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Jandausch K, Wanjura N, Escalona H, Sann M, Beutel RG, Pohl H, Niehuis O. Polyandry and sperm competition in two traumatically inseminating species of Strepsiptera (Insecta). Sci Rep 2024; 14:10447. [PMID: 38714726 PMCID: PMC11076583 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61109-z] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyandry, the practice of females mating with multiple males, is a strategy found in many insect groups. Whether it increases the likelihood of receiving beneficial genes from male partners and other potential benefits for females is controversial. Strepsiptera are generally considered monandrous, but in a few species females have been observed copulating serially with multiple males. Here we show that the offspring of a single female can have multiple fathers in two Strepsiptera species: Stylops ovinae (Stylopidae) and Xenos vesparum (Xenidae). We studied female polyandry in natural populations of these two species by analysis of polymorphic microsatellite loci. Our results showed that several fathers can be involved in both species, in some cases up to four. Mating experiments with S. ovinae have shown that the first male to mates with a given female contributes to a higher percentage of the offspring than subsequent males. In X. vesparum, however, we found no significant correlation between mating duration and offspring contribution. The prolonged copulation observed in S. ovinae may have the advantage of reducing competition with sperm from other males. Our results show that monandry may not be the general pattern of reproduction in the insect order Strepsiptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenny Jandausch
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Institute for Anatomie I, Jena University Hospital, Teichgraben 7, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| | - Nico Wanjura
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hermes Escalona
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Manuela Sann
- Institute for Biology (190T), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Rolf G Beutel
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans Pohl
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Niehuis
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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Sloan NS, Harvey MS, Huey JA, Simmons LW. Rapid divergent evolution of internal female genitalia and the coevolution of male genital morphology revealed by micro-computed tomography. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232883. [PMID: 38290544 PMCID: PMC10827428 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal genitalia are thought to evolve rapidly and divergently in response to sexual selection. Studies of genital evolution have focused largely on male genitalia. The paucity of work on female genital morphology is probably due to problems faced in quantifying shape variation, due to their composition and accessibility. Here we use a combination of micro-computed tomography, landmark free shape quantification and phylogenetic analysis to quantify the rate of female genital shape evolution among 29 species of Antichiropus millipedes, and their coevolution with male genitalia. We found significant variation in female and male genital shape among species. Male genital shape showed a stronger phylogenetic signal than female genital shape, although the phylogenetic signal effect sizes did not differ significantly. Male genital shape was found to be evolving 1.2 times faster than female genital shape. Female and male genital shape exhibited strong correlated evolution, indicating that genital shape changes in one sex are associated with corresponding changes in the genital shape of the other sex. This study adds novel insight into our growing understanding of how female genitalia can evolve rapidly and divergently, and highlights the advantages of three-dimensional techniques and multivariate analyses in studies of female genital evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S. Sloan
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Mark S. Harvey
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool 6106, Australia
| | - Joel A. Huey
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool 6106, Australia
- Biologic Environmental, East Perth 6004, Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
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André GI, Firman RC, Simmons LW. The effect of genital stimulation on competitive fertilization success in house mice. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Orr TJ, Lukitsch T, Eiting TP, Brennan PLR. Testing Morphological Relationships Between Female and Male Copulatory Structures in Bats. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac040. [PMID: 35661885 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The lower reproductive tract of female mammals has several competing functions including mating, tract health maintenance, and parturition. Diverse vaginal anatomy suggests interactions between natural and sexual selection, yet despite its importance, female copulatory morphology remains under-studied. We undertook a comparative study across the species-rich mammalian order Chiroptera (bats) with a focus on the suborder Yangochiroptera (Vespertilioniformes) to examine how female vaginal features may have coevolved with male penis morphology to minimize mechanical damage to their tissues during copulation. The penis morphology is diverse, presenting great potential for post-copulatory sexual selection and coevolution with the female morphology, but vaginas have not been carefully examined. Here we test the hypotheses that vaginal thickness and collagen density have coevolved with features of the male penis including the presence of spines and a baculum. We present histological data from females of 24 species from 7 families of bats, and corresponding data on male penis anatomy. We also examine the role of phylogenetic history in the morphological patterns we observe. We found evidence that female vaginal thickness has coevolved with the presence of penile spines, but not with baculum presence or width. Collagen density did not appear to covary with male penile features. Our findings highlight the importance of considering interactions between the sexes in influencing functional reproductive structures and examine how these structures have been under selection in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teri J Orr
- New Mexico State University, Department of Biology, Las Cruces, NM 88003
| | - Theresa Lukitsch
- New Mexico State University, Department of Biology, Las Cruces, NM 88003
| | - Thomas P Eiting
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Patricia L R Brennan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA 01075
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André GI, Firman RC, Simmons LW. The effect of baculum shape and mating behavior on mating-induced prolactin release in female house mice. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Male genitalia are subject to rapid divergent evolution, and sexual selection is believed to be responsible for this pattern of evolutionary divergence. Genital stimulation during copulation is an essential feature of sexual reproduction. In mammals, the male intromittent genitalia induces a cascade of physiological and neurological changes in females that promote pregnancy. Previous studies of the house mouse have shown that the shape of the baculum (penis bone) influences male reproductive success and responds to experimentally imposed variation in sexual selection. Here, we test the hypothesis that the baculum is subject to sexual selection due to a stimulatory function during copulation. We selected male and female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from families with breeding values at the extremes of baculum shape and performed two series of experimental matings following which we examined the concentration of prolactin in the blood of females either 15 (“early”) or 75 (“late”) min after ejaculation. Our results provide evidence of a mating-induced release of prolactin in the female house mouse early after ejaculation, the level of which is dependent on an interaction between the shape of the baculum and male sexual behavior. Our data thereby provide novel insight into the mechanism(s) of sexual selection acting on the mammalian baculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo I André
