1
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Smithson CH, Duncan EJ, Sait SM, Bretman A. Sensory perception of rivals has trait-dependent effects on plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae031. [PMID: 38680228 PMCID: PMC11053361 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The social environment has myriad effects on individuals, altering reproduction, immune function, cognition, and aging. Phenotypic plasticity enables animals to respond to heterogeneous environments such as the social environment but requires that they assess those environments accurately. It has been suggested that combinations of sensory cues allow animals to respond rapidly and accurately to changeable environments, but it is unclear whether the same sensory inputs are required in all traits that respond to a particular environmental cue. Drosophila melanogaster males, in the presence of rival males, exhibit a consistent behavioral response by extending mating duration. However, exposure to a rival also results in a reduction in their lifespan, a phenomenon interpreted as a trade-off associated with sperm competition strategies. D. melanogaster perceive their rivals by using multiple sensory cues; interfering with at least two olfactory, auditory, or tactile cues eliminates the extension of mating duration. Here, we assessed whether these same cues were implicated in the lifespan reduction. Removal of combinations of auditory and olfactory cues removed the extended mating duration response to a rival, as previously found. However, we found that these manipulations did not alter the reduction in lifespan of males exposed to rivals or induce any changes in activity patterns, grooming, or male-male aggression. Therefore, our analysis suggests that lifespan reduction is not a cost associated with the behavioral responses to sperm competition. Moreover, this highlights the trait-specific nature of the mechanisms underlying plasticity in response to the same environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire H Smithson
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Clarendon Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Clarendon Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Steven M Sait
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Clarendon Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Clarendon Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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2
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Chung MHJ, Head ML, Fox RJ, Jennions MD. Effects of past mating behavior versus past ejaculation on male mate choice and male attractiveness. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae002. [PMID: 38273897 PMCID: PMC10807976 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Past reproductive effort allows males to assess their ability to acquire mates, but it also consumes resources that can reduce their future competitive ability. Few studies have examined how a male's reproductive history affects his subsequent mate choice, and, to date, no study has determined the relative contribution of past mating behavior and past ejaculate production because these two forms of investment are naturally highly correlated. Here, we disentangled the relative effects of past mating behavior and past ejaculate production in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) by experimentally preventing some males from ejaculating when trying to mate. We assessed the effect of mating behavior on mate choice by comparing males that had previously been with or without access to females and male rivals for 8 and 16 weeks and assessed the effect of ejaculation on mate choice by comparing males that either could or could not ejaculate when they had access to females for 16 weeks. Reproductive treatment did not affect male attractiveness, but it did affect male mate choice. Somewhat surprisingly, in five of the six treatment-by-age at testing combinations, males preferred a female in the vicinity of a male rival over a solitary female. This preference was marginally stronger for males that had previously engaged in mating behavior but were unaffected by past ejaculate production. We discuss the potential benefits to males of associating with another male when seeking mates. This is the first study to quantify the relative influence of pre- and post-copulatory reproductive investment on male mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Han Joseph Chung
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Rebecca J Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre, 10 Marais Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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3
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Liu J, He XZ, Wang Q. Male larval experience of cues from adult rivals alters lifetime sperm investment patterns in a sperm heteromorphic moth, Ephestia kuehniella. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1773-1783. [PMID: 37162266 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Male animals may adjust their resource allocations for reproduction and other fitness functions in response to cues from rivals. For instance, adult males increase their investment in sperm for a higher paternity share when they perceive sperm competition risk in their surroundings. In nature, both juveniles and adults may coexist spatially and temporally. Yet, it is not clear how juvenile males of different ages respond to cues from adult rivals and fine-tune their lifetime investment in sperm production and ejaculation in any insect. Here we used the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella, which produces both fertile eupyrene and infertile apyrene sperm, to explore this question. We demonstrate that the late, but not early, instar larvae are sensitive to adult male cues. As a response, they produce more sperm before emergence and their resultant adults have shorter mating latency and ejaculate more sperm in the first few matings. When the juvenile stage produces more eupyrenes, the adult stops making these sperm, but regardless of the number of apyrenes produced during the juvenile stage, the adult continues to make them. These findings suggest that the number of spermatogonia for eupyrenes may be limited and that for apyrenes may be flexible. Our results show that the insect does not trade off survival, mating frequency, body size, or testis size for sperm production in response to adult males during the larval stage. Knowledge created in the present study offers insight into the stage-dependent sensitivity of juvenile males to cues from adult rivals and subsequent lifetime resource allocations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Liu
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Zhao He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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4
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Simmons LW, Chan HL. Male responses to sperm competition risk associated with increased macronutrient intake and reduced lifespan. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230336. [PMID: 37875160 PMCID: PMC10597675 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased expenditure on the ejaculate is a taxonomically widespread male response to sperm competition. Increased ejaculate expenditure is assumed to come at a cost to future reproduction, otherwise males should always invest maximally. However, the life-history costs of strategic ejaculation are not well documented. Macronutrient intake is known to affect the trade-off between reproduction and lifespan. Intakes of protein and carbohydrate that maximize reproduction often differ from those that maximize lifespan. Here, we asked whether strategic expenditure on the ejaculate by male crickets, Teleogryllus oceanicus, is mediated by macronutrient intake, and whether it comes at a cost of reduced lifespan. Males were exposed to rival song throughout their lifespan or were held in a silent non-competitive environment. Males exposed to song had a higher intake of both protein and carbohydrate, they reached adulthood sooner, produced ejaculates of higher quality, and died sooner than males living in a silent environment. Our findings provide a rare example of both the mechanisms and life-history costs associated with strategic ejaculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Hwei-Ling Chan
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
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5
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Playing to the crowd: Using Drosophila to dissect mechanisms underlying plastic male strategies in sperm competition games. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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6
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Tanner JC, Johnson ER, Zuk M. Is plasticity in field cricket mating behaviour mediated by experience of song quality? Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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7
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Moschilla JA, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. Nongenetic inheritance of behavioural variability is context specific and sex specific. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joe A. Moschilla
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Joseph L. Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
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8
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Liu J, He XZ, Zheng XL, Zhang Y, Wang Q. Pupal Cues Increase Sperm Production but Not Testis Size in an Insect. INSECTS 2021; 12:679. [PMID: 34442245 PMCID: PMC8396453 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Theoretic and empirical studies show that social surroundings experienced by male insects during their larval or adult stage can influence their testicular investment in diverse ways. Although insect pupae do not feed and crawl, they can communicate using sex-specific and/or non-sex specific cues. Yet, it is unknown, in any insect, whether and how male pupae can fine-tune their resource allocation to sperm production and testis size in response to socio-sexual environments. We investigated this question using a moth, Ephestia kuehniella, which produces fertile eupyrene sperm and unfertile apyrene sperm. We held male pupae individually or in groups with different sex ratios, and dissected adults upon eclosion, measured their testis size, and counted both types of sperm. We demonstrated that after exposure to conspecific pupal cues regardless of sex, male pupae increased production of eupyrenes and apyrenes at the same rate but kept testis size unchanged. We suggest that testis size is fixed after pupation because most morphological traits are formed during the larval stage, allowing little room for pupae to adjust testis size. Like adults, male pupae with fully grown testes have sufficient resources to produce more sperm of both types according to the perceived increase in sperm competition risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Liu
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (J.L.); (X.Z.H.)
| | - Xiong Z. He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (J.L.); (X.Z.H.)
| | - Xia-Lin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (X.-L.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (X.-L.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (J.L.); (X.Z.H.)
