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Burgstaller SM, Auer KE, Rülicke T. A simple method for repeated in vivo sperm collection from laboratory mice. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024:10.1007/s10815-024-03201-x. [PMID: 39017771 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03201-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Mouse spermatozoa for archiving laboratory mice or for in vitro fertilization (IVF) are routinely obtained from the cauda epididymis of adult males sacrificed for this purpose. To avoid the death of the donor, we tested whether a precisely timed interruption of the mating act could be used for repeated sperm collection from laboratory mice. METHODS Sperm donors (B6D2F1) were mated with a receptive female, and mating behavior was observed. The stud was separated from the female 1-2 s after the onset of the ejaculatory shudder. The ejected copulatory plug with the yellowish viscous ejaculate was carefully removed from the penile cup. RESULTS A total of 80 ejaculates were successfully obtained from 100 ejaculations. The latency to first mount was 1.1 ± 1.1 min (mean ± SD) and to ejaculation 8.1 ± 4.7 min. The average number of mounts to ejaculation was 10.5 ± 5.8, and the mean number of spermatozoa per collected ejaculate was 1.86 ± 1.05 × 106. An average fertilization rate of 76% was observed after IVF. CONCLUSIONS Separating the stud from the female just before ejaculation is feasible, easy to learn, and requires no special equipment. The sperm count of collected ejaculates is lower than natural ejaculations, but higher than previous in vivo sperm collection methods achieved. We recommend this simple sperm collection method in mice, especially when the donor cannot be sacrificed and/or repeated sperm collection from the same animal is required for experimental purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Burgstaller
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kerstin E Auer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Hematology and Oncology, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Auer KE, Primus J, Istel S, Dahlhoff M, Rülicke T. Mate genetic similarity affects mating behaviour but not maternal investment in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10536. [PMID: 37386286 PMCID: PMC10310752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment can affect the survival and development of offspring. Here we experimentally investigated in mice, whether females alter implantation rates and pup survival after embryo transfer depending on the genetic similarity with their vasectomised mating partner. We selected the MHC genotype and genetic background of males and paired females either with males that shared the same MHC haplotype and genetic background (CBA/J inbred males, isogenic group), that shared half of the MHC haplotype and genetic background (B6CBAF1 hybrid males, semi-isogenic group), or that had a different MHC haplotype and genetic background (C57BL/6N inbred males, allogenic group). We performed 304 pairings, resulting in 81 vaginal plugs, which confirmed mating. Plug rates were significantly higher in the semi-isogenic group (36.9%) compared to the isogenic group (19.5%), but not the allogenic group (26%). We found no difference in the number of implantation sites, the number of born or surviving pups until weaning, or litter weight or sex ratio between groups. Even though we found a mating bias, we found no difference in maternal investment under laboratory conditions. At least under pathogen-free conditions our study does not provide any evidence for differential maternal investment when females could increase offspring genetic diversity or heterozygosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E Auer
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jasmin Primus
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Istel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maik Dahlhoff
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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3
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Wu T, Cao DH, Liu Y, Yu H, Fu DY, Ye H, Xu J. Mating-Induced Common and Sex-Specific Behavioral, Transcriptional Changes in the Moth Fall Armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera) in Laboratory. INSECTS 2023; 14:209. [PMID: 36835778 PMCID: PMC9964209 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The intermediate process between mating and postmating behavioral changes in insects is still poorly known. Here, we studied mating-induced common and sex-specific behavioral and transcriptional changes in both sexes of Spodoptera frugiperda and tested whether the transcriptional changes are linked to postmating behavioral changes in each sex. A behavioral study showed that mating caused a temporary suppression of female calling and male courting behavior, and females did not lay eggs until the next day after the first mating. The significant differences on daily fecundity under the presence of males or not, and the same or novel males, suggest that females may intentionally retain eggs to be fertilized by novel males or to be fertilized competitively by different males. RNA sequencing in females revealed that there are more reproduction related GO (gene ontology) terms and KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathways (mainly related to egg and zygote development) enriched to upregulated DEGs (differentially expressed genes) than to downregulated DEGs at 0 and 24 h postmating. In males, however, mating induced DEGs did not enrich any reproduction related terms/pathways, which may be because male reproductive bioinformatics is relatively limited in moths. Mating also induced upregulation on soma maintenance (such as immune activity and stress reaction) related processes in females at 0, 6 and 24 h postmating. In males, mating also induced upregulation on soma maintenance related processes at 0 h postmating, but induced downregulation on these processes at 6 and 24 h postmating. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that mating induced sex-specific postmating behavioral and transcriptional changes in both sexes of S. frugiperda and suggested that the transcriptional changes are correlated with postmating physiological and behavioral changes in each sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wu
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Da-Hu Cao
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Da-Ying Fu
- School of Life Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Hui Ye
- School of Ecology and Environment, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
