1
|
Wang D, Abbott J, Brenninger FA, Klein K, Nava-Bolaños A, Yong L, Richter XYL. Female alternative reproductive tactics: diversity and drivers. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00140-X. [PMID: 38955568 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.06.002] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
It is often argued that anisogamy causes alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) to be more common in males than females. We challenge this view by pointing out logical flaws in the argument. We then review recent work on the diversity of female ARTs, listing several understudied types such as solitary versus communal breeding and facultative parthenogenesis. We highlight an important difference between male and female ARTs that caused female ARTs to be overlooked: male ARTs tend to focus on successful fertilization, whereas female ARTs occur at many stages of reproduction and often form complex networks of decision points. We propose to study correlated female ARTs as a whole to better understand their drivers and eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101 Beijing, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Jessica Abbott
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Franziska A Brenninger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kora Klein
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Angela Nava-Bolaños
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla, Jurica La Mesa, Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, México
| | - Lengxob Yong
- Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Xiang-Yi Li Richter
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Baltzerstrasse 6, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao M, Kurtis SM, Humbel EA, Griffith EV, Liu T, Braun EL, Buchholz R, Kimball RT. Bare parts in the Galliformes: the evolution of a multifunctional structure. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231695. [PMID: 38204797 PMCID: PMC10776217 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
A morphological trait can have multiple functions shaped by varying selective forces. Bare parts in birds, such as wattles, casques and combs, are known to function in both signalling and thermoregulation. Studies have demonstrated such structures are targets of sexual selection via female choice in several species of Galliformes (junglefowl, turkeys and grouse), though other studies have shown some role in thermoregulation (guineafowl). Here, we tested fundamental hypotheses regarding the evolution and maintenance of bare parts in Galliformes. Using a phylogeny that included nearly 90% of species in the order, we evaluated the role of both sexual and natural selection in shaping the function of bare parts across different clades. We found a combination of both environmental and putative sexually selected traits strongly predicted the variation of bare parts for both males and females across Galliformes. When the analysis is restricted to the largest family, Phasianidae (pheasants, junglefowl and allies), sexually selected traits were the primary predictors of bare parts. Our results suggest that bare parts are important for both thermoregulation and sexual signalling across Galliformes but are primarily under strong sexual selection within the Phasianidae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhao
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sarah M. Kurtis
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ellen A. Humbel
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Emily V. Griffith
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tong Liu
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Edward L. Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Richard Buchholz
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Rebecca T. Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lipshutz SE, Torneo SJ, Rosvall KA. How Female-Female Competition Affects Male-Male Competition: Insights into Postcopulatory Sexual Selection from Socially Polyandrous Species. Am Nat 2023; 201:460-471. [PMID: 36848510 DOI: 10.1086/722799] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSexual selection is a major driver of trait variation, and the intensity of male competition for mating opportunities has been linked with sperm size across diverse taxa. Mating competition among females may also shape the evolution of sperm traits, but the effect of the interplay between female-female competition and male-male competition on sperm morphology is not well understood. We evaluated variation in sperm morphology in two species with socially polyandrous mating systems, in which females compete to mate with multiple males. Northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa) and wattled jacanas (J. jacana) vary in their degree of social polyandry and sexual dimorphism, suggesting species differences in the intensity of sexual selection. We compared mean and variance in sperm head, midpiece, and tail length between species and breeding stages because these measures have been associated with the intensity of sperm competition. We found that the species with greater polyandry, northern jacana, has sperm with longer midpieces and tails as well as marginally lower intraejaculate variation in tail length. Intraejaculate variation was also significantly lower in copulating males than in incubating males, suggesting flexibility in sperm production as males cycle between breeding stages. Our results indicate that stronger female-female competition for mating opportunities may also shape more intense male-male competition by selecting for longer and less variable sperm traits. These findings extend frameworks developed in socially monogamous species to reveal that sperm competition may be an important evolutionary force layered atop female-female competition for mates.
Collapse
|
4
|
Bakovic V, Höglund A, Martin Cerezo ML, Henriksen R, Wright D. Genomic and gene expression associations to morphology of a sexual ornament in the chicken. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6633936. [PMID: 35801935 PMCID: PMC9434260 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
How sexual selection affects the genome ultimately relies on the strength and type of selection, and the genetic architecture of the involved traits. While associating genotype with phenotype often utilizes standard trait morphology, trait representations in morphospace using geometric morphometric approaches receive less focus in this regard. Here, we identify genetic associations to a sexual ornament, the comb, in the chicken system (Gallus gallus). Our approach combined genome-wide genotype and gene expression data (>30k genes) with different aspects of comb morphology in an advanced intercross line (F8) generated by crossing a wild-type Red Junglefowl with a domestic breed of chicken (White Leghorn). In total, 10 quantitative trait loci were found associated to various aspects of comb shape and size, while 1,184 expression QTL were found associated to gene expression patterns, among which 98 had overlapping confidence intervals with those of quantitative trait loci. Our results highlight both known genomic regions confirming previous records of a large effect quantitative trait loci associated to comb size, and novel quantitative trait loci associated to comb shape. Genes were considered candidates affecting comb morphology if they were found within both confidence intervals of the underlying quantitative trait loci and eQTL. Overlaps between quantitative trait loci and genome-wide selective sweeps identified in a previous study revealed that only loci associated to comb size may be experiencing on-going selection under domestication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vid Bakovic
- IFM Biology, University of Linköping , Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Andrey Höglund
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University , Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | | | - Rie Henriksen
- IFM Biology, University of Linköping , Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Dominic Wright
- IFM Biology, University of Linköping , Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pham TH, Brannelly LA. Sperm parameters following hormonal induction of spermiation in an endangered frog [the alpine tree frog] (Litoria verreauxii alpina). Reprod Fertil Dev 2022; 34:867-874. [PMID: 35617991 DOI: 10.1071/rd22009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT With global amphibian biodiversity rapidly declining, improving reproductive technology outcomes has become essential. Captive breeding programs have struggled because amphibian breeding physiology often requires specific environmental cues that reproductive technologies can circumvent. AIMS This study tests the efficiency of hormonal induction by evaluating sperm quality in the endangered Litoria verreauxii alpina. METHODS We assessed the effects of exogenous hormones - gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a, Lucrin), and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG, Chorulon) - on sperm quality. KEY RESULTS Hormone induction with hCG showed high efficacy while GnRH-a yielded a low response in producing sperm. Sperm quantity was affected by time post injection, with the greatest quantity at 1h post injection. Sperm quality was also affected by time, where the sperm head size decreased by 11% at 7h post injection. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results from this study, we recommend that that sperm be collected soon after induction, and not more than 4h post induction in L. v. alpina. More work needs to be completed before recommending an optimal hormone induction method and dose, but 120IU of hCG per male was successful for inducing spermiation. IMPLICATIONS This study represents a useful starting point for developing assisted reproductive techniques for non-model organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thien H Pham