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9
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Liu J, He XZ, Zheng XL, Zhang Y, Wang Q. Larval social cues influence testicular investment in an insect. Curr Zool 2021; 68:1-8. [PMID: 35169624 PMCID: PMC8836345 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-sexual environment can have critical impacts on reproduction and survival of animals. Consequently, they need to prepare themselves by allocating more resources to competitive traits that give them advantages in the particular social setting they have been perceiving. Evidence shows that a male usually raises his investment in sperm after he detects the current or future increase of sperm competition because relative sperm numbers can determine his paternity share. This leads to the wide use of testis size as an index of the sperm competition level, yet testis size does not always reflect sperm production. To date, it is not clear whether male animals fine-tune their resource allocation to sperm production and other traits as a response to social cues during their growth and development. Using a polygamous insect Ephestia kuehniella, we tested whether and how larval social environment affected sperm production, testis size, and body weight. We exposed the male larvae to different juvenile socio-sexual cues and measured these traits. We demonstrate that regardless of sex ratio, group-reared males produced more eupyrenes (fertile and nucleate sperm) but smaller testes than singly reared ones, and that body weight and apyrene (infertile and anucleate sperm) numbers remained the same across treatments. We conclude that the presence of larval social, but not sexual cues is responsible for the increase of eupyrene production and decrease of testis size. We suggest that male larvae increase investment in fertile sperm cells and reduce investment in other testicular tissues in the presence of conspecific juvenile cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Liu
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Z He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
| | - Xia-Lin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
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10
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Ramm SA. Seminal fluid and accessory male investment in sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200068. [PMID: 33070740 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm production and allocation strategies have been a central concern of sperm competition research for the past 50 years. But during the 'sexual cascade' there may be strong selection for alternative routes to maximizing male fitness. Especially with the evolution of internal fertilization, a common and by now well-studied example is the accessory ejaculate investment represented by seminal fluid, the complex mixture of proteins, peptides and other components transferred to females together with sperm. How seminal fluid investment should covary with sperm investment probably depends on the mechanism of seminal fluid action. If seminal fluid components boost male paternity success by directly enhancing sperm function or use, we might often expect a positive correlation between the two forms of male investment, whereas trade-offs seem more likely if seminal fluid acts independently of sperm. This is largely borne out by a broad taxonomic survey to establish the prevailing patterns of seminal fluid production and allocation during animal evolution, in light of which I discuss the gaps that remain in our understanding of this key ejaculate component and its relationship to sperm investment, before outlining promising approaches for examining seminal fluid-mediated sperm competitiveness in the post-genomic era. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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11
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Moschilla JA, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. Identification of seminal proteins related to the inhibition of mate searching in female crickets. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In response to the reduction in fitness associated with sperm competition, males are expected to evolve tactics that hinder female remating. For example, females often display a postmating reduction in their sexual receptivity that has been shown to be mediated by proteins contained in a male’s seminal fluid (sfps). However, although there has been comprehensive research on sfps in genetically well-characterized species, few nonmodel species have been studied in such detail. We initially confirm that female Australian field crickets, Teleogryllus oceanicus, do display a significant reduction in their mate-searching behavior 24 h after mating. This effect was still apparent 3 days after mating but was entirely absent after 1 week. We then attempted to identify the sfps that might play a role in inducing this behavioral response. We identified two proteins, ToSfp022 and ToSfp011, that were associated with the alteration in female postmating behavior. The knockdown of both proteins resulted in mated females that displayed a significant increase in their mate-searching behaviors compared with females mated to males having the full compliment of seminal fluid proteins in their ejaculate. Our results indicate that the female refractory period in T. oceanicus likely reflects a sperm competition avoidance tactic by males, achieved through the action of male seminal fluid proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Moschilla
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Joseph L Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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12
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Kerwin P, von Philipsborn AC. Copulation Song in Drosophila: Do Females Sing to Change Male Ejaculate Allocation and Incite Postcopulatory Mate Choice? Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000109. [PMID: 32964470 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila males sing a courtship song to achieve copulations with females. Females were recently found to sing a distinct song during copulation, which depends on male seminal fluid transfer and delays female remating. Here, it is hypothesized that female copulation song is a signal directed at the copulating male and changes ejaculate allocation. This may alter female remating and sperm usage, and thereby affect postcopulatory mate choice. Mechanisms of how female copulation song is elicited, how males respond to copulation song, and how remating is modulated, are considered. The potential adaptive value of female signaling during copulation is discussed with reference to vertebrate copulation calls and their proposed function in eliciting mate guarding. Female copulation song may be widespread within the Drosophila genus. This newly discovered behavior opens many interesting avenues for future research, including investigation of how sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits mediate communication between nervous system and reproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kerwin
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Anne C von Philipsborn
