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3,283 results for “males and females”
Data from: Female Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis thurberi) produce male-like song in a territorial context during the early breeding season
Reports of female song, once considered a rarity, have recently increased across a variety of avian taxa. Females of many species can be induced to produce male-like song with exogenous testosterone, but observations of female song in free-living birds remain limited by incomplete sampling of females. Here, we report three independent observations of female dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) producing male-like song early in the breeding season (i.e. post-territory establishment, pre-nesting) in a recently established non-migratory, urban population. To elicit song, we presented 17 free-living junco pairs with a live, caged female conspecific. Three unique females responded to our trials by diving at the intruding female, chasing their (male) mate, fanning their tail feathers, and singing a trilled song similar in structure to male long-range (broadcast) song. We compared male and female songs quantitatively and found that the two sexes were statistically similar in many spectral and temporal characteristics, but female songs had significantly lower minimum and peak frequencies than males. This result is particularly surprising, as males in this urban population are known to sing at a significantly higher minimum frequency than males in a nearby montane population. Both the seasonal and social context in which these songs were observed suggest a potential function for female song in mate guarding and polygyny prevention, but more data are needed to test this hypothesis. Whether female song is common in all dark-eyed juncos during the early breeding season or if it is restricted to this particular urban and non-migratory population remains an important question for future research.
Data from: Male and female helper effects on maternal investment and adult survival in red-winged fairy-wrens
Despite its importance for the evolution of cooperative breeding, it has proven difficult to determine whether helpers improve their recipients' fitness. Helpers affect fitness in multiple ways, both positive and negative, but their effects can also be concealed through reduced maternal investment. Furthermore, determining the direction of causation is difficult, as helper presence may indicate a productive territory, rather than high productivity indicating an effect of help. In cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans) groups reduce care when they have male helpers, but groups with female helpers do not, so nestlings receive more food. Thus our predictions vary with helper sex rather than helper number, and by studying within-group changes with regard to group composition we separate phenotypically plastic responses from among-group correlations. Females did not reduce egg size in response to an increasing number of female helpers. However, more male or female helpers allowed females to lay larger clutches and more female helpers reduced re-nesting intervals. There was mixed support for a benefit of load lightening: Helpers, but not breeders, gained survival benefits with increasing number of male helpers. However, helper survival decreased with the number of female helpers, suggesting that increased competition counterbalanced these male helper benefits. We also found consistent among-group differences, which would have erroneously been interpreted as helper effects had we not disentangled the within-group changes with regard to group composition. This study highlights the importance of assessing carers' benefits in relation to both group composition and size, and of investigating the within-individual plastic response of helper effects.
Data from: Measuring fecal testosterone in females and fecal estrogens in males: comparison of RIA and LC/MS/MS methods for wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).
The development of non-invasive methods, particularly fecal determination, has made possible the assessment of hormone concentrations in wild animal populations. However, measuring fecal metabolites needs careful validation for each species and for each sex. We investigated whether radioimmunoassays (RIAs) previously used to measure fecal testosterone (fT) in male baboons and fecal estrogens (fE) in female baboons were well suited to measure these hormones in the opposite sex. We compared fE and fT concentrations determined by RIA to those measured by liquid chromatography combined with triple quadropole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), a highly specific method. Additionally, we conducted a biological validation to assure that the measurements of fecal concentrations reflected physiological levels of the hormone of interest. Several tests produced expected results that led us to conclude that our RIAs can reliably measure fT and fE in both sexes, and that within-sex comparisons of these measures are valid: (i) fTRIA were significantly correlated to fTLC/MS/MS for both sexes; (ii) fTRIA were higher in adult than in immature males; (iii) fTRIA were higher in pregnant than non-pregnant females; (iv) fERIA were correlated with 17β-estradiol (fE2) and with estrone (fE1) determined by LC/MS/MS in pregnant females; (v) fERIA were significantly correlated with fE2 in non-pregnant females and nearly significantly correlated in males; (vi) fERIA were higher in adult males than in immature males. fERIA were higher in females than in males, as predicted, but unexpectedly, fTRIA were higher in females than in males, suggesting a difference in steroid metabolism in the two sexes; consequently, we conclude that while within-sex comparisons are valid, fTRIA should not be used for intersexual comparisons. Our results should open the field to important additional studies, as to date the roles of testosterone in females and estrogens in males have been little investigated.
Data from: Trade-offs in female signal apparency to males offer alternative anti-harassment strategies for color polymorphic females
Color polymorphisms are known to influence receiver behavior, but how they affect a receiver's ability to detect and recognize individuals in nature is usually unknown. I hypothesized that polymorphic female damselflies represent an evolutionary stable strategy, maintained by trade-offs between the relative apparency of morphs to male receivers. Using field experiments on Enallagma hageni and focal studies of E. hageni and E. boreale, I tested for the first time the predictions that 1) green heteromorphs and blue andromorphs gain differential protection from sexual harassment via background crypsis and sexual mimicry respectively, and 2) female morphs behaviorally optimize their signal apparency to mate-searching males. First, based on male reactions elicited by females, against a high contrast background the two morphs did not differ in being detected by males and once detected, did not differ in being recognized (eliciting sexual reactions). However, on green ferns, heteromorphs were detected less often (elicited only fly-bys) than andromorphs but once detected, the morphs did not differ in being recognized. In contrast, when perched on a dowel with two male signal distractors, andromorphs were detected less often and once detected, were recognized less often than heteromorphs. Second, in fields where females foraged, andromorphs perched higher on vegetation than heteromorphs, and were more often in the vicinity of males. Neither harassment rates nor evasive behaviors differed between morphs. Males aggregated in high density near shore where solitary females were rare. Equilibrium frequencies of these and other color morphs should reflect the relative ease with which receivers detect and recognize them in the context where they are encountered.
