Major histocompatibility complex and mate choice in sand lizards.
In mice and man, females prefer males with a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotype different to their own. We tested whether this phenomenon also occurs in the Swedish sand lizard (Lacerta agilis). Females in a laboratory experiment preferred to associate with odour samples obtained from more distantly related males at the MHC class 1 loci. Data on free-ranging lizards suggest that associations between males and females are nonrandom with respect to MHC genotype. However, male spatial distribution and mobility during the mating season suggest that the non-random pairing process in the wild may also be driven by corresponding genetic benefits to males pairing with less related females.
Olsson
Mats
M
Department of Zoology, The University of Göteborg, Division of Animal Ecology, Box 463, SE 413 90 Göteborg, Sweden. mats.olsson@zool.gu.se
Madsen
Thomas
T
Nordby
Jessica
J
Wapstra
Erik
E
Ujvari
Beata
B
Wittsell
Håkan
H
D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013548:Sweden