The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects
Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. Yet we are only beginning to grasp the complexity of chemical signals and the role they play in sexual selection. Focusing on insects, we review here the recent progress in the field of olfactory-based sexual selection....
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2014-06-01
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| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/5/2/423 |
| _version_ | 1828517901520338944 |
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| author | Sandra Steiger Johannes Stökl |
| author_facet | Sandra Steiger Johannes Stökl |
| author_sort | Sandra Steiger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. Yet we are only beginning to grasp the complexity of chemical signals and the role they play in sexual selection. Focusing on insects, we review here the recent progress in the field of olfactory-based sexual selection. We will show that there is mounting empirical evidence that sexual selection affects the evolution of chemical traits, but form and strength of selection differ between species. Studies indicate that some chemical signals are expressed in relation to an individual’s condition and depend, for example, on age, immunocompetence, fertility, body size or degree of inbreeding. Males or females might benefit by choosing based on those traits, gaining resources or “good genes”. Other chemical traits appear to reliably reflect an individual’s underlying genotype and are suitable to choose a mating partner that matches best the own genotype. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:47:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7dbcefe0bf2e42cabe91c3e2584a48f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:47:50Z |
| publishDate | 2014-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-7dbcefe0bf2e42cabe91c3e2584a48f32022-12-22T00:54:25ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502014-06-015242343810.3390/insects5020423insects5020423The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in InsectsSandra Steiger0Johannes Stökl1Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, GermanyChemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. Yet we are only beginning to grasp the complexity of chemical signals and the role they play in sexual selection. Focusing on insects, we review here the recent progress in the field of olfactory-based sexual selection. We will show that there is mounting empirical evidence that sexual selection affects the evolution of chemical traits, but form and strength of selection differ between species. Studies indicate that some chemical signals are expressed in relation to an individual’s condition and depend, for example, on age, immunocompetence, fertility, body size or degree of inbreeding. Males or females might benefit by choosing based on those traits, gaining resources or “good genes”. Other chemical traits appear to reliably reflect an individual’s underlying genotype and are suitable to choose a mating partner that matches best the own genotype.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/5/2/423sexual selectionmate choicepheromonecommunicationchemical signal |
| spellingShingle | Sandra Steiger Johannes Stökl The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects Insects sexual selection mate choice pheromone communication chemical signal |
| title | The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects |
| title_full | The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects |
| title_short | The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects |
| title_sort | role of sexual selection in the evolution of chemical signals in insects |
| topic | sexual selection mate choice pheromone communication chemical signal |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/5/2/423 |
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