The evolution and significance of male mate choice

Edward, Dominic A.; Chapman, Tracey

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2011.07.012

Cited by 490 publications

(547 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Male mate choice (Dewsbury, 1982;Drickamer et al, 2003;Edward and Chapman, 2011;Ramm and Stockley, 2014) and the dynamic adjustment of ejaculate allocation (Wedell et al, 2002;Delbarco-Trillo and Ferkin, 2004) suggest that ejaculates are costly to produce and conserved when possible. Plug-forming proteins account for nearly one third of the total protein abundance of the ejaculate in mice, suggesting that this structure is a major reproductive investment for males (Lundwall et al, 1997;Lin et al, 2002;Dean et al, 2011).…”

Section: Plug Survivalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and phenotypic influences on copulatory plug survival in mice

et al. 2015

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Across a diversity of animals, male seminal fluid coagulates upon ejaculation to form a hardened structure known as a copulatory plug. Previous studies suggest that copulatory plugs evolved as a mechanism for males to impede remating by females, but detailed investigations into the time course over which plugs survive in the female's reproductive tract are lacking. Here, we cross males from eight inbred strains to females from two inbred strains of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Plug survival was significantly affected by male genotype. Against intuition, plug survival time was negatively correlated with plug size: long-lasting plugs were small and relatively more susceptible to proteolysis. Plug size was associated with divergence in major protein composition of seminal vesicle fluid, suggesting that changes in gene expression may play an important role in plug dynamics. In contrast, we found no correlation to genetic variation in the protein-coding regions of five genes thought to be important in copulatory plug formation (Tgm4, Svs1, Svs2, Svs4 and Svs5). Our study demonstrates a complex relationship between copulatory plug characteristics and survival. We discuss several models to explain unexpected variation in plug phenotypes.

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Section: Plug Survivalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and phenotypic influences on copulatory plug survival in mice

et al. 2015

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“…2006). This is particularly true for postpairing male mate choice (Edward and Chapman 2011), which can directly affect female breeding success. In this study, we found that postpairing male mate choice for costly female signals can evolve when male parental care investment is high enough to substantially benefit both signaling females and choosing (investing) males, even when these males pay a direct trade‐off by losing opportunities for EPCs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, it has become increasingly clear that male and female sex roles can be dynamic and variable (Edward and Chapman 2011). A large number of empirical studies have documented male mate choice as being prevalent in many taxa (for reviews, see Amundsen 2000; Bonduriansky 2001; Kraaijeveld et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

The evolution of postpairing male mate choice

et al. 2017

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An increasing number of empirical studies in animals have demonstrated male mate choice. However, little is known about the evolution of postpairing male choice, specifically which occurs by differential allocation of male parental care in response to female signals. We use a population genetic model to examine whether such postpairing male mate choice can evolve when males face a trade‐off between parental care and extra‐pair copulations (EPCs). Specifically, we assume that males allocate more effort to providing parental care when mated to preferred (signaling) females, but they are then unable to allocate additional effort to seek EPCs. We find that both male preference and female signaling can evolve in this situation, under certain conditions. First, this evolution requires a relatively large difference in parental investment between males mated to preferred versus nonpreferred females. Second, whether male choice and female signaling alleles become fixed in a population versus cycle in their frequencies depends on the additional fecundity benefits from EPCs that are gained by choosy males. Third, less costly female signals enable both signaling and choice alleles to evolve under more relaxed conditions. Our results also provide a new insight into the evolution of sexual conflict over parental care.

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“…According to classical sex roles, competition among males is evaluated through intrasexual selection, whereas intersexual selection leads to non-random mating because females exercise mate choice to maximize direct or indirect benefits of choosing particular males [53,54]. However, it is now recognized that males are also choosy [55] and that females compete among each other as well [56,57]. Both inter-and intrasexual selection have several direct and indirect consequences for animal health.…”

Section: (A) Society-level Defences Against Infectious Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

The sociality–health–fitness nexus: synthesis, conclusions and future directions

Nunn

Craft

Gillespie

et al. 2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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This theme issue has highlighted the links between sociality, health and fitness in a broad range of organisms, and with approaches that include field and captive studies of animals, comparative and meta-analyses, theoretical modelling and clinical and psychological studies of humans. In this concluding chapter, we synthesize the results of these diverse studies into some of the key concepts discussed in this issue, focusing on risks of infectious disease through social contact, the effects of competition in groups on susceptibility to disease, and the integration of sociality into research on life-history trade-offs. Interestingly, the studies in this issue both support pre-existing hypotheses, and in other ways challenge those hypotheses. We focus on unexpected results, including a lack of association between ectoparasites and fitness and weak results from a meta-analysis of the links between dominance rank and immune function, and place these results in a broader context. We also review relevant topics that were not covered fully in this theme issue, including self-medication and sickness behaviours, society-level defences against infectious disease, sexual selection, evolutionary medicine, implications for conservation biology and selective pressures on parasite traits. We conclude by identifying general open questions to stimulate and guide future research on the links between sociality, health and fitness.

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The evolution and significance of male mate choice

Cited by 490 publications

References 77 publications

Genetic and phenotypic influences on copulatory plug survival in mice

Genetic and phenotypic influences on copulatory plug survival in mice

The evolution of postpairing male mate choice

The sociality–health–fitness nexus: synthesis, conclusions and future directions

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