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia
| | - Laura A Brannelly
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pollo P, Nakagawa S, Kasumovic MM. The better, the choosier: A meta-analysis on interindividual variation of male mate choice. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1305-1322. [PMID: 35259282 PMCID: PMC9543502 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Male mate choice occurs in several animal species, but we know little about the factors that influence the expression of this behaviour. Males vary in their capacity to acquire mates (i.e. male quality), which could be crucial to male mate choice expression but it is often overlooked. Using a meta‐analytical approach, we explore interindividual variation in the expression of male mate choice by comparing the mating investment of males of different qualities and phenotypes to high‐ and low‐quality females. We used two datasets that together contained information from 60 empirical studies, comprising 52 species. We found that males of all qualities and phenotypes prefer high‐quality females, but differ in the strength of such preference. High‐ and medium‐quality males are choosier than low‐quality males. Similarly, males that are larger or in greater body condition are choosier than their counterparts. In contrast, male body mass and age are not associated with changes in male mate choice. We also show that experimental design may influence our understanding of male mating investment patterns, which may limit the generalisation of our findings. Nonetheless, we argue that male quality may be an important feature in the expression of male mate choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Pollo
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Alonzo SH, Stiver KA, Kindsvater HK, Marsh-Rollo SE, Nugent B, Kazancıoğlu E. Ejaculate Allocation and Sperm Characteristics Differ among Alternative Male Types in a Species of Fish with Cooperation and Competition among Unrelated Males. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102612. [PMID: 34685591 PMCID: PMC8533787 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection arising from sperm competition has driven the evolution of immense variation in ejaculate allocation and sperm characteristics not only among species, but also among males within a species. One question that has received little attention is how cooperation among males affects these patterns. Here we ask how male alternative reproductive types differ in testes size, ejaculate production, and sperm morphology in the ocellated wrasse, a marine fish in which unrelated males cooperate and compete during reproduction. Nesting males build nests, court females and provide care. Sneaker males only “sneak” spawn, while satellite males sneak, but also help by chasing away sneakers. We found that satellite males have larger absolute testes than either sneakers or nesting males, despite their cooperative role. Nesting males invested relatively less in testes than either sneakers or satellites. Though sneakers produced smaller ejaculates than either satellite or nesting males, we found no difference among male types in either sperm cell concentration or sperm number, implying sneakers may produce less seminal fluid. Sperm tail length did not differ significantly among male types, but sneaker sperm cells had significantly larger heads than either satellite or nesting male sperm, consistent with past research showing sneakers produce slower sperm. Our results highlight that social interactions among males can influence sperm and ejaculate production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-831-502-7706
| | - Kelly A. Stiver
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
| | - Holly K. Kindsvater
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;
| | - Susan E. Marsh-Rollo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada;
| | - Bridget Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
| | - Erem Kazancıoğlu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
- Protenus, Inc., 1629 Thames St., Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Strategic adjustment of ejaculate quality in response to variation of the socio-sexual environment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03032-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
9
|
Reuland C, Culbert BM, Fernlund Isaksson E, Kahrl AF, Devigili A, Fitzpatrick JL. Male-male behavioral interactions drive social-dominance-mediated differences in ejaculate traits. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:168-177. [PMID: 33708008 PMCID: PMC7937186 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher social status is expected to result in fitness benefits as it secures access to potential mates. In promiscuous species, male reproductive success is also determined by an individual’s ability to compete for fertilization after mating by producing high-quality ejaculates. However, the complex relationship between a male’s investment in social status and ejaculates remains unclear. Here, we examine how male social status influences ejaculate quality under a range of social contexts in the pygmy halfbeak Dermogenys collettei, a small, group-living, internally fertilizing freshwater fish. We show that male social status influences ejaculate traits, both in the presence and absence of females. Dominant males produced faster swimming and more viable sperm, two key determinants of ejaculate quality, but only under conditions with frequent male–male behavioral interactions. When male–male interactions were experimentally reduced through the addition of a refuge, differences in ejaculate traits of dominant and subordinate males disappeared. Furthermore, dominant males were in a better condition, growing faster, and possessing larger livers, highlighting a possible condition dependence of competitive traits. Contrary to expectations, female presence or absence did not affect sperm swimming speed or testes mass. Together, these results suggest a positive relationship between social status and ejaculate quality in halfbeaks and highlight that the strength of behavioral interactions between males is a key driver of social-status-dependent differences in ejaculate traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charel Reuland
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | | | - Ariel F Kahrl
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alessandro Devigili
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John L Fitzpatrick
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Carleial R, McDonald GC, Spurgin LG, Fairfield EA, Wang Y, Richardson DS, Pizzari T. Temporal dynamics of competitive fertilization in social groups of red junglefowl ( Gallus gallus) shed new light on avian sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200081. [PMID: 33070718 PMCID: PMC7661449 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of birds have made a fundamental contribution to elucidating sperm competition processes, experimentally demonstrating the role of individual mechanisms in competitive fertilization. However, the relative importance of these mechanisms and the way in which they interact under natural conditions remain largely unexplored. Here, we conduct a detailed behavioural study of freely mating replicate groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, to predict the probability that competing males fertilize individual eggs over the course of 10-day trials. Remating frequently with a female and mating last increased a male's probability of fertilization, but only for eggs ovulated in the last days of a trial. Conversely, older males, and those mating with more polyandrous females, had consistently lower fertilization success. Similarly, resistance to a male's mating attempts, particularly by younger females, reduced fertilization probability. After considering these factors, male social status, partner relatedness and the estimated state of male extragonadal sperm reserves did not predict sperm competition outcomes. These results shed new light on sperm competition dynamics in taxa such as birds, with prolonged female sperm storage and staggered fertilizations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rômulo Carleial
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Grant C. McDonald
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest 1077, Hungary
| | - Lewis G. Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | | | - Yunke Wang
