Repeatability and heritability of sperm competition outcomes in males and females of Tribolium castaneum

Tregenza, Tom; Attia, Fathi Ali; Bushaiba, Saleh Salem

doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0716-7

Cited by 20 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Instead, we found a significant effect of focal male ID on relative paternity success, revealing that certain males produced ejaculates with higher average fertilization capacities under sperm competition than others (table 1). Although there is evidence that success in sperm competition can be repeatable across mating contexts [9][10][11], our Table 1. Variation in paternity success in Oncorhynchus tshawytscha partitioned among the random effects of male, female (ovarian fluid, OF) and their interaction.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accompanying the evidence for sexual selection on ejaculates is corresponding evidence that selection can favour female reproductive traits that serve to bias fertilizations towards either 'preferred' [5] or genetically compatible mates [6][7][8]. Sperm competition can therefore be underpinned by effects attributable to both sexes, including relative differences in the sperm competitive ability of rival males [9][10][11], consistent biases in fertilization rates that are mediated by female effects [12], and complex interactions involving the genotypes of competing males and females [13][14][15]. Consequently, disentangling these processes, and in particular the relative importance of males, females and their interacting effects in sperm competition, poses a significant empirical challenge [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Delineating the roles of males and females in sperm competition

et al. 2013

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Disentangling the relative roles of males, females and their interactive effects on competitive fertilization success remains a challenge in sperm competition. In this study, we apply a novel experimental framework to an ideally suited externally fertilizing model system in order to delineate these roles. We focus on the chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, a species in which ovarian fluid (OF) has been implicated as a potential arbiter of cryptic female choice for genetically compatible mates. We evaluated this predicted sexually selected function of OF using a series of factorial competitive fertilization trials. Our design involved a series of 10 factorial crosses, each involving two 'focal' rival males whose sperm competed against those from a single 'standardized' (non-focal) rival for a genetically uniform set of eggs in the presence of OF from two focal females. This design enabled us to attribute variation in competitive fertilization success among focal males, females (OF) and their interacting effects, while controlling for variation attributable to differences in the sperm competitive ability of rival males, and male-by-female genotypic interactions. Using this experimental framework, we found that variation in sperm competitiveness could be attributed exclusively to differences in the sperm competitive ability of focal males, a conclusion supported by subsequent analyses revealing that variation in sperm swimming velocity predicts paternity success. Together, these findings provide evidence that variation in paternity success can be attributed to intrinsic differences in the sperm competitive ability of rival males, and reveal that sperm swimming velocity is a key target of sexual selection.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delineating the roles of males and females in sperm competition

et al. 2013

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“…; Tregenza et al. ), which have distinctive swollen antennae. Both stocks originated from the Beeman Lab (United States Department of Agriculture).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lineages evolved under stronger sexual selection show superior ability to invade conspecific competitor populations

et al. 2018

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Despite limitations on offspring production, almost all multicellular species use sex to reproduce. Sex gives rise to sexual selection, a widespread force operating through competition and choice within reproduction, however, it remains unclear whether sexual selection is beneficial for total lineage fitness, or if it acts as a constraint. Sexual selection could be a positive force because of selection on improved individual condition and purging of mutation load, summing into lineages with superior fitness. On the other hand, sexual selection could negate potential net fitness through the actions of sexual conflict, or because of tensions between investment in sexually selected and naturally selected traits. Here, we explore these ideas using a multigenerational invasion challenge to measure consequences of sexual selection for the overall net fitness of a lineage. After applying experimental evolution under strong versus weak regimes of sexual selection for 77 generations with the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, we measured the overall ability of introductions from either regime to invade into conspecific competitor populations across eight generations. Results showed that populations from stronger sexual selection backgrounds had superior net fitness, invading more rapidly and completely than counterparts from weak sexual selection backgrounds. Despite comprising only 10% of each population at the start of the invasion experiment, colonizations from strong sexual selection histories eventually achieved near‐total introgression, almost completely eliminating the original competitor genotype. Population genetic simulations using the design and parameters of our experiment indicate that this invasion superiority could be explained if strong sexual selection had improved both juvenile and adult fitness, in both sexes. Using a combination of empirical and modeling approaches, our findings therefore reveal positive and wide‐reaching impacts of sexual selection for net population fitness when facing the broad challenge of invading competitor populations across multiple generations.

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“…Our 1st goal here was therefore to describe ejaculate characteristics in this species and to establish the degree of intraspecific variation in ejaculate quality. Additionally, to verify that any variation we found in ejaculate quality was indicative of true between-individual differences and not merely due to within-individual variability (Tregenza et al 2009), we examined repeatability in the quality of ejaculates obtained repeatedly from a small group of captive male hyenas.…”

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confidence: 99%