Conditions for the Evolution of Soldier Sperm Classes

Kura, Takuya; Nakashima, Yasuhiro

doi:10.1554/0014-3820(2000)054[0072:cfteos]2.0.co;2

Cited by 14 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Post-copulatory sexual selection including both sperm competition and cryptic female choice may be a potent selective force favouring cooperating sperm and selecting against individually performing sperm. Two theoretical approaches have shown that the evolution of the differentiation of sperm shape and function among sibling sperm in response to post-copulatory sexual selection is possible (Kura & Nakashima 2000, Holman & Snook 2006. One model showed that a 'soldier sperm class' may evolve where certain sperm attack rival sperm by potentially destroying themselves (Kura & Nakashima 2000).…”

Section: Sperm Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two theoretical approaches have shown that the evolution of the differentiation of sperm shape and function among sibling sperm in response to post-copulatory sexual selection is possible (Kura & Nakashima 2000, Holman & Snook 2006. One model showed that a 'soldier sperm class' may evolve where certain sperm attack rival sperm by potentially destroying themselves (Kura & Nakashima 2000). Similarly, a subsequent model showed that sperm heteromorphism may evolve if non-fertilising sperm protect fertilising sperm from female spermicide (Holman & Snook 2006).…”

Section: Sperm Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sperm competition and sperm cooperation: the potential role of diploid and haploid expression

Immler¹

2008

Reproduction

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Sperm competition is a powerful selective force driving the evolution of sperm shape and function. Recent findings suggest that sperm cooperation is a potential evolutionary response to sperm competition. Sperm cooperation may enhance the performance of the ejaculate increasing a male's chance to outcompete rival males in competition for fertilisation. Whether and how sperm cooperation may evolve is the focal point of this review. The relative importance of haploid and diploid gene expression for the evolution of sperm cooperation and the potential conflict of interest between (i) haploid sperm and diploid male and (ii) among sibling sperm, since sibling sperm only share an average of 50% of their genes in a diploid organism, are discussed. Furthermore, sperm cooperation is defined and the literature for empirical evidence of sperm cooperation is reviewed in light of the author's definitions.

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Section: Sperm Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sperm Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm competition and sperm cooperation: the potential role of diploid and haploid expression

Immler¹

2008

Reproduction

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“…Therefore, sperm emitted from multiple males compete each other for eggs. It is predicted that sperm competition may result in elimination or displacement of eusperm from previous males, blocking or destruction of the non-kin eusperm (soldier sperm; Kura and Nakashima 2000), and preventing or delaying further mating of females. A possible role correlated to sperm competition has been also reported by Hayakawa (2007), for the unflagellate parasperm in a non-copulatory marine cottoid.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra‐ and intermale variability of mature sperm traits analysed in two brackish water populations of the pipefish Syngnathus abaster (Syngnathidae)

et al. 2015

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Piras, F., Biagi, F., Floris, A., Farina, V., Zedda, M., Franzoi, P., Carcupino, M. 2016. Intra-and intermale variability of mature sperm traits analysed in two brackish water populations of the pipefish Syngnathus abaster (Syngnathidae).-Acta Zool ogica (Stockholm) 97: 177-186.Sperm cells are highly diversified in animals, and considerable research effort has focused on variation in sperm morphology among species. Surprisingly, little is known about intraspecific variation in sperm morphology. We analysed withinand between-male variation in mature sperm traits in two brackish water populations of the pipefish Syngnathus abaster. Four morphometric parameters, such as the width and length of the head (including nucleus, and midpiece), length of flagellum and total sperm length were taken into account. The differences in all morphometric parameters analysed between populations were not statistically significant. Moreover, the multidimensional scaling analysis shows that (i) the two populations seem to be indistinguishable based on their spermatozoa and (ii) there is not polymorphism, being sperm not distinguishable into discrete classes both within a single male and between males of each populations. The latter datum does not seem to support the presence of polymorphic sperm in syngnathids. Both populations, however, exhibit a high variation in all sperm traits, both among individual sperm within an ejaculate and among males within each population. The relationship between sperm traits variability and the low selection pressure determined by the absence of postcopulatory sexual selection (i.e. absence of sperm competition) is discussed.

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“…Provided that traits have the same dimensionality and complexity, the coefficient of variation is suitable to directly compare the magnitude of trait variation, because it corrects for the general tendency for morphological variance (i.e., the square of the standard deviation) to scale proportional to the square of the trait mean (Lande, 1977). Fertile sperm are longer than nonfertile sperm in all the taxa examined (see also Kura and Nakashima, 2000). Thus, if this statistical tendency alone were affecting our response variable (CV), it would result in more variation among the longer fertile than among the shorter nonfertile sperm, contrary to our functional prediction that fertile sperm should vary less.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization competence and sperm size variation in sperm-heteromorphic insects

Bernasconi

Hellriegel

2005

Evol Ecol

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Abstract. Between species, variation in sperm size has been related to male-female coevolution and male-male competition. In contrast, variation within species is poorly understood. A particular case of intraspecific sperm-size variation occurs in sperm-heteromorphic species, where males produce distinct sperm morphotypes, usually only one of which is fertile. This allows to investigate sperm size variation under different selection regimes. Nonfertile morphotypes, whose role is aside from fertilization, may have other functions, and this may be reflected by changes in developmental processes and a different phenotype compared to fertile sperm. We show that the intraspecific coefficient of variation in sperm length is up to four times lower for fertile than nonfertile morphotypes across 150 sperm-heteromorphic species (70 butterfly, 71 moth, 9 diopsid fly species). This is in agreement with a previous study on 11 species in the Drosophila obscura group. Significantly lower variation in fertile than nonfertile sperm morphometry may result from fertilization-related selection for optimal sperm size, novel functions of nonfertile sperm, or from tighter control of fertile sperm development. More data are needed to clarify the consequences and adaptive significance of within-morph variation, and its consistent pattern across sperm-heteromorphic insects.

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Conditions for the Evolution of Soldier Sperm Classes

Cited by 14 publications

References 50 publications

Sperm competition and sperm cooperation: the potential role of diploid and haploid expression

Sperm competition and sperm cooperation: the potential role of diploid and haploid expression

Intra‐ and intermale variability of mature sperm traits analysed in two brackish water populations of the pipefish Syngnathus abaster (Syngnathidae)

Fertilization competence and sperm size variation in sperm-heteromorphic insects

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