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Azad KN, Alam MNE, Nagata M, Tomano S, Ono H, Sugai K, Hirohashi N. Males conditionally inseminate at three female body locations according to female mating history and female maturity status in a squid. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11702. [PMID: 38777827 PMCID: PMC11111733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In some squids, such as those in the family Loliginidae, upon copulation, females receive and store male-delivered sperm capsules, spermatangia, at two different body locations: the buccal membrane and the distal end of the oviduct. This insemination site dimorphism is associated with alternative reproductive strategies. However, in Loliolus sumatrensis, a species of Loliginidae, the females possess three insemination sites: buccal membrane (BM), basal left IV arm (ARM) and lateral head behind the left eye (EYE), therefore we studied such the unusual phenomena. We developed microsatellite markers and genotyped the paternity of each spermatangium on three sites. We found multiple paternity at every single site and simultaneous usage of all three sites by a few males. The seasonal dynamics of a population in the Seto Inland Sea revealed a set priority for the initial use of insemination sites as BM, followed by ARM and then EYE, whereas the maximum number of stored spermatangia was greater in EYE > ARM > BM. Female maturity status was correlated with the usage pattern of insemination sites but not with the number of stored spermatangia at any insemination site. These results suggest that a male squid inseminates at different locations according to female mating history and female maturity status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamrun Naher Azad
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
- Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Md Nur E Alam
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Makoto Nagata
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tomano
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ono
- Marine Biological Science Section, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Kyoko Sugai
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Noritaka Hirohashi
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan.
- Marine Biological Science Section, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan.
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2
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Do female amphibians and reptiles have greater reproductive output if they have more mates? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In general, males mate with multiple females to increase individual reproductive success. Whether or not, and under what circumstances, females benefit from multiple mating has been less clear. Our review of 154 studies covering 184 populations of amphibians and reptiles showed that polyandry was widespread and variable among and within taxonomic groups. We investigated whether amphibian and reptile females had greater reproductive output as the number of sires for offspring increased. Meta-analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in the dataset of all taxa. Expected heterozygosity was a significant moderator (covariate) of positive relationships between female reproductive output and the number of sires, but a sensitivity test showed the result was tenuous. Significant heterogeneity remained despite controlling for expected heterozygosity and other variables but was resolved for most taxonomic groups with subgroup meta-analyses. Subgroup meta-analyses showed that only female salamanders (Caudata) had significantly greater reproductive output with an increased number of sires. For many species of Caudata, males cannot coerce females into accepting spermatophores. We therefore suggest that if females control the number of matings, they can use polyandry to increase their fitness. Caudata offers ideal models with which to test this hypothesis and to explore factors enabling and maintaining the evolution of female choice. Outstanding problems may be addressed by expanding taxonomic coverage and data collection and improving data reporting.
Significance Statement
Many factors and combinations of factors drive polyandry. Whether or not females benefit from mating with more than one male remains equivocal. Focusing on amphibians and reptiles, our analyses demonstrate that female salamanders produced more offspring when mated with multiple males, whereas this was not the case for reptiles. Unlike many other species in our dataset, the polyandrous female salamanders fully control sperm intake and have chosen to mate multiple times. We further highlight problems and key directions for future research in the field.
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Alarcón-Ríos L, Velo-Antón G. Multiple paternity in the pueriparous North African fire salamander, Salamandra algira, supports polyandry as a successful mating strategy in low fecundity Salamandra lineages. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Multiple paternity is widespread in nature and despite costs, it has many associated benefits like increased genetic diversity and fertilization success. It has been described in many viviparous systems, suggesting the existence of some fitness advantages counteracting the inherent costs of viviparity, such as fecundity reduction and high parental investment. Reproductively polymorphic species, like the urodele Salamandra algira, which shows two types of viviparity: larviparity (i.e., delivering aquatic larvae), and pueriparity (i.e., delivering terrestrial metamorphosed juveniles), are suitable systems to study the relationship between reproductive modes and polygamous mating. Here, multiple paternity is confirmed in a pueriparous lineage of S. algira, as previously verified for the pueriparous lineages of the reproductively polymorphic species S. salamandra, suggesting polyandry is a successful mating strategy in pueriparous systems with reduced brood sizes. We discuss the potential benefits of polyandry in the context of viviparity evolution in urodeles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Alarcón-Ríos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Torre Cacti (Lab 97), E-36310, Vigo, Spain
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4
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González-Cortés L, Labastida-Estrada E, Karam-Martínez SG, Montoya-Márquez JA, Islas-Villanueva V. Within-season shifts in multiple paternity patterns in mass-nesting olive ridley sea turtles. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple paternity is common to all sea turtle species, but its causes and consequences are hard to ascertain and the behaviors and success of males difficult to observe. This study aims to describe patterns of multiple paternity for olive ridley turtles Lepidochelys olivacea at Playa de Escobilla, an ‘arribada’ (mass-nesting) site on the Mexican Pacific coast with over a million clutches laid each reproductive season. A total of 15 females and their hatchlings were sampled during 3 arribada events which occurred over the 2016-2017 nesting season. Females and hatchlings (N = 329) were genotyped at 5 microsatellite loci, from which we inferred the alleles of 46 contributing males. Multiple paternity was detected in 60% of the analyzed clutches, which were sired by a range of 2 to 7 males. Multiple paternity rates differed significantly across arribada events, suggesting more males achieved fertilizations earlier in the breeding season. Paternal contribution in 6 of the clutches with multiple paternity was skewed towards a single male; the remaining clutches had a homogeneous male contribution. However, our results are based on relatively small within-arribada sample sizes. The frequency of multiple paternity among turtle clutches laid on this arribada beach could be related to the density of breeding individuals in the reproductive patch off Playa de Escobilla, rather than to the nesting population size or female size.
