scholarly journals Assessing sexual conflict in the Drosophila melanogaster laboratory model system

2006 ◽  
Vol 361 (1466) ◽  
pp. 287-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R Rice ◽  
Andrew D Stewart ◽  
Edward H Morrow ◽  
Jodell E Linder ◽  
Nicole Orteiza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Graphical Model ◽  
Direct Costs ◽  
Model System ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Laboratory Populations ◽  
Spatial Refuge ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

We describe a graphical model of interlocus coevolution used to distinguish between the interlocus sexual conflict that leads to sexually antagonistic coevolution, and the intrinsic conflict over mating rate that is an integral part of traditional models of sexual selection. We next distinguish the ‘laboratory island’ approach from the study of both inbred lines and laboratory populations that are newly derived from nature, discuss why we consider it to be one of the most fitting forms of laboratory analysis to study interlocus sexual conflict, and then describe four experiments using this approach with Drosophila melanogaster . The first experiment evaluates the efficacy of the laboratory model system to study interlocus sexual conflict by comparing remating rates of females when they are, or are not, provided with a spatial refuge from persistent male courtship. The second experiment tests for a lag-load in males that is due to adaptations that have accumulated in females, which diminish male-induced harm while simultaneously interfering with a male's ability to compete in the context of sexual selection. The third and fourth experiments test for a lag-load in females owing to direct costs from their interactions with males, and for the capacity for indirect benefits to compensate for these direct costs.

scholarly journals Assessing putative interlocus sexual conflict in Drosophila melanogaster using experimental evolution

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1576) ◽  
pp. 2029-2035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D Stewart ◽  
Edward H Morrow ◽  
William R Rice
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Experimental Evolution ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Direct Costs ◽  
Empirical Prediction ◽  
Indirect Benefits ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

The theoretical foundation of sexually antagonistic coevolution is that females suffer a net fitness cost through their interactions with males. The empirical prediction is that direct costs to female lifetime fecundity will exceed indirect benefits despite a possible increase in the genetic quality of offspring. Although direct costs of males have been repeatedly shown, to date no study has comprehensively tested whether females are compensated for this direct harm through indirect benefits. Here we use experimental evolution to show that a mutation giving Drosophila melanogaster females nearly complete resistance to the direct costs of male courtship and remating, but which also excluded almost all indirect benefits, is strongly favoured by selection. We estimated the selection coefficient favouring the resistance allele to be +20%. These results demonstrate that any indirect benefits that females accrued were not sufficient to counter-balance the direct costs of males, and reinforce a large body of past studies by verifying interlocus sexual conflict in this model system.

Sexual selection affects the evolution of contact pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster populations isolated by differential sexual conflict

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochishnu Dutta ◽  
Tejinder Singh Chechi ◽  
N. G. Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Population Differentiation ◽  
Lipid Profiles ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Cuticular Lipid ◽  
Antagonistic Coevolution ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

Abstract Background: The ability of sexual conflict to facilitate reproductive isolation is widely anticipated. However, very few experimental evolutionary studies have convincingly demonstrated the evolution of reproductive isolation due to sexual conflict. Recently a study on the replicates of Drosophila melanogaster populations under differential sexual conflict found that divergent mate preference evolved among replicates under high sexual conflict regime. The precopulatory isolating mechanism underlying such divergent mate preference could be sexual signals such as cuticular lipids since they evolve rapidly and are involved in D. melanogaster mate recognition. Using Drosophila melanogaster replicates used in the previous study, we investigate whether cuticular lipid divergence bears signatures of sexually antagonistic coevolution that led to reproductive isolation among replicates of high sexual conflict regime. Results: We found that their cuticular lipid profiles are sexually dimorphic. Although replicates with male biased sex ratio evolved isolation in reproductive traits due to high sexual conflict, the patterns of cuticular lipid divergence in high and low sexual conflict regimes suggest that sexual selection is the dominant selection pressure rather than sexual conflict affecting the cuticular lipid profile. We also find cuticular lipid divergence patterns to be suggestive of the Buridan’s Ass regime which is one of the six possible mechanism to resolve sexual conflict. Conclusions: Although reproductive isolation due to sexual conflict is anticipated, evolution of a sexually selected trait under sexual conflict may not lead to population differentiation in expected lines. This is because speciation due to sexually antagonistic coevolution is only one of the several outcomes of sexual conflict. This study indicates that population differentiation as a result of cuticular lipid divergence cannot be credited to sexual conflict despite high sexual conflict regime evolving divergent cuticular lipid profiles.

scholarly journals The effects of male harm vary with female quality and environmental complexity in Drosophila melanogaster

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 20180443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison MacPherson ◽  
Li Yun ◽  
Tania S. Barrera ◽  
Aneil F. Agrawal ◽  
Howard D. Rundle
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Mate Competition ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Female Quality ◽  
Behavioural Interactions ◽  
Recent Attention

Mate competition provides the opportunity for sexual selection which often acts strongly on males, but also the opportunity for sexual conflict that can alter natural selection on females. Recent attention has focused on the potential of sexual conflict to weaken selection on females if male sexual attention, and hence harm, is disproportionately directed towards high- over low-quality females, thereby reducing the fitness difference between these females. However, sexual conflict could instead strengthen selection on females if low-quality females are more sensitive to male harm than high-quality females, thereby magnifying fitness differences between them. We quantify the effects of male exposure on low- versus high-quality females in Drosophila melanogaster in each of two environments (‘simple’ and ‘complex’) that are known to alter behavioural interactions. We show that the effects of male harm are greater for low- compared to high-quality females in the complex but not the simple environment, consistent with mate competition strengthening selection on females in the former but not in the latter environment.

