Males perceive honest information from female released sex pheromone in a moth

There is accumulating evidence that male insects advertise their quality to conspecific females through pheromones. However, most studies of female released sex pheromone assume information transfer regarding merely the species of the female and her mating status. We show that more and precise information is conveyed through the female sex pheromone, positioning it as an honest sexual trait. We demonstrate that females in bad physical conditions (small, starved or old) lay significantly fewer eggs than females in good conditions (large, fed or young). The ratio of the sex pheromone blend in gland extracts of female pink bollworm moths accurately describes the female phenotypic condition whereas the pheromone amount in the glands fails to provide an honest signal of quality. Moreover, males use the female released pheromone blend to choose their mates and approach females that signal higher reproductive potential. In addition, surrogating the female effect, using synthetic pheromone blend that represents that of higher quality females (0.6:0.4 ZZ:ZE) more males were attracted to this blend than to the blend representing the population mean (0.5:0.5 ZZ:ZE). Both, female advertisement for males and the male choosiness, suggest that pheromones have evolved as sexual traits under directional, sexual selection.

Surgical creation of microphallus for cis-gender female desire for intersex condition

As the desire for an intersex phenotypic condition increases, surgeons need to become aware of the surgical possibilities there are realistic expectations and a sound mind. A 43-year-old married cis-gender female, on testosterone desired conversion of her enlarged clitoris into a micropenis or metoidioplasty without scrotoplasty or urethral lengthening to increase the size and accentuate her orgasmic response. Following clearance by mental health, a diamond perineoplasty and metoidioplasty using her labia minora was performed. At 1 year her Arizona Sexual Experience Scale increased and she was happy with the operation. Creation of a micropenis, in a cis-gender patient for an intersex state and heightened orgasmic response is surgically feasible.

Slow dam passage in adult Columbia River salmonids associated with unsuccessful migration: delayed negative effects of passage obstacles or condition-dependent mortality?

The relationships among behavior, environment, and migration success in anadromous fishes are poorly understood. We monitored migration behavior at eight Columbia and Snake river dams for 18 286 adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (sea-run Oncorhynchus mykiss) over 7 years using radiotelemetry. When statistically controlling for variation in flow, temperature, fisheries take, and other environmental variables, we observed that unsuccessful individuals — those not observed to reach spawning areas — had longer passage times at nearly all dams than fish that eventually reached tributaries. In many cases, times were also longer for unsuccessful adults passing through a multiple-dam reach. Four ecological mechanisms may have contributed to these patterns: (i) environmental factors not accounted for in the analyses; (ii) inefficient responses by some fish to passage conditions at dams that resulted in slowed passage, energetic depletion, and unsuccessful migration; (iii) ongoing selection for traits needed to pass obstructions; and (or) (iv) passage rate was not directly linked to migration success, but rather, both resulted from relatively poor phenotypic condition upon river entry in unsuccessful migrants. Overall, these results illustrate the need for a mechanistic understanding of the factors that influence migration success and the need for fitness-based criteria to assess the effects of dams on anadromous fishes.

Immunocompetence and testosterone-induced condition traits in male ruffs (Philomachus pugnax)

The immune system is costly to operate, so we expect allocation to this function to relate to other indices of overall phenotypic condition. In captive male ruffs (Philomachus pugnax), we examine covariation between three seasonal male characteristics induced by testosterone (neck 'ruff', facial wattles, and increases in mass/size) and cell-mediated and humoral immunity. The ruff has two genetically distinct morphs of males, 'independents' and 'satellites', which differ in mating behaviour, somewhat in body size, and possibly life history strategy. Ruff length and wattle number were significantly correlated with each other and with body size, but unrelated to mass/size. Humoral immunity was weakly correlated with size, but not with secondary male traits, or with cell-mediated immunity. We did not detect differences in humoral immunity between morphs. Cell-mediated immunity was weakly correlated with ruff length, but not with wattle number, size, or mass/size. Cell-mediated immunity decreased significantly with age. Controlling for age, independents had higher cell-mediated immunity responses than satellites. The expected relationships between two measures of immune function and other measures of condition were not always present, which suggests we need more data and/or more specific predictions about how the different aspects of immune function relate to each other and to ecological variables.

The effect of parasites on courtship dance in threespine sticklebacks: more than meets the eye?

Hamilton and Zuk proposed that elaborate male secondary sexual characters have evolved through female choice because they reveal information about heritable resistance against parasites. The courtship dance of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a secondary sexual character that has previously been suggested to be of minor importance for female choice. We relate phenotypic condition and intensities of naturally acquired parasites of male threespine sticklebacks to the size of an important morphological structure used for movements in this species, the pectoral fin. Fin size is sexually dimorphic and is closely related to a male's condition factor. We show that, contrary to Hamilton and Zuk's original prediction, there is a positive relationship between the secondary sex trait and the intensity of prevalent parasites. We argue that the results nonetheless support the underlying assumption in Hamilton and Zuk's hypothesis, as fin size can be indicative of an individual's ability to tolerate the costs of increased parasite exposure and susceptibility. It is suggested that the courtship dance may act as an amplifier of the size of the transparent fins and consequently reveal information about male condition and parasite resistance to mate-searching females.