Sperm morphology, swimming velocity, and longevity in the house sparrow Passer domesticus

Helfenstein, Fabrice; Podevin, Murielle; Richner, Heinz

doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0871-x

Cited by 69 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Yet even this trait appears to be inconsistently associated with sperm velocity, even within a single species (e.g. Helfenstein et al 2010;Cramer et al 2015). Similarly, in the current study we found the ratio of flagellum to head length was positively correlated with sperm velocity in P. a. hecki, but not P. a. acuticauda.…”

Section: Sperm Traitsupporting

confidence: 58%

Subspecific variation in sperm morphology and performance in the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

et al. 2015

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Background: Evolutionary biology endeavours to explain biological diversity, and as such it is critical to develop an understanding of the adaptive and functional significance of trait variation. Spermatozoa exhibit remarkable levels of morphological diversification. However, our understanding of the evolutionary causes and functional significance of this variation is limited, especially at the intraspecific level. Methods:We quantified variation in sperm morphology and performance between two subspecies of Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda acuticauda and P. a. hecki), a small grassfinch found in tropical northern Australia. Despite a zone of secondary contact, these subspecies are maintained as two distinct forms: P. a. acuticauda occurs in the western part of the species' range and has a yellow bill, while P. a. hecki exhibits a red bill and is found in the eastern part of the range. Results:We found small, but significant differences in sperm size between these subspecies (P. a. acuticauda had longer and narrower sperm than P. a. hecki), which was surprising given the recent evolutionary origins of these two taxa (i.e. 0.3 million years ago). Additionally, both subspecies exhibited high values of between-and within-male variation in sperm morphology, though in the case of sperm midpiece length this variation was significantly lower in P. a. acuticauda relative to P. a. hecki. Conclusions:We suggest these observed differences in sperm morphology are the result of genetic drift and reflect historical processes associated with divergence between the eastern and western populations of these two subspecies. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of our findings for the process of population divergence and reproductive isolation.

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Section: Sperm Traitsupporting

confidence: 58%

Subspecific variation in sperm morphology and performance in the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

et al. 2015

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“…Previous studies have examined correlations between sperm design and sperm function [7,38,39] and their role as determinants of fertilization success [3,4,12]. However, although some studies showed significant correlations between these traits, others found no evidence for these associations [8].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm Population Structure and Male Fertility: An Intraspecific Study of Sperm Design and Velocity in Red Deer1

Ramón

Soler²,

Ortíz³

et al. 2013

Biology of Reproduction

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Sperm design and velocity play key roles in influencing sperm performance and, therefore, can determine fertilization success. Several interspecific studies have demonstrated how these features correlate, and it has been hypothesized that selection may drive changes in these sperm traits. Here, we examine the association between sperm design and swimming velocity in a study conducted at an intraspecific level in Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus). We addressed how the structure of different sperm subpopulations, based on sperm morphometry and velocity, are interrelated and, in turn, how they associate with fertility. Our results show that males with high fertility rates have ejaculates with high percentages of spermatozoa exhibiting fast and linear movements and that these are highly correlated with a large proportion of spermatozoa having small and elongated heads. On the other hand, males with low fertility are characterized by a subpopulation structure in which slow and nonlinear as well as small and wide spermatozoa are predominant. These findings provide insight regarding how sperm size and velocity are interrelated and how they both are associated with fertility.

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“…Recent studies in birds and mammals have reported relationships between sperm length and velocity ( 798 J. L. Fitzpatrick et al Sperm length influences sperm velocity et al 2009;Helfenstein et al 2010). However, most studies have failed to reveal such patterns (Humphries et al 2008), possibly because the traditional approach of analysing sperm length and velocity using different samples of sperm underestimates the covariance between sperm length and velocity at the within-and among-male levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

2010

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Selection imposed through sperm competition is commonly thought to promote the evolution of longer sperm, since sperm length is assumed to be positively associated with sperm swimming velocity. Yet, the basis for this assumption remains controversial, and there is surprisingly little intraspecific evidence demonstrating such a link between sperm form and function. Here, we show that sperm length and velocity are highly correlated in the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, but importantly we report that failure to account for within-male variation in these sperm traits can obscure this relationship. These findings, in conjunction with the mounting evidence for extremely high levels of intraspecific variance in sperm traits, suggest that a functional link between sperm morphology and velocity may be more prevalent than what current evidence suggests. Our findings also suggest that selection for faster swimming sperm may promote the evolution of longer sperm, thereby supporting recent findings from macroevolutionary studies.

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Sperm morphology, swimming velocity, and longevity in the house sparrow Passer domesticus

Cited by 69 publications

References 51 publications

Subspecific variation in sperm morphology and performance in the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Subspecific variation in sperm morphology and performance in the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Sperm Population Structure and Male Fertility: An Intraspecific Study of Sperm Design and Velocity in Red Deer1

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

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