1
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Ito T, Morita M, Okuno S, Inaba K, Shiba K, Munehara H, Koya Y, Homma M, Awata S. Fertilization modes and the evolution of sperm characteristics in marine fishes: Paired comparisons of externally and internally fertilizing species. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9562. [PMID: 36479029 PMCID: PMC9720005 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9562] [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: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization mode may affect sperm characteristics, such as morphology, velocity, and motility. However, there is little information on how fertilization mode affects sperm evolution because several factors (e.g., sperm competition) are intricately intertwined when phylogenetically distant species are compared. Here, we investigated sperm characteristics by comparing seven externally and four internally fertilizing marine fishes from three different groups containing close relatives, considering sperm competition levels. The sperm head was significantly slenderer in internal fertilizers than in external fertilizers, suggesting that a slender head is advantageous for swimming in viscous ovarian fluid or in narrow spaces of the ovary. In addition, sperm motility differed between external and internal fertilizers; sperm of external fertilizers were only motile in seawater, whereas sperm of internal fertilizers were only motile in an isotonic solution. These results suggest that sperm motility was adapted according to fertilization mode. By contrast, total sperm length and sperm velocity were not associated with fertilization mode, perhaps because of the different levels of sperm competition. Relative testis mass (an index of sperm competition level) was positively correlated with sperm velocity and negatively correlated with the ratio of sperm head length to total sperm length. These findings suggest that species with higher levels of sperm competition have faster sperm with longer flagella relative to the head length. These results contradict the previous assumption that the evolution of internal fertilization increases the total sperm length. In addition, copulatory behavior with internal insemination may involve a large genital morphology, but this is not essential in fish, suggesting the existence of various sperm transfer methods. Although the power of our analyses is not strong because of the limited number of species, we propose a new scenario of sperm evolution in which internal fertilization would increase sperm head length, but not total sperm length, and change sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ito
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan,Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Masaya Morita
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research CenterUniversity of the RyukyusMotobuJapan
| | - Seiya Okuno
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan,Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research CenterUniversity of TsukubaShimodaJapan
| | - Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research CenterUniversity of TsukubaShimodaJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Munehara
- Usujiri Fisheries Station, Field Science Center for Northern BiosphereHokkaido UniversityHakodateJapan
| | - Yasunori Koya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of EducationGifu UniversityGifuJapan
| | | | - Satoshi Awata
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan,Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
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2
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An Open-Hardware Insemination Device for Small-Bodied Live-Bearing Fishes to Support Development and Use of Germplasm Repositories. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12080961. [PMID: 35454209 PMCID: PMC9032428 DOI: 10.3390/ani12080961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-bodied live-bearing fishes attract broad attention because of their importance in biomedical research and critical conservation status in natural habitats. Artificial insemination is an essential process to establish hybrid lines and for the operation of sperm repositories. The existing mouth-pipetting technique for artificial insemination of live-bearing fishes has not been substantially upgraded since the first implementation in the 1950s. The goal of this work was to develop a standardized artificial inseminator device (SAID) to address issues routinely encountered in insemination by mouth-pipetting, including lack of reproducibility among different users, difficulty in training, and large unreportable variation in sample volume and pressure during insemination. Prototypes of the SAID were designed as relatively inexpensive (<USD 80) open hardware based on commercially available and 3-D printed components to enable broad community access. A linear actuator was used to accurately control the position of a piston for fluid transfer with a standard deviation of <0.1 mm over a 4 mm range of travel. The volume of sample transfer was precisely controlled with a linear relationship (r2 > 0.99) between the piston position and volume. Pressure generation from eight mouth-pipetting operators and SAID prototypes were assessed by pressure sensors. The pressure control by SAID was superior to that produced by mouth-pipetting, yielding lower pressures (31−483 Pa) and smaller variations (standard deviation <11 Pa). These pressures were sufficient to deliver 1−5 μL of fluid into female reproductive tracts yet low enough to avoid physical injury to fish. Community-level enhancements of the SAID prototype could enable standardized insemination with minimal training and facilitate the participation of research communities in the use of cryopreserved genetic resources.
