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Inbreeding promotes female promiscuity.

Łukasz Michalczyk¹, Anna L Millard, Oliver Y Martin

¹School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|September 24, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Polyandry, mating with multiple males, benefits females by increasing reproductive fitness, especially when inbreeding risks fertilization by incompatible genes. This mating strategy evolves when genetic bottlenecks heighten these risks.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Behavioral ecology
Population genetics

Background:

Polyandry (females mating with multiple males) is common but poses evolutionary questions due to potential costs for females.
Fertility can be achieved with a single male, making the benefits of multiple matings unclear.
Inbreeding increases the risk of fertilization by genetically incompatible haplotypes, potentially depressing fitness.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the fitness benefits of polyandry for females in the context of inbreeding.
To understand the evolutionary drivers of polyandry, particularly in populations experiencing genetic bottlenecks.

Main Methods:

Experiments were conducted using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum.
Populations were subjected to inbreeding and genetic bottlenecks for fifteen generations.
Female mating behavior (promiscuity) and fitness outcomes were recorded and compared between inbred and noninbred groups.

Main Results:

Inbred populations showed increased levels of female promiscuity compared to noninbred controls.
This increased promiscuity in inbred lines suggests selection for polyandry to mitigate inbreeding depression.
The findings link polyandry to increased female fitness under conditions of high inbreeding risk.

Conclusions:

Polyandry can evolve as a strategy to counteract the negative fitness consequences of inbreeding.
Genetic bottlenecks exacerbate the risks associated with incompatible haplotype fertilization, favoring polyandrous behavior in females.
The study provides evidence for the adaptive significance of polyandry in maintaining population fitness under genetic stress.