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PubMed2004

Social stimuli affect juvenile hormone during breeding in biparental burying beetles (Silphidae: Nicrophorus).

Extended biparental care is rare in insects but provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the interaction between the endocrine system and the physical and social environment in the regulation of this behavior. Burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) have facultative biparental care and depend on locating a small vertebrate carcass that they bury and prepare as food for their young. Commonly, both male and female Nicrophorus orbicollis remain in the burial chamber after eggs hatch to feed and guard the larvae. In both sexes, juvenile hormone (JH) rises rapidly in response to the discovery and assessment of the carcass; it returns to near baseline in 24 h; then in females it reaches very high titers at the onset of maternal care. In this paper, we investigate some social (presence of a mate, mating history, larval age) and environmental (carcass size) factors that may affect this endocrine profile. For females, neither the presence of a mate nor mating status (i.e., virginity) affected the initial rise of JH. However, the absence of a mate significantly depressed the JH rise in males. Eighty-seven percent of the single males buried the carcass like paired males but 87% also released pheromones to attract a mate. JH hemolymph titers in females whose broods were replaced every 24 h with newly hatch larvae were significantly higher than those of females rearing aging broods. Lastly, even though larger carcasses took longer to bury and prepare and oviposition was delayed, neither JH titers nor speed of ovarian development was affected by carcass size.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Female guppies agree to differ: phenotypic and genetic variation in mate-choice behavior and the consequences for sexual selection.

Variation among females in mate choice may influence evolution by sexual selection. The genetic basis of this variation is of interest because the elaboration of mating preferences requires additive genetic variation in these traits. Here we measure the repeatability and heritability of two components of female choosiness (responsiveness and discrimination) and of female preference functions for the multiple ornaments borne by male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We show that there is significant repeatable variation in both components of choosiness and in some preference functions but not in others. There appear to be several male ornaments that females find uniformly attractive and others for which females differ in preference. One consequence is that there is no universally attractive male phenotype. Only responsiveness shows significant additive genetic variation. Variation in responsiveness appears to mask variation in discrimination and some preference functions and may be the most biologically relevant source of phenotypic and genetic variation in mate-choice behavior. To test the potential evolutionary importance of the phenotypic variation in mate choice that we report, we estimated the opportunity for and the intensity of sexual selection under models of mate choice that excluded and that incorporated individual female variation. We then compared these estimates with estimates based on measured mating success. Incorporating individual variation in mate choice generally did not predict the outcome of sexual selection any better than models that ignored such variation.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Cultivation of the rhabditid Poikilolaimus oxycercus as a laboratory nematode for genetic analyses.

Vulva formation is a paradigm for evolutionary developmental biology in nematodes. Not only do the number of vulval precursor cells (VPCs) differ between members in the Rhabditidae and Diplogastridae, they are also sculpted via different developmental mechanisms, either by cell fusion in most Rhabditidae or by programmed cell death in the Diplogastridae. In this context, the species Poikilolaimus oxycercus is the only known species in the family Rhabditidae to have a subset of the Pn.p cells commit programmed cell death during the patterning of the VPCs. Our current study introduces P. oxycercus as a new laboratory organism. There are discrete laboratory strains that are genetically polymorphic from each other as well as heterogeneous within each strain. In order to cultivate this gonochoristic nematode into an experimental model with a tractable genetic system, we produced two inbreeding tolerant, near-isogenic strains capable of producing viable progeny with each other. We also described P. oxycera's morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), basic life history traits, hybrid viability, and mating behavior. P. oxycercus females have no preference for inter- or intra-strain matings, and can mate with multiple males in a relatively short time period, suggesting a propensity for maintaining heterozygosity through promiscuity. Interestingly, all sexes from three species in the genus Poikilolaimus show five 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining bodies in their germ line cells. This could indicate that Poikilolaimus species possess five bivalent chromosomes in their germ lines, in contrast to the hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis elegans or Pristionchus pacificus, which have six chromosomes.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Female mate-choice behavior and sympatric speciation.

Many models have investigated how the process of speciation may occur in sympatry. In these models, individuals are either asexual or mate choice is determined by very simple rules. Females, for example, may be assumed either to compare their phenotype to that of a potential mate, preferring to mate with similar males (phenotype matching), or to possess preference genes that determine which male phenotype they prefer. These rules often do not reflect the mate-choice rules found in empirical studies. In this paper, we compare these two modes of female choice with various types of sexual imprinting. We examine the efficacy of different mate-choice behavior in causing divergence in male traits under simple deterministic one-locus population genetic models as well as under polygenic, individual-based simulations based on the models of Dieckmann and Doebeli (1999). We find that the inheritance mechanism of mate choice can have a large effect on the ease of sympatric speciation. When females imprint on their mothers, the result of the model is similar to phenotype matching, where speciation can occur fairly easily. When females imprint on their fathers or imprint obliquely, speciation becomes considerably less likely. Finally, when females rely on preference genes, male trait evolution occurs easily, but the correlation between trait and preference can be weak, and interpreting these results as speciation may be suspect.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Female house crickets, Acheta domesticus, prefer the chirps of large males.