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3
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Dougherty LR, Skirrow MJA, Jennions MD, Simmons LW. Male alternative reproductive tactics and sperm competition: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1365-1388. [PMID: 35229450 PMCID: PMC9541908 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In many animal species, males may exhibit one of several discrete, alternative ways of obtaining fertilisations, known as alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Males exhibiting ARTs typically differ in the extent to which they invest in traits that improve their mating success, or the extent to which they face sperm competition. This has led to the widespread prediction that males exhibiting ARTs associated with a high sperm competition risk, or lower investment into traits that improve their competitiveness before mating, should invest more heavily into traits that improve their competitiveness after mating, such as large ejaculates and high-quality sperm. However, despite many studies investigating this question since the 1990s, evidence for differences in sperm and ejaculate investment between male ARTs is mixed, and there has been no quantitative summary of this field. Following a systematic review of the literature, we performed a meta-analysis examining how testes size, sperm number and sperm traits differ between males exhibiting ARTs that face either a high or low sperm competition risk, or high or low investment in traits that increase mating success. We obtained data from 92 studies and 67 species from across the animal kingdom. Our analyses showed that male fish exhibiting ARTs facing a high sperm competition risk had significantly larger testes (after controlling for body size) than those exhibiting tactics facing a low sperm competition risk. However, this effect appears to be due to the inappropriate use of the gonadosomatic index as a body-size corrected measure of testes investment, which overestimates the difference in testes investment between male tactics in most cases. We found no significant difference in sperm number between males exhibiting different ARTs, regardless of whether sperm were measured from the male sperm stores or following ejaculation. We also found no significant difference in sperm traits between males exhibiting different ARTs, with the exception of sperm adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in fish. Finally, the difference in post-mating investment between male ARTs was not influenced by the extent to which tactics were flexible, or by the frequency of sneakers in the population. Overall, our results suggest that, despite clear theoretical predictions, there is little evidence that male ARTs differ substantially in investment into sperm and ejaculates across species. The incongruence between theoretical and empirical results could be explained if (i) theoretical models fail to account for differences in overall resource levels between males exhibiting different ARTs or fundamental trade-offs between investment into different ejaculate and sperm traits, and (ii) studies often use sperm or ejaculate traits that do not reflect overall post-mating investment accurately or affect fertilisation success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, U.K
| | - Michael J A Skirrow
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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4
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González-López WA, Patel DM, Duncan N, Beirão J. Is it possible to store spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) sperm by refrigeration? FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2021; 47:725-735. [PMID: 32488550 PMCID: PMC8225530 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor reproduction in captivity is dependent on in vitro fertilization. However, it is often challenging to acquire sufficient fresh sperm to fertilize the eggs that are obtained. In this study, we evaluate the possibility to store spotted wolffish sperm by refrigeration. Spotted wolffish sperm has the particularity that is already motile on stripping, and currently it is not possible to immobilize and reactivate. Thus, sperm refrigeration protocols should focus in extending this motility period that usually lasts up to 2 days. In a first experiment, we evaluated the possibility that the motility period of the sperm was limited by contamination with urine. The urea concentration in the sperm obtained both by stripping (17.10 ± 1.98 mg/dL) and directly from the testis (12.59 ± 2.37 mg/dL) was similar (p > 0.05), which indicate that the sperm collection method used avoid contamination with urine. Afterwards, we tested the possibility that the sperm motility period was limited by energy stores. The ATP concentration (initial value 5.65 ± 0.86 nmol/109 cells) remained stable (p = 0.099) during 30 h after sperm collection, and similar values (p = 0.329) were recorded at end of sperm storage in both diluted (3.88 ± 1.35 nmol/109 cells) and undiluted samples (4.76 ± 1.08 nmol/109). This indicates that the low intracellular ATP consumption, derived from the slow sperm motility, can probably be compensated rapidly enough by mitochondrial synthesis of ATP in the spotted wolffish sperm. In both experiments, diluted sperm kept higher percentage of motile cells during the storage time.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A González-López
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, NO-8049, Bodø, Norway
- IRTA Sant Carles de la Rápita, 43540 Sant Carles de la Rápita, Tarragona, Spain
| | - D M Patel
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, NO-8049, Bodø, Norway
| | - N Duncan
- IRTA Sant Carles de la Rápita, 43540 Sant Carles de la Rápita, Tarragona, Spain
| | - J Beirão
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, NO-8049, Bodø, Norway.
