Parasites in sexual and asexual mollies (
            <i>Poecilia</i>
            , Poeciliidae, Teleostei): a case for the Red Queen?

Tobler, Michael; Schlupp, Ingo

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2005.0305

Cited by 59 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Differences in susceptibility to parasites is a possibility, as asexual forms should lack the genetic means to find novel solutions to pathogens or other forms of novel environments. However, a study testing for differences in parasite loads between P. formosa and its sexual host P. latipinna found none ( Tobler & Schlupp 2005). There is more evidence for another stabilizing mechanism, male mate choice (Ryan et al 1996;Gabor & Ryan 2001;Aspbury & Gabor 2004;Schlupp & Plath 2005;Gumm et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How populations persist when asexuality requires sex: the spatial dynamics of coping with sperm parasites

2008

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The twofold cost of sex implies that sexual and asexual reproduction do not coexist easily. Asexual forms tend to outcompete sexuals but may eventually suffer higher extinction rates, creating tension between short-and long-term advantages of different reproductive modes. The 'short-sightedness' of asexual reproduction takes a particularly intriguing form in gynogenetic species complexes, in which an asexual species requires sperm from a related sexual host species to trigger embryogenesis. Asexuals are then predicted to outcompete their host, after which neither species can persist. We examine whether spatial structure can explain continued coexistence of the species complex, and assess the evidence based on data on the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa). A modification of the Levins metapopulation model creates two regions of good prospects for coexistence, connected by a region of poorer patch occupancy levels. In the first case, mate discrimination and/or niche differentiation keep local extinction rates low, and most patches contain both species; the other possibility resembles host-parasite dynamics where parasites frequently drive the host locally extinct. Several dynamical features are counterintuitive and relate to the parasitic nature of interactions in the species complex: for example, high local extinction rates of the asexual species can be beneficial for its own persistence. This creates a link from the evolution of sexual reproduction to that of prudent predation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How populations persist when asexuality requires sex: the spatial dynamics of coping with sperm parasites

2008

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“…The importance of chemical cues for attracting mates has been shown for P. formosa (Schlupp et al 1991). Trade-offs such as an increase in parasite susceptibility in clonal species have been shown in Poeciliopsis (Lively et al 1990;Leberg & Vrijenhoek 1994) and Cnemidophorus (Moritz et al 1991), but have not been documented for P. formosa (Tobler & Schlupp 2005).…”

Section: Interspecific Hybridization Leading To the Origin Of The Amamentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin and evolution of a unisexual hybrid:Poecilia formosa

Lampert

Schartl

2008

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Clonal reproduction in vertebrates can always be traced back to hybridization events as all known unisexual vertebrates are hybrids between recognized species or genetically defined races. Interestingly, clonal vertebrates often also rely on interspecific matings for their reproduction because gynogenesis (sperm-dependent parthenogenesis) and hybridogenesis are common modes of propagation. While in most cases these hybridization events leave no hereditary traces in the offspring, occasionally the genome exclusion mechanism fails and either small parts of male genetic material remain inside the oocyte in the form of microchromosomes, or fusion of the sperm nucleus with the oocyte nucleus leads to polyploid individuals. In this review, we highlight the important role of hybridization for the origin and evolution of a unisexual hybrid: the Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa.

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“…One example would be the 'Red Queen hypothesis', which states that recombination produces genetically diverse offspring that are harder to target by pathogens than the clonal asexuals ( Van Valen 1973). However, currently no evidence supports this explanation in P. latipinna and P. formosa as they do not differ significantly in parasite loads ( Tobler & Schlupp 2005). Alternative to ecological disadvantages, the 'behavioural regulation hypothesis' assumes that male mate choice regulates the system (reviewed in Schlupp 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female sperm limitation in natural populations of a sexual/asexual mating complex ( Poecilia latipinna , Poecilia formosa )

2008

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In sperm-dependent sexual/asexual mating systems, male mate choice is critical for understanding the mechanisms behind apparent stability observed in natural populations. The gynogenetic Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) requires sperm from sexual males (e.g. Poecilia latipinna) to trigger embryogenesis, but inheritance is strictly maternal. Consequently, males should try to avoid or reduce the cost of mating with asexuals. We investigated male mate choice by documenting the presence of sperm in natural populations and found that a higher proportion of sexual females had sperm than asexuals. In addition, among those females that had sperm, sexuals had more sperm than asexuals. Our results hint at a role for male mate choice as a stabilizing factor in such systems.

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Parasites in sexual and asexual mollies ( Poecilia , Poeciliidae, Teleostei): a case for the Red Queen?

Cited by 59 publications

References 30 publications

How populations persist when asexuality requires sex: the spatial dynamics of coping with sperm parasites

How populations persist when asexuality requires sex: the spatial dynamics of coping with sperm parasites

The origin and evolution of a unisexual hybrid:Poecilia formosa

Female sperm limitation in natural populations of a sexual/asexual mating complex ( Poecilia latipinna , Poecilia formosa )

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