Experiments with genitalia: a commentary

Eberhard, William G.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2010.10.009

Cited by 62 publications

(85 citation statements)

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“…According to CFC, when females were anaesthetized (i.e. experimentally 'blind' [41]), copulation duration should have been shorter because females could not sense the males' stimulation and would be more likely to reject them [63], contrary to our findings. The basal spine may cause physical harm to the female genitalia as females often bleed during and after copulation, likely as a result of the basal spine penetrating the cloacal mucosa (CR Friesen 2006-2011 & PLR Brennan, 2011, personal observation).…”

Section: (B) Anaesthetized Femalescontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…It can be very difficult to distinguish between sexual conflict and CFC hypotheses of genital evolution [41], and here we hypothesized that sexual conflict rather than CFC explains the role of the basal spine in increasing copulation duration. Under the CFC hypothesis, the basal spine could be a stimulatory trait to the female.…”

Section: (B) Anaesthetized Femalesmentioning

confidence: 91%

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Sexual conflict over mating in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as indicated by experimental manipulation of genitalia

et al. 2014

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Sexual conflict over mating can result in sex-specific morphologies and behaviours that allow each sex to exert control over the outcome of reproduction. Genital traits, in particular, are often directly involved in conflict interactions. Via genital manipulation, we experimentally investigated whether genital traits in red-sided garter snakes influence copulation duration and formation of a copulatory plug. The hemipenes of male red-sided garter snakes have a large basal spine that inserts into the female cloaca during mating. We ablated the spine and found that males were still capable of copulation but copulation duration was much shorter and copulatory plugs were smaller than those produced by intact males. We also anaesthetized the female cloacal region and found that anaesthetized females copulated longer than control females, suggesting that female cloacal and vaginal contractions play a role in controlling copulation duration. Both results, combined with known aspects of the breeding biology of red-sided garter snakes, strongly support the idea that sexual conflict is involved in mating interactions in this species. Our results demonstrate the complex interactions among male and female traits generated by coevolutionary processes in a wild population. Such complexity highlights the importance of simultaneous examination of male and female traits.

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Section: (B) Anaesthetized Femalescontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: (B) Anaesthetized Femalesmentioning

confidence: 91%

Sexual conflict over mating in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as indicated by experimental manipulation of genitalia

et al. 2014

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“…Two different types of sexual selection can operate with various mechanisms after male and female genitalia have come into contact: sperm competition and the cryptic female choice. The later mechanism is getting importance; more than 20 female processes could result in cryptic female choice (Eberhard 2011).…”

Section: Shape Divergencementioning

confidence: 99%

Revision of Drusinae subfamily (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae): divergence by paraproct and paramere: speciation in isolation by integration

Oláh¹,

Beshkov²,

Chvojka³

et al. 2017

Opusc Zool

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Abstract.In the last few years we have described over 70 new incipient sibling limnephild species applying the discovered Trichoptera speciation traits of the paraproct and paramere for species recognition and delimitation. In this revision on Drusinae subfamily, comprising 177 species, we have applied these subtle, but rapid and stable speciation traits and described 49 new sibling species from the "well studied" European mountain ranges. Discussing the theoretical background we have elaborated and adapted a new character state ranking system of phenomics to revise the long-neglected taxonomy of the Drusinae subfamily and synonymised the Cryptothrix, Monocentra, Metanoea, Leptodrusus, Anomalopterygella, Hadimina genera with the Drusus genus. These old genera of artificial constructs were established exclusively by divergences of secondary sexual traits known already to have only species level ranking value. According to our new character ranking system in the Drusinae subfamily, beside the Drusus genus, only the Ecclisopteryx genus has been retained having robust generic level divegences of paraproct loss and ancestral duplication of spine organising centre on the paramere pattern. Speciation trait function of the peg-packed surface on the paraproct head in Drusus genus moved to the gonopod apices and integrated into variously shaped stimulatory organ in the Ecclisopteryx genus. In the Drusus genus the ancestral divergence of the single spine organising centre has integrated 11 species groups with remarkably stable paramere spine pattern. Based upon ancestral divergences in the paraproct architecture we have differenciated 28 species complexes inside the 11 species groups. The delineation of the 163 mostly incipient siblings species, inside the 28 species complexes with 44 new Drusus species, was based primarily on the divergences of speciation trait, that is in the stimulatory head shape of the apical arms on the dorsal branches of the paraproct. In the Ecclisopteryx genus with 14 species we have established two independent lineages both with a single species, as well as two species complexes with five new species applying the speciation trait of the genus, that is the shape divergence of the stimulatory organ on the dorsoapical surface of the gonopods.Based on the Darwinian natural selection, we do not understand how the discovered 70+49 new European incipient phylogenetic species of limnephilid caddisflies have been evolved in the isolated sky island habitats of high mountain ranges. This isolation induced speciation represents a challenge to the mechanistic reductionist concept of the natural selection. Our first trial to extract information from various disciplines to answer this question is presented in a brief theoretical discourse: (1) rethinking the status of natural selection towards postdarwinism; (2) teleology or teleonomy; (3) limits and potentials in understanding reality; (4) organisation of universe by integration; (5) what are and how the organising forces are powered to work in the emerging en...

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“…These difficult problems for experimental studies of sexual selection can be overcome to some extent in studies of male structures that function to stimulate females in the tactile mode (Eberhard 2011). In some cases, the tactile sense organs in the area of the female's body that are stimulated by the male structure have few other important functions, and their sensitivities can be modified very selectively without affecting other female sensitivities or abilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hairy kisses: tactile cheliceral courtship affects female mating decisions in Leucauge mariana (Araneae, Tetragnathidae)

Aisenberg

Barrantes

Eberhard

2014

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Sexual selection is thought to be an important force driving the evolution of sexually dimorphic morphology and behavior, but direct experimental tests of the functions of species-specific details of morphology are rare and usually incomplete. The males of most species of the large spider family Tetragnathidae possess large sexually dimorphic chelicerae that are used when the sexes lock together before and during mating. In Leucauge mariana, the female's chelicerae clasp those of the male; mating does not begin until the female's chelicerae seize the male and does not end until they release him. In addition, females contribute material to form genital plugs in the female's genitalia. Male chelicerae have sexually dimorphic and species-specific setae and ledges in areas that contact the female during cheliceral clasps. We tested the hypothesis that stimuli from these structures trigger mating processes that are controlled by the female which could increase male reproductive success. We reduced or eliminated possible stimulation of the female in two ways: removing male cheliceral setae that contact the female, and removing setae on the female's chelicerae and endites that are contacted by and could thus be stimulated by the male's chelicerae and their setae. Both male and female modifications had similar effects that likely reduced the male's chances of paternity: female receptivity to re-mating increased, copulatory plug formation decreased, and interruptions during copulation became more frequent. As expected under the stimulation hypothesis, blocking female sensory abilities generally had greater effects on these responses than modifying male stimulatory structures.

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Experiments with genitalia: a commentary

Cited by 62 publications

References 50 publications

Sexual conflict over mating in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as indicated by experimental manipulation of genitalia

Sexual conflict over mating in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as indicated by experimental manipulation of genitalia

Revision of Drusinae subfamily (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae): divergence by paraproct and paramere: speciation in isolation by integration

Hairy kisses: tactile cheliceral courtship affects female mating decisions in Leucauge mariana (Araneae, Tetragnathidae)

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