TEST OF INDIRECT MODELS OF SELECTION IN THE TRINIDAD GUPPY

Indirect models for the evolution of female preference assume that pre ference does not evolve as a result of direct selection but rather thr ough genetic correlations with positively selected male traits. An ess ential assumption of Fisherian models and many recent good genes model s is that assortative mating causes a genetic correlation to develop b etween alleles conferring high preference and alleles conferring high levels of the male attractive phenotype. In a direct test of indirect selection models, mass selection on attractive male coloration did not result in a correlated response in female preference in replicate tre atments from a high predation population of the Trinidad guppy. The re sponse was consistently low and a power analysis showed that genetic d rift was not likely to explain the low response across all replicates. These results contrast with studies demonstrating such a correlation in another population of guppies and in three-spined sticklebacks.