Evolution of mate guarding intensity in crickets as a possible adaptation to sexual conflict over sperm transfer

IF 1.9 3区 生物学 Q1 ZOOLOGY
Bert Foquet, Jack T. McKermitt, John Hunt, Ben M. Sadd, Scott K. Sakaluk
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mate guarding is a common behavioral adaptation in males to ensure mating or to hinder current partners from remating with rival males. In the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, males transfer a spermatophore to females at mating, comprising a sperm-containing ampulla enveloped in a large gelatinous mass, the spermatophylax, that serves as a nuptial food gift for the female. Males guard the female while she feeds on the nuptial gift and while sperm are evacuated from the ampulla into her reproductive tract. Mate guarding behavior functions to prevent competitors from mating with the female but may also represent a behavioral counter-adaptation to the propensity of females to cease nuptial feeding and to terminate sperm transfer prematurely. Using an experimental evolution approach, we tested the prediction that males would guard females more vigorously in response to an experimentally intensified sexual conflict. We recorded the intensity of male mate guarding from replicate lines reared for 25 generations at either an elevated or a reduced intensity of sexual conflict by imposing male- and female-biased adult sex ratios each generation, respectively. We observed the evolution of higher intensity mate guarding behavior in one of the four male-biased selection lines, but in none of the female-biased lines; previous work has revealed that the males in this specific line also produce less manipulative food gifts, suggesting the existence of alternative mating strategies. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between the behavioral investment in mate guarding and the duration of the sperm transfer from the ampulla. As such, this provides a possible mechanism through which more intense mate guarding could increase male fitness.

蟋蟀对配偶保护强度的进化可能是为了适应精子转移中的性冲突
配偶保护是一种常见的雄性行为适应,以确保交配或阻止现有伴侣与竞争对手交配。在花蟋蟀(Gryllodes sigillatus)中,雄性在交配时将精子包囊转移给雌性,精子包囊包括一个含有精子的壶腹,壶腹被一个大的胶状物包裹着,这是给雌性的结婚食物礼物。雄性守护着雌性,而雌性则在进食这一结婚礼物,而精子则从壶腹排出到她的生殖道。配偶保护行为的功能是防止竞争对手与雌性交配,但也可能代表了一种反适应行为,以适应雌性停止交配喂养和过早终止精子转移的倾向。利用实验进化方法,我们验证了这样一种预测,即雄性会更积极地保护雌性,以应对实验中加剧的性冲突。我们记录了25代重复系中雄性配偶保护的强度,通过施加每一代雄性和雌性偏向的成年性别比例,分别提高或降低了性别冲突的强度。我们观察到,在4个雄性偏向的选择系中,有1个系出现了更高强度的配偶保护行为,而在雌性偏向的选择系中没有出现;先前的研究表明,这一特定种类的雄性也会产生较少的操纵性食物礼物,这表明存在其他交配策略。此外,我们发现保护配偶的行为投资与精子从壶腹转移的持续时间呈正相关。因此,这提供了一种可能的机制,通过这种机制,更强烈的配偶保护可以提高男性的适应性。
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来源期刊
Journal of Zoology
Journal of Zoology 生物-动物学
CiteScore
3.80
自引率
0.00%
发文量
90
审稿时长
2.8 months
期刊介绍: The Journal of Zoology publishes high-quality research papers that are original and are of broad interest. The Editors seek studies that are hypothesis-driven and interdisciplinary in nature. Papers on animal behaviour, ecology, physiology, anatomy, developmental biology, evolution, systematics, genetics and genomics will be considered; research that explores the interface between these disciplines is strongly encouraged. Studies dealing with geographically and/or taxonomically restricted topics should test general hypotheses, describe novel findings or have broad implications. The Journal of Zoology aims to maintain an effective but fair peer-review process that recognises research quality as a combination of the relevance, approach and execution of a research study.
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