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5
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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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6
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Ito T, Kinoshita I, Tahara D, Goto A, Tojima S, Sideleva VG, Kupchinsky AB, Awata S. Fertilization modes drive the evolution of sperm traits in Baikal sculpins. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Ito
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - I. Kinoshita
- Usa Marine Biological InstituteKochi University Kochi Japan
| | - D. Tahara
- Research Center for Marine Bioresources Fukui Prefectural University Fukui Japan
| | - A. Goto
- Department of Science of Environmental Education Hokkaido University of Education Hokkaido Japan
| | - S. Tojima
- Usa Marine Biological InstituteKochi University Kochi Japan
| | - V. G. Sideleva
- Zoological InstituteThe Russian Academy of Sciences Saint Petersburg Russia
| | - A. B. Kupchinsky
- Siberian Branch Baikal MuseumIrkutsk Scientific CenterRussian Academy of Sciences Listvyanka Russia
| | - S. Awata
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
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7
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Kustra MC, Alonzo SH. Sperm and alternative reproductive tactics: a review of existing theory and empirical data. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200075. [PMID: 33070732 PMCID: PMC7661440 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Males that exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) often differ in the risk of sperm competition and the energetic trade-offs they experience. The resulting patterns of selection could lead to between-tactic differences in ejaculate traits. Despite extensive research on male ARTs, there is no comprehensive review of whether and what differences in sperm traits exist between male ARTs. We review existing theory on ejaculate evolution relevant to ARTs and then conduct a comprehensive vote-counting review of the empirical data comparing sperm traits between males adopting ARTs. Despite the general expectation that sneaker males should produce sperm that are more competitive (e.g. higher quality or performance), we find that existing theory does not predict explicitly how males adopting ARTs should differ in sperm traits. The majority of studies find no significant difference in sperm performance traits between dominant and sneaker males. However, when there is a difference, sneaker males tend to have higher sperm performance trait values than dominant males. We propose ways that future theoretical and empirical research can improve our understanding of the evolution of ejaculate traits in ARTs. We then highlight how studying ejaculate traits in species with ARTs will improve our broader knowledge of ejaculate evolution. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Kustra
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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8
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Abstract
Sperm competition is a powerful selective force that has shaped sexual traits throughout animal evolution. Yet, how fertilization mode (i.e. external versus internal fertilization) influences the scope and potential for sperm competition to act on ejaculates remains unclear. Here, I examine how fertilization mode shapes ejaculatory responses to sperm competition in fishes, a diverse group that constitute the majority of vertebrate biological diversity. Fishes are an ideal group for this examination because they exhibit a wide range of reproductive behaviours and an unparalleled number of transitions in fertilization mode compared to any other vertebrate group. Drawing on data from cartilaginous and bony fishes, I first show that rates of multiple paternity are higher in internally than externally fertilizing fishes, contrary to the prevailing expectation. I then summarize how sperm competition acts on sperm number and quality in internally and externally fertilizing fishes, highlighting where theoretical predictions differ between these groups. Differences in how ejaculates respond to sperm competition between fertilization modes are most apparent when considering sperm size and swimming performance. Clarifying how fertilization mode influences evolutionary responses in ejaculates will inform our understanding of ejaculate evolution across the animal tree of life. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fifty years of sperm competition’.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Fitzpatrick
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
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9
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Meniri M, Gohon F, Gning O, Glauser G, Vallat A, Fasel NJ, Helfenstein F. Experimental manipulation of reproductive tactics in Seba's short-tailed bats: consequences on sperm quality and oxidative status. Curr Zool 2019; 65:609-616. [PMID: 31857807 PMCID: PMC6911846 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To reproduce, males have to fertilize the female's eggs, sometimes in competition with ejaculates of other males. In species where males display alternative reproductive tactics, whereby territorial males secure mating and non-territorial males have to sneak copulations, the latter might be expected to invest relatively more resources towards sperm quality compared with the territorial males. Sperm cells are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress, which reduces male fertility. Therefore, antioxidant resources are expected to modulate sperm quality, and might be allocated differently between reproductive tactics. To test the link between reproductive tactics, redox profile and sperm quality, we experimentally induced changes in the reproductive tactics of 39 captive males Seba's short-tailed bats Carollia perspicillata. We monitored the blood and ejaculate oxidative balance, and the sperm quality before, 7 days and 21 days after the manipulation of reproductive tactic. Although ejaculates' oxidative damage was negatively related to sperm velocity, males exhibited similar blood and ejaculates redox profiles and similar sperm quality, regardless of their reproductive tactic. Possibly, these results arise as a consequence of some constraints having been lifted during the experiment. Our results also suggest that, in Seba's short-tailed bats, the expression of alternative reproductive tactics is not subjected to strong oxidative constraints. Furthermore, our results could reflect an absence of trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory traits in harem males, as they could be selected to invest both in female attraction and sperm quality, as a consequence of their inability to fully monopolize females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Florence Gohon