This study demonstrates that invertebrate acoustic signals can provide information about male phenotypic attributes, and that females can use this acoustic information in mate choice to select a phenotypically superior mate. I investigated the relationships between a male acoustic sexual signal, the phenotype of the signaller, and the female response to signal variation. I recorded and analysed the calling songs of male house crickets, Acheta domesticus. The analyses showed that chirps convey information about male size. With the exception of amplitude, the mean number of pulses per chirp was the best predictor of male size. I performed a laboratory tape-playback experiment to determine female preference during phonotaxis. Females preferred tapes playing the chirps of large males, specifically chirps with a greater number of pulses per chirp. Selection on the female preference is discussed.Copyright 1997 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Assortative preferences and discrimination by females against hybrid male song in the grasshoppers Chorthippus brunneus and Chorthippus jacobsi (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

The grasshoppers Chorthippus brunneus and Chorthippus jacobsi are highly differentiated for male mating signals, and form a mosaic hybrid zone in northern Spain. At some sites within this zone, many hybrids are observed. At others, few hybrids are observed. Such bimodal sites may reflect recent contacts between parental genotypes, or local variation in levels of assortative mating or selection against hybrids. Playback of 12 parental and F1 male songs to 296 parental and hybrid females revealed positive assortative preferences in C. brunneus and C. jacobsi females, supporting a direct role of male mating signals in female choice. However, all female genotypic classes showed reduced responsiveness to F1 male songs. Such sexual selection against hybrids is consistent with the narrow cline width observed in the field for song characters relative to morphology. These results have implications for the genetic structure of the hybrid zone and for models of speciation by reinforcement.

Animal Communication↗

PubMed1995

Discrimination by female mice between the odours of parasitized and non-parasitized males.

The detection and avoidance of parasitized males has been proposed to be a component of female mate choice. We investigated whether or not female laboratory mice, Mus musculus domesticus, could discriminate between parasitized and non-parasitized males on the basis of odour. Female mice were given a choice between the urine and other odorous secretions of either a male mouse sub-clinically infected for five days with the naturally occurring, enteric, single host, protozoan parasite, Eimeria vermiformis, or an uninfected male. Females showed a marked preference for the odours of non-parasitized male mice over those of the parasitized males; as measured by number of investigations, time spent per investigation, and total investigation time of the odours in a choice situation. Female mice also displayed an overwhelming initial, or first choice, preference for the odours of the non-parasitized male mice over those of the parasitized males. These observations show that female mice can distinguish between the odours of parasitized and non-parasitized males, and discriminate against parasitized males on the basis of odour. We suggest that the detection and avoidance of infected males by female mice through odour cues may function to reduce parasite transmission and potentially serve as a component of female mate selection or choice.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Dopamine antagonists do not block conditioned place preference induced by paced mating behavior in female rats.

The authors assessed the behavioral effects of dopamine (DA) receptor antagonists, Cis (Z) flupentixol and S(+)-raclopride L-tartrate, on conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by paced mating behavior. Ovariectomized female rats of the Wistar strain were used. The administration of amphetamine (1 mg/kg) induced a clear CPP that was completely blocked by the DA antagonists flupentixol (0.25 mg/kg) or raclopride (0.125 mg/kg). These doses had no effect on motor coordination. Female rats that mated in a pacing chamber developed a clear CPP. Neither flupentixol nor raclopride blocked the reward state induced by paced mating behavior. These results indicate that DA is not involved in the reward state induced by paced mating behavior in female rats.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Sexual selection when fertilization is not guaranteed.

Much of the theory of sexual selection assumes that females do not generally experience difficulties getting their eggs fertilized, yet sperm limitation is occasionally documented. How often does male limitation form a selection for female traits that improve their mating rate? The question is difficult to test, because if such traits evolve to be efficient, sperm limitation will no longer appear to be a problem to females. Here, we suggest that changes in choosiness between populations, and in particular between virgin and mated females, offer an efficient way to test this hypothesis. We model the "wallflower effect," that is, changes in female preferences due to time and mortality costs of remaining unmated (for at least some time). We show that these costs cause adaptive reductions of female choice, even if mate encounter rates appear high and females only rarely end their lives unfertilized. We also consider the population consequences of plastic or fixed mate preferences at different mate encounter rates. If mate choice is plastic, we confirm earlier verbal models that virgins should mate relatively indiscriminately, but plastic increase of choosiness in later matings can compensate and intensify sexual selection on the male trait, particularly if there is last male sperm precedence. Plastic populations will cope well with unusual conditions: eagerness of virgins leads to high reproductive output and a relaxation of sexual selection at low population densities. If females lack such plasticity, however, population-wide reproductive output may be severely reduced, whereas sexual selection on male traits remains strong.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Only self-paced mating is rewarding in rats of both sexes.

