Mate choice for genetic benefits remains controversial, largely because few studies have estimated the relative contributions of additive and non-additive sources of genetic variation to offspring fitness. Moreover, there remains a deficit of these estimates for species where female-mate preferences have been quantified in the wild, especially species characterised by monandry or monogamy. Here, we use artificial fertilisation techniques combined with a cross-classified breeding design to simultaneously test for 'good genes' and 'compatible genes' benefits of mate choice in the monandrous red backed toadlet (Pseudophryne coriacea). In addition, we used a genomic approach to estimate effects of parental-genetic relatedness (assessed using 27, 768 single nucleotide polymorphisms) on offspring fitness. Our results revealed no significant additive genetic effects (sire effects), but highly significant non-additive genetic effects (sire x dam interaction effects), on fertilisation success, survival during embryonic development, and hatching success. We also found significant associations between parental genetic similarity and offspring survival (whereby survival was higher when parents were more related), and significant positive relationships between fertilisation success and embryo survival through to hatching. These results indicate that offspring viability is significantly influenced by the genetic compatibility of parental genotypes, that more related parents are more genetically compatible, and that gametes with greater compatibility at fertilisation produce more viable offspring. More broadly, our findings provide new quantitative genetic evidence that genetic incompatibility underpins female mate preferences. Continued quantitative genetic assessment of the relative importance of good genes versus compatible genes is needed to ascertain the general importance of genetic benefits as a driver of female mate choice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

中文翻译：

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证据表明遗传兼容性支持了单一两栖动物的雌性配偶选择

遗传优势的配偶选择仍然存在争议，主要是因为很少有研究估计遗传变异的加性和非加性来源对后代健康的相对贡献。此外，对于在野外对雌性伴侣偏好进行量化的物种，尤其是以一夫一妻制或一夫一妻制为特征的物种，这些估计仍然存在缺陷。在这里，我们使用人工受精技术与交叉分类育种设计相结合，以同时测试单色红背蟾蜍（Pseudophryne coriacea）配偶选择的“良好基因”和“相容基因”优势。此外，我们使用基因组方法来估计亲本遗传相关性（使用 27, 768 个单核苷酸多态性进行评估）对后代健康的影响。我们的结果显示，在受精成功、胚胎发育过程中的存活和孵化成功方面，没有显着的加性遗传效应（父系效应），但具有非常显着的非加性遗传效应（父系 x 母系相互作用效应）。我们还发现亲本遗传相似性与后代存活率之间存在显着关联（当亲本关系越密切时，存活率越高），以及受精成功与胚胎存活直至孵化之间存在显着正相关关系。这些结果表明，后代的生存能力受到亲本基因型遗传相容性的显着影响，亲本越多，遗传相容性越好，并且在受精时具有更大相容性的配子会产生更多有活力的后代。更广泛地，我们的研究结果提供了新的定量遗传证据，表明遗传不相容性是女性择偶偏好的基础。需要对良好基因与相容基因的相对重要性进行持续的定量遗传评估，以确定遗传益处作为女性配偶选择驱动因素的一般重要性。本文受版权保护。版权所有。