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Affiliation(s)
- L González-Cortés
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias: Ecología Marina, División de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad del Mar, Campus Puerto Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico
| | - E Labastida-Estrada
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias: Ecología Marina, División de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad del Mar, Campus Puerto Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico
| | - SG Karam-Martínez
- Instituto de Recursos, Universidad del Mar, Campus Puerto Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico
| | - JA Montoya-Márquez
- Instituto de Recursos, Universidad del Mar, Campus Puerto Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico
| | - V Islas-Villanueva
- CONACYT, Universidad del Mar, Campus Puerto Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico
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da Silva AV, Oliveira R, Peixoto PEC. Web wars: males of the golden orb-web spider invest more in fights for mated females. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In addition to resource value, the cost of finding mates may affect how much males invest in fights for females. The cost of finding females may be imposed through natural factors extrinsic to males, such as female spatial distribution and predation pressure, which can be challenging to simulate in laboratory conditions. Therefore, studies under natural conditions may be suitable for understanding how the costs of finding mating partners affect male investment in fights. We used the spider Trichonephila clavipes to evaluate the hypotheses that males in field conditions invest more in contests for access to 1) unmated and 2) more fecund females and 3) when access to females is harder. To test these hypotheses, we recorded the occurrence, duration, and escalation of induced contests between males located in webs of females that differed in reproductive status (estimated by female life stage), fecundity (estimated by female abdominal area), and spatial distribution (i.e., isolated or aggregated with webs of other females). The occurrence and duration of contests were unrelated to female value or search costs. However, the probability for escalation was higher when males were fighting for adult (and probably mated) females. We also found that males tended to start a contest more often in aggregated webs. These results indicate that males of T. clavipes adjust investment in contests but contrarily to what we expected. We suggest that males invest more in contests for adult females because they are defending females that they previously fertilized to avoid sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Vieira da Silva
- Laboratory of Sexual Selection and Agonistic Interactions (LASEXIA), Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627-Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Reisla Oliveira
- Laboratory of Sexual Selection and Agonistic Interactions (LASEXIA), Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627-Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- Laboratory of Sexual Selection and Agonistic Interactions (LASEXIA), Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627-Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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6
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Alarcón-Ríos L, Nicieza AG, Lourenço A, Velo-Antón G. The evolution of pueriparity maintains multiple paternity in a polymorphic viviparous salamander. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14744. [PMID: 32901062 PMCID: PMC7479106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71609-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The reduction in fecundity associated with the evolution of viviparity may have far-reaching implications for the ecology, demography, and evolution of populations. The evolution of a polygamous behaviour (e.g. polyandry) may counteract some of the effects underlying a lower fecundity, such as the reduction in genetic diversity. Comparing patterns of multiple paternity between reproductive modes allows us to understand how viviparity accounts for the trade-off between offspring quality and quantity. We analysed genetic patterns of paternity and offspring genetic diversity across 42 families from two modes of viviparity in a reproductive polymorphic species, Salamandra salamandra. This species shows an ancestral (larviparity: large clutches of free aquatic larvae), and a derived reproductive mode (pueriparity: smaller clutches of larger terrestrial juveniles). Our results confirm the existence of multiple paternity in pueriparous salamanders. Furthermore, we show the evolution of pueriparity maintains, and even increases, the occurrence of multiple paternity and the number of sires compared to larviparity, though we did not find a clear effect on genetic diversity. High incidence of multiple paternity in pueriparous populations might arise as a mechanism to avoid fertilization failures and to ensure reproductive success, and thus has important implications in highly isolated populations with small broods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Alarcón-Ríos
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, C/ Valentín Andrés Álvarez S/N, 33071, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Alfredo G Nicieza
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, C/ Valentín Andrés Álvarez S/N, 33071, Oviedo, Spain.,Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB), CSIC-Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias, Mieres, Spain
| | - André Lourenço
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão , Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão , Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
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7
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Henshaw JM. Finding the one: optimal choosiness under sequential mate choice. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1193-1203. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M. Henshaw
- Division of Ecology and Evolution; Research School of Biology; The Australian National University; Acton, Canberra ACT Australia
- Institute of Zoology; University of Graz; Graz Austria
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8
