Research lines
Why do females and males differ in how they behave and look? Females and males share the same genes for most homologous traits, but their phenotypes may drastically differ. How do these remarkable sex differences arise? Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms enabling and processes shaping sex differences, using a combination of quantitative genetic and experimental approaches. We use traditional and state-of-the-art methods, i.e., pedigree-based breeding, quantitative genetics, genomics, and transcriptomics, to elucidate the relationship between genotype and sex-specific phenotypes.
The role of sex-specific maternal effects in shaping phenotypic sex differences.
Endosimbionts and sexual size dimorphism.
Mating strategies, sexual behaviour and reproductive output.
We focus on studying personality variation and its evolutionary and ecological consequences. We are particularly interested in whether and how sexual selection drives personality variation. We also study the genetic architecture of personality traits and whether it differs between the sexes.
Why do females and males differ in how they behave and look? Females and males share the same genes for most homologous traits, but their phenotypes may drastically differ. How do these remarkable sex differences arise? Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms enabling and processes shaping sex differences, using a combination of quantitative genetic and experimental approaches. We use traditional and state-of-the-art methods, i.e., pedigree-based breeding, quantitative genetics, genomics, and transcriptomics, to elucidate the relationship between genotype and sex-specific phenotypes.
The role of sex-specific maternal effects in shaping phenotypic sex differences.
Endosimbionts and sexual size dimorphism.
Mating strategies, sexual behaviour and reproductive output.
We focus on studying personality variation and its evolutionary and ecological consequences. We are particularly interested in whether and how sexual selection drives personality variation. We also study the genetic architecture of personality traits and whether it differs between the sexes.
Sexual size dimorphism has evolved via sex-specific trait architecture
Variation for body size of female and male African hermit spiders – a species with extreme female biased sexual size dimorphism – shows sex-differences in the contributions by direct genetic and maternal components. Body size variation of females shows considerable direct genetic and only little maternal contribution, whereas body size variation of males shows little or no direct genetic contribution but considerable maternal contribution.
In collaboration with Dr. Paul Debes (debeslab.com/ ) from the Holar University, Iceland and Dr. Matjaž Kuntner (www.ezlab.si/lab-members) from the National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia, we published our results in Journal of Evolutionary Biology: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jeb.14217
In collaboration with Dr. Paul Debes (debeslab.com/ ) from the Holar University, Iceland and Dr. Matjaž Kuntner (www.ezlab.si/lab-members) from the National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia, we published our results in Journal of Evolutionary Biology: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jeb.14217
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) occurs when individuals of one sex are larger than those of the opposite sex. In the African hermit spider (Nephilingis cruentata), females are about 75 times heavier than males. How can such a large size difference arise, and how would it be possible to remain adaptive towards possibly dynamic sex-specific size optima when both sexes share common genes (a so-called intralocus sexual conflict)?
According to the theory of quantitative genetics, the presence of a sexually dimorphic trait requires at least a partial resolution of the sexual conflict, and this resolution has been suggested to involve, among other things, sex-specific genetic and developmental control, including sex-specific maternal effects. We examined the genetic architecture of body size in Nephilingis cruentata, estimating the sex-specific importance of genetic and maternal effects on size in laboratory-reared individuals across multiple generations. Model estimates indicate that size variation is predominantly determined by additive genetic effects in females but maternal effects in males, with low correlations between sexes for both components. These results suggest a straightforward mechanism to avoid intralocus sexual conflict and allow emergence and maintenance of SSD via sex-specific architecture of body size and thus its sex-independent evolution.
According to the theory of quantitative genetics, the presence of a sexually dimorphic trait requires at least a partial resolution of the sexual conflict, and this resolution has been suggested to involve, among other things, sex-specific genetic and developmental control, including sex-specific maternal effects. We examined the genetic architecture of body size in Nephilingis cruentata, estimating the sex-specific importance of genetic and maternal effects on size in laboratory-reared individuals across multiple generations. Model estimates indicate that size variation is predominantly determined by additive genetic effects in females but maternal effects in males, with low correlations between sexes for both components. These results suggest a straightforward mechanism to avoid intralocus sexual conflict and allow emergence and maintenance of SSD via sex-specific architecture of body size and thus its sex-independent evolution.
