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67 results for “mate competition”
Data from: The heritability of mating behaviour in a fly and its plasticity in response to the threat of sperm competition
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Data from: Reproductive effort and success of males in scramble competition polygyny: evidence for trade-offs between foraging and mate-search
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Raw data for: Plastic male mating behaviour evolves in response to the competitive environment
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Male age alone predicts paternity success under sperm competition when effects of age and past mating effort are experimentally separated
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Data from: Evolution of a mating preference for a dual-utility trait used in intrasexual competition in genetically monogamous populations
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Data from: Competition for access to mates predicts female-specific ornamentation and male investment in relative testis size
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Figure 2 in The green June beetle (Cotinis nitida) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): local variation in the beetle's major avian predators and in the competition for mates
Figure 2. The first male (on the left) to reach a female has fallen back exposing the upper surface of his mate. A male arriving a short time later has mounted the female and is attempting (unsuccessfully) to copulate with her while she is in copula with the first male. Even after the first male disengaged and left the female she remained unreceptive to the second male.
Data from: Does past evolutionary history under different mating regimes influence the demographic dynamics of interspecific competition?
Interspecific interactions are contingent upon organism phenotypes, and thus phenotypic evolution can modify interspecific interactions and affect ecological dynamics. Recent studies have suggested that male-male competition within a species selects for capability to reproductively interfere with a closely related species. Here we examine the effect of past evolutionary history under different mating regimes on the demographic dynamics of interspecific competition in Callosobruchus seed beetles. We used previously established experimental evolution lines of C. chinensis that evolved under either forced lifelong monogamy or polygamy for 17 generations, and examined the demographic dynamics of competition between these C. chinensis lines and a congener, C. maculatus. Callosobruchus chinensis was competitively excluded by C. maculatus in all trials. Time series data analyses suggested that reproductive interference from C. chinensis was relatively more important in the trials involving polygamous C. chinensis than those involving monogamous C. chinensis, in accordance with the potentially higher reproductive interference capability of polygamous C. chinensis. However, the estimated signs and magnitudes of interspecific interactions were not fully consistent with this explanation, implying the evolution of not only reproductive interference but also other interaction mechanisms. Our study thus suggests multifaceted effects of sexually-selected traits on interspecific competitive dynamics.
Data from: Evolutionary divergence in competitive mating success through female mating bias for good genes
Despite heritable variation for univariate sexually selected traits, recent analyses exploring multivariate traits find evidence consistent with the lek paradox in showing no genetic variation available to choosy females, and therefore no genetic benefits of choice. We used the preferences of Drosophila melanogaster females to exert bidirectional selection on competitive male mating success to test for the presence and nature of genetic variation underlying this multivariate trait. Male mating success diverged between selection regimens, and flies from success-selected lines had a smaller burden of deleterious, recessive mutations that affect egg-to-adult viability, were better sperm competitors (sperm offence), and did not demonstrate reduced desiccation resistance or components of female fitness (traits thought to trade off with attractiveness) relative to flies from failure-selected populations. Mating success remained subject to inbreeding depression in success-selected lines, suggesting that variation in mating success remains, thanks to numerous genes of small effect. Together, our results provide unique evidence for the evolutionary divergence in male mating success, demonstrating that genetic variation is not exhausted along the axis of precopulatory sexual selection and that female mating biases align with the avoidance of bad genes.
Data from: Mate competition and evolutionary outcomes in genetically modified Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Demonstrating relationships between sexual selection mechanisms and trait evolution is central to testing evolutionary theory. Using zebrafish, we found that wild-type males possessed a significant advantage in mate competition over transgenic RFP Glofish™ males. In mating trials, wild-type males were aggressively superior to transgenic males in male-male chases and male-female chases; as a result, wild-type males sired 2.5x as many young as did transgenic males. In contrast, an earlier study demonstrated that female zebrafish preferred transgenic males as mates when mate competition was excluded experimentally. We tested the evolutionary consequence of this conflict between sexual selection mechanisms in a long-term study. The predicted loss of the transgenic phenotype was confirmed. More than 18,500 adults collected from 18 populations across 15 generations revealed that the frequency of the transgenic phenotype declined rapidly and was eliminated entirely in all but one population. Fitness component data for both sexes indicated that only male mating success differed between wild-type and transgenic individuals. Our predictive demographic model based on fitness components closely matched the rate of transgenic phenotype loss observed in the long-term study, thereby supporting its utility for studies assessing evolutionary outcomes of escaped or released genetically modified animals.
