The role of ecological variation in driving divergence of sexual and non-sexual traits in the red-backed fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

• Published in: BMC evolutionary biology Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 75
• Main Authors: Baldassarre, Daniel T, Thomassen, Henri A, Karubian, Jordan, Webster, Michael S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 28.03.2013; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Biological diversity; Biological Evolution; Birds; Ecology; Female; Genetic aspects; Genetic drift; Genetic research; Genetic Speciation; Genetic Variation; Male; Neurosciences; Physiological aspects; Sex Characteristics; Songbirds - genetics; Songbirds - physiology; Speciation; Studies; Tail - anatomy & histology; Variables; Australia; United States

Many species exhibit geographic variation in sexual signals, and divergence in these traits may lead to speciation. Sexual signals may diverge due to differences in ecology if the environment constrains signal production or transmission. Alternatively, sexual signals may diverge stochastically throu...