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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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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3
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Vallortigara G, Lorenzi E, Messina A, Perrino M. Magnitudes for Nervous Systems: Theoretical Issues and Experimental Evidence. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214221102146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals’ negotiations with the environment frequently involve quantitative assessments. However, it is largely unknown how different nervous systems can deal with information about magnitude and perform operations on it. Here we review some of the literature on this topic and discuss a few issues worthy of debate that can guide future research directions. First, we present experimental evidence suggesting that, in addition to the cortical (pallial) brain regions that are widely acknowledged to play a role in magnitude estimation, subcortical (more generally, subpallial) brain regions also play an important role. Second, we discuss interactions between different domains of magnitude and put forward a hypothesis to account for the directionality of associations between discrete and continuous magnitude. Finally, we suggest how the distinction between the concepts of number and discrete quantity should foster more attention to the role of sensory areas and circuits in assessing discrete quantities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Lorenzi
- Centre for Mind/Brain Science (CIMeC), University of Trento
| | - Andrea Messina
- Centre for Mind/Brain Science (CIMeC), University of Trento
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4
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Hare RM, Larsdotter-Mellström H, Simmons LW. Sexual dimorphism in cuticular hydrocarbons and their potential use in mating in a bushcricket with dynamic sex roles. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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5
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Lymbery SJ, Tomkins JL, Buzatto BA, Hosken DJ. Kin-mediated plasticity in alternative reproductive tactics. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211069. [PMID: 34344179 PMCID: PMC8334832 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditional strategies occur when the relative fitness pay-off from expressing a given phenotype is contingent upon environmental circumstances. This conditional strategy model underlies cases of alternative reproductive tactics, in which individuals of one sex employ different means to obtain reproduction. How kin structure affects the expression of alternative reproductive tactics remains unexplored. We address this using the mite Rhizoglyphus echinopus, in which large males develop into aggressive 'fighters' and small males develop into non-aggressive 'scramblers.' Because only fighters kill their rivals, they should incur a greater indirect fitness cost when competing with their relatives, and thus fighter expression could be reduced in the presence of relatives. We raised mites in full-sibling or mixed-sibship groups and found that fighters were more common at higher body weights in full-sibling groups, not less common as we predicted (small individuals were almost exclusively scramblers in both treatments). This result could be explained if relatedness and cue variability are interpreted signals of population density, since fighters are more common at low densities in this species. Alternatively, our results may indicate that males compete more intensely with relatives in this species. We provide the first evidence of kin-mediated plasticity in the expression of alternative reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. Lymbery
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, UK
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Joseph L. Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Bruno A. Buzatto
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences (E8C 209), Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J. Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, UK
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6
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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]
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7
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8
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Hartke J, Waldvogel A, Sprenger PP, Schmitt T, Menzel F, Pfenninger M, Feldmeyer B. Little parallelism in genomic signatures of local adaptation in two sympatric, cryptic sister species. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:937-952. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hartke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes‐Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Ann‐Marie Waldvogel
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute for Zoology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - Philipp P. Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes‐Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, Am Hubland University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, Am Hubland University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes‐Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes‐Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG) Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt am Main Germany
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9
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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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10
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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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11
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Haneke-Reinders M, Mazur AP, Zyma O, Ramm SA, Reinhold K. Disentangling a shared trait: male control over mate guarding duration revealed by a mate exchange experiment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02832-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Shared behavioural traits result from the interaction of two or more individuals, making it difficult to discern which individual is in control of the behaviour of interest. Especially in the case of shared reproductive traits such as mating duration or mate guarding duration is this an important issue to resolve, because these are potentially closely connected to fitness and are likely to exhibit sexual conflict. Here, we sought to disentangle which sex controls mate guarding duration in the tropical house cricket Gryllodes sigillatus, a species in which mate guarding and nuptial feeding by the male have been proposed to prevent premature removal of the transferred spermatophore by the female. To do so, we performed a series of mating experiments in a paired design, in which the first mating dyad was allowed to start mating some time before the second dyad. Once both dyads were in the mate guarding phase, we then interrupted them and exchanged partners, enabling us to determine whether the remaining guarding duration depended more on the duration of guarding already performed by the male in the new dyad (implying male control) or on the guarding already received by the female (implying female control). We found that the time a female was guarded overall was significantly affected by how long the exchanged male had already engaged in mate guarding with the previous female, but conversely, the total time males guarded both females was unaffected by the duration of guarding that the exchanged female had previously received. Our data thus clearly demonstrate that males rather than females control mate guarding duration and adjust the duration according to females’ weight.
