Natural selection has been shown to drive population differentiation and speciation. The role of sexual selection in this process is controversial; however, most of the work has centered on mate choice while the role ...Natural selection has been shown to drive population differentiation and speciation. The role of sexual selection in this process is controversial; however, most of the work has centered on mate choice while the role of male-male competition in speciation is relatively understudied. Here, we outline how male-male competition can be a source of diversifying selection on male competitive phenotypes, and how this can contribute to the evolution of reproductive isolation. We highlight how negative frequency-dependent selection （advantage of rare phenotype arising from stronger male-male competition between similar male phenotypes compared with dissimilar male pheno- types） and disruptive selection （advantage of extreme phenotypes） drives the evolution of diversity in competitive traits such as weapon size, nuptial coloration, or aggressiveness. We underscore that male-male competition interacts with other life-history functions and that variable male com- petitive phenotypes may represent alternative adaptive options. In addition to competition for mates, aggressive interference competition for ecological resources can exert selection on compet- itor signals. We call for a better integration of male-male competition with ecological interference competition since both can influence the process of speciation via comparable but distinct mecha- nisms. Altogether, we present a more comprehensive framework for studying the role of male-male competition in speciation, and emphasize the need for better integration of insights gained from other fields studying the evolutionary, behavioral, and physiological consequences of agonistic interactions.展开更多
Intrasexual selection occurs in male-male competition over access to females and usually results in the larger male winning.While much research has documented that size matters,little is known about how the larger mal...Intrasexual selection occurs in male-male competition over access to females and usually results in the larger male winning.While much research has documented that size matters,little is known about how the larger male wins.Dendroctonus vale ns is an aggregating monogamous bark beetle in which males have large variation in body size and display intense competition over females.Behavioral observation showed two males fight each other within the gallery by pushing/shoving and stridulated more when two males encountered each other.Experiments using two different-sized males synchronously competing showed that larger males won 95%of contests.Reciprocal displacement experiments using muted and intact males of different or equal size were used to simulate male-male competition.Larger males displaced the smaller resident male in 90%of contests,while smaller males prevailed over larger residents in 6.7%of contests.With both males silenced,larger males displaced smaller males in 80%of con tests,while smaller males prevailed in 8%of con tests.Further experiments using equal-sized males showed aggressive soundemitting males displaced muted males in 67%of contests,yet intact males displaced other intact males in only 37.5%of con tests.Sound analysis showed sound pressure level is an honest signal of body size and males chose soft sounds over loud aggressive sounds in assays.Therefore,D.valens males have evolved dual behaviors,fighting and aggressive sounds associated with body size,to assess rivals to compete for a partner,gaining insights in male-male competition for this species and for other animals.展开更多
文摘Natural selection has been shown to drive population differentiation and speciation. The role of sexual selection in this process is controversial; however, most of the work has centered on mate choice while the role of male-male competition in speciation is relatively understudied. Here, we outline how male-male competition can be a source of diversifying selection on male competitive phenotypes, and how this can contribute to the evolution of reproductive isolation. We highlight how negative frequency-dependent selection （advantage of rare phenotype arising from stronger male-male competition between similar male phenotypes compared with dissimilar male pheno- types） and disruptive selection （advantage of extreme phenotypes） drives the evolution of diversity in competitive traits such as weapon size, nuptial coloration, or aggressiveness. We underscore that male-male competition interacts with other life-history functions and that variable male com- petitive phenotypes may represent alternative adaptive options. In addition to competition for mates, aggressive interference competition for ecological resources can exert selection on compet- itor signals. We call for a better integration of male-male competition with ecological interference competition since both can influence the process of speciation via comparable but distinct mecha- nisms. Altogether, we present a more comprehensive framework for studying the role of male-male competition in speciation, and emphasize the need for better integration of insights gained from other fields studying the evolutionary, behavioral, and physiological consequences of agonistic interactions.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation(31770690)the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFD0600204)the CAS Key Project of Frontier Science Program(QYZDJSSW-SMC024).
文摘Intrasexual selection occurs in male-male competition over access to females and usually results in the larger male winning.While much research has documented that size matters,little is known about how the larger male wins.Dendroctonus vale ns is an aggregating monogamous bark beetle in which males have large variation in body size and display intense competition over females.Behavioral observation showed two males fight each other within the gallery by pushing/shoving and stridulated more when two males encountered each other.Experiments using two different-sized males synchronously competing showed that larger males won 95%of contests.Reciprocal displacement experiments using muted and intact males of different or equal size were used to simulate male-male competition.Larger males displaced the smaller resident male in 90%of contests,while smaller males prevailed over larger residents in 6.7%of contests.With both males silenced,larger males displaced smaller males in 80%of con tests,while smaller males prevailed in 8%of con tests.Further experiments using equal-sized males showed aggressive soundemitting males displaced muted males in 67%of contests,yet intact males displaced other intact males in only 37.5%of con tests.Sound analysis showed sound pressure level is an honest signal of body size and males chose soft sounds over loud aggressive sounds in assays.Therefore,D.valens males have evolved dual behaviors,fighting and aggressive sounds associated with body size,to assess rivals to compete for a partner,gaining insights in male-male competition for this species and for other animals.
