Abstract
Sexual selection on female animals has been historically overlooked. In this thesis I explore the evolutionary consequences of sexual selection in a bushcricket endemic to Western Australia. I find evidence for brief periods of sexual selection leading to the maintenance of large auditory spiracles among females; evidence of sexual dimorphism in olfactory profiles between the sexes probably maintained by sexual selection; and evidence of divergence among populations probably caused by differences in the strength of sexual selection among populations. I conclude that even brief and circumscribed episodes of sexual selection are sufficient to generate evolutionary consequences in female animals.
Original language | English |
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Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
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Award date | 14 Feb 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Unpublished - 2022 |