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Ophélie Gning
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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10
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Kustra MC, Kahrl AF, Reedy AM, Warner DA, Cox RM. Sperm morphology and count vary with fine-scale changes in local density in a wild lizard population. Oecologia 2019; 191:555-564. [PMID: 31624957 PMCID: PMC6825022 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04511-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/30/2022]
Abstract
Given that sperm production can be costly, theory predicts that males should optimally adjust the quantity and/or quality of their sperm in response to their social environment to maximize their paternity success. Although experiments demonstrate that males can alter their ejaculates in response to manipulations of the social environment and studies show that ejaculate traits covary with social environment across populations, it is unknown whether individual variation in sperm traits corresponds to natural variation found within wild populations. Using an island population of brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei), we tested the prediction that sperm traits (sperm count, sperm morphology, sperm velocity) respond to natural variation in the risk of sperm competition, as inferred from the local density and operational sex ratio (OSR) of conspecifics. We found that males living in high-density areas of the island produced relatively larger sperm midpieces, smaller sperm heads, and lower sperm counts. Sperm traits were unrelated to OSR after accounting for the covariance between OSR and density. Our findings broaden the implications of sperm competition theory to intrapopulation social environment variation by showing that sperm count and sperm morphology vary with fine-scale differences in density within a single wild population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Kustra
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Ariel F Kahrl
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA. .,Stockholm University, Zoologiska institutionen: Etologi, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Aaron M Reedy
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
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11
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Gilman CA, Corl A, Sinervo B, Irschick DJ. Genital morphology associated with mating strategy in the polymorphic lizard, Uta stansburiana. J Morphol 2018; 280:184-192. [PMID: 30592530 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection can lead to rapid evolution of sexual traits and striking morphological diversity across taxa. In populations where competition for mates is intense, males sometimes evolve distinct behavioral strategies along with morphological differences that help them secure mating opportunities. Strong postcopulatory selection and differential resource allocation across male strategy type can result in strategy-specific differences in sexual traits, such as sperm morphology, ejaculate components, and testis size. Some polymorphic species also have strategy-specific genital morphology. Thus far, among vertebrates, this has only been observed in fish. Here, we present the first morphological description of the intromittant copulatory organ, the hemipenis, of the three mating types of the side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana, from a population that exhibits alternative mating strategies. We found that the isometrically scaling hemipenis was shortest in the nonterritorial (yellow) morph that sneaks copulations with other males' mates. Although the hemipenes were generally the same shape across morphs, the usurping territorial (orange) morph had a significantly wider apical horn than the nonterritorial sneaker morph. Sneaker males also had smaller relative body masses than both the mate-guarding (blue) morph and the usurper morph, and shorter tibia than the usurper morph. This study using a small sample of males suggests that strong sexual selection may drive genital trait differentiation across morphs within populations of terrestrial vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey A Gilman
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Ammon Corl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Duncan J Irschick
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
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12
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Brown HN, Gale BH, Johnson JB, Belk MC. Testes mass in the livebearing fish Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora (Poeciliidae) varies hypoallometrically with body size but not between predation environments. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11656-11662. [PMID: 30598764 PMCID: PMC6303761 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we considered potential causes of variation in testis size in the livebearing fish Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora. We evaluated variation in testes mass among individual males and among populations that occupy different selective environments. First, we predicted that small males should allocate more to testes mass than large males (i.e., hypoallometric pattern) based on a sperm competition argument. Second, based on life history theory and associated differences in mortality rates between populations that coexist with many fish predators and those with few predators, we predicted that males in high-predation environments should allocate more to testes mass than males in habitats with few predators. Our results showed that small males allocated proportionally more to testes mass than larger males (slope of testes mass to body mass was hypoallometric). However, there was no effect of predator environment on testes mass independent of body size differences. In this system, size-specific patterns of reproductive allocation in males (hypoallometry) differ from that seen in females (hyperallometry). Allocation to testes mass may respond to differences in mortality rate through selection on body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley N. Brown
