scholarly journals Fighting over defence chemicals disrupts mating behaviour

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Catherine Paul ◽  
Caroline Müller
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Chemical Defence ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Contest Behaviour ◽  
Fighting Behaviour

AbstractStudies on intraspecific contest behaviour predominantly focus on contests between individuals of the same sex, however contest behaviour is also expected to occur between individuals of the opposite sex including possible mates. Here we investigate potential trade-offs between mating and fighting behaviour in the turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae). Adults of this species collect chemical defence compounds (clerodanoids) directly from plants but also indirectly by nibbling on conspecifics that have already obtained clerodanoids themselves, a highly aggressive behavioural interaction. An A. rosae individual without clerodanoids may therefore be the potential mate or attacker of an individual of the opposite sex that has gained clerodanoids. We paired males and females with or without clerodanoid access and manipulated body mass differences between the sexes via the early life starvation of females. We show that asymmetrical clerodanoid acquisition between male-female pairs causes an increase in agonistic nibbling behaviour, irrespective of sex. Moreover, fighting over clerodanoids disrupted mating behaviour, and the frequency of aggressive nibbling behaviour in these pairs was determined by the comparative body mass of the attacking individual. Our study highlights the vital importance of investigating agonistic intersex interactions not only over mating but also over resources.

scholarly journals Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6456) ◽  
pp. eaat7693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ganna ◽  
Karin J. H. Verweij ◽  
Michel G. Nivard ◽  
Robert Maier ◽  
Robbee Wedow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females

Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual’s sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.

Biosystematics of the Cotesia flavipes complex (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): interspecific hybridization, sex pheromone and mating behaviour studies

1995 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan W. Kimani ◽  
William A. Overholt
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Cotesia Flavipes ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Interspecific Crosses ◽  
Putative Species ◽  
Wing Fanning ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Courtship Signals

AbstractMating behaviour, sex pheromone attraction and reciprocal breeding of Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), C. sesamiae (Cameron) and C. chilonis (Matsumura) were studied. These three putative species comprise the Cotesia flavipes complex. Wing fanning and antennal vibration were the initial courtship signals from the males. Antennal stroking by the male was also an important contact signal and a prerequisite to successful mounting and copulation. Interspecific crosses revealed that males of C. flavipes exhibited courtship behaviour, and mounted and copulated with females of C. chilonis and C. sesamiae; the males transferred sperm but progeny from these crosses did not include females. Males of C. sesamiae copulated with females of C. chilonis and the progeny included viable females. The progeny backcrosses of the hybrid females to male parents also included viable females. Sex pheromone experiments were conducted in a Y-tube olfactometer and in large field cages. Males and females of C. flavipes perceived and responded to odours emitted by the opposite sex. There was no significant response to odours from conspecific individuals of the same sex in any of the three species. Pheromone bioassays in field cages using sticky traps baited with live virgin C. flavipes females attracted conspecific males.

scholarly journals The relationship between interpregnancy interval (IP) and mother's preceding pregnancies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel C Vernier ◽  
Michael Schulzer ◽  
Pierre Vernier
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Development ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Interval Length ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Interpregnancy Interval ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction. Following the investigation of the mother's preceding pregnancies on fetal development and postnatal survival of the neonate, we turned our attention to an earlier period, that is the interval separating the onset of the current pregnancy from the end of the preceding one. The objectives of this study is to investigate the variations of interpregnancy interval length associated to the mother's preceding pregnancies. Methods. A population of 7773 neonates, alive at the time of hospital discharge, were divided into cohorts according to the current neonate's sex and number and sex of the mother's preceding pregnancies. Interpregnancy interval average of each cohort of same neonate's sex and mother's parity, but different configuration of preceding pregnancies, were measured and compared. Results. A positive association was found between mother's preceding pregnancies and length of interpregnancy interval when current pregnancy and preceding pregnancy were of the same sex, and a negative association when they were of opposite sex. Discussion. Interpregnancy interval length follows a pattern regarding the gravida's preceding pregnancy similar to the other early life indicators pattern, birth weight, placenta weight, gestation length and neonatal survival. Our results confirm and complete an immunological explanation of the indicators variations associated to the gravida's preceding pregnancy.

