levin, Alan Grafen
Summary: This article discusses the limitations of inclusive fitness theory in application, proposes new modeling assumptions to expand its scope, and demonstrates through reanalysis that inclusive fitness is maximized in certain models. By explaining the mathematical model and individual-level understanding of the definition of inclusive fitness, the gap between empiricists and theoreticians is bridged.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Monil Khera, Kevin Arbuckle, Joseph Hoffman, Jennifer L. Sanderson, Michael A. Cant, Hazel J. Nichols
Summary: Many species avoid inbreeding by recognizing familiar kin, but this rule does not apply to banded mongooses, which have communal breeding and caregiving systems that make it difficult to recognize kin based on familiarity. Despite frequent inbreeding, the use of alternative pre- or post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance mechanisms keeps inbreeding lower than expected if mates were randomly chosen.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Owen C. Dorsey, Gil G. Rosenthal
Summary: The negative consequences of inbreeding have led animal biologists to assume that mate choice is generally biased against relatives. However, inbreeding avoidance is highly variable and by no means the rule across animal taxa. Balancing inbreeding avoidance with conspecific mate preference may drive the evolution of multivariate sexual communication.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Aleksandra Gorecka-Bruzda, Joanna Jaworska, Marta Siemieniuch, Zbigniew Jaworski, Christina R. Stanley, Izabela Woclawek-Potocka, Lea Lansade
Summary: This study examines the impact of human-controlled reproduction and captivity during the juvenile period on the development of incestuous mating avoidance behavior in Konik polski horses. The findings suggest that human intervention may contribute to abnormal behavior and disruption of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in these horses.
Article
Biology
Paulo B. Chaves, Karen B. Strier, Anthony Di Fiore
Summary: Evidence suggests that females, both human and nonhuman primates, avoid breeding with close kin and may choose mates based on MHC diversity. In egalitarian societies like the northern muriquis, female mate choice is less constrained and sires with higher MHC diversity are preferred. However, there is no evidence of mating preference for males who are more distantly related or have more MHC alleles distinct from their own, suggesting that female mate choice may be limited by other factors impacting male fertilization success.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Laurence J. Belcher, Anna E. Dewar, Chunhui Hao, Melanie Ghoul, Stuart A. West
Summary: Laboratory experiments have shown that bacteria exhibit cooperative behaviors directed towards relatives, but natural bacterial populations lack evidence for cooperation and kin selection. By using molecular population genetics, a study of a natural population of Bacillus subtilis found evidence supporting kin selection and cooperative traits through increased polymorphism and divergence at cooperative genes. This study also eliminated alternative explanations and found more deleterious mutations in genes controlling cooperative traits.
Article
Ecology
Thomas Madsen, Beata Ujvari, Dirk Bauwens, Bernd Gruber, Arthur Georges, Marcel Klaassen
Summary: According to conservation genetic theory, small and isolated populations should have reduced genetic diversity. However, our long-term study of an isolated island population of adders in Sweden challenges this notion. Despite a lack of gene flow and a small population size, the adders on the island maintain high levels of genetic diversity. The presence of polyandry and non-random fertilization in female adders seems to be responsible for this maintenance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael J. Ryan
Summary: Darwin's theory of sexual selection, proposed one hundred fifty years ago, focuses on female preferences for elaborately ornamented males due to their taste for beauty. Research has since explored fitness advantages, sensory ecology, signal design, neural circuits, and neurochemistry, providing insight into the mechanisms behind mate choice. Recent studies inspired by human research in psychophysics, behavioral economics, and neuroaesthetics have further advanced our understanding of mate choices.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Thomas W. Scott, Geoff Wild
Summary: Social behaviours are typically modelled using neighbour-modulated fitness, but the interpretation is often unclear. This study presents a systematic methodology for constructing inclusive-fitness models, which focuses on individuals altering the fitness of neighbours. The approach is simpler and provides a clearer narrative of inclusive fitness compared to traditional neighbour-modulated fitness methodologies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Correction
Ecology
Petri Rautiala, Heikki Helantera, Mikael Puurtinen
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2015)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mikael Puurtinen, Merja Elo, Matti Jalasvuori, Aapo Kahilainen, Tarmo Ketola, Janne S. Kotiaho, Mikko Monkkonen, Olli T. Pentikainen
Article
Psychology, Biological
Outi Ala-Honkola, Lily Laine, Nina Pekkala, Janne S. Kotiaho, Terhi Honkola, Mikael Puurtinen
Article
Psychology, Biological
Mikael Puurtinen, Stephen Heap, Tapio Mappes
EVOLUTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR
(2015)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pieter van den Berg, Lucas Molleman, Jaakko Junikka, Mikael Puurtinen, Franz J. Weissing
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Petri Rautiala, Heikki Helantera, Mikael Puurtinen
Article
Biology
Mikael Puurtinen, Lutz Fromhage
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Petri Rautiala, Heikki Helanterae, Mikael Puurtinen
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2014)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Nina Pekkala, K. Emily Knott, Janne S. Kotiaho, Kari Nissinen, Mikael Puurtinen
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2014)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jaakko Junikka, Lucas Molleman, Pieter van den Berg, Franz J. Weissing, Mikael Puurtinen
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Aapo Kahilainen, Mikael Puurtinen, Janne S. Kotiaho
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2014)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mikael Puurtinen, Merja Elo, Janne S. Kotiaho
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Teea Kortetmaki, Mikael Puurtinen, Miikka Salo, Riikka Aro, Stefan Baumeister, Remi Duflot, Merja Elo, Panu Halme, Hanna-Mari Husu, Suvi Huttunen, Katriina Hyvonen, Sanna Karkulehto, Saana Kataja-aho, Kirsi E. Keskinen, Inari Kulmunki, Tuuli Makinen, Annukka Nayha, Mari-Anne Okkolin, Tommi Perala, Jenna Purhonen, Kaisa J. Raatikainen, Liia-Maria Raippalinna, Kirsi Salonen, Katri Savolainen, Janne S. Kotiaho
Summary: Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature have led to the current ecological crisis, prompting the proposal of the concept of planetary well-being to address the crisis and promote societal and cultural transformation. This concept shifts focus from individuals to Earth system and ecosystem processes underlying all well-being, aiming to ensure the integrity of these processes for species and populations to persist into the future.
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Petri Rautiala, Heikki Helantera, Mikael Puurtinen
Review
Anthropology
Jessica L. Barker, Eleanor A. Power, Stephen Heap, Mikael Puurtinen, Richard Sosis
EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY
(2019)
