A study of tactical and sexual dimorphism in cognition with insights for sexual conflict

We predicted that females’ learning performance would align with the learning performance of their sire’s genotype due to genetic correlation of cognitive traits. Using a classical conditioning assessment (associating a flashing light with a food reward), we detected mating tactic dimorphism in learning performance, with the behaviourally plastic sneaker males outperforming the behaviourally fixed courter males. Unexpectedly, females sired by the faster-learning sneaker males performed significantly worse than sneaker males.

We also detected an influence of brain size on female learning performance. Previous studies have found that females invest more in offspring sired by courter males, and we therefore hypothesize that maternal effects could potentially mitigate the influence of sexual conflict on a cognitive trait.