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4
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Lenschow C, Mendes ARP, Lima SQ. Hearing, touching, and multisensory integration during mate choice. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:943888. [PMID: 36247731 PMCID: PMC9559228 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.943888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a potent generator of diversity and a fundamental pillar for sexual selection and evolution. Mate choice is a multistage affair, where complex sensory information and elaborate actions are used to identify, scrutinize, and evaluate potential mating partners. While widely accepted that communication during mate assessment relies on multimodal cues, most studies investigating the mechanisms controlling this fundamental behavior have restricted their focus to the dominant sensory modality used by the species under examination, such as vision in humans and smell in rodents. However, despite their undeniable importance for the initial recognition, attraction, and approach towards a potential mate, other modalities gain relevance as the interaction progresses, amongst which are touch and audition. In this review, we will: (1) focus on recent findings of how touch and audition can contribute to the evaluation and choice of mating partners, and (2) outline our current knowledge regarding the neuronal circuits processing touch and audition (amongst others) in the context of mate choice and ask (3) how these neural circuits are connected to areas that have been studied in the light of multisensory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Lenschow
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita P Mendes
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Q Lima
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
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5
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Multidimensional nature of dominant behavior: Insights from behavioral neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:603-620. [PMID: 34902440 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions for many species of animals are critical for survival, wellbeing, and reproduction. Optimal navigation of a social system increases chances for survival and reproduction, therefore there is strong incentive to fit into social structures. Social animals rely heavily on dominant-submissive behaviors in establishment of stable social hierarchies. There is a link between extreme manifestation of dominance/submissiveness and behavioral deviations. To understand neural substrates affiliated with a specific hierarchical rank, there is a real need for reliable animal behavioral models. Different paradigms have been consolidated over time to study the neurobiology of social rank behavior in a standardized manner using rodent models to unravel the neural pathways and substrates involved in normal and abnormal intraspecific social interactions. This review summarizes and discusses the commonly used behavioral tests and new directions for the assessment of dominance in rodents. We discuss the hierarchy inheritable nature and other critical issues regarding hierarchical rank manifestation which may help in designing social-rank-related studies that serve as promising pre-clinical tools in behavioral psychiatry.
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6
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Sorci G, Lesobre L, Vuarin P, Levêque G, Saint Jalme M, Lacroix F, Hingrat Y. Enforced monoandry over generations induces a reduction of female investment into reproduction in a promiscuous bird. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2773-2783. [PMID: 34950228 PMCID: PMC8674888 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While uncovering the costs and benefits of polyandry has attracted considerable attention, assessing the net effect of sexual selection on population fitness requires the experimental manipulation of female mating over generations, which is usually only achievable in laboratory populations of arthropods. However, knowing if sexual selection improves or impairs the expression of life-history traits is key for the management of captive populations of endangered species, which are mostly long-lived birds and mammals. It might therefore be questionable to extrapolate the results gathered on laboratory populations of insects to infer the net effect of sexual selection on populations of endangered species. Here, we used a longitudinal dataset that has been collected on a long-lived bird, the houbara bustard, kept in a conservation breeding program, to investigate the effect of enforced monoandry on female investment into reproduction. In captivity, female houbara bustards are artificially inseminated with sperm collected from a single male (enforced monoandry), or sequentially inseminated with semen of different males (polyandry), allowing postcopulatory sexual selection to operate. We identified female lines that were produced either by monoandrous or polyandrous inseminations over three generations, and we compared reproductive investment of females from the two mating system groups. We found that females in the polyandrous lines had higher investment into reproduction as they laid more eggs per season and produced heavier hatchlings. Higher reproductive investment into reproduction in the polyandrous lines did not result from inherited differences from females initially included in the two mating system groups. These results show that removal of sexual selection can alter reproductive investment after only few generations, potentially hindering population fitness and the success of conservation breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sorci
- BiogéosciencesUMR 6282 CNRSUniversité de Bourgogne Franche‐ComtéDijonFrance
| | - Loïc Lesobre
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLCAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Pauline Vuarin
- BiogéosciencesUMR 6282 CNRSUniversité de Bourgogne Franche‐ComtéDijonFrance
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLCAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
- Present address:
Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive ‐ UMR CNRS 5558Université Claude Bernard Lyon 116 rue Raphaël Dubois69622Villeurbanne CedexFrance
| | | | - Michel Saint Jalme
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la ConservationUMR 7204 MNHN CNRS‐UPMCMuseum National d'Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
| | - Frédéric Lacroix
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLCAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Yves Hingrat
