Lee Webb at work in the lab
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Lee Webb at work in the lab |
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LEE
WEB
Department of Biology
Mentor: Terry
Derting
Title of Presentation: The role of olor cues in the assessment
of geneticquality on a physiological basis in the monomorhpic mouse species,
Mus musculus.
Presented at: Kentucky Academy of Science Meeting and the National
Conference on Undergraduate Research
The research was supported by: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
ABSTRACT The current "good genes" theory of mate selection proposes that females of monomorphic species make mate preferences based on the genetic quality of their potential male mates. Species are monomorphic when both sexes are phenotypically identical. Consequently dimorphism in a species, which shows phenotypical differences between the sexes, allow that species an avenue to make mate choices based on visual cues. Mate preferences in a monomorphic species, in contrast, must be based primarily on the excretory odors of potential mates. These odors can display a wide range of genetic information as found in chemical signals. These signals, then, can be readily interpreted by the female through olfactory processes. Using the monomorphic house mouse, Mus musculus, I will allow the females to make a mate preference to the odors of two potential males. This will determine if a preference made to one male's odor over another allows genetic benefits in the offspring when paired. Social rank between the two test males will also be determined as a means to correlate dominance with the male's overall fitness and attractiveness of odor since hormone levels fluctuate between dominant and subordinate males. My null hypotheses are that 1) the attractiveness of male odors is not related to their social or hormonal status and 2) female odor preference is not correlated with the fitness of their offspring. Soiled bedding will be placed in a three-chambered enclosure and two females will be placed inside to determine a preference between the set of males. They will then be paired by preference. Litters of the preferred pairings should show an overall better quality. Hormone assessments will be taken of the males and sons of their progeny, as hormones are good indicators of genetic quality. The female P-generation will also be assessed by uterine dissection of their potential conception size.
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