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Scherer U, Tiedemann R, Schlupp I. Male size, not female preferences influence female reproductive success in a poeciliid fish (Poecilia latipinna): a combined behavioural/genetic approach. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:364. [PMID: 29884214 PMCID: PMC5994011 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We investigated the potential role of indirect benefits for female mate preferences in a highly promiscuous species of live-bearing fishes, the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna using an integrative approach that combines methods from animal behavior, life-history evolution, and genetics. Males of this species solely contribute sperm for reproduction, and consequently females do not receive any direct benefits. Despite this, females typically show clear mate preferences. It has been suggested that females can increase their reproductive success through indirect benefits from choosing males of higher quality. Results Although preferences for large body size have been recorded as an honest signal for genetic quality, this particular study resulted in female preference being unaffected by male body size. Nonetheless, larger males did sire more offspring, but with no effect on offspring quality. This study presents a methodical innovation by combining preference testing with life history measurements—such as the determination of the dry weight of fish embryos—and paternity analyses on single fish embryos. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
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10
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Croshaw D, Pechmann J. Size does not matter for male Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the phenotypic attributes that contribute to variance in mating and reproductive success is crucial in the study of evolution by sexual selection. In many animals, body size is an important trait because larger individuals enjoy greater fitness due to the ability to secure more mates and produce more offspring. Among males, this outcome is largely mediated by greater success in competition with rival males and (or) advantages in attractiveness to females. Here we tested the hypothesis that large male Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhorst, 1807)) mate with more females and produce more offspring than small males. In experimental breeding groups, we included males chosen specifically to represent a range of sizes. After gravid females mated and nested freely, we collected egg clutches and genotyped all adults and samples of hatchlings with highly variable microsatellite markers to assign paternity. Size had little effect on male mating and reproductive success. Breeding males were not bigger than nonbreeding males, mates of polyandrous females were not smaller than those of monogamous females, and there was no evidence for positive assortative mating by size. Although body size did not matter for male Marbled Salamanders, we documented considerable fitness variation and discuss alternative traits that could be undergoing sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.A. Croshaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - J.H.K. Pechmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
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11
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Eddy SL, Vaccaro EA, Baggett CL, Kiemnec-Tyburczy KM, Houck LD. Sperm Mass Longevity and Sperm Storage in the Female Reproductive Tract ofPlethodon shermani(Amphibia: Plethodontidae). HERPETOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-14-00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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12
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Rovelli V, Randi E, Davoli F, Macale D, Bologna MA, Vignoli L. She gets many and she chooses the best: polygynandry inSalamandrina perspicillata(Amphibia: Salamandridae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rovelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze; Università Roma Tre; Viale Marconi 446 Rome 00146 Italy
| | - Ettore Randi
- Laboratorio di Genetica; ISPRA; Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO) 40064 Italy
- Section of Biology and Environmental Science; Department of Biotechnology; Chemistry and Environmental Engineering; Aalborg University; Sohngaardsholmsvej 57 DK-9000 Aalborg Denmark
| | - Francesca Davoli
- Laboratorio di Genetica; ISPRA; Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO) 40064 Italy
| | - Daniele Macale
- Fondazione Bioparco di Roma; Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20; Rome 00197 Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Vignoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze; Università Roma Tre; Viale Marconi 446 Rome 00146 Italy
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13
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Squires ZE, Wong BB, Norman MD, Stuart-Fox D. Last male sperm precedence in a polygamous squid. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe E. Squires
- School of Biosciences; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC 3010 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Melbourne VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Bob B.M. Wong
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Melbourne VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Mark D. Norman
- Sciences Department; Museum, Victoria; Melbourne VIC 3053 Australia
| | - Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of Biosciences; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC 3010 Australia
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14
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Holt WV, Fazeli A. Do sperm possess a molecular passport? Mechanistic insights into sperm selection in the female reproductive tract. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 21:491-501. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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15
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Caspers BA, Krause ET, Hendrix R, Kopp M, Rupp O, Rosentreter K, Steinfartz S. The more the better - polyandry and genetic similarity are positively linked to reproductive success in a natural population of terrestrial salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Mol Ecol 2013; 23:239-50. [PMID: 24168518 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although classically thought to be rare, female polyandry is widespread and may entail significant fitness benefits. If females store sperm over extended periods of time, the consequences of polyandry will depend on the pattern of sperm storage, and some of the potential benefits of polyandry can only be realized if sperm from different males is mixed. Our study aimed to determine patterns and consequences of polyandry in an amphibian species, the fire salamander, under fully natural conditions. Fire salamanders are ideal study objects, because mating, fertilization and larval deposition are temporally decoupled, females store sperm for several months, and larvae are deposited in the order of fertilization. Based on 18 microsatellite loci, we conducted paternity analysis of 24 female-offspring arrays with, in total, over 600 larvae fertilized under complete natural conditions. More than one-third of females were polyandrous and up to four males were found as sires. Our data clearly show that sperm from multiple males is mixed in the female's spermatheca. Nevertheless, paternity is biased, and the most successful male sires on average 70% of the larvae, suggesting a 'topping off' mechanism with first-male precedence. Female reproductive success increased with the number of sires, most probably because multiple mating ensured high fertilization success. In contrast, offspring number was unaffected by female condition and genetic characteristics, but surprisingly, it increased with the degree of genetic relatedness between females and their sires. Sires of polyandrous females tended to be genetically similar to each other, indicating a role for active female choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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16