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
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13
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Moschilla JA, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. Males adjust their manipulation of female remating in response to sperm competition risk. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201238. [PMID: 32873206 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To reduce the potential for sperm competition, male insects are thought to inhibit the post-mating reproductive behaviour of females through receptivity-inhibiting compounds transferred in the ejaculate. Selection is expected to favour phenotypic plasticity in male post-copulatory expenditure, with males investing strategically in response to their perceived risk of sperm competition. However, the impact that socially cued strategic allocation might have on female post-mating behaviour has rarely been assessed. Here, we varied male perception of sperm competition risk, both prior to and during mating, to determine if a male's competitive environment impacts the extent to which he manipulates female remating behaviour. We found that female Australian field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) mated to males that were reared under sperm competition risk emerged from a shelter in search of male song sooner than did females mated to males reared without risk, but only when mating occurred in a risk-free environment. We also found that females reared in a silent environment where potential mates were scarce emerged from the shelter sooner than females exposed to male calls during development. Collectively, our findings suggest complex interacting effects of male and female sociosexual environments on female post-mating sexual receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Moschilla
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Joseph L Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
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14
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Brookes S, Kruuk LEB, Head ML. The effects of competition on fitness depend on the sex of both competitors. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9808-9826. [PMID: 33005346 PMCID: PMC7520201 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In intraspecific competition, the sex of competing individuals is likely to be important in determining the outcome of competitive interactions and the way exposure to conspecifics during development influences adult fitness traits. Previous studies have explored differences between males and females in their response to intraspecific competition. However, few have tested how the sex of the competitors, or any interactions between focal and competitor sex, influences the nature and intensity of competition. We set up larval seed beetles Callosobruchus maculatus to develop either alone or in the presence of a male or female competitor and measured a suite of traits: development time, emergence weight; male ejaculate mass, copulation duration, and lifespan; and female lifetime fecundity, offspring egg-adult survival, and lifespan. We found effects of competition and competitor sex on the development time and emergence weight of both males and females, and also of an interaction between focal and competitor sex: Females emerged lighter when competing with another female, while males did not. There was little effect of larval competition on male and female adult fitness traits, with the exception of the effect of a female competitor on a focal female's offspring survival rate. Our results highlight the importance of directly measuring the effects of competition on fitness traits, rather than distant proxies for fitness, and suggest that competition with the sex with the greater resource requirements (here females) might play a role in driving trait evolution. We also found that male-male competition during development resulted in shorter copulation times than male-female competition, a result that remained when controlling for the weight of competitors. Although it is difficult to definitively tease apart the effects of social environment and access to resources, this result suggests that something about the sex of competitors other than their size is driving this pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Samuel Brookes
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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15
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Heinen‐Kay JL, Strub DB, Balenger SL, Zuk M. Direct and indirect effects of sexual signal loss on female reproduction in the Pacific field cricket (Teleogryllus oceanicus). J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1382-1390. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justa L. Heinen‐Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
| | - Daina B. Strub
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
| | | | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
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16
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Heinen-Kay JL, Urquhart EM, Zuk M. Obligately silent males sire more offspring than singers in a rapidly evolving cricket population. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190198. [PMID: 31362608 PMCID: PMC6684975 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How sexual traits are gained and lost in the wild remains an important question in evolutionary biology. Pacific field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) in Hawaii provide an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the factors facilitating evolutionary loss of a sexual signal in real time. Natural selection from an acoustically orienting parasitoid fly drove rapid evolution of a novel, silent male morph. While silent (flatwing) males enjoy protection from the fly, they face difficulty attracting mates. We tested how offspring production varies in association with three male attributes affected by the spread of flatwing: wing morph (flatwing or normal-wing), age (flatwings should survive longer than singers) and exposure to calling song during rearing (wild populations with many flatwings lack ambient calling song). Per mating event, flatwings sired more offspring than singers and older males were mounted more quickly by females when presented with standard courtship song. Despite prior work showing that male age and acoustic experience influence sperm characteristics associated with fertilization, age and song exposure had no influence on male offspring production per mating. This represents the first evidence that the silent male morph possesses a reproductive advantage that may help compensate for precopulatory barriers to mate attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justa L. Heinen-Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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17