Data from: Reproductive foragers: spider males choose mates by selecting among available competitive environments
Mate choice frequently operates differently for males and females as a consequence of male competition for mates. Competitive interactions can alter the fitness payoffs of choice and the realisation of preferences under natural conditions, yet the majority of male choice studies still use binary trials that ignore social factors. Here we test the importance of contest dynamics in male choice with a large scale experiment, using a framework where females are considered analogous to foraging patches that are subject to competition. We track the mate choices and interactions of 640 spiders (Nephila plumipes) before and after manipulation of competition within enclosures, modelling the expected fitness payoffs of each male's actual choices and comparing these with all alternative choices available. We find that many males choose new females once social conditions change, and achieve higher fitness than predicted under random movement. Males increase their fitness not by moving to larger females but by choosing favourable competitive environments that balance competition and female fecundity. Further, we show for the first time that prior residence effects have a strong influence in male reproductive contests and can shape male mate choice. These results highlight the importance of situating male choice studies in the relevant social context, as intrasexual interactions can have profound effects on the realisation and payoffs of male mate choice strategies.
Data from: Mate competition and resource competition are inter-related in sexual selection
Sexual selection can be affected by the competition for limited breeding resources and/or the competition for limited mates. Although there is ample evidence for each type of competition by itself, little is known about their relative importance and interaction. To address these questions, we established 48 experimental breeding populations of the two-spotted goby (Gobiusculus flavescens), a substrate-breeding fish with paternal care. In three experimental treatments, males were limited in the access to either nest sites or mates or were provided with both nests and mates in excess. We quantified male competition behaviour (agonistic and courtship), the opportunity for selection and selection on male body size. Limited access to nests and mates produced similar opportunities for selection, but only limited access to mates increased male competitive behaviours and caused positive selection on male body size. Selection on body size in the mate-limited treatment was due both to larger males being more likely to take up nests and to larger males being more likely to mate once they had a nest. These findings demonstrate that resource and mate limitation can differ in their effects on sexual selection. The results also reveal that resource and mating competition can be highly inter-related and not always separated in time, implying that methods to disentangle the two processes must be chosen with care. Future research should consider experimental and analytical approaches similar to those of the present study in attempts to elucidate the interaction of resource and mating competition in animals.
Data from: MHC-associated mate choice under competitive conditions in captive versus wild Tasmanian devils
Mate choice contributes to driving evolutionary processes when animals choose breeding partners that confer genetic advantages to offspring, such as increased immunocompetence. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an important group of immunological molecules, as MHC antigens bind and present foreign peptides to T-cells. Recent studies suggest that mates may be selected based on their MHC profile, leading to an association between an individual's MHC diversity and their breeding success. In conservation, it may be important to consider mate choice in captive breeding programs, as this mechanism may improve reproductive rates. We investigated the reproductive success of Tasmanian devils in a group housing facility to determine whether increased MHC-based heterozygosity led individuals to secure more mating partners and produce more offspring. We also compared the breeding success of captive females to a wild devil population. MHC diversity was quantified using 12 MHC-linked microsatellite markers, including 11 previously characterised markers and one newly identified marker. Our analyses revealed that there was no relationship between MHC-linked heterozygosity and reproductive success either in captivity or the wild. The results of this study suggest that, for Tasmanian devils, MHC-based heterozygosity does not produce greater breeding success, and that no specific changes to current captive management strategies are required with respect to preserving MHC diversity.
Data from: Evolutionary divergence in competitive mating success through female mating bias for good genes
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Data from: Testing for local adaptation in adult male and female fitness among populations evolved under different mate competition regimes
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Data from: MHC-associated mate choice under competitive conditions in captive versus wild Tasmanian devils
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Data from: Reproductive foragers: spider males choose mates by selecting among available competitive environments
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Data from: Male competition and the evolution of mating and life history traits in experimental populations of Aedes aegypti
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Data from: Local mate competition modifies the costs of mating in a mostly monandrous parasitoid wasp
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Data from: Competition for mates and the improvement of nonsexual fitness
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