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLCAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
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7
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Nash CS, Darby PC, Frazier BS, Hendon JM, Higgs JM, Hoffmayer ER, Daly‐Engel TS. Multiple paternity in two populations of finetooth sharks ( Carcharhinus isodon) with varying reproductive periodicity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11799-11807. [PMID: 34522342 PMCID: PMC8427605 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying polyandry and female mate choice in certain taxonomic groups remain widely debated. In elasmobranchs, several species have shown varying rates of polyandry based on genetic studies of multiple paternity (MP). We investigated MP in the finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon, in order to directly test the encounter rate hypothesis (ERH), which predicts that MP is a result of the frequency of encounters between mature conspecifics during the breeding season, and should therefore increase when more time is available for copulation and sperm storage. Female finetooth sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) have been found to reproduce with both annual periodicity and biennial periodicity, while finetooth sharks from the northwestern Atlantic Ocean have only been found to reproduce biennially, allowing us to compare mating opportunity to frequency of MP. Our results show high rates of MP with no significant difference in frequency between females in the GoM (83.0%) and Atlantic (88.2%, p = .8718) and varying but nonsignificant rates of MP between females in the GoM reproducing annually (93.0%) and biennially (76.6%, p = .2760). While the ERH is not supported by this study, it remains possible that reproductive periodicity and other physiological factors play a role in determining rates of MP in elasmobranchs, with potential benefits to individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S. Nash
- Department of BiologyUniversity of West FloridaPensacolaFLUSA
| | - Philip C. Darby
- Department of BiologyUniversity of West FloridaPensacolaFLUSA
| | - Bryan S. Frazier
- South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesMarine Resources Research InstituteCharlestonSCUSA
| | - Jill M. Hendon
- Center for Fisheries Research & DevelopmentGulf Coast Research LaboratoryThe University of Southern MississippiOcean SpringsMSUSA
| | - Jeremy M. Higgs
- Center for Fisheries Research & DevelopmentGulf Coast Research LaboratoryThe University of Southern MississippiOcean SpringsMSUSA
| | - Eric R. Hoffmayer
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science CenterMississippi LaboratoriesPascagoulaMSUSA
| | - Toby S. Daly‐Engel
- Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine SciencesFlorida Institute of TechnologyMelbourneFLUSA
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8
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Gale TJ, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Female mice seek refuge from castrated males, but not intact or vasectomized males, mitigating a socially-induced glucocorticoid response. Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112678. [PMID: 31505190 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sexual conflict may be manifested during social interactions, shaping the costs of reproduction in sexually reproducing species. This conflict, and the physical necessity of intromission, can intensify the already costly nature of reproduction for female mammals. To identify and partition the costs that males inflict on females during mating and reproduction, we paired female mice with either other females or castrated, vasectomised, or intact (sham-vasectomised) males, thus manipulating exposure to social mating behavior and costs arising from fertilization. We also provided females with refuges where males could not enter, to test whether females show avoidance or attraction to males of different gonadal status expected to exhibit different levels of social behavior. We found that females paired with vasectomised and castrated males spent the most time in their refuge. Females housed with castrated males also had increased glucocorticoid levels, an effect that was mitigated when females could retreat from these males to a refuge. This suggests that females actively refuge from castrated males, and that housing with such males is sufficient to generate an increased glucocorticoid response. Our results show that females choose to refuge from males depending on the partner's gonadal status, choices that are linked to social induced stress responses but not exposure to male mating behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teagan J Gale
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Michael Garratt
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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9
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Sexual experience has no effect on male mating or reproductive success in house mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12145. [PMID: 31434936 PMCID: PMC6704153 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48392-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to learn from experience can improve Darwinian fitness, but few studies have tested whether sexual experience enhances reproductive success. We conducted a study with wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus musculus) in which we manipulated male sexual experience and allowed females to choose between (1) a sexually experienced versus a virgin male, (2) two sexually experienced males, or (3) two virgin males (n = 60 females and 120 males). This design allowed us to test whether females are more likely to mate multiply when they encounter more virgin males, which are known to be infanticidal. We recorded females’ preference and mating behaviours, and conducted genetic paternity analyses to determine male reproductive success. We found no evidence that sexual experience influenced male mating or reproductive success, and no evidence that the number of virgin males influenced female multiple mating. Females always copulated with both males and 58% of the litters were multiple-sired. Females’ initial attraction to a male correlated with their social preferences, but neither of these preference behaviours predicted male reproductive success – raising caveats for using mating preferences as surrogates for mate choice. Male reproductive success was predicted by mating order, but unexpectedly, males that copulated first sired fewer offspring.
