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Related Experiment Videos

Sexual selection when fertilization is not guaranteed.

Hanna Kokko1, Johanna Mappes

  • 1Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. hanna.kokko@helsinki.fi

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|November 3, 2005
PubMed
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Sperm limitation can drive female mating rate evolution. Changes in female choosiness, especially between virgin and mated females, reveal adaptive reductions in mate choice due to costs of remaining unmated. This impacts sexual selection and reproductive output.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Sexual Selection

Background:

  • Sexual selection theory often assumes females easily achieve fertilization, yet sperm limitation occurs.
  • The frequency of male limitation driving female trait evolution for increased mating rates is poorly understood.
  • Testing this is challenging as evolved female traits may mask underlying sperm limitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate how male sperm limitation influences the evolution of female mating rates and choosiness.
  • Model the "wallflower effect"—changes in female mating preferences due to costs of remaining unmated.
  • Examine population-level consequences of plastic versus fixed female mating preferences.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a theoretical model to simulate female mating preferences and choosiness.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Incorporated time and mortality costs associated with remaining unmated.
  • Analyzed scenarios with varying mate encounter rates and female preference plasticity.

    • Main Results:

    • Adaptive reductions in female choosiness occur even when mate encounter rates seem high, driven by costs of remaining unmated.
    • Plastic mating preferences allow virgins to mate indiscriminately, increasing reproductive output and relaxing sexual selection at low densities.
    • Lack of plasticity in females can severely reduce population reproductive output while maintaining strong sexual selection on males.

    Conclusions:

    • Female mating behavior, particularly changes in choosiness, provides an effective test for the impact of sperm limitation.
    • Plasticity in female mating preferences enhances population resilience to varying conditions and influences the intensity of sexual selection.
    • Understanding female mating strategies is crucial for predicting population dynamics and evolutionary trajectories under sperm limitation.