Something gone awry: unsolved mysteries in the evolution of asymmetric animal genitalia

Schilthuizen, Menno

doi:10.1163/15707563-00002398

Cited by 43 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…If a species exhibits antisymmetry in male genitalia, the rare form of male may be favored if females prefer novel males. Such a situation would result in negative frequency-dependent selection (Hughes et al 2013), and for chiral antisymmetry, left-right male ratios would hover near 1:1; a condition termed pure antisymmetry (Schilthuizen 2013). Frequency-dependent selection appears to operate in the snail subgenus Amphidromus (Mollusca: Camaenidae) which includes predominantly antisymmetric species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Under an alternate sexual selection hypothesis (Schilthuizen 2013), females' control of sperm transfer via the blocking of unwanted male intromission could be overcome by alternate enantiomorphic males, thereby antagonistically driving their novel gene to fixation in the species. However, the observed frequencies of genitalic enantiomorphs in western populations of M. punctipennis do not adhere to an average of 1:1 as predicted by a rare male hypothesis, nor do they approach fixation of the novel form, as predicted by antagonistic male evolution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conspecific cooccurrence of reciprocally asymmetric male genitalic enantiomorphs has been reported for Mantodea (Holwell & Herberstein 2010), Hemiptera (Baranowski 1958, Guglielmino & Bückle 2010, Coleoptera (Ahrens and Lago 2008), Trichoptera (Schmid 1980, Botosaneanu & Hyslop 1998, and Lepidoptera (Nupponen 2009). These and other examples within these orders have been hypothesized to be the result of sexual selection, either via sexually antagonistic evolution when novel males override female control of mating, or by cryptic female choice when the rarer male genitalic configuration is favored by females (Schilthuizen 2007(Schilthuizen , 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antisymmetric male genitalia in Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)

Liebherr

2015

Insect Syst Evol

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Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (MacLeay) exhibit chiral polymorphism for male genitalic asymmetry. The plesiomorphic genitalic enantiomorph, wherein the male aedeagal median lobe is left side superior when retracted in the abdomen, is rotated 180° to a right side superior position in 23% of males from Western Australia. Conversely, population samples from eastern Australia are monomorphic for the plesiomorphic left side superior condition. Western Australian population samples are significantly heterogeneous for the percentages of chirally reversed males, with right side superior frequencies ranging 0-58%. Conversely, asymmetry of the M. punctipennis female reproductive tract, wherein the apex of the bursa copulatrix is distally expanded toward the right side of the individual, is shown to be monomorphic within the species. Based on the vast disparity in frequencies of left versus right enantiomorphs among populations of Western Australian M. punctipennis, we hypothesize that population demographic factors related to very small population size and differential gene sampling via genetic drift could interact to establish populations fixed for the novel form. When such chiral genitalic substitutions are coupled with speciation, subsequent diversification stemming from that common ancestor would result in monophyletic lineages characterized by genitalic inversion. This hypothesis is corroborated by the sporadic occurrences of individual males with chirally inverted genitalia throughout the Carabidae, and the known occurrence of eight carabid taxa -individual species to diverse lineages -that are monomorphically characterized by male genitalic inversion.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antisymmetric male genitalia in Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)

Liebherr

2015

Insect Syst Evol

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“…This phenomenon was recorded for example for Stiroma affinis Fieber (De Jong 1985) and Chloriona vasconica Ribaut (Guglielmino and Bückle 2010). It is called chiral dimorphism, mirror image dimorphism or antisymmetry, and the two possible mirror images are termed enantiomorphs (Schilthuizen 2013). Apparently, this situation provides no disadvantage for the species and has no impact for the mating ability.…”

Section: Redescription Of Genital Morphology Of Related Speciesmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Apparently, this situation provides no disadvantage for the species and has no impact for the mating ability. In several taxa of insects, species of the same genus differ in the direction of chirality (Schilthuizen 2007(Schilthuizen , 2013Huber et al 2007). This implies that intermediate D. hamata and D. zenata, but shares with these taxa the small tooth on the inner side of the dorsocaudal pygofer margin.…”

Section: Redescription Of Genital Morphology Of Related Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revision of the Dicranotropis hamata group (Auchenorrhyncha, Delphacidae) and remarks on the implication of chiral dimorphism in its history

Guglielmino¹,

D'Urso²,

Bückle³

2016

DEZ

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A new species, Dicranotropis remaniaca, is described. Morphological differences between the new species and the closely related D. hamata (Boheman) and D. zenata Logvinenko are summarized. Chirality is discussed in view of hypothetical implications in the history of the D. hamata group and of the presence of the phenomenon in a supposed hybrid area between D. hamata and D. remaniaca in southwestern France. Zoogeographic and phylogenetic aspects are discussed using D. sagata Logvinenko as outgroup.

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Sexual selection on bushcricket genitalia operates in a mosaic pattern

Wulff

Lehmann

2020

Ecology and Evolution

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In most species with internal fertilization, male genitalia evolve faster than other morphological structures. This holds true for genital titillators, which are used exclusively during mating in several bushcricket subfamilies. Several theories have been proposed for the sexual selection forces driving the evolution of internal genitalia, especially sperm competition, sexually antagonistic coevolution (SAC), and cryptic female choice (CFC). However, it is unclear whether the evolution of genitalia can be described with a single hypothesis or a combination of them. The study of species‐specific genitalia action could contribute to the controversial debate about the underlying selective evolutionary forces. We studied female mating behaviors in response to experimentally modified titillators in a phylogenetically nested set of four bushcricket species: Roeseliana roeselii, Pholidoptera littoralis littoralis, Tettigonia viridissima (of the subfamily Tettigoniinae), and Letana inflata (Phaneropterinae). Bushcricket titillators have several potential functions; they stimulate females and suppress female resistance, ensure proper ampulla or spermatophore attachment, and facilitate male fixation. In R. roeselii, titillators stimulate females to accept copulations, supporting sexual selection by CFC. Conversely, titillator modification had no observable effect on the female's behavior in T. viridissima. The titillators of Ph. l. littoralis mechanically support the mating position and the spermatophore transfer, pointing to sexual selection by SAC. Mixed support was found in L. inflata, where manipulation resulted in increased female resistance (evidence for CFC) and mating failures by reduced spermatophore transfer success (evidence for SAC). Sexual selection is highly species‐specific with a mosaic support for either cryptic female choice or sexually antagonistic coevolution or a combination of both in the four species.

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Something gone awry: unsolved mysteries in the evolution of asymmetric animal genitalia

Cited by 43 publications

References 107 publications

Antisymmetric male genitalia in Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)

Antisymmetric male genitalia in Western Australian populations of Mecyclothorax punctipennis (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)

Revision of the Dicranotropis hamata group (Auchenorrhyncha, Delphacidae) and remarks on the implication of chiral dimorphism in its history

Sexual selection on bushcricket genitalia operates in a mosaic pattern

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