Females pick good genes in frogs, flies
Pennisi, E.
Science 280(5371): 1837-1838
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 9669933 Document Number: 484996
Recent research suggests that choosy females are selecting good genes when they pick the most flamboyant males. In this issue, Allison Welch and colleagues at the University of Missouri, Columbia, report that male tree frogs with long calls, which are known to be favored by females, sire higher quality young than those who make short calls. This research coincides with a few other studies examining good genes, including one on stalk-eyed flies that links the long stalks preferred by females to an unusual genetic advantage in males.