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opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Rapid divergent evolution of internal female genitalia and the coevolution of male genital morphology revealed by micro-computed tomography

<p>Animal genitalia are thought to evolve rapidly and divergently in response to sexual selection. Studies of genital evolution have focused largely on male genitalia, with our understanding of female genital evolution relatively limited. The paucity of work on female genital morphology is likely due to problems faced in quantifying shape variation, due to their composition and accessibility. Here we use a combination of micro-computed tomography, landmark-free shape quantification, and phylogenetic analysis to quantify the rate of female genital shape evolution among 29 species of Antichiropus millipedes, and the coevolution of male genitalia. We found significant variation in female and male genital shape among species. While male genital shape showed significant phylogenetic signal, female genital shape did not. Male genital shape was found to be evolving 1.2 times faster than female genital shape. Female and male genital shapes exhibited strongly correlated evolution, indicating that genital shape changes in one sex are associated with corresponding changes in the genital shape of the other sex. This study adds novel insight into our growing understanding of how female genitalia can evolve rapidly and divergently and highlights the advantages of three-dimensional techniques and multivariate analyses in studies of female genital evolution.</p>

Fig. 68 in The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche

Fig. 68. Predicted distribution of P. eximius Bates, 1887.

Fig. 66 in The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche

Fig. 66. Predicted distribution of P. furiosus Bates, 1887 and P. pseudofurcosus Balthasar, 1939.

Figs 8–9. Phanaeus balthasari Arnaud, 2001, stat. rev. 8 in The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche

Figs 8–9. Phanaeus balthasari Arnaud, 2001, stat. rev. 8 – male green phase; 9 – holotype

Fig. 67 in The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche

Fig. 67. Predicted distribution of P. nimrod Harold, 1863 and P. victoriae Moctezuma sp. nov.

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Male genital lobe morphology affects the chance to copulate in Drosophila pachea

Abstract Introduction Male genitalia are thought to ensure transfer of sperm through direct physical contact with female during copulation. However, little attention has been given to their pre-copulatory role with respect to sexual selection and sexual conflict. Males of the fruitfly Drosophila pachea have a pair of asymmetric external genital lobes, which are primary sexual structures and stabilize the copulatory complex of female and male genitalia. We wondered if genital lobes in D. pachea may have a role before or at the onset of copulation, before genitalia contacts are made. Results We tested this hypothesis with a D. pachea stock where males have variable lobe lengths. In 92 mate competition trials with a single female and two males, females preferentially engaged into a first copulation with males that had a longer left lobe and that displayed increased courtship vigor. In 53 additional trials with both males having partially amputated left lobes of different lengths, we observed a weaker and non-significant effect of left lobe length on copulation success. Courtship durations significantly increased with female age and when two males courted the female simultaneously, compared to trials with only one courting male. In addition, lobe length did not affect sperm transfer once copulation was established. Conclusion Left lobe length affects the chance of a male to engage into copulation. The morphology of this primary sexual trait may affect reproductive success by mediating courtship signals or by facilitating the establishment of genital contacts at the onset of copulation.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2017View details →

Fig. 3 in Discovery of an overlooked Helicarionid land snail (Helicarionidae: Durgellinae) from northeastern Thailand, with description of a new genus and new species, and note on radula morphology and genital system

Fig. 3. Aenigmatoconcha clivicola, new species, holotype (NHMSU-0013).

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Data from: Divergence in the internal genital morphology of females is correlated with divergence in male intromittent structures among populations of a millipede

<p>Our understanding of genital evolution comes largely from studies of male genitalia. Females have received far less attention because of the difficulties inherent in quantifying the shapes of their internal genital structures. Here we combine advances in micro-computed tomography with a new landmark free method of quantifying three-dimensional trait shape, to document patterns of divergence in female genital shape, and the correlated divergence of male genitalia among populations of the millipede Antichiropus variabilis. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms to estimate levels of neutral genetic divergence among seven populations of millipede. Genetic divergence was high and correlated with geographic distance. Comparing phenotypic divergence in genital shape to neutral genetic divergence, we found that genital shape for both females and males has diverged more than would be expected from random drift, consistent with a pattern of directional selection. While there was significant covariation between female and male genital shape across populations, the magnitude of divergence in genital shape between the sexes was not correlated. Our results demonstrate the utility of using three-dimensional scanning technologies to examine female genital traits and add to a small but growing number of studies showing that like male genitalia, female genitalia can be under strong directional selection.</p>