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of BiologyBrigham Young UniversityProvoUtah
| | - Brittany Herrod Gale
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of BiologyBrigham Young UniversityProvoUtah
| | - Jerald B. Johnson
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of BiologyBrigham Young UniversityProvoUtah
- Monte L. Bean Life Science MuseumProvoUtah
| | - Mark C. Belk
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of BiologyBrigham Young UniversityProvoUtah
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13
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Nakanishi A, Takegaki T. Tactic‐specific sperm traits in the dusky frillgoby (
Bathygobius fuscus
). J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Nakanishi
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences Nagasaki University Nagasaki Japan
| | - T. Takegaki
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences Nagasaki University Nagasaki Japan
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14
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Male nutritional history affects female fecundity in a male-dimorphic mite: Evidence for a nuptial gift? Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9940-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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15
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Taborsky M, Schütz D, Goffinet O, van Doorn GS. Alternative male morphs solve sperm performance/longevity trade-off in opposite directions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaap8563. [PMID: 29806019 PMCID: PMC5966226 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aap8563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Males pursuing alternative reproductive tactics have been predicted to face a trade-off between maximizing either swimming performance or endurance of their sperm. However, empirical evidence for this trade-off is equivocal, which may be due to simplistic assumptions. In the shell-brooding cichlid fish Lamprologus callipterus, two Mendelian male morphs compete for fertilization by divergent means: Bourgeois nest males ejaculate sperm, on average, about six times farther from the unfertilized ova than do parasitic dwarf males. This asymmetry is opposite to the usual situation, in which bourgeois males typically benefit from superior fertilization opportunities, suggesting that nest males' sperm should persist longer than dwarf male sperm. The assumed trade-off between sperm swimming performance and longevity predicts that, in turn, sperm of dwarf males should outperform that of nest males in swimming efficiency. Measurement of sperm performance and endurance reveals that dwarf male spermatozoa swim straighter initially than those of nest males, but their motility declines earlier and their velocity slows down more abruptly. Nest male sperm survives longer, which relates to a larger sperm head plus midpiece, implying more mitochondria. Thus, the trade-off between sperm performance and endurance is optimized in opposite directions by alternative male morphs. We argue that the relative success of alternative sperm performance strategies can be influenced strongly by environmental factors such as the time window between gamete release and fertilization, and the position of gamete release. This is an important yet little understood aspect of gametic adaptations to sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Taborsky
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dolores Schütz
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Goffinet
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - G. Sander van Doorn
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, Netherlands
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16
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Activation of free sperm and dissociation of sperm bundles (spermatozeugmata) of an endangered viviparous fish, Xenotoca eiseni. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 218:35-45. [PMID: 29371117 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of sperm motility activation for viviparous fishes has been limited to study of several species in Poeciliidae, and the dissociation of sperm bundles is even less understood. The goal of this study was to use the endangered Redtail Splitfin (Xenotoca eiseni) as a model to investigate the activation of sperm from viviparous fishes by study of free sperm and spermatozeugmata (unencapsulated sperm bundles). The specific objectives were to evaluate the effects of: (1) osmotic pressure and refrigerated storage (4 °C) on activation of free sperm, (2) osmotic pressure, ions, and pH on dissociation of spermatozeugmata, and (3) CaCl2 concentration and pH on sperm membrane integrity. Free sperm were activated in Ca2+-free Hanks' balanced salt solution at 81-516 mOsmol/kg. The highest motility (19 ± 6%) was at 305 mOsmol/kg and swim remained for 84 h. Glucose (300-700 mOsmol/kg), NaCl (50-600 mOsmol/kg), and KCl, MgCl2, and MnCl2 at 5-160 mM activated sperm within spermatozeugmata, but did not dissociate spermatozeugmata. CaCl2 at 5-160 mM dissociated spermatozeugmata within 10 min. Solutions of NaCl-NaOH at pH 11.6 to 12.4 dissociated spermatozeugmata within 1 min. The percentage of viable cells had no significant differences (P = 0.2033) among different concentrations of CaCl2, but it was lower (P < 0.0001) at pH 12.5 than at pH between 7.0 and 12.0. Overall, this study provided a foundation for quality evaluation of sperm and spermatozeugmata from livebearing fishes, and for development of germplasm repositories for imperiled goodeids.
