Sexual selection affects climate adaptation in collared flycatchers

• The role of sexual selection in climate adaptation is debated. We tested whether sexual selection has the potential to speed up adaptation to new thermal environments in a natural population of collared flycatchers. Based on a three-year cross-fostering experiment, we found that the size of a sexually selected trait predicted offspring metabolic rate: male collared flycatchers with large forehead patches sired offspring with low metabolic rate regardless of the ambient temperature. Thus, there was a stable significant relationship between forehead patch size of genetic fathers and offspring metabolic rate. Nestlings with low metabolic rate experienced a survival advantage when growing under high temperatures, which is consistent with the prediction that a low metabolic rate confers a fitness advantage in warm climates. Our study shows that sexual selection can affect climate adaptation. 

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Evolutionsbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Evolutionary Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

sexual selection

climate adaptation

resting metabolic rate

Ficedula flycatcher

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)