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79 results for “sex allocation”
Variance in offspring sex ratio and maternal allocation in a highly invasive mammal
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Data from: Limited evidence of biased offspring sex allocation in a cavity-nesting conspecific brood parasite
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Consequences of population structure for sex allocation and sexual conflict
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Data from: Sex allocation in a monogamous bird: advantaged matrilines and sons with silver spoons
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Data from: Sexual conflict in action: an antagonistic relationship between maternal and paternal sex allocation in the tammar wallaby, Notamacropus eugenii
Sex ratio biases are often inconsistent, both among and within species and populations. While some of these inconsistencies may be due to experimental design, much of the variation remains inexplicable. Recent research suggests that an exclusive focus on mothers may account for some of the inconsistency, with an increasing number of studies showing variation in sperm sex ratios and seminal fluids. Using fluorescent in-situ hybridization we show a significant population level Y-chromosome bias in the spermatozoa of wild tammar wallabies, but with significant intra-individual variation between males. We also show a population-level birth sex ratio trend in the same direction towards male offspring, but a weaning sex ratio that is significantly female biased, indicating that males are disproportionately lost during lactation. We hypothesise that sexual conflict between parents may cause mothers to adjust offspring sex ratios after birth, through abandonment of male pouch young and reactivation of diapaused embryos. Further research is required in a captive, controlled setting to understand what is driving and mechanistically controlling sperm sex ratio and offspring sex ratio biases, and to understand the sexually antagonistic relationship between mothers and fathers over offspring sex. These results extend beyond sex allocation, as they question studies of population processes that assume equal input of sex chromosomes from fathers, and will also assist with future reproduction studies for management and conservation of marsupials.
Data from: Maternal effects obscure condition-dependent sex allocation in changing environments
Climate change increases environmental fluctuations which thereby impact population demography. Species with temperature-dependent sex determination may experience more extreme sex ratio skews, but this has not been considered in species with chromosomally-determined sex. However, anticipatory maternal effects cause lifelong physiological changes impacting sex ratios. Here we show, in mice, that more sons were born to mothers in good condition when their breeding environment matched their gestational environment, consistent with theoretical predictions, but mothers in mismatched environments have no condition sex-ratio relationship. Thus, the predicted effect of condition on sex ratio was obscured by maternal effects when the environment changed. This may explain extreme or unexpected sex ratio skews in reintroduced or translocated populations, and sex ratio skews may become more common and less predictable with accelerating environmental change.
Data from: Context-dependence of maternal effects: testing assumptions of optimal egg size, differential- and sex-allocation models
If offspring develop in adverse conditions, the maternal component of their phenotypic variation might increase due to the stronger dependence of offspring traits on parental investment. This should result in increased parental investment to individual offspring, as assumed by the model of optimal egg size. The opposite pattern, i.e., stronger dependence of offspring fitness on parental investment and consequently larger parental investment under good conditions is assumed by both the theory of differential allocation if attractive males provide material benefits, and reproductive compensation if they invest less into paternal care. Another influential idea is the Trivers-Willard model, which assumes sex-specific dependence of offspring fitness on parental investment. Here we tested these ideas by examining the effects of egg size on offspring fitness across many postnatal contexts in the Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis. We employed a cross-fostering design that generated variation in egg size within nests and used brood means of fledgling mass as a functional measure of the quality of rearing conditions. Effects of egg size on three offspring traits, including lifetime reproductive success of recruits, were more pronounced in low-quality broods. These results support the assumption of the model of optimal egg size. Based on female preference for males providing material benefits, this pattern could support differential allocation, if attractive males invest less in paternal care, or reproductive compensation, if they invest more. By comparison, we did not find any evidence for sex specificity of fitness returns that might explain sex monomorphism of egg size in this species. The challenge for future studies will be the integration of components of parental investment and offspring fitness into their global measures and testing how the former affects the latter across gradients of postnatal conditions.
