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Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
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INFERENCE OF SPERM COMPETITION FROM BROODS OF FIELD-CAUGHT DROSOPHILA
Lawrence G Harshman1, Andrew G Clark2
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588.
Summary
High-resolution microsatellite markers accurately identify multiple fathers in Drosophila melanogaster broods. This method reliably estimates sperm displacement, revealing insights into insect reproductive strategies.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Multiple mating and sperm competition are common in natural populations.
- Determining paternity and sperm displacement in natural settings is complex.
- High-resolution molecular markers offer a solution for paternity assignment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess multiple paternity and sperm displacement in Drosophila melanogaster using microsatellite markers.
- To estimate female remating frequency and the proportion of offspring sired by subsequent males.
- To evaluate the reliability of microsatellites for identifying multiple mating and sperm precedence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two highly heterozygous microsatellite loci for genetic analysis.
- Employed Monte Carlo simulations to estimate maximum-likelihood parameters.
- Analyzed brood samples from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster.
Main Results:
- Estimated a mean of 1.82 males mated per female.
- Sperm displacement parameters were estimated at 0.79 and 0.86 for the two loci (0.83 jointly).
- The probability of misclassifying a multiply mated female as singly mated was low (0.006).
Conclusions:
- Microsatellite markers provide excellent resolution for identifying multiple mating in natural populations.
- These markers enable precise estimation of sperm precedence.
- The study confirms the utility of molecular markers in understanding complex reproductive behaviors.