scholarly journals Suicide among persons who entered same-sex and opposite-sex marriage in Denmark and Sweden, 1989–2016: a binational, register-based cohort study

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Erlangsen ◽  
Sven Drefahl ◽  
Ann Haas ◽  
Charlotte Bjorkenstam ◽  
Merete Nordentoft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Rate Ratios

BackgroundPeople belonging to sexual minority groups have higher levels of suicidality than heterosexuals. However, findings regarding suicide death are sparse. Using unique national data from two countries, we investigated whether individuals entering a same-sex marriage (SSM), a proxy group of sexual minority individuals, had higher suicide rates than those entering opposite-sex marriage (OSM).MethodsA cohort study of all males and females who entered an SSM (n=28 649) or OSM (n=3 918 617) in Denmark and Sweden during 1989–2016 was conducted. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for suicide were calculated using adjusted Poisson regression models.ResultsIn total, 97 suicides occurred among individuals who had entered an SSM compared with 6074 among those who entered an OSM, corresponding to an adjusted IRR of 2.3 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.8). For people who entered SSM, a 46% decline was noted over time from an IRR of 2.8 (95% CI 1.9 to 4.0) during 1989–2002 to 1.5 (95% CI 1.2 to 1.9) during 2003–2016. The excess suicide mortality was present in all age groups but most pronounced among younger individuals aged 18–34 years of age (IRR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 4.8) and females (IRR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8 to 3.9).ConclusionThis large register-based study found higher suicide rates among individuals who entered an SSM, compared with those who entered an OSM. A lower suicide rate was noted for individuals in SSMs in recent years. More research is needed to identify the unique suicide risk and protective factors for sexual minority people.

Social influences on intergroup transfer by pine voles (Microtus pinetorum)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 2131-2136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy G Solomon ◽  
John G Vandenbergh ◽  
William T Sullivan, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Social Influences ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Intergroup Transfer ◽  
Mating Opportunities ◽  
Microtus Pinetorum ◽  
Group A ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Competition For Resources

Selection to obtain mating opportunities is hypothesized to be a major factor in dispersal. Thus, if individuals move to another group or switch nests to maximize their reproductive opportunities, they should move to groups or sites where they minimize competition for resources or mates and where they can find potential mates. We examined movement of pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) in an orchard habitat. Males dispersed later than females, but the two sexes showed similar patterns of movement with respect to conspecifics. Males and females immigrated to territories that contained some opposite-sex conspecifics; they also immigrated to territories without same-sex conspecifics. The latter suggests that they may avoid competitors and move to territories where an opening exists. When female breeders were removed from a social group, a replacement female arrived and began to breed relatively rapidly. In control groups where breeding females were not removed, no replacement females appeared. These results suggest that pine voles, at least females, may monitor vacancies and immigrate if a vacancy appears.

scholarly journals The Effect of Mood on Opposite-Sex Judgments of Males' Commitment and Females' Sexual Intent

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 147470490700500
Author(s):  
Shikkiah de Quadros-Wander ◽  
Mark Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Mood Induction ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Sexual Intent ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Mood Condition ◽  
Gender Specific

Gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent and commitment have been the subject of formal and informal inquiry for considerable time. One evolutionary theory, Error Management Theory (EMT), predicts that opposite-sex perceptions of female sexual intent and male commitment intent reflect intrinsic biases that minimize gender-specific evolutionary costs. The results supporting these hypotheses were obtained from subjects regardless of mood. We hypothesized that mood would influence ratings of sexual and commitment intent. Sixty participants (30 males, 30 females) were recruited and exposed to a positive and negative mood condition in counterbalanced groups using video stimuli. Preliminary analyses found an unexpected effect of order of mood induction, necessitating separate analyses of the Positive-Negative (PN) and Negative-Positive (NP) groups. Contrary to the original study, there were no gender effects. Positive moods led to increased ratings of both sexual and commitment intent across genders. Further, negative to positive mood-change was associated with significantly increased ratings. Both males and females attributed significantly higher sexual intent to same-sex rivals than themselves, but only males assessed themselves as having significantly higher commitment intent than same-sex rivals. The EMT model may require adaptation to acknowledge effects of variables such as mood on its predictions of gender-specific biases.