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Drechsler A, Geller D, Freund K, Schmeller DS, Künzel S, Rupp O, Loyau A, Denoël M, Valbuena-Ureña E, Steinfartz S. What remains from a 454 run: estimation of success rates of microsatellite loci development in selected newt species (Calotriton asper, Lissotriton helveticus, and Triturus cristatus) and comparison with Illumina-based approaches. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:3947-57. [PMID: 24198952 PMCID: PMC3810887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of microsatellite loci has become more efficient using next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches, and many studies imply that the amount of applicable loci is large. However, few studies have sought to quantify the number of loci that are retained for use out of the thousands of sequence reads initially obtained. We analyzed the success rate of microsatellite loci development for three amphibian species using a 454 NGS approach on tetra-nucleotide motif-enriched species-specific libraries. The number of sequence reads obtained differed strongly between species and ranged from 19,562 for Triturus cristatus to 55,626 for Lissotriton helveticus, with 52,075 reads obtained for Calotriton asper. PHOBOS was used to identify sequences with tetra-nucleotide repeat motifs with a minimum repeat number of ten and high quality primer binding sites. Of 107 sequences for T. cristatus, 316 for C. asper and 319 for L. helveticus, we tested the amplification success, polymorphism, and degree of heterozygosity for 41 primer combinations each for C. asper and T. cristatus, and 22 for L. helveticus. We found 11 polymorphic loci for T. cristatus, 20 loci for C. asper, and 15 loci for L. helveticus. Extrapolated, the number of potentially amplifiable loci (PALs) resulted in estimated species-specific success rates of 0.15% (T. cristatus), 0.30% (C. asper), and 0.39% (L. helveticus). Compared with representative Illumina NGS approaches, our applied 454-sequencing approach on specifically enriched sublibraries proved to be quite competitive in terms of success rates and number of finally applicable loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Drechsler
- Department of Behavioral Biology, Unit of Molecular Ecology and Behavior, University of Bielefeld Morgenbreede 45, D-33619, Bielefeld, Germany
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17
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A novel application of Approximate Bayesian Computation for detecting male reproductive advantages due to mating order. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1612-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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18
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Manier MK, Belote JM, Berben KS, Lüpold S, Ala-Honkola O, Collins WF, Pitnick S. Rapid diversification of sperm precedence traits and processes among three sibling Drosophila species. Evolution 2013; 67:2348-62. [PMID: 23888856 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Postcopulatory sexual selection is credited with driving rapid evolutionary diversification of reproductive traits and the formation of reproductive isolating barriers between species. This judgment, however, has largely been inferred rather than demonstrated due to general lack of knowledge about processes and traits underlying variation in competitive fertilization success. Here, we resolved processes determining sperm fate in twice-mated females, using transgenic Drosophila simulans and Drosophila mauritiana populations with fluorescently labeled sperm heads. Comparisons among these two species and Drosophila melanogaster revealed a shared motif in the mechanisms of sperm precedence, with postcopulatory sexual selection potentially occurring during any of the three discrete stages: (1) insemination; (2) sperm storage; and (3) sperm use for fertilization, and involving four distinct phenomena: (1) sperm transfer; (2) sperm displacement; (3) sperm ejection; and (4) sperm selection for fertilizations. Yet, underlying the qualitative similarities were significant quantitative differences in nearly every relevant character and process. We evaluate these species differences in light of concurrent investigations of within-population variation in competitive fertilization success and postmating/prezygotic reproductive isolation in hybrid matings between species to forge an understanding of the relationship between microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns as pertains to postcopulatory sexual selection in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie K Manier
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
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19
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Grossen C, Neuenschwander S, Perrin N. The Balanced Lethal System of Crested Newts: A Ghost of Sex Chromosomes Past? Am Nat 2012; 180:E174-83. [DOI: 10.1086/668076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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20
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Meister B, Ursenbacher S, Baur B. Frequency of multiple paternity in the grass snake (Natrix natrix). AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/156853812x634053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Males can enhance their reproductive success through mating with multiple females. For females, however, one mating is usually sufficient to inseminate all of their ova. Females may benefit from multiple mating by producing genetically more diverse offspring, and by having the opportunity to choose sperm of the genetically most compatible male. We used five microsatellite loci to investigate the occurrence and frequency of multiple paternity in 11 clutches of the grass snake (Natrix natrix) in Switzerland. Using a very conservative estimate (program GERUD), two or more fathers were found in 27% of the clutches. However, based on the maximum likelihood estimate (program COLONY), multiple paternity occurred in 91% of the clutches with 2-5 contributing males per female. This is the first investigation demonstrating multiple paternity in a European natricine, with a frequency similar to those found in new world natricines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Meister
