Analysing sperm competition data: simple models for predicting mechanisms

Parker, G. A.; Simmons, Leigh W.; Kirk, H. J.

doi:10.1007/bf00183314

Cited by 187 publications

(207 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Foelix 1996). Paternity could reflect the outcome of a numerical raffle where the relative number of sperm inseminated by two males predicts success (Parker et al 1990). The lack of an effect of copulation duration is not inconsistent with this mechanism as male redbacks transfer most of their sperm within 5 min (Snow & Andrade 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple sperm storage organs facilitate female control of paternity

2005

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It has been proposed that multiple sperm storage organs (spermathecae) could allow polyandrous females to control paternity. There is little conclusive evidence for this since insemination of individual spermathecae is generally not experimentally manipulable. Here, we examined sperm use patterns in the Australian redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti ), which has paired, independent spermathecae. We assessed paternity when two rivals were forced to inseminate a single storage organ or opposite storage organs. When males inseminated a single spermatheca, mean paternity of the female's first mate was 79.8% (median 89.4%), and 38% of first mates achieved 100% paternity. In contrast, when males inseminated opposite organs, the mean paternity of the first mate was 49.3% (median 49.9%), only 10% of males achieved complete precedence, and paternity was normally distributed, suggesting sperm mixing. Males responded to this difference by avoiding previously inseminated female reproductive tracts. Complete sperm precedence can only be achieved if females permit males to copulate with both reproductive tracts. Females often cannibalize smaller males during their first copulation, thus limiting their paternity to 50%. These data show that multiple sperm storage organs can increase female control of paternity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple sperm storage organs facilitate female control of paternity

2005

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“…When females mate with multiple males, there appears to be extensive sperm mixing in the spermatheca, the sperm storage organ. As a result, there is not a pronounced directional pattern of sperm precedence (Sakaluk 1986;Simmons 1987;Parker et al 1990;Sakaluk and Eggert 1996). In Gryllus bimaculatus, females that mate more frequently have higher lifetime fecundity and produce eggs that have a higher hatching success (Simmons 1988a), and the fecundity benefit of mating more frequently is similar for repeatedly and multiply mated females (Tregenza and Wedell 1998).…”

Section: Mating Behavior and Sexual Selection In Field Cricketsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Females Receive a Life-Span Benefit From Male Ejaculates in a Field Cricket

Wagner¹,

Kelley²,

Tucker³

et al. 2007

Evolution

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Abstract. Mating has been found to be costly for females of some species because of toxic products that males transfer to females in their seminal fluid. Such mating costs seem paradoxical, particularly for species in which females mate more frequently than is necessary to fertilize their eggs. Indeed, some studies suggest that females may benefit from mating more frequently. The effect of male ejaculates on female life span and lifetime fecundity was experimentally tested in the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps. In field crickets, females will mate repeatedly with a given male and mate with multiple males. Females that were experimentally mated either repeatedly or multiply lived more than 32% longer than singly mated females. In addition, multiply mated females produced 98% more eggs than singly mated females. Because females received only sperm and seminal fluid from males in the experimental matings, these life-span and fecundity benefits may result from beneficial seminal fluid products that males transfer to females during mating. Mating benefits rather than mating costs may be common in many animals, particularly in species where female mate choice has a larger effect on male reproductive success than does the outcome of sperm competition.

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“…Postcopulatory sexual selection will thus act on such male traits that for instance (a) increase the relative number of sperm that are transferred during copulation (e.g. Dickinson 1986; Tsubaki and Sokei 1988;Parker et al 1990;Eady 1995;Sakaluk and Eggert 1996;Sauer et al 1998), (b) increase the fertilisation probability of each own sperm compared to the sperm of other males (e.g. Dziuk 1996;Birkhead et al 1999) or (c) influence females to fertilise their eggs preferentially with the male's own sperm over the sperm from other males (see Eberhard 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuptial gift consumption influences female remating in a scorpionfly: male or female control of mating rate?

Engqvist

2006

Evol Ecol

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In the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata, males provide females with saliva secretions as nuptial food gifts. Consequently, females derive material benefits and possibly also genetic benefits from multiple matings. Females therefore generally should have a high motivation to remate. Males, on the other hand, do not share this interest, which will generate a sexual conflict over remating interval, possibly leading to male adaptations that prevent females from remating with other males. In this study, I found that mated females were less prone to copulate than virgin females, despite female benefits of multiple matings. Further, I found that the remating interval was significantly longer if the first copulation was long compared to shorter matings. This effect does not entirely depend on copulation duration per se, but on the amount of saliva, that a female is consuming during copulation. These results suggest a mating-induced refractory period and can be interpreted as male manipulation of female remating behaviour mediated through substances in the nuptial gift. Alternatively, receiving large nuptial gifts may decrease the prospective direct fitness benefits from further copulations, and thus change optimal female remating rate. Furthermore, gift size has been shown to correlate with male nutritional condition, which may be an indicator of male genetic quality. Females may therefore benefit indirectly by not remating following copulations involving large saliva gifts. In this scenario, female remating interval would be an effect of cryptic female choice.

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Analysing sperm competition data: simple models for predicting mechanisms

Cited by 187 publications

References 40 publications

Multiple sperm storage organs facilitate female control of paternity

Multiple sperm storage organs facilitate female control of paternity

Females Receive a Life-Span Benefit From Male Ejaculates in a Field Cricket

Nuptial gift consumption influences female remating in a scorpionfly: male or female control of mating rate?

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