Sperm competition and the significance of female multiple mating in the predatory miteParasitus fimetorum

Darwin viewed sexual selection as a process that ended with mate acquisition, assuming that females are fundamentally monogamous, mating with just one male. ‘Sexual selection after mating’, however, shows this assumption to be false. Sexual selection continues long after the physical act of mating is over, as sperm compete inside a female’s reproductive tract and females bias the paternity of their young by selectively using sperm from particular males. Multiple mating by females has turned out to be ubiquitous across animal taxa. The far-reaching evolutionary consequences of sperm competition and cryptic female choice for the evolution of reproductive traits are examined, from the gametes themselves to the adult organisms producing them.

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Sperm competition in the damselfly Enallagma hageni Walsh (Odonata: Coenagrionidae): benefits of multiple mating to males and females

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/bf00299623 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 235-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Ola M. Fincke

Keyword(s):

Sperm Competition ◽

Multiple Mating ◽

Males And Females

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Polyandrous females benefit by producing sons that achieve high reproductive success in a competitive environment

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2010.2791 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 278 (1719) ◽

pp. 2823-2831 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Renée C. Firman

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Sperm Competition ◽

Multiple Mating ◽

Female Mate Choice ◽

Good Genes ◽

House Mice ◽

Embryo Viability ◽

Female Reproductive Success ◽

Selection History ◽

Free Ranging

Females of many taxa often copulate with multiple males and incite sperm competition. On the premise that males of high genetic quality are more successful in sperm competition, it has been suggested that females may benefit from polyandry by accruing ‘good genes’ for their offspring. Laboratory studies have shown that multiple mating can increase female fitness through enhanced embryo viability, and have exposed how polyandry influences the evolution of the ejaculate. However, such studies often do not allow for both female mate choice and male–male competition to operate simultaneously. Here, I took house mice (Mus domesticus ) from selection lines that had been evolving with (polygamous) and without (monogamous) sperm competition for 16 generations and, by placing them in free-ranging enclosures for 11 weeks, forced them to compete for access to resources and mates. Parentage analyses revealed that female reproductive success was not influenced by selection history, but there was a significant paternity bias towards males from the polygamous selection lines. Therefore, I show that female house mice benefit from polyandry by producing sons that achieve increased fitness in a semi-natural environment.

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Multiple mating by females is not dependent on body size in the salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus

Amphibia-Reptilia ◽

10.1163/156853896x00261 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 33-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cara Shillington ◽

Paul Verrell

Keyword(s):

Mate Choice ◽

Sperm Competition ◽

Multiple Mating ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Mating Frequency ◽

Published Data ◽

Multiple Partners ◽

Plethodontid Salamander ◽

The Face ◽

Desmognathus Ochrophaeus

AbstractMale mate choice for particular "classes" of females may be devalued if chosen females are more likely to mate with multiple partners (thus precipitating sperm competition). Larger females carry greater numbers of eggs available for fertilization in the plethodontid salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus, and are chosen by males in simultaneous mate-choice tests. We found no difference in mating frequency between 12 large females and 12 smaller females across 576 male-female encounters. Given limited published data on patterns of sperm utilization in this salamander, we conclude that male choice of more fecund partners may be advantageous even in the face of multiple mating by females and resultant sperm competition. Studies of natural populations of salamanders are required to confirm this conclusion.

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