Female Control of Sperm Transfer and Intraspecific Variation in Sperm Precedence: Antecedents to the Evolution of a Courtship Food Gift

Evolution ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott K. Sakaluk ◽  
Anne-Katrin Eggert
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Sperm Transfer ◽  
Sperm Precedence ◽  
Female Control

scholarly journals Multiple sperm storage organs facilitate female control of paternity

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1568) ◽  
pp. 1139-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay S.E Snow ◽  
Maydianne C.B Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Storage ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Sperm Precedence ◽  
Storage Organ ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Storage Organs ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Female Control ◽  
Latrodectus Hasselti ◽  
Normally Distributed

It has been proposed that multiple sperm storage organs (spermathecae) could allow polyandrous females to control paternity. There is little conclusive evidence for this since insemination of individual spermathecae is generally not experimentally manipulable. Here, we examined sperm use patterns in the Australian redback spider ( Latrodectus hasselti ), which has paired, independent spermathecae. We assessed paternity when two rivals were forced to inseminate a single storage organ or opposite storage organs. When males inseminated a single spermatheca, mean paternity of the female's first mate was 79.8% (median 89.4%), and 38% of first mates achieved 100% paternity. In contrast, when males inseminated opposite organs, the mean paternity of the first mate was 49.3% (median 49.9%), only 10% of males achieved complete precedence, and paternity was normally distributed, suggesting sperm mixing. Males responded to this difference by avoiding previously inseminated female reproductive tracts. Complete sperm precedence can only be achieved if females permit males to copulate with both reproductive tracts. Females often cannibalize smaller males during their first copulation, thus limiting their paternity to 50%. These data show that multiple sperm storage organs can increase female control of paternity.

VARIATION OF SPERM PRECEDENCE IN THE ROVE BEETLE ALEOCHARA CURTULA (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE)

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (9) ◽  
pp. 1065-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
Sperm Transfer ◽  
Sperm Precedence ◽  
Oligonucleotide Probes ◽  
Mating Experiment ◽  
Rove Beetle ◽  
Mixed Paternity ◽  
Aleochara Curtula

AbstractIn order to quantify the outcome of sperm competition in the mating system of the rove beetle Aleochara curtula we performed three different mating experiment series. Paternity was established by DNA fingerprinting with oligonucleotide probes. We found a precedence of the last male with a proportion of eggs fathered by the last male of 87% (median). Nevertheless, we observed a large variation of P2-values in A. curtula and cases of mixed paternity were documented as well as cases of 100% or 0% paternity of the last male. The variation of P2-values correlates with the efficiency of spermatophore and sperm transfer.

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