As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they ...As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they highlight areas where current explanations are incomplete. Here we briefly review two ongoing discussions in the sexual selection literature. First, the definition of sexual selection has received renewed interest in light of increasing research effort into when and how it operates in females. Second, how best to measure sexual selection is an ongoing subject of debate; in practice, recognition that the appropriate measures depend on the focus of the specific study, and that multiple measures should be employed wherever possible, seems to provide the most informative approach. The wide scope of recent empirical work in these and related areas, with the application of new techniques and approaches, reflects that the field of sexual selection is being constantly expanded and enriched展开更多
Seminal gifts range from important material donations to items that provide little direct benefit to females.Promiscuous,female silk corn flies Euxesta eluta expel and consume male ejaculates immediately after mating....Seminal gifts range from important material donations to items that provide little direct benefit to females.Promiscuous,female silk corn flies Euxesta eluta expel and consume male ejaculates immediately after mating.The evolution and function of this peculiar behavior are currently unknown.We performed a series of experiments aimed to:determine if females under different dietary regimes derive nutrients or water for survival and/or reproduction from ejaculate consumption,if males suffer a fitness cost from supplying females with ejaculates,and if females prefer to mate and/or are more likely to store sperm from well fed than nutritionally stressed presumably inferior males.Experiments revealed that protein deprived E.eluta females derive nutrients for ovarian development through consumption of ejaculates of protein fed males.No seminal products affecting survival appear to be transferred in the consumed ejaculate.However,ovarian development,in contrast to testes growth,occurs in detriment of longevity.Females preferred to mate with protein fed males,yet sperm retention in spermathecae was extremely rare after a single mating.This finding suggests that females could be exerting post copulatory control.A key question that remained to be addressed for the understanding of this puzzling and promiscuous mating system is what ecological factors or male traits drive females to retain sperm from one or several males in order to achieve and/or maximize fertilization potential.展开更多
文摘As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they highlight areas where current explanations are incomplete. Here we briefly review two ongoing discussions in the sexual selection literature. First, the definition of sexual selection has received renewed interest in light of increasing research effort into when and how it operates in females. Second, how best to measure sexual selection is an ongoing subject of debate; in practice, recognition that the appropriate measures depend on the focus of the specific study, and that multiple measures should be employed wherever possible, seems to provide the most informative approach. The wide scope of recent empirical work in these and related areas, with the application of new techniques and approaches, reflects that the field of sexual selection is being constantly expanded and enriched
基金This experiments where funded with PICT 2015 N°0191 awarded to SA.
文摘Seminal gifts range from important material donations to items that provide little direct benefit to females.Promiscuous,female silk corn flies Euxesta eluta expel and consume male ejaculates immediately after mating.The evolution and function of this peculiar behavior are currently unknown.We performed a series of experiments aimed to:determine if females under different dietary regimes derive nutrients or water for survival and/or reproduction from ejaculate consumption,if males suffer a fitness cost from supplying females with ejaculates,and if females prefer to mate and/or are more likely to store sperm from well fed than nutritionally stressed presumably inferior males.Experiments revealed that protein deprived E.eluta females derive nutrients for ovarian development through consumption of ejaculates of protein fed males.No seminal products affecting survival appear to be transferred in the consumed ejaculate.However,ovarian development,in contrast to testes growth,occurs in detriment of longevity.Females preferred to mate with protein fed males,yet sperm retention in spermathecae was extremely rare after a single mating.This finding suggests that females could be exerting post copulatory control.A key question that remained to be addressed for the understanding of this puzzling and promiscuous mating system is what ecological factors or male traits drive females to retain sperm from one or several males in order to achieve and/or maximize fertilization potential.
