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Observation and Quantification of Mating Behavior in the Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Published on: December 25, 2016
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Mating patterns influence vulnerability to the extinction vortex.
Joanne L Godwin1, Alyson J Lumley1, Łukasz Michalczyk2
1School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Global Change Biology
|June 20, 2020
Summary
Sexual selection, driven by mating patterns, significantly impacts species survival. Polyandrous mating, offering more sexual selection opportunities, protected insect populations from extinction, unlike monogamous patterns.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Conservation Biology
- Ecology
Background:
- Biodiversity faces mass extinction from compounding environmental, demographic, and genetic stresses.
- These stresses can create an 'extinction vortex,' a feedback loop reducing population viability.
- Sexual selection's role in population survival and the extinction vortex is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether sexual selection aids or hinders populations facing extinction.
- To test opposing theories on sexual selection's impact on population viability.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution of the insect Tribolium castaneum over 10 years under monogamous vs. polyandrous mating.
- Subjecting these populations to an experimental extinction vortex (15 generations) with nutritional, thermal, and genetic stresses.
- Comparing fitness and extinction rates between mating system groups.
Main Results:
- Monogamous lineages (limited sexual selection) showed rapid fitness decline and complete extinction.
- Polyandrous lineages (stronger sexual selection) exhibited slower fitness decline, with 60% survival.
- Nutritional deprivation, thermal stress, and genetic bottlenecking similarly impacted fitness and extinction risk.
Conclusions:
- Sexual selection is a crucial factor influencing extinction risk.
- Natural mating patterns, specifically polyandry, can enhance population resilience and are relevant for conservation efforts.
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