Polyandrous females discriminate against previous mates

Zeh, Jeanne A.; Newcomer, Scott D.; Zeh, David W.

doi:10.1073/pnas.95.23.13732

Cited by 82 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In many animals, females can influence the number and identity of their partners (38). In some species, the fate of sperm from rival males during and after copulation can depend on female behavior, complexity of female reproductive tract, or female genotype (39 -44).…”

Section: Female Control Of Paternitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary Ecology of the Prezygotic Stage

Bernasconi

Ashman

Birkhead

et al. 2004

Science

155

163

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The life cycles of sexually reproducing animals and flowering plants begin with male and female gametes and their fusion to form a zygote. Selection at this earliest stage is crucial for offspring quality and raises similar evolutionary issues, yet zoology and botany use dissimilar approaches. There are striking parallels in the role of prezygotic competition for sexual selection on males, cryptic female choice, sexual conflict, and against selfish genetic elements and genetic incompatibility. In both groups, understanding the evolution of sex-specific and reproductive traits will require an appreciation of the effects of prezygotic competition on fitness.

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Section: Female Control Of Paternitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary Ecology of the Prezygotic Stage

Bernasconi

Ashman

Birkhead

et al. 2004

Science

155

163

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“…Previous research has shown that field-inseminated females produce mixed-paternity broods sired by up to four males (37). Polyandry in this pseudoscorpion is an active strategy in which females recognize and reject previous mates, preferring instead to mate with different males (38). As a consequence of mating with more than one male, C. scorpioides females are able to enhance their RS.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

Genetic benefits enhance the reproductive success of polyandrous females

Newcomer

Zeh

1999

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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200

198

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Although it is generally accepted that females can gain material benefits by mating with more than one male, the proposal that polyandry provides genetic benefits remains controversial, largely because direct experimental support is lacking. Here, we report the results of a study testing for genetic benefits to polyandry in the pseudoscorpion Cordylochernes scorpioides. In an experiment that controlled for male mating experience and the number of spermatophores accepted by a female, twice-mated females received either one sperm-packet from each of two different males (the ''DM'' treatment) or two sperm-packets from a single male (the same male or ''SM'' treatment). Over their lifetime, DM females gave birth to 32% more offspring than did SM females, primarily because of a significantly reduced rate of spontaneous abortion. This result could not be attributed to male infertility nor to lack of sexual receptivity in males paired with previous mates. Spermatophore and sperm numbers did not differ between males presented with a previous mate and males paired with a new female. Because SM and DM females received the same quantity of ejaculate, it was possible to eliminate material benefits as a contributor to the enhanced reproductive success of DM females. The reduction in embryo failure rate achieved by DM females is most consistent with the genetic incompatibility avoidance hypothesis, i.e., that polyandry enables females to exploit postcopulatory mechanisms for reducing the risk and͞or cost of fertilization by genetically incompatible sperm. This study, which rigorously controlled for material benefits and excluded inbreeding effects, demonstrates that polyandry provides genetic benefits that significantly enhance female lifetime reproductive success.The revolution in molecular genetic techniques that has taken place over the past decade has revealed one of nature's best-kept secrets, namely, that across a wide array of species, females frequently mate with more than one male (1, 2). As DNA evidence of multiple paternity accumulates for organisms as ecologically and phylogenetically divergent as fruit flies (3) and humpback whales (4), it is becoming clear that polyandry is a common female mating strategy, although it is often covert and difficult to detect at the behavioral level. Polyandry as a pervasive feature of natural populations challenges the long-held view of females as the choosy, monogamous sex (5-7) and raises the question of why, considering the potentially high risks and costs involved, females would mate with multiple males (8-9).As evolutionary biologists increasingly recognize the importance of considering reproduction from the female perspective (10), a variety of hypotheses have been proposed to explain why selection should favor the evolution of polyandry. With

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“…In these pseudoscorpions, mating involves a sequence of stereotypical behaviours in which the male grasps the female while he constructs and deposits a spermatophore on the substrate (figure 1). The male then manoeuvres the female into a position in which the sperm packet directly contacts her genital aperture, and successful sperm transfer is associated with a pronounced abdominal flexure by the female [28]. Matings can be interrupted immediately following spermatophore deposition and the sperm packet collected for assessment of sperm number and viability [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sisters' curse: sexually antagonistic effects constrain the spread of a mitochondrial haplogroup superior in sperm competition

et al. 2014

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Maternal inheritance of mitochondria creates a sex-specific selective sieve with implications for male longevity, disease susceptibility and infertility. Because males are an evolutionary dead end for mitochondria, mitochondrial mutations that are harmful or beneficial to males but not females cannot respond directly to selection. Although the importance of this male/female asymmetry in evolutionary response depends on the extent to which mitochondrial mutations exert antagonistic effects on male and female fitness, few studies have documented sex-specific selection acting on mitochondria. Here, we exploited the discovery of two highly divergent mitochondrial haplogroups (A and B2) in central Panamanian populations of the pseudoscorpion Cordylochernes scorpioides. Next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analyses suggest that selection on the ND4 and ND4L mitochondrial genes may partially explain sexually antagonistic mitochondrial effects on reproduction. Males carrying the rare B2 mitochondrial haplogroup enjoy a marked advantage in sperm competition, but B2 females are significantly less sexually receptive at second mating than A females. This reduced propensity for polyandry is likely to significantly reduce female lifetime reproductive success, thereby limiting the spread of the male beneficial B2 haplogroup. Our findings suggest that maternal inheritance of mitochondria and sexually antagonistic selection can constrain male adaptation and sexual selection in nature.

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Polyandrous females discriminate against previous mates

Cited by 82 publications

References 39 publications

Evolutionary Ecology of the Prezygotic Stage

Evolutionary Ecology of the Prezygotic Stage

Genetic benefits enhance the reproductive success of polyandrous females

Sisters' curse: sexually antagonistic effects constrain the spread of a mitochondrial haplogroup superior in sperm competition

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