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - David S. Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Martinez G, Garcia C. Sexual selection and sperm diversity in primates. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110974. [PMID: 32926966 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many aspects of primate sperm physiology and reproductive behavior have been influenced by sexual selection, especially in taxa exposed to sperm competition where females mate with multiple partners. Primate sperm diversity reflects therefore the evolutionary divergences of the different primate species and the impact of a combination of variables exerting selection pressures on sperm form, function, and competition. Thereby, mating systems, life cycle or ecological variables are some of the important factors driving sperm diversity and explaining variation in terms of sperm morphology, parameters or male sexual characters. Here, we address primate sperm diversity through a compilation of all data available in the literature concerning primate sperm parameters and relationships between them. We also review the factors that can influence primate sperm diversity (e.g. mating systems, trade-off between investments in precopulatory and postcopulatory sexual traits, male and female sexual behaviors, seasonality, social constraints, testosterone levels), and discuss also their relevance to our understanding of human reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Martinez
- Hôpital Couple-Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, F-38000, Grenoble, France; Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Cécile Garcia
- UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie, CNRS - MNHN - Université de Paris, Musée de l'Homme, 75016, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lara CE, Taylor HR, Holtmann B, Johnson SL, Santos ESA, Gemmell NJ, Nakagawa S. Dunnock social status correlates with sperm speed, but fast sperm does not always equal high fitness. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1139-1148. [PMID: 32472954 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Sperm competition theory predicts that males should modulate sperm investment according to their social status. Sperm speed, one proxy of sperm quality, also influences the outcome of sperm competition because fast sperm cells may fertilize eggs before slow sperm cells. We evaluated whether the social status of males predicted their sperm speed in a wild population of dunnocks (Prunella modularis). In addition to the traditional analysis of the average speed of sperm cells per sample, we also analysed subsamples of the fastest sperm cells per sample. In other words, we systematically evaluated the effects of including different numbers of the fastest sperm in our analyses, ranging from the 5-fastest sperm cells to the 100-fastest sperm cells in a sample. We further evaluated whether fitness, defined here as the number of chicks sired per male per breeding season, relates to the sperm speed in the same population. We found that males in monogamous pairings (i.e. low levels of sperm competition), produced the slowest sperm cells, whereas subordinate males in polyandrous male-male coalitions (i.e. high levels of sperm competition) produced the fastest sperm cells. This result was consistent regardless of the number of fastest sperm included in our analyses, but statistical support was conditional on the number of sperm cells included in the analysis. Interestingly, we found no significant relationship between fitness and sperm speed, which suggests that it is possible that the differential mating opportunities across social status levelled out any possible difference. Our study also suggests that it is important to identify biologically meaningful subsets of fastest sperm and cut-offs for inclusions for assessing sperm competition via sperm speed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Lara
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Helen R Taylor
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Benedikt Holtmann
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sheri L Johnson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Eduardo S A Santos
- BECO Lab, Department of Zoology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Trade-offs of strategic sperm adjustments and their consequences under phenotype–environment mismatches in guppies. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
14
|
Locatello L, Rigoni G, Soriano ME, Rasotto MB, Poli F. Going beyond conventional parameters to unveil sperm quality in fish: the use of fibre optic technology to assess mitochondrial respiratory performance. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio053306. [PMID: 32694190 PMCID: PMC7406323 DOI: 10.1242/bio.053306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm fertilisation success depends on both intrinsic quality and the interactions with the surrounding reproductive fluids. In several fish species, these interactions have a variable effect on sperm performance. Although specific responses to reproductive fluids may depend on intrinsic differences in sperm quality, variations in the traditionally recorded sperm functional traits do not fully account for the observed patterns. New methods to enhance the evaluation of sperm quality may prove to be valuable at both applied and theoretical levels, by improving the breeding protocol of reared species and the understanding of mating success in sperm competition contexts. Here we develop a fibre optic-based technique, also adequate for small ejaculate samples, to test the role of mitochondrial respiratory efficiency in deciphering sperm performance variability. We purposely used as model the grass goby, Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, a fish with guard-sneaker mating tactics where the sperm in each male tactic have similar intrinsic qualities (velocity, viability, ATP content), but sneakers' sperm exploit territorial males' seminal fuid, overall displaying better fertilization ability. We found that sperm differed in their mitochondrial respiratory efficiency, which was higher in sneakers' sperm compared to territorial ones. This result draws the attention to an indicator of sperm quality that might be helpful in disentangling the mechanisms driving sperm-reproductive fluid interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Locatello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Rigoni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria E Soriano
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria B Rasotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Federica Poli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cardozo G, Devigili A, Antonelli P, Pilastro A. Female sperm storage mediates post-copulatory costs and benefits of ejaculate anticipatory plasticity in the guppy. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1294-1305. [PMID: 32614995 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Males of many species evolved the capability of adjusting their ejaculate phenotype in response to social cues to match the expected mating conditions. When females store sperm for a prolonged time, the expected fitness return of plastic adjustments of ejaculate phenotype may depend on the interval between mating and fertilization. Although prolonged female sperm storage (FSS) increases the opportunity for sperm competition, as a consequence of the longer temporal overlap of ejaculates from several males, it may also create variable selective forces on ejaculate phenotype, for example by exposing trade-offs between sperm velocity and sperm survival. We evaluated the relationship between the plasticity of ejaculate quality and FSS in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, a polyandrous live-bearing fish in which females store sperm for several months and where stored sperm contribute significantly to a male's lifelong reproductive success. In this species, males respond to the perception of future mating opportunities by increasing the quantity (number) and quality (swimming velocity) of ready-to-use sperm (an anticipatory response called 'sperm priming'). Here we investigated (a) the effect of sperm priming on in vitro sperm viability at stripping and its temporal decline (as an estimate of sperm survival), and (b) the in vivo competitive fertilization success in relation to female sperm storage using artificial insemination. As expected, sperm-primed males produced more numerous and faster sperm, but with a reduced in vitro sperm viability at stripping and after 4 hr, compared with their counterparts. Artificial insemination revealed that the small (nonsignificant) advantage of primed sperm when fertilization immediately follows insemination is reversed when eggs are fertilized by female-stored sperm, weeks after insemination. By suggesting a plastic trade-off between sperm velocity and viability, these results demonstrate that prolonged female sperm storage generates divergent selection pressures on ejaculate phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Cardozo
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET-UNC and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandro Devigili
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Magris M, Chimetto G, Pilastro A. Strategic ejaculate adjustments and mismatches: are males paying sperm senescence costs? ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1737577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Magris
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu 80100, Finland
| | | | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hurley LL, Rowe M, Griffith SC. Reproductive coordination breeds success: the importance of the partnership in avian sperm biology. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2782-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
18
|
Chung MHJ, Jennions MD, Fox RJ. Novel ablation technique shows no sperm priming response by male eastern mosquitofish to cues of female availability. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2779-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
