Data from: Direct detection of male quality can facilitate the evolution of female choosiness and indicators of good genes: evolution across a continuum of indicator mechanisms

The evolution of mating displays as indicators of male quality has been the subject of extensive theoretical and empirical research for over four decades. Research has also addressed the evolution of female mate choice favoring such indicators. Yet, much debate still exists about whether displays can evolve through the indirect benefits of female mate choice. Here, we use a population genetic model to investigate how the extent to which females can directly detect male quality influences the evolution of female choosiness and male displays. We use a continuum framework that incorporates indicator mechanisms that are traditionally modelled separately. Counter to intuition, we find that intermediate levels of direct detection of male quality can facilitate, rather than impede, the evolution of female choosiness and male displays in broad regions of this continuum. We examine how this evolution is driven by selective forces on genetic quality and on the display, and find that direct detection of male quality results in stronger indirect selection favoring female choosiness. Our results imply that displays maybe more likely to evolve when female choosiness has already evolved to discriminate perceptible forms of male quality. They also highlight the importance of considering general female choosiness, as well as preference, in studies of "good genes".

四十余年来，作为雄性质量指示器的求偶展示演化，一直是理论与实证研究广泛关注的核心议题。学界同时也围绕青睐此类指示器的雌性择偶偏好演化开展了大量研究。然而，关于求偶展示能否通过雌性择偶的间接收益实现演化，至今仍存在诸多争议。本研究借助种群遗传模型，探究雌性直接检测雄性质量的程度如何影响雌性整体择偶判别能力与雄性求偶展示的演化。我们采用统一的连续统框架，整合了以往通常被单独建模的各类指示器演化机制。与直觉相悖的是，我们发现，在该连续统的广泛参数区域内，中等强度的雄性质量直接检测能力，反而会促进而非阻碍雌性整体择偶判别能力与雄性求偶展示的演化。我们分析了该演化过程由遗传质量与展示相关选择压力驱动的具体机制，结果表明，对雄性质量的直接检测会催生更强的间接选择，进而推动雌性整体择偶判别能力的演化。本研究结果提示，当雌性整体择偶判别能力已演化至能够识别可感知的雄性质量形式时，求偶展示或许更易发生演化。同时，本研究也强调，在"优质基因"相关研究中，除择偶偏好外，综合考量雌性整体择偶判别能力的重要性。