DMateChoice · Unravelling the behavioural mechanisms underlying the evolution of disassortative mating

Understanding the origins and mechanisms of biological diversity is a central aim of evolutionary ecology. Mating behaviours contribute to shaping diversity because of their importance in determining the genotypic composition of populations and the association among adaptive traits. Interestingly, recent work shows that disassortative mating the tendency of dissimilar individuals to mate together may stably maintain character diversity within populations. Examples include traits showing heterozygote advantage, like immunity genes. Yet, little is known about the behavioural and genetic basis of disassortative mating linked to traits under balancing selection. The proposed project will fill in this knowledge gap by utilizing the polymorphism in predator warning colour patterns in a butterfly as a model to study disassortative mating at a locus under heterozygote advantage. In particular, I will examine the role of male mating cues on female preference, test theoretical predictions of the evolution of disassortative mating, and assess if disassortative mating may be modulated by females experience. My results will provide novel mechanistic insights into this behaviour and improve our understanding of how interactions between behavioural, ecological, and genetic factors can shape diversity. This project will use a novel and multi-disciplinary approach that combines behavioural experiments, chemical analyses, and electrophysiology of mate cues with genetics to investigate the behavioural and genetic basis of disassortative mating unprecedented detail. I will acquire new skills and knowledge in evolutionary biology and genetics that complement my background in behaviour and cognition. In return, I will share my expertise in topics different from the research done at the host institution, which will certainly spark new research ideas and collaborations.