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Baur
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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21
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22
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Bloch AM, Grayson KL. Reproductive costs of migration for males in a partially migrating, pond-breeding amphibian. CAN J ZOOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1139/z10-079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Migratory animals face costs and benefits related to traveling to another habitat and the timing of the journey. These trade-offs can be sex-specific, with male reproductive success expected to be influenced by arrival time at the breeding habitat. In this study, we examined mating success in a population of partially migrating Red-Spotted Newts ( Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens (Rafinesque, 1820)). We tested the hypothesis that migrant males are at a disadvantage for spring mating opportunities compared with resident males owing to (i) later arrival time at the breeding pond and (ii) delay in developing the aquatic tail fin, which reduces their competitiveness. We measured the tail heights of successfully courting males compared with the general male population, as well as the time required for migrating males to develop tail fins. Temporally, migrant males arrived at the breeding pond before the majority of mating activity. However, we found that the time required for migrating males to acquire tail-fin heights necessary to be competitive for mating opportunities places them at a significant reproductive disadvantage compared with resident males. For partial migration to be maintained in the population, a reproductive cost for migrants could either trade off with another life-history trait or migration could be condition-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Bloch
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, 238 Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - K. L. Grayson
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, 238 Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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Veríssimo A, Grubbs D, McDowell J, Musick J, Portnoy D. Frequency of multiple paternity in the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias in the western north Atlantic. J Hered 2010; 102:88-93. [PMID: 20650933 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esq084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple paternity (MP) has been shown to be widespread in elasmobranch fishes although its prevalence and the number of sires per litter vary considerably among species. In the squaloid shark Squalus acanthias, MP has been reported, but whether it is a common feature of the species' reproductive strategy is unknown. In this study, we determined the frequency of MP in 29 litters of S. acanthias sampled from the lower Chesapeake Bay and coastal Virginia waters, using 7 highly polymorphic nuclear DNA microsatellite loci. Only 5 litters (17% of the total) were genetically polyandrous, with at least 2 sires per litter. Litter size increased with female size but was similar between polyandrous and monandrous females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Veríssimo
- Department of Fisheries Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA.
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24
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Parker G, Immler S, Pitnick S, Birkhead T. Sperm competition games: Sperm size (mass) and number under raffle and displacement, and the evolution of P2. J Theor Biol 2010; 264:1003-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2010.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2009] [Revised: 03/01/2010] [Accepted: 03/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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HENDRIX RALF, SUSANNE HAUSWALDT J, VEITH MICHAEL, STEINFARTZ SEBASTIAN. Strong correlation between cross‐amplification success and genetic distance across all members of ‘True Salamanders’ (Amphibia: Salamandridae) revealed by
Salamandra salamandra
‐specific microsatellite loci. Mol Ecol Resour 2010; 10:1038-47. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02861.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- RALF HENDRIX
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August‐Thienemann‐Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - J. SUSANNE HAUSWALDT
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - MICHAEL VEITH
- Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Am Wissenschaftspark 25 + 27, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - SEBASTIAN STEINFARTZ
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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26
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Comparing the performance of analytical techniques for genetic PARENTAGE of half-sib progeny arrays. Genet Res (Camb) 2010; 91:313-25. [PMID: 19922695 DOI: 10.1017/s0016672309990231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of female multiple mating in natural populations is important for many questions in mating system evolution. Several statistical techniques use genetic data to estimate the number of fathers that contribute gametes to broods, but they have not been widely compared to assess the magnitude of differences in their performance. With a combination of new data and reanalysis of previously published data, we compared five analytical approaches: (1) allele-counting, (2) parental reconstruction in GERUD, (3) a Bayesian probability model to estimate the frequency of multiple mating (FMM), (4) computer simulations based on population allele frequencies in HAPLOTYPES and (5) Bayesian parental reconstruction in PARENTAGE. The results show that choice of analysis technique can significantly affect estimates of sire number. Estimates from GERUD conformed exactly to results obtained from strict exclusion of potential sires in an experimental context. However, estimates yielded by HAPLOTYPES and PARENTAGE sometimes exceeded the numbers from GERUD by as much as 120 and 55%, respectively. We recommend GERUD over these other approaches for most purposes because of its accuracy and consistency in this analysis. Our novel genetic data set allowed us to investigate the extent and frequency of multiple paternity in a marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum) population in South Carolina, USA. A. opacum contrasted with other salamander species by having relatively low levels of multiple paternity (only 31-54% compared with 71-96%). Although A. opacum had the lowest level of multiple paternity under all analytical approaches used here, the magnitude of differences among species varied.
