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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
Sexual conflict resulting from adaptations to sperm competition
1Population Biology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool, UK L69 3BX.
Abstract:
Recent research on diverse animal taxa has revealed that male adaptations to sperm competition often lead to a conflict with female interests. That is, male attempts to increase their own fertilization success can result in a reduction of female fitness. This sexual conflict has led to selection for a variety of female adaptations that apparently reduce male-imposed costs. Understanding the causes and consequences of sexual conflict arising from adaptations to sperm competition offers much potential for new insight into the coevolution of male and female sexual strategies.
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