When rats are mated in a traditional mating chamber (with one male and one female) in which the male dictates the pace of the copulatory sequence, males develop a reward state as evaluated by conditioned place preference (CPP). In this mating situation no reward state is induced in females. However, when female rats are able to control (pace) the rate of sexual stimulation, thereby reducing the aversive consequences associated with mating, a clear CPP is observed. In the present study the CPP paradigm was used to determine whether if the reinforced state induced by coital interactions in male rats can be maintained when females pace the sexual interaction. Adult male and female rats were mated in one of two different conditions: (1) where subjects were able to pace their coital interactions or (2) where subjects were not able to pace their sexual contacts. The results showed that when males had control over the sexual interaction they developed a clear place preference while males that mated with females that paced their coital contacts did not develop CPP. Similarly, only females that were able to pace their sexual contacts developed place preference. These results suggest that coital interactions in males, as well as in females, can induce a reward state only when they are able to control the sexual interaction. Under seminatural conditions sexual behavior in rats is highly promiscuous, they mate in groups and repeatedly change partners in the middle of copulation. This behavioral sequence allows both, male and female to control the rate of sexual interaction, assuring the induction of a reward state outlasting the actual performance of coital responses.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Major histocompatibility complex and mate choice in sand lizards.

In mice and man, females prefer males with a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotype different to their own. We tested whether this phenomenon also occurs in the Swedish sand lizard (Lacerta agilis). Females in a laboratory experiment preferred to associate with odour samples obtained from more distantly related males at the MHC class 1 loci. Data on free-ranging lizards suggest that associations between males and females are nonrandom with respect to MHC genotype. However, male spatial distribution and mobility during the mating season suggest that the non-random pairing process in the wild may also be driven by corresponding genetic benefits to males pairing with less related females.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Initial stages of reproductive isolation in two species of the endangered Sonoran topminnow.

Long-term geographic isolation can result in reproductive incompatibilities due to forces such as mutation, genetic drift, and differential selection. In the Sonoran topminnow, molecular genetic studies of mtDNA, microsatellites, and MHC genes have shown that the endangered Gila and Yaqui topminnows are substantially different, suggesting that divergence took place approximately two million years ago. Here we examined hybrid crosses and backcrosses between these two allopatric taxa to evaluate the accumulation of postmating barriers to reproduction. These results are then compared with results from a previous study where male topminnows were shown to mate assortatively with conspecific females. Despite their preference for conspecific mates, both types of interspecific crosses successfully produced offspring. There was evidence of reduced hybrid fitness, including smaller mean brood size and male-biased sex ratio, for some classes of backcrosses. Brood sizes and interbrood intervals varied significantly when hybrids were subdivided into different cross categories. Our results illustrate the importance of distinctly defining hybrid classes in studies of reproductive isolation. To our knowledge, this is the first such detailed evolutionary analysis in endangered fish taxa.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Polymorphic mimicry, microhabitat use, and sex-specific behaviour.

In order to assess the adaptive importance of microhabitat segregation for the maintenance of mimetic diversity, I explore how flight height varies between the sympatric forms of the polymorphic butterfly Heliconius numata and their respective models in the genus Melinaea. There is no evidence for vertical stratification of mimicry rings in these tiger-patterned butterflies, but males of H. numata tend to fly significantly higher than females and the Melinaea models. This difference in microhabitat preference likely results from females searching for host plants whereas males are patrolling for mates. I then present an extension of Muller's mimicry model for the case of partial behavioural or spatial segregation of sexes. The analysis suggests that sex-specific behaviours can make mimicry more beneficial, simply by reducing the effective population size participating in mimicry. The interaction between mimicry and sex-specific behaviours may therefore facilitate the evolution of polymorphism via enhanced, fine-scale local adaptation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2002

Mating interactions between Schistosoma mansoni and S. margrebowiei.

Previous studies of mating interactions between schistosome species from different evolutionary lineages in mice showed that mating is not random: heterospecific pairs form but, given the choice, the preference is for homospecific partners. Mating competition and change of mate were also demonstrated. Schistosoma mansoni is a medically important parasite of humans belonging to a different evolutionary group from S. margrebowiei, a parasite of bovines of veterinary importance. Experiments were designed to investigate the mating behaviour of these two species in mice. Analysis of the data showed a preponderance of intraspecific pairs over interspecific, demonstrating a specific mate preference system for both species. The existence of mating competition between these species was indicated. Males of both species were able to actively compete for paired females by pulling them away from their partners, thus effecting a change of mate. Overall, neither species appeared to be competitively dominant to the other, and the data suggest that where this is the case in sequential infections, the most successful species in terms of worm return and ability to form pairs will be the first species to infect the host.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Parasites reduce attractiveness and reproductive success in male grain beetles.