Significance statement
It is not easy to determine which individual is in control of a shared behavioural trait (SBT). This information could provide insight into selection pressure on one sex and could help us understand differences in SBTs between related species or between different dyads of one species. We used a relative novel but simple method to disentangle a SBT in a cricket. We performed mating experiments and exchanged the mating partners after copulation within the mate guarding phase and measured the total guarding duration. Our analyses showed males were not influenced by the exchange and guarded as long as expected regardless how long the female were guarded before by another male. Our data suggest males are likely in control of mate guarding duration, and they have no ability to recognize post-copulatory mate exchange.
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12
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Hartke J, Schell T, Jongepier E, Schmidt H, Sprenger PP, Paule J, Bornberg-Bauer E, Schmitt T, Menzel F, Pfenninger M, Feldmeyer B. Hybrid Genome Assembly of a Neotropical Mutualistic Ant. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2306-2311. [PMID: 31329228 PMCID: PMC6735702 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of social insects is largely intertwined with their highly advanced chemical communication system that facilitates recognition and discrimination of species and nest-mates, recruitment, and division of labor. Hydrocarbons, which cover the cuticle of insects, not only serve as waterproofing agents but also constitute a major component of this communication system. Two cryptic Crematogaster species, which share their nest with Camponotus ants, show striking diversity in their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile. This mutualistic system therefore offers a great opportunity to study the genetic basis of CHC divergence between sister species. As a basis for further genome-wide studies high-quality genomes are needed. Here, we present the annotated draft genome for Crematogaster levior A. By combining the three most commonly used sequencing techniques—Illumina, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore—we constructed a high-quality de novo ant genome. We show that even low coverage of long reads can add significantly to overall genome contiguity. Annotation of desaturase and elongase genes, which play a role in CHC biosynthesis revealed one of the largest repertoires in ants and a higher number of desaturases in general than in other Hymenoptera. This may provide a mechanistic explanation for the high diversity observed in C. levior CHC profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hartke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tilman Schell
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Hanno Schmidt
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
| | - Philipp P Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocentre - Am Hubland, Germany
| | - Juraj Paule
- Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocentre - Am Hubland, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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13
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Heggeseth B, Sim D, Partida L, Maroja LS. Influence of female cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile on male courtship behavior in two hybridizing field crickets Gryllus firmus and Gryllus pennsylvanicus. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:21. [PMID: 32019492 PMCID: PMC7001378 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-1587-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The hybridizing field crickets, Gryllus firmus and Gryllus pennsylvanicus have several barriers that prevent gene flow between species. The behavioral pre-zygotic mating barrier, where males court conspecifics more intensely than heterospecifics, is important because by acting earlier in the life cycle it has the potential to prevent a larger fraction of hybridization. The mechanism behind such male mate preference is unknown. Here we investigate if the female cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile could be the signal behind male courtship. Results While males of the two species display nearly identical CHC profiles, females have different, albeit overlapping profiles and some females (between 15 and 45%) of both species display a male-like profile distinct from profiles of typical females. We classified CHC females profile into three categories: G. firmus-like (F; including mainly G. firmus females), G. pennsylvanicus-like (P; including mainly G. pennsylvanicus females), and male-like (ML; including females of both species). Gryllus firmus males courted ML and F females more often and faster than they courted P females (p < 0.05). Gryllus pennsylvanicus males were slower to court than G. firmus males, but courted ML females more often (p < 0.05) than their own conspecific P females (no difference between P and F). Both males courted heterospecific ML females more often than other heterospecific females (p < 0.05, significant only for G. firmus males). Conclusions Our results suggest that male mate preference is at least partially informed by female CHC profile and that ML females elicit high courtship behavior in both species. Since ML females exist in both species and are preferred over other heterospecific females, it is likely that this female type is responsible for most hybrid offspring production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Heggeseth
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA.,Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Danielle Sim
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA
| | - Laura Partida
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA
| | - Luana S Maroja
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA.
