scholarly journals Extrapair paternity and egg hatchability in tree swallows: evidence for the genetic compatibility hypothesis?

1999 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Kempenaers
Keyword(s):  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Genetic Compatibility ◽  
Extrapair Paternity ◽  
Egg Hatchability ◽  
Compatibility Hypothesis

A test of the genetic compatibility hypothesis with tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 955-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen A Barber ◽  
Mandy J Edwards ◽  
Raleigh J Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Similarity ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Genetic Compatibility ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
Compatibility Hypothesis

The genetic compatibility hypothesis proposes that females should mate with genetically dissimilar males whose alleles best complement their own, resulting in greater offspring heterozygosity. It predicts that genetic similarity between social pairs will be positively related to the proportion of extra-pair young within broods and negatively related to hatching success. We tested these two predictions in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) pairs (n = 72). Tree swallows have one of the highest rates of extra-pair paternity among socially monogamous passerines. Contrary to expectation, genetic similarity of a social pair, as measured by the band-sharing coefficient (estimated from multilocus DNA fingerprints), tended to be negatively related to the proportion of extra-pair young within broods, but failed to predict hatching success. When including only the subset of nests for which we had complete genotyping data (n = 37), we again found a significant negative relationship between genetic similarity and the proportion of extra-pair young within broods. Genetic similarity did not differ significantly between nests with and without extra-pair young, nor did it differ between nests with total versus partial hatching success. Overall, our data do not support the genetic compatibility hypothesis in tree swallows, and in fact show some evidence against it.

Effects of breeding density, synchrony, and experience on extrapair paternity in tree swallows

1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter O. Dunn ◽  
Linda A. Whittingham ◽  
Jan T. Lifjeld ◽  
Raleigh J. Robertson ◽  
Peter T. Boag
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Density ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Extrapair Paternity

Female choice for related males in wild red-backed toadlets (Pseudophryne coriacea)

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 928-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M O’Brien ◽  
J Scott Keogh ◽  
Aimee J Silla ◽  
Phillip G Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Random Mating ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Outbreeding Depression ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Genetic Compatibility ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Compatibility Hypothesis

AbstractMate choice for genetic benefits is assumed to be widespread in nature, yet very few studies have comprehensively examined relationships between female mate choice and male genetic quality in wild populations. Here, we use exhaustive sampling and single nucleotide polymorphisms to provide a partial test of the “good genes as heterozygosity” hypothesis and the “genetic compatibility” hypothesis in an entire population of terrestrial breeding red-backed toadlets, Pseudophryne coriacea. We found that successful males did not display higher heterozygosity, despite a positive relationship between male heterozygosity and offspring heterozygosity. Rather, in the larger of 2 breeding events, we found that successful males were more genetically similar to their mate than expected under random mating, indicating that females can use pre- or post-copulatory mate choice mechanisms to bias paternity toward more related males. These findings provide no support for the good genes as heterozygosity hypothesis but lend support to the genetic compatibility hypothesis. A complete test of this hypothesis will now require evaluating how parental genetic similarity impacts offspring fitness. Terrestrial toadlets show a high degree of site fidelity, high levels of genetic structuring between populations, and frequently hybridize with sister species. As such, female mate choice for related males may be an adaptive strategy to reduce outbreeding depression. Our findings provide the first population-wide evidence for non-random preferential inbreeding in a wild amphibian. We argue that such reproductive patterns may be common in amphibians because extreme genetic differentiation within meta-populations creates an inherently high risk of outbreeding depression.

scholarly journals Reproductive Anatomy and Indices of Quality in Male Tree Swallows: The Potential Reproductive Role of Floaters

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Peer ◽  
Raleigh J. Robertson ◽  
Bart Kempenaers
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
General Assumption ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
Extrapair Paternity ◽  
Competition Theory ◽  
Male Tree ◽  
Testes Size