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Sloan NS, Lovegrove M, Simmons LW. Social manipulation of sperm competition intensity reduces seminal fluid gene expression. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2017.0659. [PMID: 29367215 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A considerable body of evidence supports the prediction that males should increase their expenditure on the ejaculate in response to sperm competition risk. The prediction that they should reduce their expenditure with increasing sperm competition intensity is less well supported. Moreover, most studies have documented plasticity in sperm numbers. Here we show that male crickets Teleogryllus oceanicus exhibit reduced seminal fluid gene expression and accessory gland mass in response to elevated sperm competition intensity. Together with previous research, our findings suggest that strategic adjustments in seminal fluid composition contribute to competitive fertilization success in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Sloan
- 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
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
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18
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Alpern JHM, Asselin MM, Moehring AJ. Identification of a novel sperm class and its role in fertilization in Drosophila. J Evol Biol 2018; 32:259-266. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Tuni C, Han CS, Dingemanse NJ. Multiple biological mechanisms result in correlations between pre- and post-mating traits that differ among versus within individuals and genotypes. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0951. [PMID: 30135156 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive traits involved in mate acquisition (pre-mating traits) are predicted to covary with those involved in fertilization success (post-mating traits). Variation in male quality may give rise to positive, and resource allocation trade-offs to negative, covariances between pre- and post-mating traits. Empirical studies have yielded mixed results. Progress is hampered as researchers often fail to appreciate that mentioned biological mechanisms can act simultaneously but at different hierarchical levels of biological variation: genetic correlations may, for example, be negative due to genetic trade-offs but environmental correlations may instead be positive due to individual variation in resource acquisition. We measured pre-mating (aggression, body weight) and post-mating (ejaculate size) reproductive traits in a pedigreed population of southern field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus). To create environmental variation, crickets were raised on either a low or a high nymphal density treatment. We estimated genetic and environmental sources of correlations between pre- and post-mating traits. We found positive genetic correlations between pre- and post-mating traits, implying the existence of genetic variation in male quality. Over repeated trials of the same individual (testing order), positive changes in one trait were matched with negative changes in other traits, suggesting energy allocating trade-offs within individuals among days. These findings demonstrate the need for research on pre- and post-mating traits to consider the hierarchical structure of trait correlations. Only by doing so was our study able to conclude that multiple mechanisms jointly shape phenotypic associations between pre- and post-mating traits in crickets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Tuni
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Chang S Han
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany .,The School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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20
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Ng SH, Simpson SJ, Simmons LW. Macronutrients and micronutrients drive trade‐offs between male pre‐ and postmating sexual traits. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soon Hwee Ng
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
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21
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Dore AA, McDowall L, Rouse J, Bretman A, Gage MJG, Chapman T. The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:124. [PMID: 30100665 PMCID: PMC6060796 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can be a key determinant of fitness. The degree to which the expression of plasticity is adaptive relies upon the accuracy with which information about the state of the environment is integrated. This step might be particularly beneficial when environments, e.g. the social and sexual context, change rapidly. Fluctuating temporal dynamics could increase the difficulty of determining the appropriate level of expression of a plastic response. In this review, we suggest that new insights into plastic responses to the social and sexual environment (social and reproductive plasticity) may be gained by examining the role of complex cues (those comprising multiple, distinct sensory components). Such cues can enable individuals to more accurately monitor their environment in order to respond adaptively to it across the whole life course. We briefly review the hypotheses for the evolution of complex cues and then adapt these ideas to the context of social and sexual plasticity. We propose that the ability to perceive complex cues can facilitate plasticity, increase the associated fitness benefits and decrease the risk of costly 'mismatches' between phenotype and environment by (i) increasing the robustness of information gained from highly variable environments, (ii) fine-tuning responses by using multiple strands of information and (iii) reducing time lags in adaptive responses. We conclude by outlining areas for future research that will help to determine the interplay between complex cues and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice A. Dore
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Laurin McDowall
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - James Rouse
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Matthew J. G. Gage
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
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22
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Pascoal S, Liu X, Fang Y, Paterson S, Ritchie MG, Rockliffe N, Zuk M, Bailey NW. Increased socially mediated plasticity in gene expression accompanies rapid adaptive evolution. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:546-556. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Pascoal
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Xuan Liu
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 7ZB UK
| | - Yongxiang Fang
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 7ZB UK
| | - Steve Paterson
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 7ZB UK
| | - Michael G. Ritchie
- Centre for Biological Diversity; University of St Andrews; St Andrews KY16 9TH UK
| | - Nichola Rockliffe
- Centre for Genomic Research; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 7ZB UK
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; University of Minnesota; St Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Nathan W. Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity; University of St Andrews; St Andrews KY16 9TH UK
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23
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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.