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14
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Stamps GF, Shaw KL. Male use of chemical signals in sex discrimination of Hawaiian swordtail crickets (genus Laupala). Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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15
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Lymbery SJ, Simmons LW. Gustatory cues to kinship among males moderate the productivity of females. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMales of many species harm females as a byproduct of intrasexual competition, but this harm can be reduced if males are less competitive in the presence of familiar relatives. We determined the cue males use to identify competitors in this context. We assessed genetic variance in a putative kin recognition trait (cuticular hydrocarbons) in male seed beetles Callosobruchus maculatus and found that five hydrocarbons had significant components of additive genetic variance and could serve as relatedness cues. Next, we tested whether hydrocarbons were the mechanism males use to distinguish the social identities of competitors when strategically adjusting their competitiveness/harmfulness. Pairs of female and male C. maculatus were mated in the presence of hydrocarbons extracted from males that differed in their relatedness and familiarity to the focal male. Females were more productive after mating in the presence of extracts from the focal male’s nonrelatives, if those extracts were also unfamiliar to the focal male. Relatedness had no effect on productivity when extracts were familiar to the focal male. These results may be reconciled with those of previous studies that manipulated the relatedness and familiarity of competing males if the difference between the effect of harmfulness on productivity following a single mating and the effect on lifetime reproductive fitness after multiple matings is accounted for. This study provides a novel demonstration of the mechanism of social recognition in the moderation of sexual conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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16
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Gilbert R, Uetz GW. Male chemical cues as reliable indicators of infection in the wolf spider
Schizocosa ocreata. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio
| | - George W. Uetz
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio
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17
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Lymbery SJ, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. Male responses to sperm competition when rivals vary in number and familiarity. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182589. [PMID: 30963943 PMCID: PMC6364580 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of many species adjust their reproductive investment to the number of rivals present simultaneously. However, few studies have investigated whether males sum previous encounters with rivals, and the total level of competition has never been explicitly separated from social familiarity. Social familiarity can be an important component of kin recognition and has been suggested as a cue that males use to avoid harming females when competing with relatives. Previous work has succeeded in independently manipulating social familiarity and relatedness among rivals, but experimental manipulations of familiarity are confounded with manipulations of the total number of rivals that males encounter. Using the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, we manipulated three factors: familiarity among rival males, the maximum number of rivals encountered simultaneously and the total number of rivals encountered over a 48 h period. Males produced smaller ejaculates when exposed to more rivals in total, regardless of the maximum number of rivals they encountered simultaneously. Males did not respond to familiarity. Our results demonstrate that males of this species can sum the number of rivals encountered over separate days, and therefore the confounding of familiarity with the total level of competition in previous studies should not be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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18
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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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19
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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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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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Same-sex courtship behaviors in male-biased populations: evidence for the mistaken identity hypothesis. Acta Ethol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-018-0293-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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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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Turnell BR, Shaw KL, Reeve HK. Modeling strategic sperm allocation: Tailoring the predictions to the species. Evolution 2018; 72:414-425. [PMID: 29331038 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Two major challenges exist when empirically testing the predictions of sperm allocation theory. First, the study species must adhere to the assumptions of the model being tested. Unfortunately, the common assumption of sperm allocation models that females mate a maximum of once or twice does not hold for many, if not most, multiply and sequentially mating animals. Second, a model's parameters, which dictate its predictions, must be measured in the study species. Common examples of such parameters, female mating frequency and sperm precedence patterns, are unknown for many species used in empirical tests. Here, we present a broadly applicable model, appropriate for multiply, sequentially mating animals, and test it in three species for which data on all the relevant parameter values are available. The model predicts that relative allocation to virgin females, compared to nonvirgins, depends on the interaction between female mating rate and the sperm precedence pattern: relative allocation to virgins increases with female mating rate under first-male precedence, while the opposite is true under later-male precedence. Our model is moderately successful in predicting actual allocation patterns in the three species, including a cricket in which we measured the parameter values and performed an empirical test of allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biz R Turnell
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.,Current Address: Department of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kerry L Shaw
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - H Kern Reeve
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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25
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Bertram SM, Loranger MJ, Thomson IR, Harrison SJ, Ferguson GL, Reifer ML, Corlett DH, Gowaty PA. Choosy males in Jamaican field crickets. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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26
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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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27
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Soso SB, Koziel JA. Characterizing the scent and chemical composition of Panthera leo marking fluid using solid-phase microextraction and multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5137. [PMID: 28698649 PMCID: PMC5506057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04973-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lions (Panthera leo) use chemical signaling to indicate health, reproductive status, and territorial ownership. To date, no study has reported on both scent and composition of marking fluid (MF) from P. leo. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a novel method for simultaneous chemical and scent identification of lion MF in its totality (urine + MF), 2) identify characteristic odorants responsible for the overall scent of MF as perceived by human panelists, and 3) compare the existing library of known odorous compounds characterized as eliciting behaviors in animals in order to understand potential functionality in lion behavior. Solid-phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical-sensory analyses with multidimensional gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry improved separating, isolating, and identifying mixed (MF, urine) compounds versus solvent-based extraction and chemical analyses. 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine, 4-methylphenol, and 3-methylcyclopentanone were isolated and identified as the compounds responsible for the characteristic odor of lion MF. Twenty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from MF were identified, adding a new list of compounds previously unidentified in lion urine. New chemicals were identified in nine compound groups: ketones, aldehydes, amines, alcohols, aromatics, sulfur-containing compounds, phenyls, phenols, and volatile fatty acids. Twenty-three VOCs are known semiochemicals that are implicated in attraction, reproduction, and alarm-signaling behaviors in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Soso
- Iowa State University, Environmental Science Graduate Program, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America.,Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America
| | - Jacek A Koziel
- Iowa State University, Environmental Science Graduate Program, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America. .,Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America.