scholarly journals Early-life mortality risks in opposite-sex and same-sex twins: a Danish cohort study of the twin testosterone transfer hypothesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120.e2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt ◽  
Lisbeth Aagaard Larsen ◽  
Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen ◽  
Axel Skytthe ◽  
Jacob v.B. Hjelmborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Mortality Risks ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Danish Cohort

scholarly journals A shot in the dark: same-sex sexual behaviour in a deep-sea squid

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik J. T. Hoving ◽  
Stephanie L. Bush ◽  
Bruce H. Robison
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Submarine Canyon ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Squid Species ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Similar Body

Little is known about the reproductive habits of deep-living squids. Using remotely operated vehicles in the deep waters of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, we have found evidence of mating, i.e. implanted sperm packages, on similar body locations in males and females of the rarely seen mesopelagic squid Octopoteuthis deletron . Equivalent numbers of both sexes were found to have mated, indicating that male squid routinely and indiscriminately mate with both males and females. Most squid species are short-lived, semelparous (i.e. with a single, brief reproductive period) and promiscuous. In the deep, dark habitat where O. deletron lives, potential mates are few and far between. We suggest that same-sex mating behaviour by O. deletron is part of a reproductive strategy that maximizes success by inducing males to indiscriminately and swiftly inseminate every conspecific that they encounter.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Personality Masculinity-Femininity: Examining the Effects of Genes, Environment, and Prenatal Hormone Transfer

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin J. H. Verweij ◽  
Miriam A. Mosing ◽  
Fredrik Ullén ◽  
Guy Madison
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Personality Score ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Individual

Males and females score differently on some personality traits, but the underlying etiology of these differences is not well understood. This study examined genetic, environmental, and prenatal hormonal influences on individual differences in personality masculinity–femininity (M-F). We used Big-Five personality inventory data of 9,520 Swedish twins (aged 27 to 54) to create a bipolar M-F personality scale. Using biometrical twin modeling, we estimated the influence of genetic and environmental factors on individual differences in a M-F personality score. Furthermore, we tested whether prenatal hormone transfer may influence individuals’ M-F scores by comparing the scores of twins with a same-sex versus those with an opposite-sex co-twin. On average, males scored 1.09 standard deviations higher than females on the created M-F scale. Around a third of the variation in M-F personality score was attributable to genetic factors, while family environmental factors had no influence. Males and females from opposite-sex pairs scored significantly more masculine (both approximately 0.1 SD) than those from same-sex pairs. In conclusion, genetic influences explain part of the individual differences in personality M-F, and hormone transfer from the male to the female twin during pregnancy may increase the level of masculinization in females. Additional well-powered studies are needed to clarify this association and determine the underlying mechanisms in both sexes.

Touch as a Part of Daily Communication with Family and Friends

2017 ◽  
pp. 85-108
Author(s):  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Božidar Nikša Tarabić ◽  
Marshall C. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Tactile Communication ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Positive Touch

The aim of this research was to explore the use of tactile communication in daily interactions with friends and parents. The participants were 429 students. The questionnaire consisted of: behavioral measures; touch-attitude scale; well-being; internet use; and demographic variables. Females showed more positive touch-attitudes, reported more touch behaviors in communication with same sex peers and parents, and reported more confidential talks with both friends and parents. Males and females did not differ regarding the use of touch in communication with the opposite sex. Participants used more tactile behavior in communication with parents than with friends. Those who used tactile communication more with parents, also reported more tactile communication with friends, and more confidential talks with both friends and parents, and rated higher the importance of the Internet in communication. Students with high levels of well-being showed more positive touch-attitudes, reported more tactile communication with both friends and parents and reported more confidential talks with friends.

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