Selfish Genetic Elements and Sexual Selection

Abstract

One aspect of sexual selection that Darwin was completely unaware of was the role of Selfish Genetic Elements (SGEs). SGEs are genes, organelles or microorganisms present within the genome or cell of an organism that spread through populations by subverting normal patterns of inheritance in ways that increase their representation in the next generation. SGEs are ubiquitous in living organisms, have a dramatic ability to manipulate host reproduction, including the frequent reduction in male fertility and sperm competitive ability, yet their impact on sexual selection remains little explored. Here we discuss the pervasiveness and power of SGEs as an agent of sexual selection and show they can have remarkably wide-ranging impacts on male and female reproduction and therefore in shaping mating systems, even when present at low frequencies.