1
|
Friesen CR, Uhrig EJ, Mason RT. Dehydrated males are less likely to dive into the mating pool. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The hydration state of animals vying for reproductive success may have implications for the tempo and mode of sexual selection, which may be salient in populations that experience increasing environmental fluctuations in water availability. Using red-sided garter snakes as a model system, we tested the effect of water supplementation on courtship, mating behavior, and copulatory plug (CP) production during a drought year. Over 3 days of mating trials, water-supplemented males (WET males, n = 45) outperformed a control group that was not supplemented with water (DRY males, n = 45). Over 70% of WET males mated but just 33% of DRY males did so. As a group, WET males mated 79 times versus 28 times by DRY males. On the last day of mating trials, over 70% of WET males were still courting, with 19 of them mating, whereas less than 25% of DRY males were courting and only one mated. CP deposition accounted for 4–6% of the mass lost by mating males, but hydration did not affect CP mass or water content. These findings suggest that, in years of low water availability, the number of courting males and the intensity of their courtship declines, thereby affecting sexual selection and conflict, at least within that year.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Building 35, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bldg F22, Life Earth and Environmental Sciences (LEES) Building, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Emily J Uhrig
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Room 263, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Robert T Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Friesen CR, Mason RT, Uhrig EJ. Postcopulatory sexual selection as a driver of sex- and population-specific kidney mass in garter snakes? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In lizards and snakes, the kidneys produce seminal fluid in addition to having osmoregulatory functions. Therefore, in response to polyandry, kidney mass should be under selection regimes such as those influencing testes. Male red-sided garter snakes deposit a kidney-derived copulatory plug that functions in sperm competition. We first tested for intersexual differences in kidney mass and allometry in one population and found that males had kidneys twice as heavy as those of females, consistent with stronger selection on male kidney mass. Previous studies have shown that male size enhances mating success in one-on-one competition prevalent in small mating aggregations. We then examined the relationship between body size, kidney mass and testes mass in two populations with low (LD) and high (HD) mating aggregation densities. Males from the HD population had heavier testes and heavier kidneys compared with males from the LD population; HD males were also smaller in body size. Our results suggest that the strength of sexual selection, and possibly the balance between pre- and postcopulatory selection, varies in response to population size or density. However, more replication is needed to confirm the generality of these results within red-sided garter snakes and other squamate reptiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Robert T Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Emily J Uhrig
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Friesen CR, Kahrl AF, Olsson M. Sperm competition in squamate reptiles. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200079. [PMID: 33070739 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple paternity is ubiquitous within the polyphyletic group called 'reptiles', especially within the lizards and snakes. Therefore, the probability of sperm competition occurring, and being intense, is high. Squamates exhibit a diversity of tactics to ensure fertilization success in the face of sperm competition. The duration of female sperm storage, which can be many months and even years in some species, remains an enigma. Here, we emphasize some mechanisms that might affect patterns of paternity, the source and function of ejaculates and features of the female reproductive tract that may aid in long-term sperm storage. In doing so, we present a new analysis of the relationship between sperm size, the strength of sperm competition and the duration of female sperm storage. Lizards and snakes are a diverse group that has provided many excellent models for the study of an array of life-history strategies. However, when it comes to postcopulatory sexual selection, there is much left to discover. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Ariel F Kahrl
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Olsson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Blengini CS, Juri GL, Chiaraviglio M, Uñates DR, Naretto S. Sperm Parameters in Pristidactylus achalensis (Squamata: Leiosauridae), a Lizard Endemic to the Highest Mountain Areas in Central Argentina. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ch-19-310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Soledad Blengini
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Córdoba, Argentina; (CSB) ; (GLJ) ; (MC) ; (
| | - Guadalupe López Juri
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Córdoba, Argentina; (CSB) ; (GLJ) ; (MC) ; (
| | - Margarita Chiaraviglio
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Córdoba, Argentina; (CSB) ; (GLJ) ; (MC) ; (
| | - Diego Rafael Uñates
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Córdoba, Argentina; (CSB) ; (GLJ) ; (MC) ; (
| | - Sergio Naretto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Córdoba, Argentina; (CSB) ; (GLJ) ; (MC) ; (
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Naretto S, Chiaraviglio M. Factors driving sexual dimorphism and colour variability in the Achala Copper Lizard (Pristidactylus achalensis), an endemic species to the highland mountains in central Argentina. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The intensity of mating competition varies according to the temporal and spatial distribution of individuals. Measuring sexual dimorphism over time and interpreting the association between individuals is therefore important if we aim to understand how sexual traits are influenced. We examined sex differences in the Achala Copper Lizard (Pristidactylus achalensis (Gallardo, 1964)), an endemic species from the highest part of mountains of central Argentina. Over 4 years, we explored sex-specific variation in body size, head size, interlimb length, and body colouration. Furthermore, we evaluated how these traits varied temporally, and we also explored whether the spatial distribution of individuals is explained by variation in these traits. We found that P. achalensis is a species with sexual dimorphism in multiple characters, including body size, head size, and colouration. Interestingly, some traits related to mating, such as head width, show a temporal variability in both sexes, whereas other traits, such as colouration, varies seasonally only in males. Our results underline the intriguing possibility of seasonal morphological changes related to mating, and more broadly that sex differences are influenced by sexual selection pressures mediated by temporal variation in mate competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. Naretto
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sársfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Córdoba, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sársfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M. Chiaraviglio
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sársfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Córdoba, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sársfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rollings N, Waye HL, Krohmer RW, Uhrig EJ, Mason RT, Olsson M, Whittington CM, Friesen CR. Sperm telomere length correlates with blood telomeres and body size in red‐sided garter snakes,
Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Rollings
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - H. L. Waye
- Division of Science and Mathematics University of Minnesota Morris Morris MN USA
| | - R. W Krohmer
- Department of Biological Sciences Saint Xavier University Chicago IL USA
| | - E. J. Uhrig
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - R. T. Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - M. Olsson
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| | - C. M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - C. R. Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI)University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|