scholarly journals Cognitive ability is heritable and predicts the success of an alternative mating tactic

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1809) ◽  
pp. 20151046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Smith ◽  
André Philips ◽  
Martin Reichard
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Paternity Analysis ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Design Learning ◽  
Alternative Mating Tactic ◽  
Cognitive Traits

The ability to attract mates, acquire resources for reproduction, and successfully outcompete rivals for fertilizations may make demands on cognitive traits—the mechanisms by which an animal acquires, processes, stores and acts upon information from its environment. Consequently, cognitive traits potentially undergo sexual selection in some mating systems. We investigated the role of cognitive traits on the reproductive performance of male rose bitterling ( Rhodeus ocellatus ), a freshwater fish with a complex mating system and alternative mating tactics. We quantified the learning accuracy of males and females in a spatial learning task and scored them for learning accuracy. Males were subsequently allowed to play the roles of a guarder and a sneaker in competitive mating trials, with reproductive success measured using paternity analysis. We detected a significant interaction between male mating role and learning accuracy on reproductive success, with the best-performing males in maze trials showing greater reproductive success in a sneaker role than as a guarder. Using a cross-classified breeding design, learning accuracy was demonstrated to be heritable, with significant additive maternal and paternal effects. Our results imply that male cognitive traits may undergo intra-sexual selection.

Size does not matter for male Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum)

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 735-740
Author(s):  
D.A. Croshaw ◽  
J.H.K. Pechmann
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Large Male ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Ambystoma Opacum ◽  
Positive Assortative Mating ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Breeding Groups ◽  
Gravid Females

Understanding the phenotypic attributes that contribute to variance in mating and reproductive success is crucial in the study of evolution by sexual selection. In many animals, body size is an important trait because larger individuals enjoy greater fitness due to the ability to secure more mates and produce more offspring. Among males, this outcome is largely mediated by greater success in competition with rival males and (or) advantages in attractiveness to females. Here we tested the hypothesis that large male Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhorst, 1807)) mate with more females and produce more offspring than small males. In experimental breeding groups, we included males chosen specifically to represent a range of sizes. After gravid females mated and nested freely, we collected egg clutches and genotyped all adults and samples of hatchlings with highly variable microsatellite markers to assign paternity. Size had little effect on male mating and reproductive success. Breeding males were not bigger than nonbreeding males, mates of polyandrous females were not smaller than those of monogamous females, and there was no evidence for positive assortative mating by size. Although body size did not matter for male Marbled Salamanders, we documented considerable fitness variation and discuss alternative traits that could be undergoing sexual selection.

Influence of density and major histocompatibility genotype on sexual selection in a salmonid alternative mating strategy

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 670-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura K. Weir ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Daniel D. Heath
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Salmonid Fishes ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Main Determinant ◽  
Alternative Mating Strategy

Various mechanisms of sexual selection can occur at both the whole organism and gamete levels. Fertilization success in salmonid fishes is largely determined by behavioural competition within and between “fighter” and “sneaker” male strategies, but is also influenced by interactions among gametes. We investigated the influence of density, fighter male presence, and major histocompatibility (MH) genotype on patterns of fertilization success in sneaker Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ). At low density and in the absence of fighter males, monopolization by single sneaker males occurred, suggesting that male–male competition was the main determinant of fertilization success. By contrast, at high density and (or) in the presence of fighter males, several sneakers succeeded in fertilizing eggs. Our study, the first to investigate the role of MH-mediated fertilization for a genetically based alternative male mating strategy, suggests that a larger proportion of eggs were fertilized by sneakers whose MH genotypes were more similar to those of the female than expected by chance. These findings highlight the importance of examining sexual selection under different competitive conditions.

scholarly journals Polyandry as a mediator of sexual selection before and after mating

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1613) ◽  
pp. 20120042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotta Kvarnemo ◽  
Leigh W. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Multiple Mating ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Potential Reproductive Rate

The Darwin–Bateman paradigm recognizes competition among males for access to multiple mates as the main driver of sexual selection. Increasingly, however, females are also being found to benefit from multiple mating so that polyandry can generate competition among females for access to multiple males, and impose sexual selection on female traits that influence their mating success. Polyandry can reduce a male's ability to monopolize females, and thus weaken male focused sexual selection. Perhaps the most important effect of polyandry on males arises because of sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Polyandry favours increased male ejaculate expenditure that can affect sexual selection on males by reducing their potential reproductive rate. Moreover, sexual selection after mating can ameliorate or exaggerate sexual selection before mating. Currently, estimates of sexual selection intensity rely heavily on measures of male mating success, but polyandry now raises serious questions over the validity of such approaches. Future work must take into account both pre- and post-copulatory episodes of selection. A change in focus from the products of sexual selection expected in males, to less obvious traits in females, such as sensory perception, is likely to reveal a greater role of sexual selection in female evolution.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Mating Strategies in Two Species of Philanthus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

