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Magic traits, sensory drive and local adaptation: modelling the ecological context of divergent sexual selection


Dr. Sander van Doorn, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland

Tuesday 31st May
Venue: JZ Young LT
Time: 17:00


Over the past two decades, speciation research has developed a renewed appreciation for the role of natural and sexual selection in population divergence. Theoretical studies have contributed to this change by illustrating that divergent sexual selection can cause the rapid evolution of reproductive isolation and by clarifying how ecological interactions can generate a persistent regime of disruptive selection capable of supporting adaptive diversification. These important insights, however, are rooted in different research traditions that have not been integrated sufficiently.

In this talk, Sander will explore the interface of ecological and sexual selection models based on currently debated topics that each highlight an intimate connection between ecology and sexual selection: magic traits, sensory drive speciation and mate choice based on cues that signal local adaptation. Sander will argue that ecological and sexual selection models complement each other's weaknesses and that some fundamental obstacles to speciation with gene flow disappear when the ecological context of sexual selection is taken into consideration.   


Sander's webpage: http://behav.zoology.unibe.ch/index.php?pp=57&p=113

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