Meeting Summary: Sexual selection by female mate choice is a major mechanism by which evolution can occur, but it has been a challenge to develop a unified understanding of what seems to be a rather capricious process. Empirical studies have not only identified female preferences for widely varied male traits across species, but also found considerable variation in choice among populations of the same species and even within a given population. Understanding the mechanisms underlying observed female choice is a promising approach to understanding this variation. This working group seeks to develop a unifying approach to female mate choice that incorporates social transmission of female mate preferences and may explain variation in observed patterns of sexual selection across taxa.
Participants
Emily DuVal, Florida State University
Courtney Fitzpatrick,Indiana University, Bloomington
Maria Servedio, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill