Yusan Yang on sexual selection and phenotypic divergence in a polymorphic poison frog

University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences Presents

E&E Wednesday Noon Seminars 2017-2018

Graduate student Yusan Yang - University of Pittsburgh

Sexual selection and phenotypic divergence in a polymorphic poison frog
 
Speciation is key to understanding the origin and maintenance of biodiversity. Both female mate preference and male-male competition can exert strong selection to mediate trait evolution and reproductive isolation among diverged lineages. However, very few speciation studies considered the complex interaction between female choice and male competition, and the mechanisms by which these behaviors are shaped, in influencing the divergence process. Here, I use a poison frog with complex life history and extreme color polymorphism to explore the reciprocal evolutionary changes of sexual trait and behavior. First, I characterized color-mediated sexual behaviors in a contact zone between two differently colored lineages, with an emphasis on the relatively unexplored male-male competition side. Secondly, I am using a mating experiment in a lab colony to test the relative importance of female color preference and territorial status in male reproductive success. Lastly, I am using a breeding experiment to identify the proximate mechanisms shaping these sexual behaviors, and use mathematical modeling to explore their potential in developing reproductive isolation in early stages of speciation.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

A219B Langley Hall

12:00 PM Seminar

Date

28 Feb 2018

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A219B Langley Hall