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17
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Hooper AK, Spagopoulou F, Wylde Z, Maklakov AA, Bonduriansky R. Ontogenetic timing as a condition‐dependent life history trait: High‐condition males develop quickly, peak early, and age fast. Evolution 2017; 71:671-685. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy K. Hooper
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Foteini Spagopoulou
- Ageing Research Group, Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Zachariah Wylde
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Alexei A. Maklakov
- Ageing Research Group, Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
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18
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The potential for disruptive selection on growth rates across genetically influenced alternative reproductive tactics. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9823-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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19
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Bocedi G, Reid JM. Coevolutionary Feedbacks between Female Mating Interval and Male Allocation to Competing Sperm Traits Can Drive Evolution of Costly Polyandry. Am Nat 2016; 187:334-50. [PMID: 26913946 DOI: 10.1086/684746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Complex coevolutionary feedbacks between female mating interval and male sperm traits have been hypothesized to explain the evolution and persistence of costly polyandry. Such feedbacks could potentially arise because polyandry creates sperm competition and consequent selection on male allocation to sperm traits, while the emerging sperm traits could create female sperm limitation and, hence, impose selection for increased polyandry. However, the hypothesis that costly polyandry could coevolve with male sperm dynamics has not been tested. We built a genetically explicit individual-based model to simulate simultaneous evolution of female mating interval and male allocation to sperm number versus longevity, where these two sperm traits trade off. We show that evolution of competing sperm traits under polyandry can indeed cause female sperm limitation and, hence, promote further evolution and persistence of costly polyandry, particularly when sperm are costly relative to the degree of female sperm limitation. These feedbacks were stronger, and greater polyandry evolved, when postcopulatory competition for paternity followed a loaded rather than fair raffle and when sperm traits had realistically low heritability. We therefore demonstrate that the evolution of allocation to sperm traits driven by sperm competition can prevent males from overcoming female sperm limitation, thereby driving ongoing evolution of costly polyandry.
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20
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Fitzpatrick JL, Earn DJ, Bucking C, Craig PM, Nadella S, Wood CM, Balshine S. Postcopulatory consequences of female mate choice in a fish with alternative reproductive tactics. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Reproductive tactics and mating contexts affect sperm traits in horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1989-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Friesen CR, Squire MK, Mason RT. Intrapopulational variation of ejaculate traits and sperm depletion in red-sided garter snakes. J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. R. Friesen
- Department of Zoology; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR USA
| | - M. K. Squire
- Department of Zoology; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR USA
- Department of Biology; Texas A&M University; College Station TX USA
| | - R. T. Mason
- Department of Zoology; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR USA
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23
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Bakker TCM, Hollmann M, Mehlis M, Zbinden M. Functional variation of sperm morphology in sticklebacks. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1676-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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24
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25
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Polyandry and paternity in a wild population of the swordtail Xiphophorus nigrensis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1655-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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26
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Young B, Conti DV, Dean MD. Sneaker "jack" males outcompete dominant "hooknose" males under sperm competition in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Ecol Evol 2013; 3:4987-97. [PMID: 24455130 PMCID: PMC3892362 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Revised: 09/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In a variety of taxa, males deploy alternative reproductive tactics to secure fertilizations. In many species, small "sneaker" males attempt to steal fertilizations while avoiding encounters with larger, more aggressive, dominant males. Sneaker males usually face a number of disadvantages, including reduced access to females and the higher likelihood that upon ejaculation, their sperm face competition from other males. Nevertheless, sneaker males represent an evolutionarily stable strategy under a wide range of conditions. Game theory suggests that sneaker males compensate for these disadvantages by investing disproportionately in spermatogenesis, by producing more sperm per unit body mass (the "fair raffle") and/or by producing higher quality sperm (the "loaded raffle"). Here, we test these models by competing sperm from sneaker "jack" males against sperm from dominant "hooknose" males in Chinook salmon. Using two complementary approaches, we reject the fair raffle in favor of the loaded raffle and estimate that jack males were ∼1.35 times as likely as hooknose males to fertilize eggs under controlled competitive conditions. Interestingly, the direction and magnitude of this skew in paternity shifted according to individual female egg donors, suggesting cryptic female choice could moderate the outcomes of sperm competition in this externally fertilizing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Young
