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The effects of sexual selection on epidemic outcomes

CORDIS · observation · Publication date unknown

e developed, to test how variation in female preference affects epidemics in three ways. First, I will run replicate experimental epidemics in groups of individually identified guppies, tracked using machine learning, in which females do, or do not prefer males with larger orange ornaments. These ornaments indicate parasite resistance in this system. Second, I will assay the offspring produced post-epidemic for parasite resistance and paternity. I predict that epidemics in which females prefer ornamented males will be slower, and the offspring produced will be more resistant to parasites. Finally, I will use the results from both experiments to refine a mathematical model. We will validate model predictions with surveys of natural populations known to vary in female preference for males with larger orange ornaments. The resulting framework of how sexual selection affects parasite transmission will improve our predictions of epidemic dynamics. disease ecology; sexual selection; Trinidadian guppy; parasite transmission; epidemiology; mate choice; mate preference; ornaments

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recordType

award

status

SIGNED

region

EU

value

1499262

unit

EUR