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Assessing the potential for post-copulatory sexual selection in elasmobranchs
J L Fitzpatrick1, R M Kempster, T S Daly-Engel
1Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia. jfitzpat@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Journal of Fish Biology
|April 14, 2012
Summary
Female multiple mating (polyandry) is common in elasmobranchs, but varying paternity rates suggest diverse post-copulatory sexual selection. This review explores how sperm competition and cryptic female choice drive evolutionary adaptations in sharks and rays.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Reproductive Biology
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Post-copulatory sexual selection influences evolutionary trajectories.
- Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) offer a valuable model for studying these processes.
- Genetic evidence increasingly supports female multiple mating (polyandry) in elasmobranchs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of post-copulatory sexual selection in elasmobranch reproduction.
- To examine the utility of elasmobranchs for understanding sperm competition and cryptic female choice.
- To explore evolutionary adaptations related to post-copulatory sexual selection in this group.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing genetic evidence for polyandry.
- Analysis of variability in multiple paternity rates across elasmobranch species.
- Exploration of trait evolution influenced by post-copulatory sexual selection.
Main Results:
- Polyandry is prevalent in elasmobranchs, but rates of multiple paternity vary significantly.
- This variability indicates a wide range in the strength of post-copulatory sexual selection.
- Key reproductive traits potentially influenced include testes size, sperm morphology, genital morphology, and sperm storage organs.
Conclusions:
- Elasmobranchs provide a rich system for investigating post-copulatory sexual selection.
- Future research should leverage existing data on elasmobranch reproductive traits.
- Understanding these processes in elasmobranchs can illuminate broader evolutionary responses to sexual selection.
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