Ecology and evolution of sympatric sticklebacks (Gasterosteus): mate choice and reproductive isolation in the Enos Lake species pair

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1813-1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Ridgway ◽  
J. D. McPhail
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Species Pair ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Early Phases

Morphological, genetic, and ecological evidence indicates that two species of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus) coexist in Enos Lake, Vancouver Island. These species are referred to as benthics and limnetics (the names allude to their foraging behaviour and distribution within the lake). Field observations, mate choice experiments, and courtship experiments were conducted to determine if courtship behaviour contributes to reproductive isolation between these two species. Reproductive males and females of both species regularly encounter each other in nature and occasional heterospecific courtships occur. In laboratory mate choice experiments, males and females of both species selected only conspecific mates. In forced courtship experiments, behavioural differences between limnetics and benthics were more pronounced in the early phases of courtship than in the late phases of courtship. Some aspects of male courtship changed with the species of female courted; this suggests that males can distinguish the two types of females. The courtship differences between the two species appear to contribute to their reproductive isolation.

Rival male effects on courtship behaviour in the Enos Lake species pair of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus)

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 1951-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Ridgway ◽  
J. D. McPhail
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Male Partner ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Benthic Fish ◽  
Species Pair ◽  
Habitat Differences ◽  
Rival Male ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Behavioural Adaptations

Two species of stickleback (Gasterosteus) coexist in Enos Lake, on Vancouver Island. Field observations and trapping data indicate that limnetic males nest on open substrate whereas benthic males nest on substrate in vegetation. Given these habitat differences, we conducted laboratory experiments to determine the effect of conspecific rival nesting males on the courtship behaviour of the two species. Courtships of limnetic fish were longer in duration than those of benthic fish because of longer territorial interactions between limnetic males. Limnetic females, and not benthic females, reduced their positive responses to their male partner when a rival male was present. The cost of competitive courtship, in terms of male competition and female choice, is thus greater in limnetics than benthics. Differences in competitive courtship between the two species are behavioural adaptations to habitats that promote (open habitat, limnetics) or reduce (vegetation, benthics) courtship disruptions.

Assortative mating and divergent male courtship behaviours between two cryptic species of nine-spined sticklebacks (genus Pungitius)

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (15) ◽  
pp. 1879-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-ichiro Meguro ◽  
Hiroshi Takahashi ◽  
Yoshiyasu Machida ◽  
Hokuto Shirakawa ◽  
Michelle R. Gaither ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Water Type ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Kinematic Analyses

Assortative mating based on ecologically divergent traits is a major driver of speciation among three-spined sticklebacks, however, little is known about reproductive isolation and variations in courtship behaviour among nine-spined sticklebacks. Here we demonstrate assortative mating and divergent courtship behaviours between two cryptic species of nine-spined sticklebacks using no-choice mate trials and kinematic analyses. Strong assortative mating was demonstrated in our tank experiments, highlighting the importance of prezygotic reproductive isolation in these species. Kinematic analyses showed that the freshwater type exhibited aggressive courtship behaviour with frequent ‘Attacking’ and spent more time exhibiting displacement activities. In contrast, the brackish-water type demonstrated a higher frequency of the ‘Zigzag-dance’ and ‘Nest-showing’. Our study highlights the value of nine-spined sticklebacks as a comparative system for the study of speciation and paves the way for future studies on the role of courtship behaviours and assortative mating in the evolution of sticklebacks.

scholarly journals Female mate choice based on pheromone content may inhibit reproductive isolation between distinct populations of Iberian wall lizards

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Gabirot ◽  
Pilar López ◽  
José MartÍn
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Chemical Signals ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Dependent Signal ◽  
Podarcis Hispanica ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Male Signals ◽  
A Current

Abstract The Iberian wall lizard Podarcis hispanica forms part of a species complex with several morphologically and genetically distinct types and populations, which may or may not be reproductively isolated. We analyzed whether female mate choice based on males’ chemical signals may contribute to a current pre-mating reproductive isolation between two distinct populations of P. hispanica from central Spain. We experimentally examined whether females choose to establish territories on areas scent-marked by males of their own population, versus areas marked by males of the other population. Results showed that females did not prefer scent-marks of males from their own population. In contrast, females seemed to attend mostly to among-individual variation in males’ pheromones that did not differ between populations. Finally, to test for strong premating reproductive isolation, we staged intersexual encounters between males and females. The population of origin of males and females did not affect the probability nor the duration of copulations. We suggest that the different environmental conditions in each population might be selecting for different morphologies and different chemical signals of males that maximize efficiency of communication in each environment. However, females in both populations based mate choice on a similar condition-dependent signal of males. Thus, male signals and female mate choice criteria could be precluding premating reproductive isolation between these phenotypically “distinct” populations.

scholarly journals Divergent selection on behavioral and chemical traits contributes to isolation between populations of Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bozhou Jin ◽  
Daniel A. Barbash ◽  
Dean M Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Selection Gradients ◽  
Female Genotype ◽  
Rapid Diversification ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Chemical Traits

AbstractSpeciation is driven by traits that can act to prohibit mating between nascent lineages, including male courtship and female preference for male traits. Mating barriers involving these traits evolve quickly because there is strong selection on males and females to maximize reproductive success, and the tight co-evolution of mating interactions can lead to rapid diversification of sexual behavior. Using lineages of D. melanogaster that show strong asymmetrical reproductive isolation, we ask two key questions: which specific male traits are females selecting, and are these traits under divergent sexual selection? These questions have proven extremely challenging to answer, because even in closely related lineages males often differ in multiple traits related to mating behavior. We address these questions by estimating selection gradients for male courtship and cuticular hydrocarbons for two different female genotypes. We identify specific behaviors and particular cuticular hydrocarbons that are under divergent sexual selection and likely contribute to reproductive isolation. Additionally, we discovered that a subset of these traits are plastic; males adjust these traits based on the identity of the female genotype they interact with. These results suggest that even when male courtship is not fixed between lineages, ongoing selection can contribute to reproductive isolation.