19
|
McDonald GC, Spurgin LG, Fairfield EA, Richardson DS, Pizzari T. Differential female sociality is linked with the fine-scale structure of sexual interactions in replicate groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191734. [PMID: 31615354 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work indicates that social structure has extensive implications for patterns of sexual selection and sexual conflict. However, little is known about the individual variation in social behaviours linking social structure to sexual interactions. Here, we use network analysis of replicate polygynandrous groups of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) to show that the association between social structure and sexual interactions is underpinned by differential female sociality. Sexual dynamics are largely explained by a core group of highly social, younger females, which are more fecund and more polyandrous, and thus associated with more intense postcopulatory competition for males. By contrast, less fecund females from older cohorts, which tend to be socially dominant, avoid male sexual attention by clustering together and perching on branches, and preferentially reproduce with dominant males by more exclusively associating and mating with them. Collectively, these results indicate that individual females occupy subtly different social niches and demonstrate that female sociality can be an important factor underpinning the landscape of intrasexual competition and the emergent structure of animal societies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grant C McDonald
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest 1077, Hungary
| | - Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Losdat S, Rojas Mora A, Bellut C, Chargé R, Falchi V, Glauser G, Vallat A, Helfenstein F. Social dominance, but not parasite load, affects sperm quality and sperm redox status in house sparrows. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.200675. [PMID: 31439651 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sperm performance is an important component of male reproductive success. However, sperm production is costly and males need to optimize their investment in sperm quality versus the somatic traits involved in mating success, e.g. their social status. As oxidative stress affects both sperm performance and somatic functions, it has been hypothesized to mediate such a trade-off. According to the oxidation-based soma/germline trade-off hypothesis, dominant males should favour the antioxidant protection of their somatic tissues, and subordinate males should favour the antioxidant protection of their sperm. We tested this hypothesis by experimentally infecting wild-caught house sparrows Passer domesticus with Coccidia Isopora sp., an internal parasite known to deplete antioxidant resources. We predicted that (i) increased parasite load affects sperm oxidative status and sperm performance and that (ii) males with experimentally high parasite load adjust the antioxidant protection of their soma versus their sperm according to their social status. Despite a 5400% increase in parasite load, sperm performance and somatic and spermatic oxidative status remained unaffected, irrespective of male social status. Nevertheless, males increased their sperm performance over time, a pattern mirrored by an increase in the antioxidant protection of their sperm. Moreover, males at the lower end of the hierarchy always produced sperm of lower velocity, suggesting that they were constrained and privileged their soma over their germline. To conclude, high parasite loads do not necessarily affect sperm performance and oxidative status. In contrast, social hierarchy and the relative investment in soma versus sperm antioxidant protection are determinants of sperm performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Losdat
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Bellut
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Rémi Chargé
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Falchi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Alvarez-Fernandez A, Borziak K, McDonald GC, Dorus S, Pizzari T. Female novelty and male status dynamically modulate ejaculate expenditure and seminal fluid proteome over successive matings in red junglefowl. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5852. [PMID: 30971704 PMCID: PMC6458113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41336-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that males will strategically invest in ejaculates according to the value of mating opportunities. While strategic sperm allocation has been studied extensively, little is known about concomitant changes in seminal fluid (SF) and its molecular composition, despite increasing evidence that SF proteins (SFPs) are fundamental in fertility and sperm competition. Here, we show that in male red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, along with changes in sperm numbers and SF investment, SF composition changed dynamically over successive matings with a first female, immediately followed by mating with a second, sexually novel female. The SF proteome exhibited a pattern of both protein depletion and enrichment over successive matings, including progressive increases in immunity and plasma proteins. Ejaculates allocated to the second female had distinct proteomic profiles, where depletion of many SFPs was compensated by increased investment in others. This response was partly modulated by male social status: when mating with the second, novel female, subdominants (but not dominants) preferentially invested in SFPs associated with sperm composition, which may reflect status-specific differences in mating rates, sperm maturation and sperm competition. Global proteomic SF analysis thus reveals that successive matings trigger rapid, dynamic SFP changes driven by a combination of depletion and strategic allocation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirill Borziak
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Grant C McDonald
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Silva WTAF, Sáez-Espinosa P, Torijo-Boix S, Romero A, Devaux C, Durieux M, Gómez-Torres MJ, Immler S. The effects of male social environment on sperm phenotype and genome integrity. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:535-544. [PMID: 30817032 PMCID: PMC6850410 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sperm function and quality are primary determinants of male reproductive performance and hence fitness. The presence of rival males has been shown to affect ejaculate and sperm traits in a wide range of taxa. However, male physiological conditions may not only affect sperm phenotypic traits but also their genetic and epigenetic signatures, affecting the fitness of the resulting offspring. We investigated the effects of male‐male competition on sperm quality using TUNEL assays and geometric morphometrics in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. We found that the sperm produced by males exposed to high male–male competition had smaller heads but larger midpiece and flagellum than sperm produced by males under low competition. Head and flagella also appeared less sensitive to the osmotic stress induced by activation with water. In addition, more sperm showed signals of DNA damage in ejaculates of males under high competition. These findings suggest that the presence of a rival male may have positive effects on sperm phenotypic traits but negative effects on sperm DNA integrity. Overall, males facing the presence of rival males may produce faster swimming and more competitive sperm but this may come at a cost for the next generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alejandro Romero
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Caroline Devaux
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Mathilde Durieux
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - María José Gómez-Torres
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.,Cátedra Human Fertility, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Simone Immler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Fox RJ, Fromhage L, Jennions MD. Sexual selection, phenotypic plasticity and female reproductive output. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180184. [PMID: 30966965 PMCID: PMC6365872 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In a rapidly changing environment, does sexual selection on males elevate a population's reproductive output? If so, does phenotypic plasticity enhance or diminish any such effect? We outline two routes by which sexual selection can influence the reproductive output of a population: a genetic correlation between male sexual competitiveness and female lifetime reproductive success; and direct effects of males on females' breeding success. We then discuss how phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits and/or female responses (e.g. plasticity in mate choice), as the environment changes, might influence how sexual selection affects a population's reproductive output. Two key points emerge. First, condition-dependent expression of male sexual traits makes it likely that sexual selection increases female fitness if reproductively successful males disproportionately transfer genes that are under natural selection in both sexes, such as genes for foraging efficiency. Condition-dependence is a form of phenotypic plasticity if some of the variation in net resource acquisition and assimilation is attributable to the environment rather than solely genetic in origin. Second, the optimal allocation of resources into different condition-dependent traits depends on their marginal fitness gains. As male condition improves, this can therefore increase or, though rarely highlighted, actually decrease the expression of sexually selected traits. It is therefore crucial to understand how condition determines male allocation of resources to different sexually selected traits that vary in their immediate effects on female reproductive output (e.g. ornaments versus coercive behaviour). In addition, changes in the distribution of condition among males as the environment shifts could reduce phenotypic variance in certain male traits, thereby reducing the strength of sexual selection imposed by females. Studies of adaptive evolution under rapid environmental change should consider the possibility that phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits, even if it elevates male fitness, could have a negative effect on female reproductive output, thereby increasing the risk of population extinction. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Mónica Dafne GG, Leonor Estela HL, Ricardo MC. Sperm concentration, coagulum weight, and testosterone levels differences according to social rank in male stump-tail macaques (Macaca arctoides). Theriogenology 2019; 125:49-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
