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Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
CRYPTIC FEMALE CHOICE: CRITERIA FOR ESTABLISHING FEMALE SPERM CHOICE
1Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
In this paper, I consider the criteria necessary to demonstrate the postcopulatory ability of females to favor the sperm of one conspecific male over another, that is, sperm choice. In practice it is difficult to distinguish between sperm competition and sperm choice, and sperm choice can be demonstrated only if the effects of sperm competition can be controlled. Few studies have used experimental protocols that do this, so evidence for sperm choice is limited. Moreover, in those studies in which sperm choice occurs, it does so to avoid incompatible genetic combinations and is therefore unlikely to result in directional sexual selection.
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