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28
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Paquet M, Wotherspoon R, Smiseth PT. Caring males do not respond to cues about losses in paternity in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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29
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Hosseini SA, van Wijk M, Ke G, Goldansaz SH, Schal C, Groot AT. Experimental evidence for chemical mate guarding in a moth. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38567. [PMID: 27934963 PMCID: PMC5146913 DOI: 10.1038/srep38567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous species, males seek to maximize their reproductive output by monopolizing their mate. Often the male transfers substances to the female that suppress her sexual receptivity or antagonize the behavior of competing males; both are usually transferred in seminal fluids and represent forms of chemical mate guarding. In moths, more long-range female sex pheromones have been identified than in any other animal group, and males often display with close-range sex pheromones, yet odor-based post-copulatory mate guarding has not been described in moths so far. We tested the hypothesis that the male sex pheromone in the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens perfumes the female and functions as an anti-aphrodisiac. Indeed, virgin females perfumed with male pheromone extract, or with its main component, mated significantly less than control virgin females, and this effect persisted for two successive nights. This chemical mate guarding strategy was disadvantageous for H. virescens females, because the reproductive output of twice-mated females was significantly higher than that of once-mated females. Since the female and male sex pheromones are biosynthetically related in this and other moth species, chemical mate guarding may also impose selection pressure on the long-range female sex pheromone channel and consequently affect the evolution of sexual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Ali Hosseini
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel van Wijk
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Gao Ke
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Seyed Hossein Goldansaz
- University of Tehran, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Karaj, Iran
| | - Coby Schal
- North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Astrid T Groot
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany
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30
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Larsdotter‐Mellström H, Eriksson K, Janz N, Nylin S, Carlsson MA. Male butterflies use an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone to tailor ejaculates. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Larsdotter‐Mellström
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm Sweden
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Animal Biology (M092) The University of Western Australia Crawley WA 6009 Australia
| | - Kerstin Eriksson
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Niklas Janz
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University SE‐106 91 Stockholm Sweden
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31
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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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32
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Tyler F, Fisher D, d'Ettorre P, RodrÃguez-Muñoz R, Tregenza T. Chemical cues mediate species recognition in field crickets. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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33
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Larsdotter-Mellström H, Wiklund C. Different mating expenditure in response to sperm competition risk between generations in the bivoltine butterfly Pieris napi. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1919-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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34
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Requena GS, Machado G. Effects of egg attendance on male mating success in a harvestman with exclusive paternal care. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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35
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Gray B, Bailey NW, Poon M, Zuk M. Multimodal signal compensation: do field crickets shift sexual signal modality after the loss of acoustic communication? Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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36
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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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37
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Moatt JP, Dytham C, Thom MDF. Sperm production responds to perceived sperm competition risk in male Drosophila melanogaster. Physiol Behav 2014; 131:111-4. [PMID: 24769021 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Postcopulatory sexual selection arising from female multiple mating leads to the evolution of ejaculates that maximize a male's reproductive success under sperm competition. Where the risk of sperm competition is variable, optimal fitness may be achieved by plastically altering ejaculate characteristics in response to the prevailing sperm competition environment. In the model species Drosophila melanogaster, males expecting to encounter sperm competition mate for longer and transfer more accessory proteins and sperm. Here we show that after being housed with a single rival for one week, the seminal vesicles of male D. melanogaster contain a significantly greater proportion of live sperm than those of males maintained alone, indicating adaptive adjustment of sperm quality in response to the perceived risk of sperm competition. This effect is due to an increase in the number of live sperm produced, indicating that males upregulate sperm production in response to the presence of rivals. Our data suggest that males show plasticity in the rate of spermatogenesis that is adaptive in the context of a fluctuating sperm competition environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Moatt