1980 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
Howard Evans ◽  
Kevin O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Male Activity

Our work on the reproductive biology of Philanthus pulcher and P. zebratus in Jackson Hole in 1980 was a continuation of a study which had three major objectives. The first was to determine the relationship between female and male activity patterns. As in other species with extensive female-contributed and no male-contributed parental investment, females are a resource necessary for reproductive success of males. Thus, the activity of females in time and space should be an important parameter affecting the evolution of male mating strategies. Our work in this area is being combined with data we have gathered elsewhere on other species of Philanthus (O'Neill and Evans, unpublished). The second objective was to determine what characteristic of males was important in determining reproductive success and the form of the mating strategy. Since our preliminary data on Philanthus indicated that body size may be the most important variable affecting male reproductive success, we concentrated on this aspect of male biology. This report will focus on our results in this area. The third objective was to determine the role of male-produced sex pheromones in the mating system. (* Erratum: pp. 56 and 57 should be 51 and 52 )

scholarly journals Epicuticular Compounds of Protopiophila litigata (Diptera: Piophilidae): Identification and Sexual Selection Across Two Years in the Wild

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Christopher S Angell ◽  
Sharon Curtis ◽  
Anaïs Ryckenbusch ◽  
Howard D Rundle
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract The epicuticular compounds (ECs) of insects serve both to waterproof the cuticle and, in many taxa, as pheromones that are important for various social interactions, including mate choice within populations. However, ECs have not been individually identified in many species and most studies of their role in mate choice have been performed in a laboratory setting. Here we newly identify and quantify the ECs of the antler fly, Protopiophila litigata Bonduriansky, and use a cross-sectional selection analysis to quantify their association with male mating success in the wild across two years (2013 and 2017). The ECs of antler flies include straight-chain and methylated alkanes, alkenes, and a family of branched wax esters. We find all ECs to be shared between males and females but also demonstrate sexual dimorphism in the abundance of several. Male EC relative abundances were significantly associated with mating success in both years, although the multivariate direction of selection differed significantly between the years. Surprisingly, only two of the 18 compounds (or groups of compounds) we identified were similarly associated with mating success across the sampling years. In 2017, we further partitioned sexual selection into intra- and intersexual components, revealing selection on ECs to be significant via female choice but not male–male competition. Our study is one of few to investigate the potential role of ECs in mating success in the wild and adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating significant temporal variability in selection in natural populations.

scholarly journals Epicuticular compounds of Protopiophila litigata (Diptera: Piophilidae): identification and sexual selection across two years in the wild

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Angell ◽  
Sharon Curtis ◽  
Anaïs Ryckenbusch ◽  
Howard Rundle
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females

The epicuticular compounds (ECs) of insects serve both to waterproof the cuticle and, in many taxa, as pheromones that are important for various social interactions including mate choice within populations. However, ECs have not been individually identified in many species and most studies of their role in mate choice have been performed in a laboratory setting. Here we newly identify and quantify the ECs of the antler fly, Protopiophila litigata Bonduriansky, and use a cross-sectional selection analysis to quantify their association with male mating success in the wild across two years (2013 and 2017). The ECs of antler flies include straight-chain and methylated alkanes, alkenes, and a family of branched wax esters. We find all ECs to be shared between males and females but also demonstrate sexual dimorphism in the abundance of several. Male EC relative abundances were significantly associated with mating success in both years, although the multivariate direction of selection differed significantly between the years. Surprisingly, only two of the 18 compounds (or groups of compounds) we identified were similarly associated with mating success across the sampling years. In 2017, we further partitioned sexual selection into intra- and intersexual components, revealing selection on ECs to be significant via female choice but not male-male competition. Our study is one of few to investigate the potential role of ECs in mating success in the wild and adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating significant temporal variability in selection in natural populations.

scholarly journals Sexual activity diminishes male virility in twoCoccinellaspecies: consequences for female fertility and progeny development

