Do females prefer males with dissimilar MHC alleles? (with Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier)

From EESwiki

The major histocompatibility locus (MHC) plays an essential role in immune defense, and it is typically found that a reduced genetic diversity at the MHC locus limits the ability to recognize antigens. Hence disassortative mating preferences with regard to MHC alleles which enhance the MHC diversity of the offspring have been found in a range of taxa, yet little work has been done on birds. We have genotyped our entire zebra finch population for 2,000 genetic marker loci spread across the entire genome. With the imminent publication of the zebra finch genome, we will be able to identify those markers that are located in the MHC region. After assessing the genetic similarity between all individuals at these marker sites, we will launch a large number of mate choice experiments where females can choose between males with similar vs. dissimilar MHC alleles. The work will mainly involve designing the experiment as well as conducting mate choice trials with automated registration of female activity.