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Calvin Dytham
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
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38
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Engel KC, von Hoermann C, Eggert AK, Müller JK, Steiger S. When males stop having sex: adaptive insect mating tactics during parental care. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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39
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Zimmer SM, Schneider JM, Herberstein ME. Can males detect the strength of sperm competition and presence of genital plugs during mate choice? Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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40
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Zhuang JY, Zhang S, Xu J, Hu D. Discriminating males and unpredictable females: males differentiate self-similar facial cues more than females in the judgment of opposite-sex attractiveness. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90493. [PMID: 24594644 PMCID: PMC3940898 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Attractiveness judgment in the context of mate preferences is thought to reflect an assessment of mate quality in relation to an absolute scale of genetic fitness and a relative scale of self-similarity. In this study, subjects judged the attractiveness and trustworthiness of faces in composite images that were manipulated to produce self-similar (self-resemblance) and dissimilar (other-resemblance) images. Males differentiated between self- and other-resemblance as well as among different degrees of self-resemblance in their attractiveness ratings; females did not. Specifically, in Experiment 1, using a morphing technique, we created previously unseen face images possessing different degrees (0%, 30%, 40%, or 50%) of incorporation of the subject's images (different degrees of self-resemblance) and found that males preferred images that were closer to average (0%) rather than more self-similar, whereas females showed no preference for any degree of self-similarity. In Experiment 2, we added a pro-social question about trustworthiness. We replicated the Experiment 1 attractiveness rating results and further found that males differentiated between self- and other-resemblance for the same degree of composites; women did not. Both males and females showed a similar preference for self-resemblances when judging trustworthiness. In conclusion, only males factored self-resemblance into their attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex individuals in a manner consistent with cues of reproductive fitness, although both sexes favored self-resemblance when judging trustworthiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ying Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Die Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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41
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Experience affects mating behavior, but does not impact parental reproductive allocation in a lizard. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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42
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Gray B, Simmons LW. Acoustic cues alter perceived sperm competition risk in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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43
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Tissue-specific transcriptomics in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2013; 3:225-30. [PMID: 23390599 PMCID: PMC3564983 DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.004341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Field crickets (family Gryllidae) frequently are used in studies of behavioral genetics, sexual selection, and sexual conflict, but there have been no studies of transcriptomic differences among different tissue types. We evaluated transcriptome variation among testis, accessory gland, and the remaining whole-body preparations from males of the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Non-normalized cDNA libraries from each tissue were sequenced on the Roche 454 platform, and a master assembly was constructed using testis, accessory gland, and whole-body preparations. A total of 940,200 reads were assembled into 41,962 contigs, to which 36,856 singletons (reads not assembled into a contig) were added to provide a total of 78,818 sequences used in annotation analysis. A total of 59,072 sequences (75%) were unique to one of the three tissues. Testis tissue had the greatest proportion of tissue-specific sequences (62.6%), followed by general body (56.43%) and accessory gland tissue (44.16%). We tested the hypothesis that tissues expressing gene products expected to evolve rapidly as a result of sexual selection—testis and accessory gland—would yield a smaller proportion of BLASTx matches to homologous genes in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster compared with whole-body tissue. Uniquely expressed sequences in both testis and accessory gland showed a significantly lower rate of matching to annotated D. melanogaster genes compared with those from general body tissue. These results correspond with empirical evidence that genes expressed in testis and accessory gland tissue are rapidly evolving targets of selection.
