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Published on: September 19, 2011
The context-dependent effect of multiple paternity on effective population size
Katie E Lotterhos1, Katic E Lotterhos
1Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA. klotterhos@bio.fsu.edu
Summary
Multiple-paternity (MP) mating systems can lead to smaller or larger effective population sizes (N(e)) compared to monandrous systems. This depends on paternity distribution within clutches, mating frequency, and female reproductive success.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Population genetics
Background:
- Effective population size (N(e)) is crucial for understanding evolutionary forces acting on populations.
- The impact of multiple mating systems, specifically multiple-paternity (MP), on N(e) remains debated, centering on male reproductive success variance.
- Monandry involves females mating with one male per clutch, while MP allows multiple sires per clutch.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically and computationally investigate how multiple-paternity influences effective population size compared to monandry.
- To determine the factors driving variations in N(e) between MP and monandrous populations.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling to analyze male variance in reproductive success under different mating systems.
- Computer simulations varying within-clutch paternity distributions and population parameters.
- Analysis of the ratio of effective population sizes (N(e(MP)):N(e(Monandry))) under diverse conditions.
Main Results:
- The relationship between male reproductive success variance in MP versus monandrous populations is contingent on within-clutch paternity distributions.
- Simulations demonstrated that MP populations can exhibit smaller or larger N(e) than monandrous populations with similar dynamics.
- The N(e(MP)):N(e(Monandry)) ratio is positively correlated with mating frequency and female reproductive variance.
- Long generation times tend to equalize N(e) between the two mating systems, while paternity distribution significantly affects the ratio.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a unifying theoretical framework for the debate on multiple-paternity's effect on effective population size.
- Understanding within-clutch paternity distribution is key to predicting N(e) in multiple-paternity systems.
- The findings highlight the complex interplay of mating strategies, reproductive variance, and population dynamics in shaping effective population size.
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