THE GENETIC-BASIS OF FEMALE MATE PREFERENCES

We review the evidence for genetic variation in female and male mate p references. Genetic differences between species and partially isolated races show that preferences can evolve and were genetically variable in the past. Within populations there is good evidence of genetic vari ation, both of discrete genetic effects (8 cases) and quantitative gen etic effects (17 cases), from a diverse range of taxa. We also review evidence for the presence of genetic covariance between mate preferenc es and sexual traits in the other sex. The 11 studies go a long way to validating the theoretical prediction of positive genetic covariance. The few negative results are best explained by a lack of appropriate experimental design. One unresolved question is whether genetic covari ance is due to linkage disequilibrium between unlinked genes or physic al linkage. Some evidence points to linkage disequilibrium but this is not yet conclusive.