25
|
Pizzari T, McDonald GC. Sexual selection in socially-structured, polyandrous populations: Some insights from the fowl. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
|
26
|
Santiago-Moreno J, Gil M, Dávila S, Campo J, Castaño C, Toledano-Díaz A, Prieto M, Blesbois E. Access to pasture in an outdoor housing system affects welfare indicators and improves rooster sperm quality in two native Mediterranean breeds. Poult Sci 2018; 97:4433-4441. [DOI: 10.3382/ps/pey299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
|
27
|
Rojas Mora A, Meniri M, Ciprietti S, Helfenstein F. Is sperm morphology functionally related to sperm swimming ability? A case study in a wild passerine bird with male hierarchies. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:142. [PMID: 30231935 PMCID: PMC6146611 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual selection continues after copulation via either sperm competition or cryptic female choice, and favors sperm traits that maximize sperm competitiveness. Both sperm swimming velocity and longevity are important determinants of the outcome of sperm competition. Theoretically, sperm morphology can influence sperm velocity at least in three different non-exclusive ways: (i) longer sperm may generate more propelling thrust, (ii) bigger midpieces may produce more energy, and/or (iii) larger flagella or mid-pieces relative to the head size may compensate for the drag forces around the head. A growing number of studies have investigated the relationship of sperm morphology with sperm performance, which remains equivocal at both the inter- and intra-specific levels. Here, we used House Sparrows to test the functional relationship between sperm morphology with sperm velocity and longevity. Based on a previous study showing that sperm swimming ability covaries with social rank, we predicted that —if a functional relationship exists—1) sperm morphology should differ across social ranks, and 2) correlations between sperm morphology and sperm velocity and/or sperm longevity should be constant across social ranks. Results We found no differences in sperm morphology across social ranks. Moreover, we found that sperm morphology may be correlated with sperm velocity, but such relationship varied across social ranks. This result contradicts the hypothesis of a functional relationship between sperm morphology and sperm performance. Finally, after experimentally manipulating social ranks, we observed that relationships between sperm morphology and sperm velocity and/or sperm longevity disappeared or changed direction. Conclusions We suggest that in species with internal fertilization, while sperm morphology is likely constrained by the morphology of the female sperm storage organs, selection may act upon physiological traits that enhance sperm performance. Hence, these two selection forces could decouple sperm performance from sperm morphology. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1260-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland. .,Present Address: Laboratory of Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchatel, Switzerland.
| | - Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Ciprietti
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ålund M, Persson Schmiterlöw S, McFarlane SE, Qvarnström A. Optimal sperm length for high siring success depends on forehead patch size in collared flycatchers. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Ålund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Siri Persson Schmiterlöw
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Eryn McFarlane
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Poli F, Locatello L, Rasotto MB. Seminal fluid enhances competitiveness of territorial males' sperm in a fish with alternative male reproductive tactics. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.175976. [PMID: 29844197 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.175976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The most common adaptation to sperm competition in males is represented by an increase in the sperm number and/or quality released at mating, to raise their probability of egg fertilization. However, rapidly mounting evidence highlights that seminal fluid may directly influence the competitive fertilization success of a male by affecting either own and/or rival sperm performance. In the black goby, Gobius niger, an external fertilizer with guard-sneaker mating tactics and high sperm competition level, sneaker ejaculates contain less seminal fluid and more sperm, that are also of better quality, than those of territorial males. However, territorial males gain a higher paternity success inside natural nests. Here, we ask whether the seminal fluid can contribute to the reproductive success of territorial males by enhancing their sperm performance and/or by decreasing that of sneaker males. Using sperm and seminal fluid manipulation and in vitro fertilization tests, we found that own seminal fluid influences the velocity and fertilization ability of sperm only in territorial males, making them as fast as those of sneakers and with a similar fertilization rate. Moreover, both sneaker and territorial sperm remain unaffected by the seminal fluid of rival males. Thus, black goby males respond to the different level of sperm competition faced by differential allocation of sperm and non-sperm components of the ejaculate, with sneakers primarily investing in sperm of intrinsic high quality and territorial males relying on the effect of seminal fluid to increase the lower intrinsic quality of their sperm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Poli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Lisa Locatello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria B Rasotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Metzler S, Schrempf A, Heinze J. Individual- and ejaculate-specific sperm traits in ant males. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 107:284-290. [PMID: 29273326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sperm cells are the most morphologically diverse cells across animal taxa. Within species, sperm and ejaculate traits have been suggested to vary with the male's competitive environment, e.g., level of sperm competition, female mating status and quality, and also with male age, body mass, physiological condition, and resource availability. Most previous studies have based their conclusions on the analysis of only one or a few ejaculates per male without investigating differences among the ejaculates of the same individual. This masks potential ejaculate-specific traits. Here, we provide data on the length, quantity, and viability of sperm ejaculated by wingless males of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. Males of this ant species are relatively long-lived and can mate with large numbers of female sexuals throughout their lives. We analyzed all ejaculates across the individuals' lifespan and manipulated the availability of mating partners. Our study shows that both the number and size of sperm cells transferred during copulations differ among individuals and also among ejaculates of the same male. Sperm quality does not decrease with male age, but the variation in sperm number between ejaculates indicates that males need considerable time to replenish their sperm supplies. Producing many ejaculates in a short time appears to be traded-off against male longevity rather than sperm quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sina Metzler
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany; IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
| | - Alexandra Schrempf