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27
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Grayson KL, McLeod HD. Evaluating the reproductive cost of migration for females in a partially migrating pond-breeding amphibian. J Zool (1987) 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00591.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Reproductive Success and Sexual Selection in Wild Eastern Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma t. tigrinum). Evol Biol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-009-9058-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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29
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30
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HOECK PAQUITAEA, GARNER TRENTONWJ. Female alpine newts (Triturus alpestris) mate initially with males signalling fertility benefits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00813.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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31
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Liebgold EB, Cabe PR, Jaeger RG, Leberg PL. Multiple paternity in a salamander with socially monogamous behaviour. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:4153-60. [PMID: 17054509 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.03076.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the majority of birds and mammals, social monogamy is not congruent with genetic monogamy. No research to date has compared social and genetic monogamy in amphibians. We analysed paternity in clutches of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus), a species in which social monogamy has been demonstrated in the laboratory, and 28% of individuals in the forest are found in male-female pairs in the noncourtship season. We collected 16 clutches of eggs of P. cinereus in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and collected tail clippings from attending mothers. We genotyped embryos and adults at five microsatellite loci in order to analyse paternity of clutches. Most clutches (84.6%) had multiple sires, with two to three sires per clutch. In this study, 25% of clutches had males in addition to females attending eggs. None of the mothers of these clutches were genetically monogamous. All attending males sired some of the offspring in the clutch that they attended (between 9% and 50%) but never sired a majority in that clutch. We conclude that, at least in this population, social monogamy in P. cinereus is not concomitant with genetic monogamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric B Liebgold
- Department of Biology, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-2451, USA.
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32
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Hirota T. The effect of female polyandry and sperm precedence on the evolution of sexual difference in dispersal timing. J Evol Biol 2006; 18:1395-402. [PMID: 16313452 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.00973.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Predispersal copulation and unpredictable environment facilitate the evolution of female-biased dispersal in species, where females are functionally monandrous. Females should migrate and reproduce over different habitats to spread their risks due to environmental fluctuation. On the other hand, males do not have to disperse because their risks are spread by their mating partners who produce their offspring in different habitats. However, when females are functionally polyandrous, it is expected that they will not contribute to spreading the male's risk extensively. Therefore, by simulation with the individual based model, the present study evaluated how female polyandry influences the sexual difference in dispersal timing. This model revealed that when females are polyandrous, the timing of female remating and sperm priority patterns have an important influence on the evolution of sex-biased dispersal. Particularly when female remating is not synchronized with dispersal or when last-male sperm precedence does not exist, female-biased dispersal is evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Hirota
- Department of Biology, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan.
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33
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Gopurenko D, Williams RN, McCormick CR, DeWoody JA. Insights into the mating habits of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) as revealed by genetic parentage analyses. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:1917-28. [PMID: 16689907 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.02904.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Among urodeles, ambystomatid salamanders are particularly amenable to genetic parentage analyses because they are explosive aggregate breeders that typically have large progeny arrays. Such analyses can lead to direct inferences about otherwise cryptic aspects of salamander natural history, including the rate of multiple mating, individual reproductive success, and the spatial distribution of clutches. In 2002, we collected eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) egg masses (> 1000 embryos) from a approximately 80 m linear transect in Indiana, USA. Embryos were genotyped at four variable microsatellite loci and the resulting progeny array data were used to reconstruct multilocus genotypes of the parental dams and sires for each egg mass. UPGMA analysis of genetic distances among embryos resolved four instances of egg mass admixture, where two or more females had oviposited at exactly the same site resulting in the mixing of independent cohorts. In total, 41 discrete egg masses were available for parentage analyses. Twenty-three egg masses (56%) consisted exclusively of full-siblings (i.e. were singly sired) and 18 (44%) were multiply sired (mean 2.6 males/clutch). Parentage could be genetically assigned to one of 17 distinct parent pairs involving at least 15 females and 14 different males. Reproductive skew was evident among males who sired multiply sired clutches. Additional evidence of the effects of sexual selection on male reproductive success was apparent via significant positive correlations between male mating and reproductive success. Females frequently partitioned their clutches into multiple discrete egg masses that were separated from one another by as many as 43 m. Collectively, these data provide the first direct evidence for polygynandry in a wild population of tiger salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gopurenko
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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34
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Whiteman HH, Krenz JD, Semlitsch RD. Intermorph breeding and the potential for reproductive isolation in polymorphic mole salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-005-0139-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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35