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California Ray R. Irani Building room 304A, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, California, 90089
| | - David V Conti
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California 2001 N. Soto Street 202S, Los Angeles, California, 90089
| | - Matthew D Dean
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California Ray R. Irani Building room 304A, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, California, 90089
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27
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Smith CC. Opposing effects of sperm viability and velocity on the outcome of sperm competition. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
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28
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Orta G, Ferreira G, José O, Treviño CL, Beltrán C, Darszon A. Human spermatozoa possess a calcium-dependent chloride channel that may participate in the acrosomal reaction. J Physiol 2012; 590:2659-75. [PMID: 22473777 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.224485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Motility, maturation and the acrosome reaction (AR) are fundamental functions of mammalian spermatozoa. While travelling through the female reproductive tract, spermatozoa must mature through a process named capacitation, so that they can reach the egg and undergo the AR, an exocytotic event necessary to fertilize the egg. Though Cl⁻ is important for sperm capacitation and for the AR, not much is known about the molecular identity of the Cl⁻ transporters involved in these processes.We implemented a modified perforated patch-clamp strategy to obtain whole cell recordings sealing on the head of mature human spermatozoa.Our whole cell recordings revealed the presence of a Ca²⁺-dependent Cl⁻ current. The biophysical characteristics of this current and its sensitivity to niflumic acid (NFA) and 4,4-diisothiocyano-2,2-stilbene disulphonic acid (DIDIS) are consistent with those displayed by the Ca²⁺-dependent Cl⁻ channel from the anoctamin family (TMEM16). Whole cell patch clamp recordings in the cytoplasmic droplet of human spermatozoa corroborated the presence of these currents, which were sensitive to NFA and to a small molecule TMEM16A inhibitor (TMEM16Ainh, an aminophenylthiazole). Importantly, the human sperm AR induced by a recombinant human glycoprotein from the zona pellucida, rhZP3, displayed a similar sensitivity to NFA, DIDS and TMEM16Ainh as the sperm Ca²⁺-dependent Cl⁻ currents. Our findings indicate the presence of Ca²⁺-dependent Cl⁻ currents in human spermatozoa, that TMEM16A may contribute to these currents and also that sperm Ca²⁺-dependent Cl⁻ currents may participate in the rhZP3-induced AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Orta
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62210, México
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29
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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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30
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Cuevas-Uribe R, Yang H, Daly J, Savage MG, Walter RB, Tiersch TR. Production of F₁ offspring with vitrified sperm from a live-bearing fish, the green swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii. Zebrafish 2011; 8:167-79. [PMID: 21883000 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2011.0704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports the first production of offspring with vitrified sperm from a live-bearing fish Xiphophorus hellerii. The overall goal of this study was to develop streamlined protocols for integration into a standardized approach for vitrification of aquatic species germplasm. The objectives were to (1) estimate acute toxicity of cryoprotectants, (2) evaluate vitrification solutions, (3) compare different thawing methods, (4) evaluate membrane integrity of post-thaw sperm vitrified in different cryoprotectants, and (5) evaluate the fertility of vitrified sperm. Nine cryoprotectants and two commercial vitrification additives were tested for acute toxicity and glass forming ability, alone and in combination. Two vitrification solutions, 40% glycerol (Gly) and 20% Gly+20% ethylene glycol (EG) in 500 mOsmol/kg Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS), were selected for vitrification of 10 μL sperm samples using inoculating loops plunged into liquid nitrogen. Samples were thawed at 24°C (one loop in 5 μL of HBSS or three loops in 500 μL of HBSS). Samples thawed in 500 μL were concentrated by centrifugation (1000 g for 5 min at 4°C) into 5 μL for artificial insemination. Offspring were produced from virgin females inseminated with sperm vitrified with 20% Gly+20% EG and concentrated by centrifugation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Cuevas-Uribe
- Aquaculture Research Station, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
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31
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Smith CC, Ryan MJ. Tactic-dependent plasticity in ejaculate traits in the swordtail Xiphophorus nigrensis. Biol Lett 2011; 7:733-5. [PMID: 21508019 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In species with alternative reproductive tactics, males that sneak copulations often have larger, higher quality ejaculates relative to males that defend females or nest sites. Ejaculate traits can, however, exhibit substantial phenotypic plasticity depending on a male's mating role in sperm competition, which may depend on the tactic of his competitor. We tested whether exposure to males of different tactics affected sperm number and quality in the swordtail Xipophorus nigrensis, a species with small males that sneak copulations and large males that court females. Sperm swimming speed was higher when the perceived competitor was small than when the competitor was large. Plasticity, however, was only exhibited by small males. Sperm number and viability were invariant between social environments. Our results suggest sperm quality is role-dependent and that plastic responses to the social environment can differ between male reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad C Smith
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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