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44
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Kvarnemo C, Simmons LW. Polyandry as a mediator of sexual selection before and after mating. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120042. [PMID: 23339234 PMCID: PMC3576577 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The Darwin–Bateman paradigm recognizes competition among males for access to multiple mates as the main driver of sexual selection. Increasingly, however, females are also being found to benefit from multiple mating so that polyandry can generate competition among females for access to multiple males, and impose sexual selection on female traits that influence their mating success. Polyandry can reduce a male's ability to monopolize females, and thus weaken male focused sexual selection. Perhaps the most important effect of polyandry on males arises because of sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Polyandry favours increased male ejaculate expenditure that can affect sexual selection on males by reducing their potential reproductive rate. Moreover, sexual selection after mating can ameliorate or exaggerate sexual selection before mating. Currently, estimates of sexual selection intensity rely heavily on measures of male mating success, but polyandry now raises serious questions over the validity of such approaches. Future work must take into account both pre- and post-copulatory episodes of selection. A change in focus from the products of sexual selection expected in males, to less obvious traits in females, such as sensory perception, is likely to reveal a greater role of sexual selection in female evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Weddle CB, Steiger S, Hamaker CG, Ower GD, Mitchell C, Sakaluk SK, Hunt J. Cuticular hydrocarbons as a basis for chemosensory self-referencing in crickets: a potentially universal mechanism facilitating polyandry in insects. Ecol Lett 2012; 16:346-53. [PMID: 23279570 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Revised: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Females of many species obtain benefits by mating polyandrously, and often prefer novel males over previous mates. However, how do females recognise previous mates, particularly in the face of cognitive constraints? Female crickets appear to have evolved a simple but effective solution: females imbue males with their own cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) at mating and utilise chemosensory self-referencing to recognise recent mates. Female CHC profiles exhibited significant additive genetic variation, demonstrating that genetically unique chemical cues are available to support chemosensory self-referencing. CHC profiles of males became more similar to those of females after mating, indicating physical transfer of CHCs between individuals during copulation. Experimental perfuming of males with female CHCs resulted in a female aversion to males bearing chemical cues similar to their own. Chemosensory self-referencing, therefore, could be a widespread mechanism by which females increase the diversity of their mating partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carie B Weddle
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
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46
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Bailey NW, French N. Same-sex sexual behaviour and mistaken identity in male field crickets, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Shifferman EM. It's all in your head: the role of quantity estimation in sperm competition. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:833-40. [PMID: 22171084 PMCID: PMC3259941 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 11/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of animal cognition has provided valuable data throughout the years, yet its reliance on laboratory work leaves some open questions. The main question is whether animals employ cognition in daily decision-making. The following discussion uses sperm competition (SC) as a test case for demonstrating the effect of cognition on routine choices, in this case, sexual selection. Cognition is manifested here by males' ability to represent the number of rivals competing with them. I claim that response to SC is driven by quantity estimation and the ability to assess competition magnitude cognitively. Hence, cognition can determine males' response to SC, and consequentially it can be selected within this context. This supports the argument that cognition constitutes an integral part of an individual's toolbox in solving real-life problems, and shows that physical and behavioural phenomena can expose cognition to selection and facilitate its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran M Shifferman
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Adolf Lorenz Gasse 2, 3422 Altenberg, Austria.
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48
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Gress BE, Kelly CD. Is sperm viability independent of ejaculate size in the house cricket (Acheta domesticus)? CAN J ZOOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1139/z11-103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Assessing sperm viability is a popular means of testing hypotheses related to ejaculate quality. This technique has produced interesting results; however, the sperm viability assay itself may kill sperm. This is a serious pitfall, as assay-related mortality could confound results and produce artificially low estimates of viability. To avoid spurious results, it has been recommended that investigators include sperm number in their viability analyses. Unfortunately, studies conducted to date on internal fertilizers have not included sperm counts in their analyses, so it is not possible to assess whether this factor can indeed produce artefactual results. In this paper, we use male house crickets ( Acheta domesticus (L., 1758)) to show that sperm viability is dependent on sperm number and exclusion of this factor from statistical analyses affects our interpretation of experimental treatment results. We show that mechanically rupturing a spermatophore significantly reduces sperm viability, but this does not appear to drive the nonindependent relationship between viability and number. Instead, our study shows that nonindependence is due to processes other than differential physical damage to the sperm during collection. We also show that allowing a spermatophore to evacuate its sperm without rupturing for 10 min maximizes both sperm number and viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian E. Gress
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 339A Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Clint D. Kelly
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 339A Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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49
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Bailey NW. Mate choice plasticity in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus: effects of social experience in multiple modalities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1237-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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50
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Bonilla MM, Zeh DW, White AM, Zeh JA. Discriminating Males and Unpredictable Females: Males Bias Sperm Allocation in Favor of Virgin Females. Ethology 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2011.01928.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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