scholarly journals The ecological stage changes benefits of mate choice and drives preference divergence

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1806) ◽  
pp. 20190546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin M. Tinghitella ◽  
Alycia C. R. Lackey ◽  
Catherine Durso ◽  
Jennifer A. H. Koop ◽  
Janette W. Boughman
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Fitness Components ◽  
Ecological Conditions ◽  
Female Preferences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Indicator Trait

Preference divergence is thought to contribute to reproductive isolation. Ecology can alter the way selection acts on female preferences, making them most likely to diverge when ecological conditions vary among populations. We present a novel mechanism for ecologically dependent sexual selection, termed ‘the ecological stage’ to highlight its ecological dependence. Our hypothesized mechanism emphasizes that males and females interact over mating in a specific ecological context, and different ecological conditions change the costs and benefits of mating interactions, selecting for different preferences in distinct environments and different male traits, especially when traits are condition dependent. We test key predictions of this mechanism in a sympatric three-spine stickleback species pair. We used a maternal half-sib split-clutch design for both species, mating females to attractive and unattractive males and raising progeny on alternate diets that mimic the specialized diets of the species in nature. We estimated the benefits of mate choice for an indicator trait (male nuptial colour) by measuring many fitness components across the lifetimes of both sons and daughters from these crosses. We analysed fitness data using a combination of aster and mixed models. We found that many benefits of mating with high-colour males depended on both species and diet. These results support the ecological stage hypothesis for sticklebacks. Finally, we discuss the potential role of this mechanism for other taxa and highlight its ability to enhance reproductive isolation as speciation proceeds, thus facilitating the evolution of strong reproductive isolation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Towards the completion of speciation: the evolution of reproductive isolation beyond the first barriers'.

scholarly journals Quantitative variation in female sensory structures supports species recognition and intraspecific mate choice functions in damselflies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra A. Barnard ◽  
John P. Masly
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Character Displacement ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Reproductive Character Displacement ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Sensory Structures ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractMales and females exchange signals prior to mating that convey information such as sex, species identity, or individual condition. Tactile signals relayed during physical contact between males and females before and during mating appear to be important for mate choice and reproductive isolation in some animals. However, compared to our understanding of visual, auditory, and chemical signals, we know little about the importance of tactile signals in mating decisions. Among North American damselflies in the genus Enallagma (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) species-specific tactile stimulation contributes to reproductive isolation between species and may also be important for intraspecific mate choice. We quantified several mechanosensory sensilla phenotypes on the female thorax among multiple sympatric and allopatric populations of two Enallagma species that occasionally interbreed in nature. Although each species differed in features of sensilla distribution within the thoracic plates, we found no strong evidence of reproductive character displacement among the sensilla traits we measured in regions of sympatry. However, substantial variation of sensilla traits was observed within populations of both species. Our results suggest that species-specific placement of female mechanoreceptors appears sufficient for species recognition, but mechanosensor variation among females within species may be important for mate choice.

Male Courtship Displays, Ornaments and Female Mate Choice in Captive Red Jungle Fowl

Behaviour ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 132 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 821-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torgeir S. Johnsen ◽  
Stacey L. Popma ◽  
Marlene Zuk
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Red Jungle Fowl ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Spur Length

AbstractWe studied the role of male courtship behaviour in female mate choice in red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), the ancestor of domestic chickens. The traits most highly correlated with behavioural displays were those most relied upon by females in making mate choice decisions. These traits (comb length, comb colour, eye colour, and spur length) are highly condition-dependent in jungle fowl. Females chose males that displayed at a greater overall intensity in the period after the female was allowed to interact with the males (post-release), but were indifferent to displays during the period before the female could approach the roosters (pre-release). After accounting for the effect of morphology on mate choice, waltzes were the only display that explained a significant amount of variation in male mating success. Chosen and rejected males had different display rates even when the female was not present. Plasma testosterone level was correlated with pre-release behaviours, but not with post-release behaviours or mating success.

What’s Wrong with MHC Mate Choice Experiments?

1992 ◽  
pp. 229-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Jo Manning ◽  
Wayne K. Potts ◽  
Edward K. Wakeland ◽  
Donald A. Dewsbury
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Choice Experiments

Floral biology of Hemigenia and Microcorys (Lamiaceae)

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Guerin
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Floral Morphology ◽  
Corolla Tube ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Pollen Deposition ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Bird Pollination ◽  
Insect Pollinators

The floral morphology and pollination of Hemigenia R.Br. and Microcorys R.Br. (Lamiaceae) were examined in the field and laboratory. The protandrous flowers have tubular, two-lipped corollas. Nine floral morphotypes are described. The stamens may be completely sterile (staminodal) or have one theca reduced or absent. The anthers typically have elongated connective tissue and are mobile on the filament. When the lower end of the anther is pushed, the upper end is levered towards the mouth of the corolla tube, hence dusting the pollinator precisely where receptive stigmas will later touch. Bearding on the anthers of the adaxial stamens catches adjacent anthers so that they lever in unison. Staminodes guide insect pollinators into the throat to allow precise pollen dusting. Detailed field observations show that bees and flies are the principle pollinators of most species. Floral morphologies are related to pollinator castes, and reproductive isolation and efficiency is enhanced by precise pollen deposition. Bird pollination is likely to have arisen independently in several taxa. The floral arrangement of these taxa is superficially similar but the syndrome is achieved through different anatomy.

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