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10
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Erofeeva MN, Alekseeva GS, Sorokin PA, Naidenko SV. Effect of the Number of Mating Partners and Sperm Quality on Reproductive Success in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus). BIOL BULL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359018070063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Génin F, Masters JC. Sharing the burden: A neutral approach to socioecological theory. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165 Suppl 65:90-103. [PMID: 29380888 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The socioecological model (SEM) is a popular collection of controversial models purporting to explain mating systems in terms of ecological and social parameters. Despite its guise of objectivity, several of its hypotheses assume Victorian gender stereotypes of active, competing males heedlessly sowing their seeds, and cautious, passive females, imprisoned by greater costs of reproduction and their consequent resourceߚdependence. METHODS We enter this debate by taking a previously neglected explanatory approach borrowed from species theory. According to the Recognition Concept of sexual species, the unit of reproductive success/fitness is irreducible to fewer than two integrated subparts (minimally a male and a female). Phyletic changes in mating systems logically effect changes in fertilization systems, leading to reproductive isolation. We take our primary assumption of the average equivalence of female and male contributions to successful reproduction from the writings of the natural philosopher, Antoinette Blackwell. RESULTS We revisit the SEM with its contradictions and extrapolations, and develop a genderߚneutral alternative hypothesis termed SpecificߚMate Contact (SMC), centered on two fundamental mating strategies: sexual animals may behave as synchronous mateߚattractors or asynchronous mateߚseekers, generating four possible mating system combinations (monogamy: two attractors; promiscuity: two seekers; polygyny: male attractor and female seeker; polyandry: female attractor and male seeker). CONCLUSIONS Our approach predicts all known primate mating systems using a neutral (nonߚsexist) principle. The approach is also neutral in the sense that it does not invoke either competition or cooperation: fertilization success is considered a posteriori and males and females are coߚadapted to this end rather than cognitively cooperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Génin
- African Primate Initiative for Ecology and Speciation (APIES), Earth Stewardship Science Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Judith C Masters
- African Primate Initiative for Ecology and Speciation (APIES), Earth Stewardship Science Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
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12
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Wang H, Yan P, Zhang S, Sun L, Ren M, Xue H, Zhang F, Wu R, Wu X. Multiple paternity: A compensation mechanism of the Chinese alligator for inbreeding. Anim Reprod Sci 2017; 187:124-132. [PMID: 29103625 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis is a critically endangered species endemic to China. Knowledge about reproductive strategies of a species contributes to their conservation. Little is, however, known about the reproductive strategies and its impact on the population. In the present study, an easy and non-invasive genetic method was used to improve the understanding of mating system of Chinese alligators and its effect on the population genetic diversity by nine polymorphic microsatellite loci. There was a high incidence of multiple paternity among 50 clutches, with a total 60% of the clutches having multiple paternity and up to three males contributing to single clutches. In addition, polyandry females choose to mate with males that are more distant in relatedness compared with monogamy females. Multiple paternity can decrease the inbreeding coefficient, while there is no significant difference between single and multiple paternity (P>0.05). Furthermore, there was an increased allelic diversity (though not heterozygosity) in multiple paternity sired offspring compared with the single paternity sired offspring in F2 generations (P<0.05), as predicted by the genetic diversity hypothesis. Multiple paternity may function as an important inbreeding avoidance compensation mechanism leading to the potential of the species to avoid extinction. These findings will not only enhance the understanding of the mating system and the biological traits of the Chinese alligator, but also improve the captive breeding program management and conservation strategies of the endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Wang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Peng Yan
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Shengzhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Long Sun
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Min Ren
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Hui Xue
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Rong Wu
- Alligator Research Center of Anhui Province, Xuanzhou 242000, China
| | - Xiaobing Wu
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.
