Digest: Sexual selection may shape species' range limits.

In a recent study, Tschol et al. (2024) present a model that investigates how two different forms of sexual selection, selection for traits that increase mate encounters and selection for traits that enhance one's ability to compete for mates, affect geographical range limits. The model demonstrates that range limits expand in response to selection on mate-encountering traits and contract when selection acts on reproductive competitiveness. When traits coevolve, range limits depend on mating system. This study demonstrates the importance of accounting for sexual selection and intra-specific interactions when investigating eco-evolutionary dynamics of geographic range limits.