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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
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24
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Conroy LP, Roff DA. Adult social environment alters female reproductive investment in the cricket Gryllus firmus. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P Conroy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Derek A Roff
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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25
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Bretman A, Rouse J, Westmancoat JD, Chapman T. The role of species-specific sensory cues in male responses to mating rivals in Drosophila melanogaster fruitflies. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9247-9256. [PMID: 29187965 PMCID: PMC5696429 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex sets of cues can be important in recognizing and responding to conspecific mating competitors and avoiding potentially costly heterospecific competitive interactions. Within Drosophila melanogaster, males can detect sensory inputs from conspecifics to assess the level of competition. They respond to rivals by significantly extending mating duration and gain significant fitness benefits from doing so. Here, we tested the idea that the multiple sensory cues used by D. melanogaster males to detect conspecifics also function to minimize “off‐target” responses to heterospecific males that they might encounter (Drosophila simulans, Drosophila yakuba, Drosophila pseudoobscura, or Drosophila virilis). Focal D. melanogaster males exposed to D. simulans or D. pseudoobscura subsequently increased mating duration, but to a lesser extent than following exposure to conspecific rivals. The magnitude of rivals’ responses expressed by D. melanogaster males did not align with genetic distance between species, and none of the sensory manipulations caused D. melanogaster to respond to males of all other species tested. However, when we removed or provided “false” sensory cues, D. melanogaster males became more likely to show increased mating duration responses to heterospecific males. We suggest that benefits of avoiding inaccurate assessment of the competitive environment may shape the evolution of recognition cues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Rouse
- School of Biology University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | | | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
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26
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Rebar D, Greenfield MD. When do acoustic cues matter? Perceived competition and reproductive plasticity over lifespan in a bushcricket. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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27
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Lierheimer VF, Tinghitella RM. Quantity and quality of available mates alters female responsiveness but not investment in the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2298-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Kasumovic MM, Chen Z, Wilkins MR. Australian black field crickets show changes in neural gene expression associated with socially-induced morphological, life-history, and behavioral plasticity. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:827. [PMID: 27776492 PMCID: PMC5078956 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3119-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecological and evolutionary model organisms have provided extensive insight into the ecological triggers, adaptive benefits, and evolution of life-history driven developmental plasticity. Despite this, we still have a poor understanding of the underlying genetic changes that occur during shifts towards different developmental trajectories. The goal of this study is to determine whether we can identify underlying gene expression patterns that can describe the different life-history trajectories individuals follow in response to social cues of competition. To do this, we use the Australian black field cricket (Teleogryllus commodus), a species with sex-specific developmental trajectories moderated by the density and quality of calls heard during immaturity. In this study, we manipulated the social information males and females could hear by rearing individuals in either calling or silent treatments. We next used RNA-Seq to develop a reference transcriptome to study changes in brain gene expression at two points prior to sexual maturation. RESULTS We show accelerated development in both sexes when exposed to calling; changes were also seen in growth, lifespan, and reproductive effort. Functional relationships between genes and phenotypes were apparent from ontological enrichment analysis. We demonstrate that increased investment towards traits such as growth and reproductive effort were often associated with the expression of a greater number of genes with similar effect, thus providing a suite of candidate genes for future research in this and other invertebrate organisms. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide interesting insight into the genomic underpinnings of developmental plasticity and highlight the potential of a genomic exploration of other evolutionary theories such as condition dependence and sex-specific developmental strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Kasumovic
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Zhiliang Chen
- Systems Biology Initiative, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- Systems Biology Initiative, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
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29
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Rebar D, Barbosa F, Greenfield MD. Acoustic experience influences male and female pre- and postcopulatory behaviors in a bushcricket. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Lane SM, Solino JH, Mitchell C, Blount JD, Okada K, Hunt J, House CM. Rival male chemical cues evoke changes in male pre- and post-copulatory investment in a flour beetle. Behav Ecol 2015; 26:1021-1029. [PMID: 26167098 PMCID: PMC4495758 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Males can gather information on the risk and intensity of sperm competition from their social environment. Recent studies have implicated chemosensory cues, for instance cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in insects, as a key source of this information. Here, using the broad-horned flour beetle (Gnatocerus cornutus), we investigated the importance of contact-derived rival male CHCs in informing male perception of sperm competition risk and intensity. We experimentally perfumed virgin females with male CHCs via direct intersexual contact and measured male pre- and post-copulatory investment in response to this manipulation. Using chemical analysis, we verified that this treatment engendered changes to perfumed female CHC profiles, but did not make perfumed females "smell" mated. Despite this, males responded to these chemical changes. Males increased courtship effort under low levels of perceived competition (from 1-3 rivals), but significantly decreased courtship effort as perceived competition rose (from 3-5 rivals). Furthermore, our measurement of ejaculate investment showed that males allocated significantly more sperm to perfumed females than to control females. Together, these results suggest that changes in female chemical profile elicited by contact with rival males do not provide males with information on female mating status, but rather inform males of the presence of rivals within the population and thus provide a means for males to indirectly assess the risk of sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Lane