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Renée C Firman
- 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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Winkler L, Lindholm AK, Ramm SA, Sutter A. The baculum affects paternity success of first but not second males in house mouse sperm competition. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:159. [PMID: 34384348 PMCID: PMC8359600 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01887-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The vast variation observed in genital morphology is a longstanding puzzle in evolutionary biology. Studies showing that the morphology of the mammalian baculum (penis bone) can covary with a male’s paternity success indicate a potential impact of baculum morphology on male fitness, likely through influencing sperm competition outcomes. We therefore measured the size (measurements of length and width) and shape (geometric morphometric measurements) of the bacula of male house mice used in previously published sperm competition experiments, in which two males mated successively with the same female in staged matings. This enabled us to correlate baculum morphology with sperm competition success, incorporating potential explanatory variables related to copulatory plugs, male mating behavior and a selfish genetic element that influences sperm motility. We found that a wider baculum shaft increased a male’s paternity share when mating first, but not when mating second with a multiply-mating female. Geometric morphometric shape measurements were not clearly associated with fertilization success for either male. We found limited evidence that the effect of baculum morphology on male fertilization success was altered by experimental removal of the copulatory plug. Furthermore, neither genetic differences in sperm motility, nor covariation with male mating behavior mediated the effect of baculum morphology on male fertilization success. Taken together with previous findings, the mating-order effects we found here suggest that baculum-mediated stimulation by the first male might be particularly important for fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Winkler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany. .,Applied Zoology, Technical University Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Andreas Sutter
- School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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Lough-Stevens M, Ghione CR, Urness M, Hobbs A, Sweeney CM, Dean MD. Male-derived copulatory plugs enhance implantation success in female Mus musculus. Biol Reprod 2021; 104:684-694. [PMID: 33355341 PMCID: PMC7962766 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Among a wide diversity of sexually reproducing species, male ejaculates coagulate to form what has been termed a copulatory plug. A number of functions have been attributed to copulatory plugs, including the inhibition of female remating and the promotion of ejaculate movement. Here we demonstrate that copulatory plugs also influence the likelihood of implantation, which occurs roughly 4 days after copulation in mice. Using a bead transfer method to control for differences in ejaculate retention and fertilization rates, we show that implantation rates significantly drop among females mated to genetically engineered males incapable of forming plugs (because they lack functional transglutaminase 4, the main enzyme responsible for its formation). Surprisingly, this result does not correlate with differences in circulating progesterone levels among females, an important hormone involved in implantation. We discuss three models that connect male-derived copulatory plugs to implantation success, including the hypothesis that plugs contribute to a threshold amount of stimulation required for females to become receptive to implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lough-Stevens
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Caleb R Ghione
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Urness
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adelaide Hobbs
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Colleen M Sweeney
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D Dean
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Firman RC. Of mice and women: advances in mammalian sperm competition with a focus on the female perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200082. [PMID: 33070720 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although initially lagging behind discoveries being made in other taxa, mammalian sperm competition is now a productive and advancing field of research. Sperm competition in mammals is not merely a 'sprint-race' between the gametes of rival males, but rather a race over hurdles; those hurdles being the anatomical and physiological barriers provided by the female reproductive tract, as well as the egg and its vestments. With this in mind, in this review, I discuss progress in the field while focusing on the female perspective. I highlight ways by which sperm competition can have positive effects on female reproductive success and discuss how competitive outcomes are not only owing to dynamics between the ejaculates of rival males, but also attributable to mechanisms by which female mammals bias paternity toward favourable sires. Drawing on examples across different species-from mice to humans-I provide an overview of the accumulated evidence which firmly establishes that sperm competition is a key selective force in the evolution of male traits and detail how females can respond to increased sperm competitiveness with increased egg resistance to fertilization. I also discuss evidence for facultative responses to the sperm competition environment observed within mammal species. Overall, this review identifies shortcomings in our understanding of the specific mechanisms by which female mammals 'select' sperm. More generally, this review demonstrates how, moving forward, mammals will continue to be effective animal models for studying both evolutionary and facultative responses to sperm competition. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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Simmons LW, Wedell N. Fifty years of sperm competition: the structure of a scientific revolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200060. [PMID: 33070719 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
| | - Nina Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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10
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André GI, Firman RC, Simmons LW. Baculum shape and paternity success in house mice: evidence for genital coevolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200150. [PMID: 33070728 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is believed to be responsible for the rapid divergence of male genitalia, which is a widely observed phenomenon across different taxa. Among mammals, the stimulatory role of male genitalia and female 'sensory perception' has been suggested to explain these evolutionary patterns. Recent research on house mice has shown that baculum (penis bone) shape can respond to experimentally imposed sexual selection. Here, we explore the adaptive value of baculum shape by performing two experiments that examine the effects of male and female genitalia on male reproductive success. Thus, we selected house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from families characterized by extremes in baculum shape (relative width) and examined paternity success in both non-competitive (monogamous) and competitive (polyandrous) contexts. Our analyses revealed that the relative baculum shape of competing males influenced competitive paternity success, but that this effect was dependent on the breeding value for baculum shape of the family from which females were derived. Our data provide novel insight into the potential mechanisms underlying the evolution of the house mouse baculum and lend support to the stimulatory hypothesis for the coevolution of male and female genitalia. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goncalo I André
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
| | - Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
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