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MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF PARENTAGE, RELATEDNESS, AND FITNESS: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR WILD ANIMALS. J Wildl Manage 2005. [DOI: 10.2193/0022-541x(2005)69[1400:mattso]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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36
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Adams EM, Jones AG, Arnold SJ. Multiple paternity in a natural population of a salamander with long-term sperm storage. Mol Ecol 2005; 14:1803-10. [PMID: 15836651 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2005.02539.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Sperm competition appears to be an important aspect of any mating system in which individual female organisms mate with multiple males and store sperm. Post-copulatory sexual selection may be particularly important in species that store sperm throughout long breeding seasons, because the lengthy storage period may permit extensive interactions among rival sperm. Few studies have addressed the potential for sperm competition in species exhibiting prolonged sperm storage. We used microsatellite markers to examine offspring paternity in field-collected clutches of the Ocoee salamander (Desmognathus ocoee), a species in which female organisms store sperm for up to 9 months prior to fertilization. We found that 96% of clutches were sired by multiple males, but that the majority of females used sperm from only two or three males to fertilize their eggs. The high rate of multiple mating by females suggests that sperm competition is an important aspect of this mating system. Comparison of our data with those of other parentage studies in salamanders and newts reveals that multiple mating may be common in urodele amphibians. Nevertheless, the number of males siring offspring per clutch in D. ocoee did not differ appreciably from that in other species of urodeles with shorter storage periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M Adams
- Department of Zoology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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37
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Montrose VT, Harris WE, Moore PJ. Sexual conflict and cooperation under naturally occurring male enforced monogamy. J Evol Biol 2004; 17:443-52. [PMID: 15009277 DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00654.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
An evolutionary conflict often exists between the sexes in regard to female mating patterns. Females can benefit from polyandry, whereas males mating with polyandrous females lose reproductive opportunities because of sperm competition. Where this conflict occurs, the evolution of mechanisms whereby males can control female remating, often at a fitness cost to the female, are expected to evolve. The fitness cost to the female will be increased in systems where a few high status males monopolise mating opportunities and thus have limited sperm supplies. Here we show that in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea, a species where males enforce female monogamy in the first reproductive cycle, males that have become sperm depleted continue to be able to manipulate female remating behaviour. Although the manipulation severely decreases fecundity in females mated to sperm-depleted males, males benefit, increasing their relative fitness by preventing other males from reproducing. Our results suggest that there is selection on maintaining the mechanism of manipulation rather than maintaining sperm numbers. Taken with previous research on sexual conflict in N. cinerea, this study suggests that the causes and consequences of sexual conflict are complex and can change across the life history of an individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- V T Montrose
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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38
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Jones AG, Arguello JR, Arnold SJ. Molecular Parentage Analysis in Experimental Newt Populations: The Response of Mating System Measures to Variation in the Operational Sex Ratio. Am Nat 2004; 164:444-56. [PMID: 15459877 DOI: 10.1086/423826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2003] [Accepted: 06/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Molecular studies of parentage have been extremely influential in the study of sexual selection in the last decade, but a consensus statistical method for the characterization of genetic mating systems has not yet emerged. Here we study the utility of alternative mating system measures by experimentally altering the intensity of sexual selection in laboratory-based breeding populations of the rough-skinned newt. Our experiment involved skewed sex ratio (high sexual selection) and even sex ratio (low sexual selection) treatments, and we assessed the mating system by assigning parentage with microsatellite markers. Our results show that mating system measures based on Bateman's principles accurately reflect the intensity of sexual selection. One key component of this way of quantifying mating systems is the Bateman gradient, which is currently underutilized in the study of genetic mating systems. We also compare inferences based on Bateman's principles with those obtained using two other mating system measures that have been advocated recently (Morisita's index and the index of resource monopolization), and our results produce no justification for the use of these alternative measures. Overall, our results show that Bateman's principles provide the best available method for the statistical characterization of mating systems in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G Jones
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
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39
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Myers EM, Zamudio KR. Multiple paternity in an aggregate breeding amphibian: the effect of reproductive skew on estimates of male reproductive success. Mol Ecol 2004; 13:1951-63. [PMID: 15189216 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2004.02208.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Aggregate, or explosive, breeding is widespread among vertebrates and likely increases the probability of multiple paternity. We assessed paternity in seven field-collected clutches of the explosively breeding spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) using 10 microsatellite loci to determine the frequency of multiple paternity and the number of males contributing to a female's clutch. Using the Minimum Method of allele counts, multiple paternity was evident in 70% of these egg masses. Simple allele counts underestimate the number of contributing males because this method cannot distinguish multiple fathers with common or similar alleles. Therefore, we used computer simulations to estimate from the offspring genotypes the most likely number of contributing fathers given the distributions of allele frequencies in this population. We determined that two to eight males may contribute to A. maculatum clutches; therefore, multiple paternity is a common strategy in this aggregate breeding species. In aggregate mating systems competition for mates can be intense, thus differential reproductive success (reproductive skew) among males contributing to a female's clutch could be a probable outcome. We use our data to evaluate the potential effect of reproductive skew on estimates of the number of contributing males. We simulated varying scenarios of differential male reproductive success, ranging from equal contribution to high reproductive skew among contributing sires in multiply sired clutches. Our data suggest that even intermediate levels of reproductive skew decrease confidence substantially in estimates of the number of contributing sires when parental genotypes are unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Myers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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40
