The role of sexual interaction networks in the evolution of sexually selected quality indicators

• Grant number: 24/18754-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Support Program for Fixating Young Doctors
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Roberto Guimarães Junior
• Grantee: Solimary García Hernández
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/02198-7 - The role of sexual interaction networks in the evolution of sexually selected quality indicators, AP.R

Abstract

Intersexual selection is a mechanism in which individuals of one gender choose mates of the opposite gender based on morphological, chemical, and behavioral traits. This choice influences the evolution of exaggerated traits in the selected gender, potentially having ecological impacts. Selection may depend on signals of good health, such as resistance to diseases. Recent studies show that intersexual choice varies among individuals and can be influenced by the interaction between genes and the environment. The current project aims to explore the interface between sexual networks, parasitism, and phenotypic evolution in animal populations. Objectives include investigating how variation in the choosing gender's preference affects the structure of the sexual network and the evolution of selected traits. Additionally, the project aims to examine how diseases that spread through contact and affect the attractiveness of the chosen gender impact sexual networks and the selection of traits. To achieve this goal, I will use evolutionary models to examine these relationships, providing both academic and practical insights, especially regarding strategies for mitigating damage caused by diseases.