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 570-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Michaud ◽  
Mahadev Bista ◽  
Geetanjali Mishra ◽  
Omkar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Coccinella Septempunctata ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Female Fecundity ◽  
Mating Activity ◽  
Seminal Fluid Proteins ◽  
Mating History

AbstractMale contributions, both chemical and behavioural, can influence female sperm usage and reproductive success. To determine whether such male factors are subject to depletion inCoccinella septempunctataandCoccinella transversalis, we tested the effects of male mating history on male virility, as estimated by measures of mating behaviour, female reproductive success and progeny fitness, with parental age held constant. Overt measures of male mating effort (wriggling duration, number of shaking bouts and total copula duration) all diminished from virgin to 5 × mated males and were mirrored by concurrent declines in female fecundity and fertility (measured over 20 days). Paternal effects were also observed which diminished as a function of mating history, suggesting that transgenerational signals of male origin are also subject to depletion. Progeny of virgin fathers had higher rates of survival (C. transversalis) and faster development (both species) than progeny of 5 × mated fathers. Seminal fluid proteins are known to have allohormonal properties and can stimulate female fecundity and fertility in a number of insects, making them strong candidates for depletion as a function of mating activity. However, it is also possible that sperm limitation and/or reduced tactile stimulation of females by multiple-mated males may have contributed to some of the observed effects.

Stepping off the pasture: evidence of widespread alternative male mating tactics in the yellow dung fly

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Gress ◽  
William T. Starmer ◽  
Maria A. Virgen ◽  
Abuchi Agu ◽  
Kossi A. Attila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Large Male ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Mating Tactics ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Alternative Mating Tactic ◽  
Discrete Populations

Geoff Parker’s investigations of the yellow dung fly mating system revitalized interest in sexual selection theory, sparked development of sperm competition and sexual conflict theories, and stimulated use of this species as an important model system. Numerous studies across widespread populations have demonstrated large-male advantages in competition contests occurring on dung in cow pastures; however, recent work suggests that smaller males adopt an alternative mating tactic by avoiding dung and instead copulating with females at foraging sites. Though this finding has the potential to expand our understanding of sexual selection in yellow dung flies, such behavior has to date been documented at only one field site, raising the possibility that this phenomenon is highly localized. Here, we report the expression of size-dependent alternative mating tactics across three discrete populations. These findings provide a cautionary tale for researchers limiting their attention to aggregation sites where study organisms are most conveniently encountered.

scholarly journals Different Impact of Perceptual Fluency and Schema Congruency on Sustainable Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7040
Author(s):  
Beat Meier ◽  
Michèle C. Muhmenthaler
Keyword(s):  
Recognition Memory ◽  
Cognitive Conflict ◽  
Test Phase ◽  
Perceptual Fluency ◽  
Study Phase ◽  
Desirable Difficulties ◽  
Design Learning ◽  
Cognition And Learning ◽  
Incorrect Information

Perceptual fluency, that is, the ease with which people perceive information, has diverse effects on cognition and learning. For example, when judging the truth of plausible but incorrect information, easy-to-read statements are incorrectly judged as true while difficult to read statements are not. As we better remember information that is consistent with pre-existing schemata (i.e., schema congruency), statements judged as true should be remembered better, which would suggest that fluency boosts memory. Another line of research suggests that learning information from hard-to-read statements enhances subsequent memory compared to easy-to-read statements (i.e., desirable difficulties). In the present study, we tested these possibilities in two experiments with student participants. In the study phase, they read plausible statements that were either easy or difficult to read and judged their truth. To assess the sustainability of learning, the test phase in which we tested recognition memory for these statements was delayed for 24 h. In Experiment 1, we manipulated fluency by presenting the statements in colors that made them easy or difficult to read. In Experiment 2, we manipulated fluency by presenting the statements in font types that made them easy or difficult to read. Moreover, in Experiment 2, memory was tested either immediately or after a 24 h delay. In both experiments, the results showed a consistent effect of schema congruency, but perceptual fluency did not affect sustainable learning. However, in the immediate test of Experiment 2, perceptual fluency enhanced memory for schema-incongruent materials. Thus, perceptual fluency can boost initial memory for schema-incongruent memory most likely due to short-lived perceptual traces, which are cropped during consolidation, but does not boost sustainable learning. We discuss these results in relation to research on the role of desirable difficulties for student learning, to effects of cognitive conflict on subsequent memory, and more generally in how to design learning methods and environments in a sustainable way.

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