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Tennessen JA, Zamudio KR. Early male reproductive advantage, multiple paternity and sperm storage in an amphibian aggregate breeder. Mol Ecol 2003; 12:1567-76. [PMID: 12755884 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01830.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We tested whether the order in which males encounter females affects reproductive fitness in spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum). Using mating chambers in the field, we allowed one male access to a female before a second male. We then used four microsatellite markers in paternity analyses of the resulting larvae. First males sired a significantly larger number of offspring than second males, suggesting that male reproductive success is greatly enhanced by early arrival at breeding ponds. Multiple paternity was common among clutches, and frequently larvae were assigned to unidentified males that had not been in the chambers. Sperm from these males had either been stored by females for a year or obtained more recently at other breeding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Tennessen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E145 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, USA
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41
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Garner TWJ, Schmidt BR. Relatedness, body size and paternity in the alpine newt, Triturus alpestris. Proc Biol Sci 2003; 270:619-24. [PMID: 12769462 PMCID: PMC1691289 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection has traditionally been investigated assuming that male quality is as skewed as patterns of male reproductive success can sometimes be. Recently, female choice has been investigated under the model of genetic compatibility, which assumes that each individual female has her own 'best' mate and there is no overall optimal choice for all females. We investigated female mate choice in the newt species Triturus alpestris, a member of a genus where female choice has been investigated only within the context of the optimal male (female choice for condition-dependent traits). We provided females with two males that differed in one condition-dependent trait (body size) and overall genetic composition. Both male body size and female body size did not influence paternity, but the degree of genetic relatedness between females and potential mates did. Two components of fitness (fecundity and hatching success) did not differ between singly and multiply sired clutches, indicating that females do not employ polyandry as a means of increasing offspring fitness through genetic bet-hedging. Instead, we hypothesize that females may mate initially for fertility assurance, but prefer less-related males as the most genetically compatible mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trenton W J Garner
- Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
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42
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Jones AG, Arguello JR, Arnold SJ. Validation of Bateman's principles: a genetic study of sexual selection and mating patterns in the rough-skinned newt. Proc Biol Sci 2002; 269:2533-9. [PMID: 12573067 PMCID: PMC1691187 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Few studies have influenced thought on the nature of sexual selection to the extent of the classic paper of A. J. Bateman on mating patterns in Drosophila. However, interpretation of his study remains controversial, and a lack of modern empirical evidence prevents a consensus with respect to the perceived utility of Bateman's principles in the study of sexual selection. Here, we use a genetic study of natural mating patterns in the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa, to investigate the concordance between Bateman's principles and the intensity of sexual selection. We found that males experienced strong sexual selection on tail height and body size, while sexual selection was undetectable in females. This direct quantification of sexual selection agreed perfectly with inferences that are based on Bateman's principles. Specifically, males (in comparison with females) exhibited greater standardized variances in reproductive and mating success, as well as a stronger relationship between mating success and reproductive success. Overall, our results illustrate that Bateman's principles provide the only quantitative measures of the mating system with explicit connections to formal selection theory and should be the central focus of studies of mating patterns in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G Jones
- Department of Zoology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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Abstract
In polyandrous females the ultimate stage of cryptic female choice may involve eggsperm interactions during different phases of fertilization. This form of sperm discrimination is possible only when sperm from different males have simultaneous access to eggs at the site of fertilization. In polyandrous newts of the genus Triturus, eggs are fertilized internally by sperm stored for an extensive period of time in the tubular spermatheca. The extent of sperm mixing, which is a necessary condition for cryptic female choice involving spermegg interactions, was studied in doubly mated female Alpine newts, Triturus alpestris. Using an allozyme marker the paternity of offspring sired by the two males was established in both series of larvae reared from eggs produced consecutively over short period of time (ca. 2 h) and batches of eggs collected during longer periods of time (up to 26 days). Significant sperm mixing was unequivocally demonstrated by the mixed paternity of the progeny produced in series. The paternity pattern in batches of eggs collected during longer periods of time showed neither significant predominance of either male in the progeny nor any effects of sperm stratification in the tubules of the spermatheca.
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