Variation in sex allocation plasticity in three closely related flatworm species
<p>This dataset accompanies the ' Variation in sex allocation plasticity in three closely related flatworm species ' publication.</p>
Female-biased sex allocation and lack of inbreeding avoidance in Cubitermes termites
<p>Sexually-reproducing organisms face a strong selective pressure to find a mate and ensure reproduction. An important criterion during mate-selection is to avoid closely-related individuals and subsequent potential fitness costs of resulting inbred offspring. Inbreeding avoidance can be active through kin recognition during mate choice, or passive through differential male and female-biased sex ratios, which effectively prevents sib-mating. In addition, sex allocation, or the resources allotted to male and female offspring, can impact mating and reproductive success. Here, we investigate mate choice, sex ratios, and sex allocation in dispersing reproductives (alates) from colonies of the termite <i>Cubitermes</i> <i>tenuiceps</i>. Termites have a short time to select a mate for life, which should intensify any fitness consequences of inbreeding. However, alates did not actively avoid inbreeding through mate choice via kin recognition based on genetic or environmental cues. Furthermore, the majority of colonies exhibited a female-biased sex ratio, and none exhibited a male-bias, indicating that differential bias does not reduce inbreeding. Sex allocation was generally female-biased, as females also were heavier, but the potential fitness effect of this costly strategy remains unclear. The bacterium <i>Wolbachia</i>, known in other insects to parasitically distort sex allocation toward females, was present within all alates. While <i>Wolbachia</i> is commonly associated with termites, parasitism has yet to be demonstrated, warranting further study of the nature of the symbiosis. Both the apparent lack of inbreeding avoidance and potential maladaptive sex allocation implies possible negative effects on mating and fitness.</p>
Data from: Effects of individual-based preferences for colour-banded mates on sex allocation in zebra finches
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Data from: The evolution of males: support for predictions from sex allocation theory using mating arrays of Sagittaria latifolia (Alismataceae)
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Data from: Maternal effects obscure condition-dependent sex allocation in changing environments
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Female-biased sex allocation and lack of inbreeding avoidance in Cubitermes termites
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Data from: Sexual conflict in action: an antagonistic relationship between maternal and paternal sex allocation in the tammar wallaby, Notamacropus eugenii
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Data from: Sex allocation conflict between queens and workers in Formica pratensis wood ants predicts seasonal sex ratio variation
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The effects of sex allocation coevolution on the coexistence of two closely related plant species interacting via interspecific pollen transfer
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Data from: Daphnia females adjust sex allocation in response to current sex ratio and density
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Data from: Context-dependence of maternal effects: testing assumptions of optimal egg size, differential- and sex-allocation models
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Data from: Female-female competition leads to female-biased sex allocation and dimorphism in brood sex composition in a gall-forming aphid
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Data from: Context-dependent sex allocation: constraints on the expression and evolution of maternal effects
Despite decades of research, whether vertebrates can and do adaptively adjust the sex ratio of their offspring is still highly debated. However, this may have resulted from the failure of empirical tests to identify large and predictable fitness returns to females from strategic adjustment. Here we test the effect of diet quality and maternal condition on facultative sex ratio adjustment in the color polymorphic Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a species that exhibits extreme maternal allocation in response to severe and predictable (genetically-determined) fitness costs. On high quality diets, females produced a relatively equal sex ratio, but over-produced sons in poor dietary conditions. Despite the lack of sexual size dimorphism, nutritionally-stressed foster sons were healthier, grew faster, and were more likely to survive than daughters. Although these findings are in line with predictions from sex allocation theory, the extent of adjustment is considerably lower than previously reported for this species. Females therefore have strong facultative control over sex allocation, but the extent of adjustment is likely determined by the relative magnitude of fitness gains and the ability to reliably predict sex-specific benefits from environmental (versus genetic) variables. These findings may help explain the often inconsistent, weak or inconclusive empirical evidence for adaptive sex ratio adjustment in vertebrates.
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The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
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