title: A Paradox of Genetic Variance in Epigamic Traits: Beyond "Good Genes" View of Sexual Selection.
abstract: Maintenance of genetic variance in secondary sexual traits, including bizarre ornaments and elaborated courtship displays, is a central problem of sexual selection theory. Despite theoretical arguments predicting that strong sexual selection leads to a depletion of additive genetic variance, traits associated with mating success show relatively high heritability. Here we argue that because of trade-offs associated with the production of costly epigamic traits, sexual selection is likely to lead to an increase, rather than a depletion, of genetic variance in those traits. Such trade-offs can also be expected to contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation in ecologically relevant traits with important implications for evolutionary processes, e.g. adaptation to novel environments or ecological speciation. However, if trade-offs are an important source of genetic variation in sexual traits, the magnitude of genetic variation may have little relevance for the possible genetic benefits of mate choice.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radwan
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany ; Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Engqvist
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reinhold
keywords: Heritability; Maintenance of genetic variance; Mate choice; Sexual conflict; Sexual selection; Trade-offs