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Simmons LW, Lovegrove M. Socially cued seminal fluid gene expression mediates responses in ejaculate quality to sperm competition risk. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1486. [PMID: 28855372 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that males will increase the number of sperm ejaculated in response to sperm competition risk. However, whether they have the capacity to adjust seminal fluid components of the ejaculate has received less attention. Male crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) have been shown to adjust the viability of sperm in their ejaculate in response to sperm competition risk. Here we show that socially mediated plasticity in sperm viability is probably due, at least in part, to male adjustments in the protein composition of the seminal fluid. Seven seminal fluid protein genes were found to have an increased expression in males exposed to rival calls. Increased expression of these genes was correlated with increased sperm viability in whole ejaculates, and gene knockdown confirmed that at least one of these proteins promotes sperm viability. Our results lend support for recent theoretical models that predict complex responses in male allocation to seminal fluid composition in response to sperm competition risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Maxine Lovegrove
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Belliure J, Fresnillo B, Cuervo JJ. Male mate choice based on female coloration in a lizard: the role of a juvenile trait. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josabel Belliure
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Fresnillo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José J Cuervo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Tomášek O, Albrechtová J, Němcová M, Opatová P, Albrecht T. Trade-off between carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation and sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2444. [PMID: 28123091 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation signals male fertility and sperm competitive ability as both ornamentation and sperm traits may be co-affected by oxidative stress, resulting in positive covariation (the 'redox-based phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis'; redox-based PLFH). On the other hand, the 'sperm competition theory' (SCT) predicts a trade-off between precopulatory and postcopulatory traits. Here, we manipulate oxidative status (using diquat dibromide) and carotenoid availability in adult zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) males in order to test whether carotenoid-based beak ornamentation signals, or is traded off against, sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Initial beak colouration, but not its change during the experiment, was associated with effect of oxidative challenge on sperm velocity, such that more intense colouration predicted an increase in sperm velocity under control conditions but a decline under oxidative challenge. This suggests a long-term trade-off between ornament expression and sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Shortening of the sperm midpiece following oxidative challenge further suggests that redox homeostasis may constrain sperm morphometry. Carotenoid supplementation resulted in fewer sperm abnormalities but had no effect on other sperm traits. Overall, our data challenge the redox-based PLFH, partially support the SCT and highlight the importance of carotenoids for normal sperm morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oldřich Tomášek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic .,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Albrechtová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Němcová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Opatová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic .,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Bartlett MJ, Steeves TE, Gemmell NJ, Rosengrave PC. Sperm competition risk drives rapid ejaculate adjustments mediated by seminal fluid. eLife 2017; 6:e28811. [PMID: 29084621 PMCID: PMC5669631 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, males can make rapid adjustments to ejaculate performance in response to sperm competition risk; however, the mechanisms behind these changes are not understood. Here, we manipulate male social status in an externally fertilising fish, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and find that in less than 48 hr, males can upregulate sperm velocity when faced with an increased risk of sperm competition. Using a series of in vitro sperm manipulation and competition experiments, we show that rapid changes in sperm velocity are mediated by seminal fluid and the effect of seminal fluid on sperm velocity directly impacts paternity share and therefore reproductive success. These combined findings, completely consistent with sperm competition theory, provide unequivocal evidence that sperm competition risk drives plastic adjustment of ejaculate quality, that seminal fluid harbours the mechanism for the rapid adjustment of sperm velocity and that fitness benefits accrue to males from such adjustment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Bartlett
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Tammy E Steeves
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of AnatomyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Rojas Mora A, Meniri M, Gning O, Glauser G, Vallat A, Helfenstein F. Antioxidant allocation modulates sperm quality across changing social environments. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176385. [PMID: 28472052 PMCID: PMC5417513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In promiscuous species, male reproductive success depends on their ability to mate with fertile females and on the fertilizing ability of their sperm. In such species, theory predicts that, owing to a trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory reproductive traits, males with lesser access to females should increase resource investment into those sperm traits that enhance fertilization success–usually referred to as ejaculate quality. This prediction has been validated in several taxa, yet studies on the physiological mechanisms modulating ejaculate quality are lacking. Sperm cells are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress, which impairs male fertility. Therefore, males that better protect their sperm from oxidative stress are expected to achieve higher ejaculate quality. Based on theoretical expectations, and since social dominance is a major determinant of mating opportunity, we predicted that subordinate males should invest more into the antioxidant protection of their sperm in order to achieve higher ejaculate quality. We maintained 60 male and 60 female wild-caught house sparrows Passer domesticus in outdoor aviaries, where we experimentally manipulated male social status to test our predictions. We measured cellular oxidative stress and enzymatic antioxidant activity in blood and sperm both before and after manipulating social ranks. Before manipulating the social status, we found that ejaculate viability correlated with oxidative stress level in sperm, with dominant males producing more oxidized and less viable ejaculates. Further, males at the lower end of the hierarchy produced ejaculates of similar quality to those of dominant males, suggesting that restricted access to resources might limit male reproductive strategies. After experimentally manipulating the social status, males matched their ejaculate quality to their new rank, while increases in antioxidant investment into ejaculates paralleled increases in ejaculate viability. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a general constraint to the evolution of life histories. Our results highlight oxidative stress and strategic antioxidant allocation as important proximate physiological mechanisms underlying male reproductive strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Ophélie Gning
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rojas Mora A, Meniri M, Ciprietti S, Helfenstein F. Social dominance explains within-ejaculate variation in sperm design in a passerine bird. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:66. [PMID: 28259157 PMCID: PMC5336654 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0914-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Comparative studies suggest that sperm competition exerts stabilizing selection towards an optimal sperm design – e.g., the relative size and covariation of different sperm sections or a quantitative measure of sperm shape - that maximizes male fertility, which results in reduced levels of within-male variation in sperm morphology. Yet, these studies also reveal substantial amounts of unexplained within-ejaculate variance, and the factors presiding to the maintenance of such within-male variation in sperm design at the population level still remain to be identified. Sperm competition models predict that males should progressively invest more resources in their germline as their mating costs increase, i.e., the soma/germline allocation trade-off hypothesis. When access to fertile females is determined by social dominance, the soma/germline allocation trade-off hypothesis predicts that dominant males should invest less in the control of spermatogenesis. Hence, dominance should positively correlate with within-male variance in sperm design. Results In support of this hypothesis, we found that dominant house sparrow males produce ejaculates with higher levels of within-ejaculate variation in sperm design compared to subordinate males. However, after experimentally manipulating male social status, this pattern was not maintained. Conclusions Our results suggest that males might control variation in sperm design according to their social status to some extent. Yet, it seems that such within-ejaculate variation in sperm design cannot be rapidly adjusted to a new status. While variation in sperm design could result from various non-exclusive sources, we discuss how strategic allocation of resources to the somatic vs. the germline functions could be an important process shaping the relationship between within-male variation in sperm design and social status. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0914-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Ciprietti
