The quantitative genetics of sexual selection in the dung fly Sepsis cynipsea

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf Blanckenhorn ◽  
Claudia Mühlhäuser
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
Quantitative Genetics ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Selection Models ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits ◽  
Mating Cost

AbstractIn the common dung or black scavenger fly Sepsis cynipsea (Diptera: Sepsidae) several morphological and behavioural male and female traits interact during mating. Previous studies show that males attempt to mount females without courtship, females use vigorous shaking behaviour in response to male mounting, the duration of shaking is an indicator of both direct and indirect female choice and sexual conflict, and larger males enjoy a mating advantage. We conducted a quantitative genetic paternal half sib study to investigate the genetic underpinnings of these traits, notably body size (the preferred trait) and the associated female preference, and to assess the relative importance of various models generally proposed to account for the evolution of sexually selected traits. Several morphological traits and female shaking duration were heritable, thus meeting a key requirement of all sexual selection models. In contrast, two traits indicative of male persistence in mating were not. Male longevity was also heritable and negatively correlated with his mating effort, suggesting a mating cost. However, the crucial genetic correlation between male body size and female shaking duration, predicted to be negative by both 'good genes' and Fisherian models and positive by the sexual conflict (or chase-away) model, was zero. This could be because of low power, or because of constraints imposed by the genetic correlation structure. Based on our rsults we conclude that discriminating sexual selection models by sole means of quantitative genetics is difficult, if not impossible.

scholarly journals Pleiotropy promotes male exaggerated weapon and its associated fighting behaviour in a water strider

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Toubiana ◽  
David Armisén ◽  
Decaras Amélie ◽  
Abderrahman Khila
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Specific Factor ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Water Strider ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits ◽  
Morphogenetic Protein ◽  
Selected Traits ◽  
Fighting Behaviour

AbstractExaggerated sexually selected traits, often carried by males, are characterized by the evolution of hyperallometry, resulting in their disproportionate growth relative to the rest of the body 1–3. While the evolution of allometry has attracted much attention for centuries, our understanding of the developmental genetic mechanisms underlying its emergence remains fragmented 4,5. Here we show that the hyperallometric legs in the males of the water strider Microvelia longipes are associated with a specific signature of gene expression during development. Using RNAi knockdown, we demonstrate that a broadly expressed growth factor, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 11 (BMP11, also known as Growth Differentiation Factor 11), regulates leg allometries through increasing the allometric coefficient and mean body size in males. In contrast, BMP11 RNAi reduced mean body size but did not affect slope in females. Furthermore, our data show that a tissue specific factor, Ultrabithorax (Ubx), increases intercept without affecting mean body size. This indicates a genetic correlation between mean body size and variation in allometric slope, but not intercept. Strikingly, males treated with BMP11 RNAi exhibited a severe reduction in fighting frequency compared to both controls and Ubx RNAi-treated males. Overall, we demonstrate a genetic correlation between male body size, the exaggerated weapon, and the intense fighting behaviour associated with it in M. longipes. Our results provide evidence for a role of pleiotropy in the evolution of allometric slope.

Good genes and parental care in human evolution

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Marlowe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Female Preferences

Prior to agriculture, human societies were small, with little variation for good genes sexual selection (GGSS) to work on. Across cultures, variation in paternal care makes the benefits of GGSS highly variable. Despite these caveats, female preferences for traits like male body symmetry suggest one reason for female short-term mating is gene shopping.

scholarly journals Sexual selection on size and shape in Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica)

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 1073-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clint D Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Popillia Japonica ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Japanese Beetle ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Selection For

Abstract The mobility hypothesis argues that species in which males compete for mates in scrambles often exhibit female-biased size dimorphism because smaller male body size should increase male mobility and success in searching for mates. Sexual dimorphism can be further exaggerated if fecundity or sexual selection concurrently selects for larger female size. Scramble competition can select for trait characteristics that optimize locomotion; for example, long and slender wings should be favored if aerial speed is important to mating success. I tested these predictions in the scrambling Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), a female-biased size dimorphic insect pest that is invasive to North America. Multivariate selection analyses support the prediction that smaller body size and larger wings in males benefit their mating success. My analyses also revealed significant selection for larger wings in females but, contrary to prediction, direct sexual selection favors smaller body size in females. These results support the mobility hypothesis and partially explain the evolution of female-biased size dimorphism in this species. Sexual selection favored rounder bodies in females and more tapered bodies in males, whereas, in both sexes, the effect of wing shape appears less important to fitness than wing size.