Abstract Avian populations often consist of breeding residents and nonbreeding floaters. It is usually assumed that floaters are lower-quality individuals that do not reproduce, but floater tactics and potential reproductive success have rarely been examined carefully. To assess the potential reproductive role of male floaters in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we compared their reproductive organs and morphology with those of resident males. Tree Swallows show high levels of extrapair paternity, but two studies attempting to find the fathers of the extrapair offspring have been remarkably unsuccessful. Floater males that father extrapair young would face intense sperm competition. Theory predicts that under intense sperm competition, selection favors males that produce more sperm. Comparative studies in birds and other taxa provide evidence that the level of sperm competition influences relative testes size and sperm production. However, intraspecific adaptations to different levels of sperm competition have received far less attention. Floater Tree Swallows did not differ from resident males in any of the characters we measured, including testes size, but floaters had significantly larger cloacal protuberances. Thus, our results do not confirm the general assumption that floaters are lower-quality individuals that do not reproduce. Furthermore, floaters showed high variation in the volume of the cloacal protuberance (reflecting sperm numbers), which suggests that they engage in copulations. We conclude that floater male Tree Swallows invest heavily in sperm production (as do resident males) to exploit breeding opportunities through takeovers or extrapair copulations.

scholarly journals Expression of Mst89B and CG31287 is Needed for Effective Sperm Storage and Egg Fertilization in Drosophila

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Gurman Grewal ◽  
Bahar Patlar ◽  
Alberto Civetta
Keyword(s):  
Germ Line ◽  
Sperm Storage ◽  
Mature Sperm ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
Cytogenetic Map ◽  
Egg Hatchability ◽  
Storage Organs ◽  
Competitive Success ◽  
Paternity Success ◽  
And Storage

In Drosophila, male reproductive fitness can be affected by any number of processes, ranging from development of gametes, transfer to and storage of mature sperm within the female sperm storage organs, and utilization of sperm for fertilization. We have previously identified the 89B cytogenetic map position of D. melanogaster as a hub for genes that effect male paternity success when disturbed. Here, we used RNA interference to test 11 genes that are highly expressed in the testes and located within the 89B region for their role in sperm competition and male fecundity when their expression is perturbed. Testes-specific knockdown (KD) of bor and CSN5 resulted in complete sterility, whereas KD of CG31287, Manf and Mst89B, showed a breakdown in sperm competitive success when second to mate (P2 < 0.5) and reduced fecundity in single matings. The low fecundity of Manf KD is explained by a significant reduction in the amount of mature sperm produced. KD of Mst89B and CG31287 does not affect sperm production, sperm transfer into the female bursa or storage within 30 min after mating. Instead, a significant reduction of sperm in female storage is observed 24 h after mating. Egg hatchability 24 h after mating is also drastically reduced for females mated to Mst89B or CG31287 KD males, and this reduction parallels the decrease in fecundity. We show that normal germ-line expression of Mst89B and CG31287 is needed for effective sperm usage and egg fertilization.

A new feeding technique for experimental and routine culturing of the insect Rhodnius prolixus

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 2244-2247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Huebner ◽  
Rene Harrison ◽  
Karen Yeow
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Wire Mesh ◽  
Artificial Membrane ◽  
Egg Hatchability ◽  
Rabbit Blood ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Feeding Technique ◽  
Heat Sealing ◽  
Membrane Envelope

We report a method for artificially feeding the reduviid insect Rhodnius prolixus that utilizes heparinized rabbit blood enclosed in an artificial-membrane envelope. Envelopes of Parafilm M® or Nescofilm® are made by heat sealing two pieces, one of which is stretched first, on three sides. Blood is then put into the envelope, the air expelled, and the fourth side sealed with a bag sealer. The blood-filled envelopes are then placed on a standard slide warmer set at 37 °C and insects in jars with wire-mesh tops are allowed to feed. Normal gorging and subsequent molting of instars were attained. Adult females show normal fecundity (the E value was 0.19 for mated females) and egg hatchability was also normal. The method is simple, cost effective, and easy to implement. It is especially suited for experimental feedings.

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