<p> I found that in inbred females <i>D. melanogaster,</i> physical condition plays a major role in the amount of polyandry. In some systems there is evidence that the ability to self assess allows inbred females to vary their reproductive behavior to increase promiscuity. I predicted that this may be true in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> females, but we found that inbred females behaved less promiscuously in three proxies than outbred females. Inbred females mated with fewer total males, fewer different males, and had longer copulation latency than their outbred conspecifics. However, male mate choice is not predicted in <i>Drosophila melanogaster </i> because males invest less than females, but recently the importance of male preference has been gaining support. How these males are making decisions is an important component to understanding the evolutionary impacts of the male's behaviors. I found that male mate choices are heavily influenced by previous experiences, and the lack of experience causes significant changes in courtship latency and overall preferences.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1585517 |
| Date | 28 March 2015 |
| Creators | Dolphin, Kimberly E. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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