The study of intersexual selection using quantitative genetics

In this review I stress the importance of incorporating Quantitative Geneti cs (QG) in the study of sexual selection through female mate choice. A shor t overview of QG principles and methods of estimating genetic variance and covariance is given. The state of knowledge is summarized as to two QG assu mptions (genetic variance in female mating preferences and male sexual trai ts) and one QG prediction (genetic covariance between preferences and prefe rred traits) of models of sexual selection. A review is given of studies of repeatability of mating preferences because of recent accumulation of data . The general conclusion is that sexual traits and mating preferences show large genetic variation and are genetically correlated. The extensive genet ic variation asks for an explanation that goes beyond the ususal explanatio ns of the maintenance of genetic variation in fitness traits. Two models th at explain the high genetic variance in sexual traits are treated in detail : modifier selection and condition dependence. There are many unexplored ar eas of QG research that could stimulate further research in sexual selectio n like the study of genetic covariance between mating preferences and good genes, of genetic variances and covariances of multiple male traits and mul tiple females preferences, of genetic variance in condition, and of conditi on dependence of mating preferences.