Sexual cannibalism in fishing spiders (Dolomedes triton): an evaluation of two explanations for female aggression towards potential mates

2001 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 905-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.Chadwick Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Female Aggression ◽  
Sexual Cannibalism ◽  
Dolomedes Triton ◽  
Fishing Spiders

scholarly journals The shield effect: nuptial gifts protect males against pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 20151082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Toft ◽  
Maria J. Albo
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Female Aggression ◽  
Sexual Cannibalism ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Pisaura Mirabilis

Several not mutually exclusive functions have been ascribed to nuptial gifts across different taxa. Although the idea that a nuptial prey gift may protect the male from pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism is attractive, it has previously been considered of no importance based on indirect evidence and rejected by experimental tests. We reinvestigated whether nuptial gifts may function as a shield against female attacks during mating encounters in the spider Pisaura mirabilis and whether female hunger influences the likelihood of cannibalistic attacks. The results showed that pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism was enhanced when males courted without a gift and this was independent of female hunger. We propose that the nuptial gift trait has evolved partly as a counteradaptation to female aggression in this spider species.

Mate choice and sexual size dimorphism, not personality, explain female aggression and sexual cannibalism in raft spiders

2016 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Kralj-Fišer ◽  
Klemen Čandek ◽  
Tjaša Lokovšek ◽  
Tatjana Čelik ◽  
Ren-Chung Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Female Aggression ◽  
Sexual Cannibalism ◽  
Size Dimorphism

scholarly journals Obligate male death and sexual cannibalism in dark fishing spiders

2014 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven K. Schwartz ◽  
William E. Wagner ◽  
Eileen A. Hebets
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Cannibalism ◽  
Fishing Spiders

scholarly journals The serotonin transporter gene and female personality variation in a free-living passerine

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bert Thys ◽  
Andrea S. Grunst ◽  
Nicky Staes ◽  
Rianne Pinxten ◽  
Marcel Eens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Serotonin Transporter ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Serotonin Transporter Gene ◽  
Female Aggression ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Transporter Gene ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Dependent

AbstractQuantifying variation in behaviour-related genes provides insight into the evolutionary potential of repeatable among-individual variation in behaviour (i.e. personality). Yet, individuals typically also plastically adjust their behaviour in response to environmental conditions and/or age, thereby complicating the detection of genotype–phenotype associations. Here, using a population of free-living great tits (Parus major), we assessed the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) and two repeatable behavioural traits, i.e. female-female aggression and female hissing behaviour. For female-female aggression, a trait showing age-related plasticity, we found no evidence for associations with SERT SNPs, even when assessing potential age-dependent effects of SERT genotype on aggression. We also found no strong support for associations between SERT SNPs and hissing behaviour, yet we identified two synonymous polymorphisms (exon 13 SNP66 and exon 12 SNP144) of particular interest, each explaining about 1.3% of the total variation in hissing behaviour. Overall, our results contribute to the general understanding of the biological underpinning of complex behavioural traits and will facilitate further (meta-analytic) research on behaviour-related genes. Moreover, we emphasize that future molecular genetic studies should consider age-dependent genotype–phenotype associations for behavioural trait (co)variation, as this will vastly improve our understanding of the proximate causes and ultimate consequences of personality variation in natural populations.

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