Sexual characters may reveal the quality of a potential mate, including the mate's level of infection with parasites. Females that prefer males with low levels of infection or no infection may benefit in several ways. Direct benefits may include avoidance of infection, acquistition of larger nuptial gifts or enhancement in fecundity due to differences in male fertility. Females may also benefit indirectly by producing offspring that are more resistant to infections. We measured female preference for odours produced by male grain beetles, Tenebrio molitor, that were either infected by a tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, or uninfected. This parasite is not transmitted directly between conspecifics. Females were attracted to odours of all males, but they were less attracted to those from parasitized males. To the contrary, females were preferentially attracted to infected females. Males did not show any biased attraction to odours from infected and uninfected male beetles. Females that mated with highly infected males produced fewer offspring than females mated to uninfected males, indicating parasitic infection inflicts multiple costs to males. These results are consistent with models of parasite-mediated sexual selection. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1991

Natural and sexual selection on many loci.

A method is developed that describes the effects on an arbitrary number of autosomal loci of selection on haploid and diploid stages, of nonrandom mating between haploid individuals, and of recombination. We provide exact recursions for the dynamics of allele frequencies and linkage disequilibria (nonrandom associations of alleles across loci). When selection is weak relative to recombination, our recursions provide simple approximations for the linkage disequilibria among arbitrary combinations of loci. We show how previous models of sex-independent natural selection on diploids, assortative mating between haploids, and sexual selection on haploids can be analyzed in this framework. Using our weak-selection approximations, we derive new results concerning the coevolution of male traits and female preferences under natural and sexual selection. In particular, we provide general expressions for the intensity of linkage-disequilibrium induced selection experienced by loci that contribute to female preferences for specific male traits. Our general results support the previous observation that these indirect selection forces are so weak that they are unlikely to dominate the evolution of preference-producing loci.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Heteropopulation males have a fertilization advantage during sperm competition in the yellow dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria).

Sexual conflict occurs whenever there is not strict genetic monogamy. The sexually antagonistic coevolution that potentially occurs because of this conflict involves adaptation by one sex followed by the counter-adaptation by the other, and may be thought of as an evolutionary arms-race. As a result of these cycles of antagonistic coevolution, females from one population may be less resistant to heteropopulation males, at least after short periods of allopatry, as they will not have evolved any resistance to them. We tested this prediction in yellow dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) populations from the UK and Switzerland. Males from each population mated as first and second males to females from each population, and the mean numbers of offspring sired by the last male to mate in each situation were compared. We also compared the fertility and fecundity of single females mated to males from both populations, as well as the fertility and fecundity of the F(1) crosses. Both crosses produced viable and fertile offspring and the offspring sex ratios were not skewed. However, the fecundity of F(1)-cross females was greater than that of the parentals. In the sperm-competition experiment, there was a significant interaction between male and female origin influencing the proportion of offspring sired by the second male to mate, with heteropopulation males always outcompeting conpopulation males. This effect was independent of copula duration and the delay between copulations. In a separate experiment, we tested to see whether this was due to female preference for genetically dissimilar males but found no evidence for paternity biasing based on genetic similarity. Our results therefore seem to be best explained by sexually antagonistic coevolution as females appear less resistant to males with which they have not coevolved.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2003

Precopulatory mate guarding and mating behaviour in the rotifer Epiphanes senta (Monogononta: Rotifera).

Epiphanes senta is a littoral rotifer species that occurs in temporary waters and displays a mating behaviour which has not, to my knowledge, so far been described for monogonont rotifers. Monogonont rotifers show distinctive periods within their life cycle during which mictic females appear. Mictic females produce haploid eggs that develop into males or into diapausing eggs if fertilized. The females of E. senta are mostly stationary on the substrate while males are more active swimmers. If they encounter eggs with female embryos of their own species, they attend them and mate with the hatching female. Experiments showed that males are able to discriminate between male, female and diapausing eggs. They exhibit a strong preference for female eggs that are only a few hours away from hatching compared with eggs in early developmental stages. Further experiments did not show any significant differences in male attendance of mictic and amictic eggs. It is hypothesized that males judge the age of a female egg by sensing a chemical that is produced by the growing embryo and diffuses through the egg shell. The male mating behaviour is similar to precopulatory mate guarding known from arthropods but it lacks the monopolization of the female by the male.

Analysis of Variance↗