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13
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Latour Y, Ganem G. Does competitive interaction drive species recognition in a house mouse secondary contact zone? Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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14
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Tang-Martínez Z. Rethinking Bateman's Principles: Challenging Persistent Myths of Sexually Reluctant Females and Promiscuous Males. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2016; 53:532-559. [PMID: 27074147 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1150938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In 1948, Angus Bateman published a paper on fruit flies that tested Charles Darwin's ideas of sexual selection. Based on this one fruit fly study, Bateman concluded that because males are able to produce millions of small sperm, males are likely to behave promiscuously, mating with as many females as possible. On the other hand, because females produce relatively fewer, larger, and presumably more expensive eggs, females are likely to be very discriminating in selecting only one high-quality sexual partner. He also posited that a male's reproductive success increases linearly with the number of females he is able to mate with, but that a female's reproductive success peaks after she mates with only one male. Consequently, in almost all organisms, sexual selection acts most strongly on males. These ideas became a recurring theme in attempts to explain wide-ranging differences in male and female behavior not only in nonhuman animals but also in humans. As such, Bateman's conclusions and predictions have become axiomatic and, at times, have gone unquestioned even when modern empirical data do not conform to this model. This article reviews the origins and history of these ideas and uses modern data to highlight the current and growing controversy surrounding the validity and general applicability of this paradigm.
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15
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Thonhauser KE, Raveh S, Thoß M, Penn DJ. Does multiple paternity influence offspring disease resistance? J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1142-50. [PMID: 26949230 PMCID: PMC4949575 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that polyandry allows females to increase offspring genetic diversity and reduce the prevalence and susceptibility of their offspring to infectious diseases. We tested this hypothesis in wild‐derived house mice (Mus musculus) by experimentally infecting the offspring from 15 single‐ and 15 multiple‐sired litters with two different strains of a mouse pathogen (Salmonella Typhimurium) and compared their ability to control infection. We found a high variation in individual infection resistance (measured with pathogen loads) and significant differences among families, suggesting genetic effects on Salmonella resistance, but we found no difference in prevalence or infection resistance between single‐ vs. multiple‐sired litters. We found a significant sex difference in infection resistance, but surprisingly, males were more resistant to infection than females. Also, infection resistance was correlated with weight loss during infection, although only for females, indicating that susceptibility to infection had more harmful health consequences for females than for males. To our knowledge, our findings provide the first evidence for sex‐dependent resistance to Salmonella infection in house mice. Our results do not support the hypothesis that multiple‐sired litters are more likely to survive infection than single‐sired litters; however, as we explain, additional studies are required before ruling out this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Thonhauser
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Raveh
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Thoß
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - D J Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Vošlajerová Bímová B, Mikula O, Macholán M, Janotová K, Hiadlovská Z. Female House Mice do not Differ in Their Exploratory Behaviour from Males. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Vošlajerová Bímová
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics; Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mikula
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics; Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Macholán
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics; Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Janotová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Hiadlovská
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics; Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Brno Czech Republic
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17
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Arbuthnott D, Crespi BJ, Schwander T. Female Stick Insects Mate Multiply to Find Compatible Mates. Am Nat 2015; 186:519-30. [DOI: 10.1086/682675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Sutter A, Simmons LW, Lindholm AK, Firman RC. Function of copulatory plugs in house mice: mating behavior and paternity outcomes of rival males. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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19
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Sommaro LV, Chiappero MB, Vera NS, Coda JA, Priotto JW, Steinmann AR. Multiple paternity in a wild population of the corn mouse: its potential adaptive significance for females. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Palombit RA. Infanticide as sexual conflict: coevolution of male strategies and female counterstrategies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a017640. [PMID: 25986557 PMCID: PMC4448612 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the earliest recognized forms of sexual conflict was infanticide by males, which imposes serious costs on female reproductive success. Here I review two bodies of evidence addressing coevolved strategies of males and females. The original sexual selection hypothesis arguing that infanticide improves male mating success by accelerating the return of females to fertilizable condition has been generally supported in some taxa--notably, some primates, carnivores, rodents, and cetaceans--but not in other taxa. One result of recent research has been to implicate other selective benefits of infanticide by males in various taxa from insects to birds to mammals, such as acquisition of breeding status or improvement of the female breeding condition. In some cases, however, the adaptive significance of male infanticide remains obscure. The second body of data I review is arguably the most important result of recent research: clarifying the possible female counterstrategies to infanticide. These potential counterstrategies span diverse biological systems, ranging from sexual behavior (e.g., polyandrous mating), to physiology (e.g., the Bruce effect), to individual behavior (e.g., maternal aggression), to social strategies (e.g., association with coalitionary defenders of either sex). Although much remains to be studied, these current data provide compelling evidence of sexually antagonistic coevolution surrounding the phenomenon of infanticide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryne A Palombit