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchatel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Galván I, Camarero PR, Mateo R, Negro JJ. Porphyrins produce uniquely ephemeral animal colouration: a possible signal of virginity. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39210. [PMID: 27976701 PMCID: PMC5156940 DOI: 10.1038/srep39210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Colours that underlie animal pigmentation can either be permanent or renewable in the short term. Here we describe the discovery of a conspicuous salmon-pink colouration in the base of bustard feathers and down that has never been reported because of its extraordinarily brief expression. HPLC analyses indicated that its constituent pigments are coproporphyrin III and protoporphyrin IX, which are prone to photodegradation. Accordingly, an experimental exposure of feathers of three bustard species to sunlight produced a rapid disappearance of the salmon-pink colouration, together with a marked decrease in reflectance around 670 nm coinciding with the absorption of porphyrin photoproducts. The disappearance of the salmon-pink colouration can occur in a period as short as 12 min, likely making it the most ephemeral colour phenotype in any extant bird. The presence of this colour trait in males performing sexual displays may thus indicate to females a high probability that the males were performing their first displays and would engage in their first copulations in the breeding season. In dominant males, sperm quality decreases over successive copulations, thus porphyrin-based colouration may evolve as a signal of virginity that allows females to maximize their fitness in lek mating systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Juan J Negro
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cameron EZ, Edwards AM, Parsley LM. Developmental sexual dimorphism and the evolution of mechanisms for adjustment of sex ratios in mammals. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:147-163. [PMID: 27862006 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sex allocation theory predicts biased offspring sex ratios in relation to local conditions if they would maximize parental lifetime reproductive return. In mammals, the extent of the birth sex bias is often unpredictable and inconsistent, leading some to question its evolutionary significance. For facultative adjustment of sex ratios to occur, males and females would need to be detectably different from an early developmental stage, but classic sexual dimorphism arises from hormonal influences after gonadal development. Recent advances in our understanding of early, pregonadal sexual dimorphism, however, indicate high levels of dimorphism in gene expression, caused by chromosomal rather than hormonal differences. Here, we discuss how such dimorphism would interact with and link previously hypothesized mechanisms for sex-ratio adjustment. These differences between males and females are sufficient for offspring sex both to be detectable to parents and to provide selectable cues for biasing sex ratios from the earliest stages. We suggest ways in which future research could use the advances in our understanding of sexually dimorphic developmental physiology to test the evolutionary significance of sex allocation in mammals. Such an approach would advance our understanding of sex allocation and could be applied to other taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elissa Z Cameron
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Amy M Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Laura M Parsley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Krause ET, Schrader L, Caspers BA. Olfaction in Chicken (Gallus gallus): A Neglected Mode of Social Communication? Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00094] [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
|
40
|
Pizzari T. The Wood-Gush legacy: A sociobiology perspective to fertility and welfare in chickens. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
41
|
Blengini CS, Naretto S, Cardozo G, Giojalas LC, Chiaraviglio M. Relationship between pre- and post-copulatory traits inSalvator rufescens(Squamata: Teiidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia S. Blengini
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal IDEA (CONICET-UNC); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Av. Vélez Sársfield 299 CP: X5000JJC Córdoba Argentina
| | - Sergio Naretto
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal IDEA (CONICET-UNC); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Av. Vélez Sársfield 299 CP: X5000JJC Córdoba Argentina
| | - Gabriela Cardozo
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal IDEA (CONICET-UNC); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Av. Vélez Sársfield 299 CP: X5000JJC Córdoba Argentina
| | - Laura C. Giojalas
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (UNC-CONICET) and Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular (UNC); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Argentina. Av. Velez Sarsfield 1611; CP: X5016GCA Córdoba Argentina
| | - Margarita Chiaraviglio
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales; Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal IDEA (CONICET-UNC); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Av. Vélez Sársfield 299 CP: X5000JJC Córdoba Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Plakke MS, Deutsch AB, Meslin C, Clark NL, Morehouse NI. Dynamic digestive physiology of a female reproductive organ in a polyandrous butterfly. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 218:1548-55. [PMID: 25994634 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.118323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive traits experience high levels of selection because of their direct ties to fitness, often resulting in rapid adaptive evolution. Much of the work in this area has focused on male reproductive traits. However, a more comprehensive understanding of female reproductive adaptations and their relationship to male characters is crucial to uncover the relative roles of sexual cooperation and conflict in driving co-evolutionary dynamics between the sexes. We focus on the physiology of a complex female reproductive adaptation in butterflies and moths: a stomach-like organ in the female reproductive tract called the bursa copulatrix that digests the male ejaculate (spermatophore). Little is known about how the bursa digests the spermatophore. We characterized bursa proteolytic capacity in relation to female state in the polyandrous butterfly Pieris rapae. We found that the virgin bursa exhibits extremely high levels of proteolytic activity. Furthermore, in virgin females, bursal proteolytic capacity increases with time since eclosion and ambient temperature, but is not sensitive to the pre-mating social environment. Post copulation, bursal proteolytic activity decreases rapidly before rebounding toward the end of a mating cycle, suggesting active female regulation of proteolysis and/or potential quenching of proteolysis by male ejaculate constituents. Using transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, we report identities for nine proteases actively transcribed by bursal tissue and/or expressed in the bursal lumen that may contribute to observed bursal proteolysis. We discuss how these dynamic physiological characteristics may function as female adaptations resulting from sexual conflict over female remating rate in this polyandrous butterfly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S Plakke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Aaron B Deutsch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Camille Meslin
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Nathan L Clark
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Nathan I Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Rojas Mora A, Meniri M, Glauser G, Vallat A, Helfenstein F. Badge Size Reflects Sperm Oxidative Status within Social Groups in the House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
44
|
Dávila SG, Campo JL, Gil MG, Castaño C, Santiago-Moreno J. Effect of the presence of hens on roosters sperm variables. Poult Sci 2015; 94:1645-9. [PMID: 26009755 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pev125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examines the effect of the presence of hens on sperm variables in Black Barred Andaluza roosters (which respond well to the massage technique). Between 8 and 22 weeks of age, roosters (n = 60) were housed separate from hens in straw litter pens (4 birds/m(2)). Two groups of roosters were then formed to study the effect of hen presence on sperm variables at 36 weeks of age. The first group (n = 11 roosters) was housed with hens (n = 55; sex ratio 1:5), while the second (n = 27 roosters) was again housed separate from hens. Twenty four sperm pools were obtained over 12 weeks (12 pools from each group, each pool produced by mixing semen from 11 males) for analysis. Compared to the no-female-contact group, the roosters living with hens showed significantly (P < 0.05) reduced percentages of non-progressive motile sperm and slow sperm, and significantly increased VCL and VSL values; they also showed trends (P < 0.1) towards increased progressive motility and a higher percentage of rapid sperm. The presence of hens had no significant effect on the number of spermatozoa per ejaculate or sperm concentration. Positive correlations were recorded between VSL and VCL, and between both of these and progressive motility, and the percentage of rapid sperm. In addition, both VSL and VCL correlated negatively with non-progressive motility and the percentage of slow sperm. These results indicate that rooster sperm quality, but not quantity, improves in the presence of hens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S G Dávila
