Abstract
Polyandry prolongs sexual selection on males by forcing ejaculates to compete for fertilisation. Recent theory predicts that increasing polyandry may weaken pre-copulatory sexual selection on males and increase the relative importance of post-copulatory sexual selection, but experimental tests of this prediction are lacking. Here, we manipulate the polyandry levels in groups of Drosophila melanogaster by deletion of the female sex peptide receptor. We show that groups in which the sex-peptide-receptor is absent in females (SPR-) have higher polyandry, and – as a result – weaker pre-copulatory sexual selection on male mating success, compared to controls. Post-copulatory selection on male paternity share is relatively more important in SPR- groups, where males gain additional paternity by mating repeatedly with the same females. These results provide experimental evidence that elevated polyandry weakens pre-copulatory sexual selection on males, shifts selection to post-copulatory events, and that the sex peptide pathway can play a key role in modulating this process in Drosophila.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 283 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 17 Jan 2019 |
Bibliographical note
J.M. was supported by a DPhil scholarship from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq 211668-2013/3), T.P. and G.C.M. by an industrial LINK award from the BBSRC and Aviagen® (BB/L009587/1). S.W. was supported by a BBSRC fellowship (BB/K014544/1), and J.C.P. by a fellowship from Jesus College (Oxford) and an NERC Fellowship (NE/P017193/1). T.C. is supported by NERC (NE/J024244/1 and NE/K004697/1).Keywords
- animal behavior
- evolutionary genetics
- sexual selection
- Drosophila Proteins/genetics
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Reproduction/physiology
- Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
- Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Male
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- Peptides/metabolism
- Animals
- Drosophila melanogaster/physiology
- Receptors, Peptide/genetics
- Female
- INTENSITY
- PATTERNS
- EXTRA-PAIR
- PATERNITY
- EVOLUTION
- MATING SUCCESS
- MELANOGASTER
- OPPORTUNITY
- REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS
- SPERM COMPETITION
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Juliano Morimoto Borges
- School of Natural & Computing Sciences, Mathematical Science - Senior Lecturer
Person: Academic