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Joanna H Solino
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK , ; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Vector Control Department , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA , UK
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK , ; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus , Penrith, New South Wales 2751 , Australia , and
| | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Kensuke Okada
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University , Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama , Japan
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Clarissa M House
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
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31
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Chiswell R, Girard M, Fricke C, Kasumovic MM. Prior mating success can affect allocation towards future sexual signaling in crickets. PeerJ 2014; 2:e657. [PMID: 25392758 PMCID: PMC4226636 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fitness is often correlated with the expression level of a sexually selected trait. However, sexually selected traits are costly to express such that investment in their expression should be optimised to maximize their overall fitness gains. Social interactions, in the form of successful and unsuccessful matings, may offer males one type of feedback allowing them to gauge how to allocate their resources towards sexual signaling. Here we tested whether adult male black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) modify the extent of their calling effort (the sexually selected trait) in response to successful and unsuccessful matings with females. To examine the effect that mating interactions with females have on investment into sexual signaling, we monitored male calling effort after maturation and then provided males with a female at two points within their life, manipulating whether or not males were able to successfully mate each time. Our results demonstrate that males alter their investment towards sexual signaling in response to successful matings, but only if the experience occurs early in their life. Males that mated early decreased their calling effort sooner than males that were denied a mating. Our results demonstrate that social feedback in the form of successful and unsuccessful matings has the potential to alter the effort a male places towards sexual signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Chiswell
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales , Kensington, Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Madeline Girard
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California , Berkeley, CA , USA
| | - Claudia Fricke
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster , Muenster , Germany
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales , Kensington, Sydney, NSW , Australia
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32
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The trap of sex in social insects: From the female to the male perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 4:519-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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33
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Simmons LW, Lovegrove M, Almbro M. Female effects, but no intrinsic male effects on paternity outcome in crickets. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1644-9. [PMID: 24836498 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Competitive fertilization success can depend on the relative abilities of competing males to fertilize available ova, and on mechanisms of cryptic female choice that moderate paternity. Competitive fertilization success is thus an emergent property of competing male genotypes, female genotype and their interactions. Accurate estimates of intrinsic male effects on competitive fertilization success are therefore problematic. We used a cross-classified nonbreeding design in which rival male family background was standardized to partition variation in competitive fertilization success among male and female family backgrounds in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Male effects were close to zero, supporting previous quantitative genetic designs in which male competitors were assigned at random. In contrast, some 22% of the variance in competitive fertilization success was explained by female effects, suggesting that paternity in this species is influenced strongly by cryptic female choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- L W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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34
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Male and female crickets modulate their courtship behaviour depending on female experience with mate availability. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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35
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Simmons LW, Buzatto BA. Contrasting responses of pre- and post-copulatory traits to variation in mating competition. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology (M092); The University of Western Australia; Crawley 6009 Australia
| | - Bruno A. Buzatto
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology (M092); The University of Western Australia; Crawley 6009 Australia
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36
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Bailey NW, Macleod E. Socially flexible female choice and premating isolation in field crickets (Teleogryllus
spp.). J Evol Biol 2013; 27:170-80. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. W. Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity; School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
| | - E. Macleod
- Centre for Biological Diversity; School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
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