- Dpto. Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid. Spain
| | - J L Campo
- Dpto. Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid. Spain
| | - M G Gil
- Dpto. Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid. Spain
| | - C Castaño
- Dpto. Reproducción Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid. Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Nicovich PR, Macartney EL, Whan RM, Crean AJ. Measuring sperm movement within the female reproductive tract using Fourier analysis. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2015; 21:256-263. [PMID: 25640702 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927614014627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive significance of variation in sperm phenotype is still largely unknown, in part due to the difficulties of observing and measuring sperm movement in its natural, selective environment (i.e., within the female reproductive tract). Computer-assisted sperm analysis systems allow objective and accurate measurement of sperm velocity, but rely on being able to track individual sperm, and are therefore unable to measure sperm movement in species where sperm move in trains or bundles. Here we describe a newly developed computational method for measuring sperm movement using Fourier analysis to estimate sperm tail beat frequency. High-speed time-lapse videos of sperm movement within the female tract of the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis were recorded, and a map of beat frequencies generated by converting the periodic signal of an intensity versus time trace at each pixel to the frequency domain using the Fourier transform. We were able to detect small decreases in sperm tail beat frequency over time, indicating the method is sensitive enough to identify consistent differences in sperm movement. Fourier analysis can be applied to a wide range of species and contexts, and should therefore facilitate novel exploration of the causes and consequences of variation in sperm movement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip R Nicovich
- 1ARC Centre of Excellence in Molecular Imaging,School of Medical Sciences,The University of New South Wales,Sydney,NSW 2052,Australia
| | - Erin L Macartney
- 3Evolution & Ecology Research Centre,School of Biological,Earth and Environmental Sciences,The University of New South Wales,Sydney,NSW 2052,Australia
| | - Renee M Whan
- 2Biomedical Imaging Facility,Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre,The University of New South Wales,Sydney,NSW 2052,Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- 3Evolution & Ecology Research Centre,School of Biological,Earth and Environmental Sciences,The University of New South Wales,Sydney,NSW 2052,Australia
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Fitzpatrick JL, Lüpold S. Sexual selection and the evolution of sperm quality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:1180-9. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gau067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
47
|
Blengini CS, Sergio N, Gabriela C, Giojalas LC, Margarita C. Variability in sperm form and function in the context of sperm competition risk in two Tupinambis lizards. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:4080-92. [PMID: 25505535 PMCID: PMC4242561 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 09/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous species, sperm morphometry and sperm velocity are under strong sexual selection. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the role of sperm competition in sperm trait variation, this aspect is still poorly understood. It has been suggested that an increase in sperm competition pressure could reduce sperm size variation or produce a diversity of sperm to maximize male fertilization success. We aim at elucidating the variability of sperm morphometric traits and velocity in two Tupinambis lizards in the context of sperm competition risk. Sperm traits showed substantial variation at all levels examined: between species, among males within species, and within the ejaculate of individual males. Sperm velocity was found to be positively correlated with flagellum: midpiece ratio, with relatively longer flagella associated with faster sperm. Our results document high variability in sperm form and function in lizards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia S Blengini
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA) CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Naretto Sergio
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA) CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Cardozo Gabriela
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA) CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura C Giojalas
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT) CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Av.Velez Sarsfield 1611, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Chiaraviglio Margarita
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA) CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Franco-Trecu V, Costa P, Schramm Y, Tassino B, Inchausti P. Sex on the rocks: reproductive tactics and breeding success of South American fur seal males. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
49
|
Cornwallis CK, Dean R, Pizzari T. Sex-specific patterns of aging in sexual ornaments and gametes. Am Nat 2014; 184:E66-78. [PMID: 25141150 DOI: 10.1086/677385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in age-dependent mortality and reproductive success are predicted to drive the evolution of sexually dimorphic patterns of reproductive investment over life. However, this prediction has not been fully explored because it is difficult to measure primary and secondary sexual traits over the life spans of males and females. Here we studied a population of fowl, Gallus gallus, to gain longitudinal data on a sexual ornament (the comb), quantity of gametes produced, and gamete quality (sperm velocity and egg mass) of males and females. Our results reveal pronounced differences between the sexes in age-specific patterns of reproductive investment. In males, comb size decreased linearly with age, high sperm quality early in life was associated with reduced sperm quality late in life, and high sperm production was related to early death. In contrast, female comb size and egg mass were maximized at intermediate ages, and fecundity was independent of life span. Finally, the way traits were related in males did not change over life, whereas in females the association between fecundity and comb size changed from positive to negative over the lifetime of a female, indicating that aging may lead to trade-offs in investment between traits in females. These results show that males and females differ in reproductive investment with age, in terms of both the expression of individual traits and their phenotypic covariance.
Collapse
|
50
|
Soler C, Kekäläinen J, Núñez M, Sancho M, Álvarez JG, Núñez J, Yaber I, Gutiérrez R. Male facial attractiveness and masculinity may provide sex- and culture-independent cues to semen quality. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1930-8. [PMID: 25056484 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis (PLFH) predicts that male secondary sexual traits reveal honest information about male fertilization ability. However, PLFH has rarely been studied in humans. The aim of the present study was to test PLFH in humans and to investigate whether potential ability to select fertile partners is independent of sex or cultural background. We found that on the contrary to the hypothesis, facial masculinity was negatively associated with semen quality. As increased levels of testosterone have been demonstrated to impair sperm production, this finding may indicate a trade-off between investments in secondary sexual signalling (i.e. facial masculinity) and fertility or status-dependent differences in investments in semen quality. In both sexes and nationalities (Spanish and Colombian), ranked male facial attractiveness predicted male semen quality. However, Spanish males and females estimated facial images generally more attractive (gave higher ranks) than Colombian raters, and in both nationalities, males gave higher ranks than females. This suggests that male facial cues may provide culture- and sex-independent information about male fertility. However, our results also indicate that humans may be more sensitive to facial attractiveness cues within their own populations and also that males may generally overestimate the attractiveness of other men to females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Soler
- Departament de Biologia Funcional i Antropologia Física, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|