Eduardo Rodriguez-Exposito

My research is mainly focused on biological evolutionary issues such as sexual selection, the evolution of polyandry, sexual conflict and the extent of parental effects. Polyandry has a key role in sexual selection. It allows sexual selection to continue after copulation through post-copulatory sexually selected processes (cryptic female choice and sperm competition) that determine reproductive success. I use a combination of both experimental evolution and quantitative genetics to answer questions about the genetic basis underlying the origin and maintenance of the polyandrous behavior (the role o the risk-spreading strategy of bet-hedging), the genetic variance in female mating rates and the relation between mating system and sexual conflict dynamics (antagonistic sexual coevolution of the traits developed by males and females to reach their evolutionary interests in ‘the arms race’ due to sexual conflict).