Plug fate in the copulatory behavior of rats

Mosig, Dirk W.; Dewsbury, Donald A.

doi:10.3758/bf03329086

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Multiple intromissions thus prepare the female tract for effective insemination. That intromissions are effective in this respect is suggested by the data of Mosig and Dewsbury (1970) on laboratory rats. Sixtynine percent of 162 copulatory plugs were removed by subsequent copulation; 82% of these were removed after only three or fewer intromissions (see also Lisk, 1969;Matthews & Adler, 1977).…”

mentioning

confidence: 84%

On the function of the multiple-intromission, multiple-ejaculation copulatory patterns of rodents

Dewsbury

1981

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

mentioning

confidence: 84%

On the function of the multiple-intromission, multiple-ejaculation copulatory patterns of rodents

Dewsbury

1981

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Other studies demonstrated that the copulatory plug is not effective at preventing insemination by second males, including studies in rats (Lanier et al, 1979), Syrian hamsters (Oglesby et al, 1981), and deer mice (Dewsbury, 1988). Furthermore, both females and males of some species can remove copulatory plugs with apparent ease (Mosig and Dewsbury, 1970;Milligan, 1979;Wallach and Hart, 1983;Fenton, 1984;Koprowski, 1992;Parga, 2003), further complicating the interpretation of its function as a means to enforce chastity.…”

Section: Molecular Reproduction and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The molecular basis and reproductive function(s) of copulatory plugs

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYIn many animals, male ejaculates coagulate to form what has been termed a copulatory plug, a structure that varies in size and shape but often fills and seals the female's reproductive tract. The first published observation of a copulatory plug in a mammal was made more than 160 years ago, and questions about its formation and role in reproduction continue to endear evolutionary and population geneticists, behavioral ecologists, and molecular, reproductive, and developmental biologists alike. Here, we review the current knowledge of copulatory plugs, focusing on rodents and asking two main questions: how is it formed and what does it do? An evolutionary biology perspective helps us understand the latter, potentially leading to insights into the selective regimes that have shaped the diversity of this structure.Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 755À767,

show abstract

“…Ejaculations are usually preceded by a variable number of intromissions, whereby the penis enters the vagina but no sperm are transferred (Dewsbury 1984). In rats, such behaviour removes copulatory plugs from previous males, and morphological features such as penile spines may facilitate such removal (Mosig & Dewsbury 1970). However, it is not clear whether these mating characteristics represent adaptation to a system of multiple mating.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The frequency of multiple paternity suggests that sperm competition is common in house mice (Mus domesticus)

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sexual selection is an important force driving the evolution of morphological and genetic traits. To determine the importance of male-male, postcopulatory sexual selection in natural populations of house mice, we estimated the frequency of multiple paternity, defined as the frequency with which a pregnant female carried a litter fertilized by more than one male. By genotyping eight microsatellite markers from 1095 mice, we found evidence of multiple paternity from 33 of 143. Evidence for multiple paternity was especially strong for 29 of these litters. Multiple paternity was significantly more common in higher-density vs. lower-density populations. Any estimate of multiple paternity will be an underestimate of the frequency of multiple mating, defined as the frequency with which a female mates with more than a single male during a single oestrus cycle. We used computer simulations to estimate the frequency of multiple mating, incorporating observed reductions in heterozygosity and levels of allele sharing among mother and father. These simulations indicated that multiple mating is common, occurring in at least 20% of all oestrus cycles. The exact estimate depends on the competitive skew among males, a parameter for which we currently have no data from natural populations. This study suggests that sperm competition is an important aspect of postcopulatory sexual selection in house mice.

show abstract

Plug fate in the copulatory behavior of rats

Cited by 21 publications

References 11 publications

On the function of the multiple-intromission, multiple-ejaculation copulatory patterns of rodents

On the function of the multiple-intromission, multiple-ejaculation copulatory patterns of rodents

The molecular basis and reproductive function(s) of copulatory plugs

The frequency of multiple paternity suggests that sperm competition is common in house mice (Mus domesticus)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About