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
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21
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Female house mice initially shun infected males, but do not avoid mating with them. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1884-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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22
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Roberts SA, Davidson AJ, Beynon RJ, Hurst JL. Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Li YY, Yu JF, Lu Q, Xu J, Ye H. Female and male moths display different reproductive behavior when facing new versus previous mates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109564. [PMID: 25290195 PMCID: PMC4188817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple mating allows females to obtain material (more sperm and nutrient) and/or genetic benefits. The genetic benefit models require sperm from different males to fertilize eggs competitively or the offspring be fathered by multiple males. To maximize genetic benefits from multiple mating, females have evolved strategies to prefer novel versus previous mates in their subsequent matings. However, the reproductive behavior during mate encounter, mate choice and egg laying in relation to discrimination and preference between sexes has been largely neglected. In the present study, we used novel and previous mate treatments and studied male and female behavior and reproductive output in Spodoptera litura. The results of this study do not support the sperm and nutrient replenishment hypotheses because neither the number of mates nor the number of copulations achieved by females significantly increased female fecundity, fertility and longevity. However, females showed different oviposition patterns when facing new versus previous mates by slowing down oviposition, which allows the last male has opportunities to fertilize her eggs and the female to promote offspring diversity. Moreover, females that have novel males present called earlier and more than females that have their previous mates present, whereas no significant differences were found on male courtship between treatments. These results suggest that S. litura females can distinguish novel from previous mates and prefer the former, whereas males generally remate regardless of whether the female is a previous mate or not. In S. litura, eggs are laid in large clusters and offspring competition, inbreeding and disease transfer risks are thus increased. Therefore, offspring diversity should be valuable for S. litura, and genetic benefits should be the main force behind the evolution of female behavioral strategies found in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ying Li
- Yunnan key laboratory of international rivers and transboundary eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Feng Yu
- Yunnan key laboratory of international rivers and transboundary eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Qin Lu
- Key laboratory for animal genetic diversity and evolution of high education in Yunnan province, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Jin Xu
- Yunnan key laboratory of international rivers and transboundary eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (JX); (HY)
| | - Hui Ye
- Key laboratory for animal genetic diversity and evolution of high education in Yunnan province, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (JX); (HY)
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Thonhauser KE, Raveh S, Penn DJ. Multiple paternity does not depend on male genetic diversity. Anim Behav 2014; 93:135-141. [PMID: 25018559 PMCID: PMC4087292 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Polyandry is common in many species and it has been suggested that females engage in multiple mating to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring (genetic diversity hypothesis). Multiple paternity occurs in 30% of litters in wild populations of house mice, Mus musculus musculus, and multiple-sired litters are genetically more diverse than single-sired ones. Here, we aimed to test whether female house mice produce multiple-sired litters when they have the opportunity to produce genetically diverse litters. We assessed the rates of multiple paternity when females could choose to mate with two males that were genetically dissimilar to each other (i.e. nonsiblings and MHC dissimilar) compared with when females could choose to mate with two males that were genetically similar to each other (i.e. siblings and shared MHC alleles). Multiple mating may depend upon a female's own condition, and, therefore, we also tested whether inbred (from full-sibling matings) females were more likely to produce multiple-sired progeny than outbred controls. Overall we found that 29% of litters had multiple sires, but we found no evidence that females were more likely to produce multiple-sired litters when they had the opportunity to mate with genetically dissimilar males compared with controls, regardless of whether females were inbred or outbred. Thus, our findings do not support the idea that female mice increase multiple paternity when they have the opportunity to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring, as expected from the genetic diversity hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E. Thonhauser
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shirley Raveh
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dustin J. Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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