Meiotic drive and evolution of female choice

As a special version of the good-genes hypothesis, it was recently proposed that females could benefit from choosing drive-resistant males in a meioti c drive system. Here, we examine with a three-locus, six-allele population genetic model whether female choice for drive resistance can evolve. An all ele leading to female preference for drive-resistant males was introduced a t low frequency into a population polymorphic for meiotic drive and drive r esistance. Our simulations show that female choice of drive-resistant males is disadvantageous when resistance is Y-linked. This disadvantage occurs b ecause, at equilibrium, drive-resistant males have lower reproductive succe ss than drive-susceptible males. Thus, female choice of drive-susceptible m ales can evolve when resistance is Y-linked. When resistance is autosomal, selection on female choice for drive resistance is less strong and depends on the frequency of choice: female preference of resistant males is favoure d when choice is rare and disadvantageous when choice is frequent, leading to a stable equilibrium at a low frequency of the choice allele. Independen t of the location of drive resistance alleles, males with the non-driving a llele always have above average reproductive success. Female choice is ther efore beneficial when choosy females prefer males with the non-driving alle le.