scholarly journals SEXUAL SELECTION IN TOADS: THE ROLES OF FEMALE CHOICE AND MALE BODY SIZE

Evolution ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry M. Wilbur ◽  
Daniel I. Rubenstein ◽  
Lincoln Fairchild
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Male Body Size

scholarly journals The growth factor BMP11 is required for the development and evolution of a male exaggerated weapon and its associated fighting behavior in a water strider

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. e3001157
Author(s):  
William Toubiana ◽  
David Armisén ◽  
Séverine Viala ◽  
Amélie Decaras ◽  
Abderrahman Khila
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
The Body ◽  
Specific Factor ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Water Strider ◽  
Fighting Behavior ◽  
Sexually Selected Traits ◽  
Morphogenetic Protein ◽  
Selected Traits

Exaggerated sexually selected traits, often carried by males, are characterized by the evolution of hyperallometry, resulting in their disproportionate growth relative to the rest of the body among individuals of the same population. While the evolution of allometry has attracted much attention for centuries, our understanding of the developmental genetic mechanisms underlying its emergence remains fragmented. Here we conduct comparative transcriptomics of the legs followed by an RNA interference (RNAi) screen to identify genes that play a role in the hyperallometric growth of the third legs in the males of the water strider Microvelia longipes. We demonstrate that a broadly expressed growth factor, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 11 (BMP11, also known as Growth Differentiation Factor 11), regulates leg allometries through increasing the allometric slope and mean body size in males. In contrast, BMP11 RNAi reduced mean body size but did not affect slope either in the females of M. longipes or in the males and females of other closely related Microvelia species. Furthermore, our data show that a tissue-specific factor, Ultrabithorax (Ubx), increases intercept without affecting mean body size. This indicates a genetic correlation between mean body size and variation in allometric slope, but not intercept. Strikingly, males treated with BMP11 RNAi exhibited a severe reduction in fighting frequency compared to both controls and Ubx RNAi-treated males. Therefore, male body size, the exaggerated weapon, and the intense fighting behavior associated with it are genetically correlated in M. longipes. Our results support a possible role of pleiotropy in the evolution of allometric slope.

scholarly journals Male size and reproductive performance in three species of livebearing fishes (Gambusia spp.): a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bora Kim ◽  
Nicholas Patrick Moran ◽  
Klaus Reinhold ◽  
Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Male Body Size

1. The genus Gambusia represents approximately 45 species of polyandrous livebearing fishes with reversed sexual size dimorphism (i.e. males smaller than females) and with copulation predominantly via male coercion. Male body size has been suggested as an important sexually selected trait, but despite abundant research, evidence for sexual selection on male body size in this genus is mixed. 2. Studies have found that large males have an advantage in both male-male competition and female choice, but that small males perform sneaky copulations better and at higher frequency and thus may sire more offspring in this coercive mating system. Here, we synthesized this discrepant body of evidence in the primary literature. 3. Using pre-registered methods and hypotheses, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis combining published (n = 19 studies, k = 106 effect sizes) and unpublished data (n = 17, k = 242) to test whether there is overall selection on male body size across studies in Gambusia. We also tested several specific hypotheses to understand sources of heterogeneity across effects. 4. Meta-analysis revealed an overall positive correlation between male size and reproductive performance (r = 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.10 – 0.35, n = 36, k = 348, 4514 males, three Gambusia species). Despite high heterogeneity, the large-male advantage appeared robust across all measures studied (i.e. female choice, mating success, paternity, sperm quantity and quality), but was considerably larger for female choice (r = 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.28 – 0.59, n = 14, k = 43). Meta-regressions found several important factors explaining heterogeneity across effects, including type of sperm characteristic, male-to-female ratio, female reproductive status, and environmental conditions. We found evidence of publication bias; however, its effect on our estimates was attenuated by including a substantial amount of unpublished effects, highlighting the importance of unpublished (open) data for more accurate meta-analytic estimates. 5. In addition to positive selection on male size, our study suggests that we need to rethink the role and form of sexual selection in Gambusia and, more broadly, to consider the ecological factors that affect reproductive behaviour in livebearing fishes.

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