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09:34
Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
Reproductive behaviour evolves rapidly when intralocus sexual conflict is removed.
Stéphanie Bedhomme1, Nagaraj G Prasad, Pan-Pan Jiang
1Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. sbedh_01@uni-muenster.de
Plos One
|May 15, 2008
Summary
Intralocus sexual conflict drives evolutionary divergence between sexes. Experimental removal of female selection in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) revealed males evolved higher fitness, while females evolved reduced attractiveness and foraging, impacting fecundity.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Intralocus sexual conflict can impede sex-specific evolutionary optima.
- Previous experiments in Drosophila melanogaster showed male-limited genomes (ML) increased male fitness but decreased female fitness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavioral mechanisms underlying sexual antagonism in ML-evolved populations.
- To understand how intralocus sexual conflict shapes reproductive behaviors and genetic variation.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution with male-limited genome expression (ML populations) versus control populations (C(1-4)) in Drosophila melanogaster.
- Analysis of male courtship behavior, mating success, female attractiveness, and foraging behavior.
Main Results:
- Males with ML genomes exhibited reduced courtship but maintained mating success.
- Females with ML genomes showed decreased attractiveness, leading to lower courtship rates.
- Reduced yeast-feeding behavior in females with ML genomes was linked to lower fecundity.
Conclusions:
- Reproductive behaviors are shaped by opposing sexual selection pressures.
- Alleles influencing attractiveness and foraging exhibit sexually antagonistic expression.
- Intralocus sexual conflict is a significant factor in maintaining genetic variation for fitness traits.
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