The `genetic benefits' of female multiple mating reconsidered

Yasui, Yukio

doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01383-4

Cited by 413 publications

(453 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…On theoretical grounds, this benefit is unlikely as diversity does not seem to increase with multiple mating (Williams, 1975; but see Yasui, 1998). A more likely possibility is that females may be storing sperm of high-quality males to obtain viability genes for their offspring instead of genetic diversity.…”

Section: What Drives the Co-evolution?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm competition in Odonata (Insecta): the evolution of female sperm storage and rivals' sperm displacement

2003

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Odonates (dragonflies) are well known for the ability of the males to displace sperm stored in the female's spermstorage organs during copulation. By this means, copulating males are able to increase their fertilization success. This ability has been used as an example to illustrate a conflict of interests between the sexes in which males have evolved sperm-displacement mechanisms whilst females have presumably evolved means to avoid sperm displacement. The present review has four aims: (1) to describe the copulatory mechanisms used during sperm displacement; (2) to analyse the causes of sperm usage patterns; (3) to discuss this information using current hypotheses on conflict between the sexes; (4) to illuminate topics for further research. Four copulatory mechanisms are described: sperm removal (physical withdrawal of stored sperm), sperm repositioning ('pushing' of rival sperm to sites where its use will be least likely), female sensory stimulation to induce sperm ejection, and sperm flushing (displacement of sperm using the copulating male's sperm). Sperm-precedence studies in Odonata are scarce and their values vary considerably between species. In those species in which sperm displacement is incomplete, the last copulating male obtains a high but variable short-term fertilization success which decreases with time. Some male and female factors affecting sperm precedence patterns are mentioned: (1) male variation in genital morphology; (2) duration of copulation influenced by the male (the longer the copulation, the more stored sperm displaced); (3) adaptations of the sperm-storage organs that allow the female to manipulate the sperm she has received (i.e. avoiding sperm displacement, re-distributing sperm masses, favouring sperm located in certain sites and ejecting sperm after copulation). We suggest that male and female odonates have co-evolved at the level of genital function with the control of stored sperm as the focus of the conflict. The benefits for males in this co-evolution lie in maximizing their fertilization success. However, it is not clear what females obtain from storing sperm and making it unreachable during sperm displacement. Two hypothetical benefits that females may obtain for which some evidence has been gathered are genetic diversity and viability genes. It is finally suggested that odonates can become excellent subjects of study for testing current ideas related to sexual conflict and speciation processes through sexual selection.

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Section: What Drives the Co-evolution?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm competition in Odonata (Insecta): the evolution of female sperm storage and rivals' sperm displacement

2003

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“…The idea initially put forward is that by mating more than once, females will reduce the risk of only mating to males who carry incompatible genes. However, this bet-hedging strategy only works under very restricted circumstances [35]. Potentially of wider importance is that, whenever females mate multiply, sperm from different males will compete for fertilization of the female's ova [36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dynamic relationship between polyandry and selfish genetic elements

Wedell

2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes and bacteria, and make up a large part of the genome. They frequently target sperm to increase their transmission success, but these manipulations are often associated with reduced male fertility. Low fertility of SGE-carrying males is suggested to promote polyandry as a female strategy to bias paternity against male carriers. Support for this hypothesis is found in several taxa, where SGE-carrying males have reduced sperm competitive ability. In contrast, when SGEs give rise to reproductive incompatibilities between SGE-carrying males and females, polyandry is not necessarily favoured, irrespective of the detrimental impact on male fertility. This is due to the frequency-dependent nature of these incompatibilities, because they will decrease in the population as the frequency of SGEs increases. However, reduced fertility of SGE-carrying males can prevent the successful population invasion of SGEs. In addition, SGEs can directly influence male and female mating behaviour, mating rates and reproductive traits (e.g. female reproductive tract length and male sperm). This reveals a potent and dynamic interaction between SGEs and polyandry highlighting the potential to generate sexual selection and conflict, but also indicates that polyandry can promote harmony within the genome by undermining the spread of SGEs.

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“…The commonly estimated mating-system parameter, correlated paternity, r p , describes the diversity of pollen contributions for sampled progeny arrays and is proportional to the effective number of pollen donors (Sork and Smouse, 2006). Correlated paternity is expected to be negatively correlated with fitness, as reduced pollen diversity is expected to result in a higher probability of unfit combinations of pollen and ovules via either less pollen competition or weaker heterosis (Yasui, 1998;Skogsmyr and Lankinen, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mating system and early viability resistance to habitat fragmentation in a bird-pollinated eucalypt

et al. 2012

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Habitat fragmentation has been shown to disrupt ecosystem processes such as plant-pollinator mutualisms. Consequently, mating patterns in remnant tree populations are expected to shift towards increased inbreeding and reduced pollen diversity, with fitness consequences for future generations. However, mating patterns and phenotypic assessments of open-pollinated progeny have rarely been combined in a single study. Here, we collected seeds from 37 Eucalyptus incrassata trees from contrasting stand densities following recent clearance in a single South Australian population (intact woodland ¼ 12.6 trees ha À1 ; isolated pasture ¼ 1.7 trees ha À1 ; population area ¼ 10 km 2 ). 649 progeny from these trees were genotyped at eight microsatellite loci. We estimated genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure, indirect contemporary pollen flow and mating patterns for adults older than the clearance events and open-pollinated progeny sired post-clearance. A proxy of early stage progeny viability was assessed in a common garden experiment. Density had no impact on mating patterns, adult and progeny genetic diversity or progeny growth, but was associated with increased mean pollen dispersal. Weak spatial genetic structure among adults suggests high historical gene flow. We observed preliminary evidence for inbreeding depression related to stress caused by fungal infection, but which was not associated with density. Higher observed heterozygosities in adults compared with progeny may relate to weak selection on progeny and lifetime-accumulated mortality of inbred adults. E. incrassata appears to be resistant to the negative mating pattern and fitness changes expected within fragmented landscapes. This pattern is likely explained by strong outcrossing and regular long-distance pollen flow.

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The `genetic benefits' of female multiple mating reconsidered

Cited by 413 publications

References 34 publications

Sperm competition in Odonata (Insecta): the evolution of female sperm storage and rivals' sperm displacement

Sperm competition in Odonata (Insecta): the evolution of female sperm storage and rivals' sperm displacement

The dynamic relationship between polyandry and selfish genetic elements

Mating system and early viability resistance to habitat fragmentation in a bird-pollinated eucalypt

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