The evolution of female genitalia

Sloan, Nadia S.; Simmons, Leigh W.

doi:10.1111/jeb.13503

Cited by 58 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…; Dougherty et al. ; Sloan and Simmons ). But the strong likelihood that the male genitalia of C. maculatus also stimulate the female and the possibility that females respond to this stimulation have not been tested (for instance, using local anesthetics).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent emphasis on the possibility that previous studies neglected female as opposed to male genitalia (Ah‐King et al. ; Sloan and Simmons ), along with new discoveries of rapid divergence in female morphology, are useful in calling attention to and supporting prior claims that female genitalia are crucially important because they constitute “the playing field” on which competitive interactions between males are played out (Eberhard ). But they do not help in discriminating among the major hypotheses because species isolation, SAC, and CFC are all compatible with such female diversity (Shapiro and Porter , Eberhard ; Arnqvist and Rowe ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It also fails to explain the correlation between strict female monogamy and lack of species specificity in male genitalia (Eberhard ; Arnqvist ). Nevertheless, recent discoveries of membranous female genitalia that have complex shapes, diverge rapidly, and that some only accommodate male structures with certain forms (summarized in Simmons ; Sloan and Simmons ), along with recognition of the alternative species isolation hypothesis that females identify male species identity via species‐specific genital stimulation rather than mechanical fit, have sparked renewed interest in this hypothesis.…”

Section: Tests Of Alternative Hypotheses For Glossina and Roeselianamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing our study groups with other species whose genital functions have been studied in detail does not yield clear conclusions regarding the possible generality of CFC. SAC has often been taken to be the most likely explanation for the evolution of male genitalia in Callosobruchus maculatus seed beetles that produce lesions in the female genital tract (Crudgington and Siva-Jothy 2000;Arnqvist and Rowe 2005;Hotzy et al 2012;Dougherty et al 2017;Sloan and Simmons 2019). But the strong likelihood that the male genitalia of C. maculatus also stimulate the female and the possibility that females respond to this stimulation have not been tested (for instance, using local anesthetics).…”

Section: Exceptional?mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Demonstrating sexual selection by cryptic female choice on male genitalia: What is enough?

Eberhard

Lehmann

2019

Evolution

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Rapid divergence in external genital structures occurs in nearly all animal groups that practice internal insemination; explaining this pattern is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. The hypothesis that species‐specific differences in male genitalia evolved under sexual selection as courtship devices to influence cryptic female choice (CFC) has been slow to be accepted. Doubts may stem from its radical departure from previous ideas, observational difficulties because crucial events occur hidden within the female's body, and alternative hypotheses involving biologically important phenomena such as speciation, sperm competition, and male‐female conflicts of interest. We assess the current status of the CFC hypothesis by reviewing data from two groups in which crucial predictions have been especially well‐tested, Glossina tsetse flies and Roeseliana (formerly Metrioptera) roeselii bushcrickets. Eighteen CFC predictions have been confirmed in Glossina and 19 in Roeseliana. We found data justifying rejection of alternative hypotheses, but none that contradicted CFC predictions. The number and extent of tests confirming predictions of the CFC hypothesis in these species is greater than that for other generally accepted hypotheses regarding the functions of nongenital structures. By this criterion, it is reasonable to conclude that some genital structures in both groups likely involved sexual selection by CFC.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tests Of Alternative Hypotheses For Glossina and Roeselianamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Exceptional?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demonstrating sexual selection by cryptic female choice on male genitalia: What is enough?

Eberhard

Lehmann

2019

Evolution

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“…These differences are relevant because the glans is in a position to directly interact with terminal portions of the female reproductive tract during copulation, so may have the ability to increase male reproductive success through a range of mechanisms such as producing a male–female genital lock to improve sperm transfer, or stimulating the female to induce morphological and physiological changes conducive to conception (Brennan, 2016b). The specifics of many male–female tissue interactions during copulation remain unknown, but it has been hypothesized that they could produce selective pressures that can drive the rapid evolution of male glans form and function and its coevolution with female characteristics (Brennan, 2016b; Firman, Gasparini, Manier, & Pizzari, 2017; Sloan & Simmons, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological changes associated with Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) phallic glans inflation

Moore

Francis

Foster

et al. 2020

Journal of Morphology

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The crocodylian phallic glans is the distal inflatable structure that makes the most direct contact with the female cloacal and associated reproductive tract openings during copulation. Therefore, its form and function directly impact female tissue sensory interactions and insemination mechanics. Compared to mammals, less is known about glans functional anatomy among other amniotes, including crocodylians. Therefore, we paired an ex vivo inflation technique with magnetic resonance imaging 3Dreconstructions and corresponding histological analyses to better characterize the morphological glans restructuring occurring in the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) at copulation. The expansion of contiguous inflatable spongiform glans tissues is variably constrained by adjacent regions of dense irregular collagen-rich tissues. Therefore, expansion shows regional differences with greater lateral inflation than dorsal and ventral. Furthermore, this enlargement elaborates the cup-like glans lumen, dorsally reorients the glans ridge, stiffens the blunt and bifid glans tip, and putatively works to seal the ventral sulcus spermaticus semen conduit groove. We suggest how these dynamic male structures may interact with structures of the female cloacal urodeum and how these morphological changes, in concert with the varying material properties of the structural tissue compartments visualized in this study, aid copulatory gamete transfer and resulting fecundity. Research Highlights• Nile crocodile glans inflation produces a reproductively relevant copulatory structure directing insemination and female tissue interactions.• Pairing magnetic resonance imaging 3D reconstruction with corresponding histology effectively studies functional anatomy.

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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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The evolution of female genitalia

Cited by 58 publications

References 132 publications

Demonstrating sexual selection by cryptic female choice on male genitalia: What is enough?

Demonstrating sexual selection by cryptic female choice on male genitalia: What is enough?

Morphological changes associated with Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) phallic glans inflation

Sexual selection on bushcricket genitalia operates in a mosaic pattern

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