scholarly journals Autosomal variation for male body size and sperm competition phenotypes is uncorrelated in Drosophila melanogaster

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Linda Amah ◽  
Anthony C Fiumera
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Substitution Lines ◽  
Male Body Size ◽  
Chromosome Substitution Lines ◽  
Significant Line ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

Correlations between male body size and phenotypes impacting post-copulatory sexual selection are commonly observed during the manipulation of male body size by environmental rearing conditions. Here, we control for environmental influences and test for genetic correlations between natural variation in male body size and phenotypes affecting post-copulatory sexual selection in Drosophila melanogaster . Dry weights of virgin males from 90 second-chromosome and 88 third-chromosome substitution lines were measured. Highly significant line effects ( p <0.001) documented a genetic basis to variation in male body size. No significant correlations were identified between male body size and the components of sperm competitive ability. These results suggest that natural autosomal variation for male body size has little impact on post-copulatory sexual selection. If genetic correlations exist between male body size and post-copulatory sexual selection then variation in the sex chromosomes are likely candidates, as might be expected if sexually antagonistic coevolution was responsible.

scholarly journals Reproductive Isolation through Experimental Manipulation of Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution in Drosophila melanogaster

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Zeeshan Ali ◽  
Martik Chatterjee ◽  
Manas Arun Samant ◽  
Nagaraj Guru Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Allopatric Populations ◽  
Antagonistic Coevolution ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Postmating Prezygotic Isolation ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

AbstractPromiscuity can drive the evolution of sexual conflict before and after mating occurs. Post-mating, the male ejaculate can selfishly manipulate female physiology leading to a chemical arms race between the sexes. Theory suggests that drift and sexually antagonistic coevolution can cause allopatric populations to evolve different chemical interactions between the sexes, thereby leading to postmating reproductive barriers and speciation. There is, however, little empirical evidence supporting this form of speciation. We tested this theory by creating an experimental evolutionary model of Drosophila melanogaster populations undergoing different levels of interlocus sexual conflict. We found that allopatric populations under elevated sexual conflict show assortative mating indicating premating reproductive isolation. Further, these allopatric populations also show reduced copulation duration and sperm defense ability when mating happens between individuals between individuals across populations compared to that within the same population, indicating postmating prezygotic isolation. Sexual conflict can cause reproductive isolation in allopatric populations through the coevolution of chemical (postmating prezygotic) as well as behavioural (premating) interaction between the sexes. Thus, to our knowledge, we provide the first comprehensive evidence of postmating (as well as premating) reproductive isolation due to sexual conflict.

scholarly journals Preregistered Report: The Effects of Marking Methodology on Mate Choice in Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-504
Author(s):  
Eirlys E. Tysall ◽  
Matilda Q. R. Pembury Smith ◽  
R. Tucker Gilman
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Model System ◽  
Drosophila Species ◽  
Fluorescent Powder ◽  
Key Driver

Mate choice is an important source of sexual selection and a key driver of evolutionary processes including adaptation and speciation. Drosophila species have become an important model system for studying mate choice in the lab. Mate choice experiments often require the marking of individual flies to make those flies identifiable to experimenters, and several marking methods have been developed. All of these methods have the potential to affect mating behavior, but the effects of different marking methods have not been systematically quantified and compared. In this experiment, we quantified and compared the effects of five marking methods commonly used for Drosophila melanogaster: wing clipping, applying paint to the thorax, applying marker pen to the wing, dusting flies with fluorescent powder, and dyeing flies by allowing them to ingest food coloring. Females mated with unmarked males more often than they mated with marked males, but we could not detect significant differences among marking methods. Latency to mate differed among marking methods, and also with the time of day and the time within the trial. We discuss how our results can help researchers plan studies that require the marking of Drosophila.

scholarly journals Does reproductive isolation evolve faster in larger populations via sexually antagonistic coevolution?

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 693-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gay ◽  
P.E. Eady ◽  
R. Vasudev ◽  
D.J. Hosken ◽  
T. Tregenza
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Callosobruchus Maculatus ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Antagonistic Coevolution ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

Sexual conflict over reproductive investment can lead to sexually antagonistic coevolution and reproductive isolation. It has been suggested that, unlike most models of allopatric speciation, the evolution of reproductive isolation through sexually antagonistic coevolution will occur faster in large populations as these harbour greater levels of standing genetic variation, receive larger numbers of mutations and experience more intense sexual selection. We tested this in bruchid beetle populations ( Callosobruchus maculatus ) by manipulating population size and standing genetic variability in replicated lines derived from founders that had been released from sexual conflict for 90 generations. We found that after 19 generations of reintroduced sexual conflict, none of our treatments had evolved significant overall reproductive isolation among replicate lines. However, as predicted, measures of reproductive isolation tended to be greater among larger populations. We discuss our methodology, arguing that reproductive isolation is best examined by performing a matrix of allopatric and sympatric crosses whereas measurement of divergence requires crosses with a tester line.

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