Data from: Dynamic phenotypic correlates of social status and mating effort in male and female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus
Despite widespread evidence that mating and intra-sexual competition are costly, relatively little is known about how these costs dynamically change male and female phenotypes. Here, we test multiple hypotheses addressing this question in replicate flocks of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). First, we test the inter-relationships between social status, comb size (a fleshy ornament) and body mass at the onset of a mating trial. While comb size covaried positively with body mass across individuals of both sexes, comb size was positively related to social status in females but not in males. Second, we test for changes within individuals in body mass and comb size throughout the mating trial. Both body mass and comb size declined at the end of a trial in both sexes, suggesting that mating effort and exposure to the opposite sex are generally costly. Males lost more body mass if they: i) were socially subordinate, ii) were chased by other males, or iii) mated frequently, indicating that subordinate status and mating are independently costly. Conversely, females lost more body mass if they were exposed to a higher frequency of coerced matings, suggesting costs associated with male sexual harassment and female resistance, although costs of mating per se could not be completely ruled out. Neither competitive nor mating interactions predicted comb size change in either sex. Collectively, these results support the notion that sex-specific costs associated with social status and mating effort result in differential, sex-specific dynamics of phenotypic change.
Data from: Differentiating the evolution of female song and male-female duets in the New World blackbirds: can tropical natural history traits explain duet evolution?
Female bird song and combined vocal duets of mated pairs are both frequently associated with tropical, monogamous, sedentary natural histories. Little is known, however, about what selects for duetting behavior versus female song. Female song likely preceded duet evolution and could drive apparent relationships between duets and these natural histories. We compared the evolution of female song and male-female duets in the New World blackbirds (Icteridae) by investigating patterns of gains and losses of both traits and their relationships with breeding latitude, mating system, nesting pattern, and migratory behavior. We found that duets evolved only in lineages in which female song was likely ancestral. Both female song and duets were correlated with tropical breeding, social monogamy, territorial nesting, and sedentary behavior when all taxa were included; however, correlations between duets and these natural history traits disappeared when comparisons were limited to taxa with female song. Also, likelihood values supported stronger relationships between the natural history traits and female song than between these traits and duets. Our results suggest that the natural histories thought to favor the evolution of duetting may in fact be associated with female song and that additional selection pressures are responsible for the evolution of duets.
Data from: Both male and female novel traits promote the correlated evolution of genitalia between the sexes in an arthropod
The correlated evolution of genitalia between sexes has been demonstrated in many taxa. However, it remains unclear whether female rather than male genitalia can play a key role in the correlated evolution of male and female genitalia. We conducted an extensive cross-population analysis of the divergence patterns of genital structures, weights of whole genital organs and the bodies of both sexes, and male genital length in a group of xystodesmid millipedes showing diverse genital morphologies. We demonstrate that the correlated evolution of male and female genitalia toward exaggerated states has occurred in the millipedes, which have evolved novel traits in both males (forceps-like gonopods) and females (retractable bellows). Enlargement and elongation of forceps-like gonopods may be advantageous in sperm competition, whereas enlargement and elongation of the bellows may facilitate acceptance/rejection of insemination for ensuring the female's fitness. These male and female genital parts have affected the correlated evolution in the opposite sex, resulting in diversification and exaggeration of genital morphology. Our study suggests that evolutionary novel traits in not only males but also in females could play an important role in the correlated evolution of genitalia between the sexes.
Data from: Stronger convex (stabilizing) selection on homologous sexual display traits in females than in males: a multipopulation comparison in Drosophila serrata
Mutual mate choice for homologous sexual display traits has been demonstrated in Mutual mate choice for homologous sexual display traits has been demonstrated in several recent studies yet little attention has been given to quantitative comparison of the strength and form of mate preferences between the sexes. Such comparisons may provide important insight into the evolution of mate choice for honest signals. In particular, because females generally provide the majority of resources for initial offspring development, female displays may trade-off with fecundity, causing preference evolution to differ between the sexes. Recent theory suggests that adaptive male preferences for honest displays in females are possible under certain conditions and may result in preferences that are convex (i.e. stabilizing) in form. We compared sexual selection on a suite of contact pheromones arising from mutual mate choice using nine separate geographic populations of Drosophila serrata. We show that the convex selection is stronger on females than on males overall in these populations, and that convex selection is the predominate form of nonlinear selection on females but not males.
Data from: Trial marriage model – female mate choice under male interference
<ol> <li>In sexually reproducing animals, the process of mate choice by females is often mixed with the process of male-male competition. Current models of female male choice focus mainly on how females identify the higher quality of males, but neglect the effect of male-male competition on the mate choice of females. Therefore, it remains controversial what is the relative importance of two processes in forming a social bond.</li> <li>We propose a new "trial marriage" model for females' mate choice. The model assumes that females unconditionally accept any male they first encounter as their mating partner, and then conditionally switch mates to a new male of higher quality than their current partner when male-male competition occurs. This model was tested in the green weevil, <i><span>Hypomeces squamosus</span></i><span>, by exploring how </span>females switched mates when males' mating interference was experimentally induced.</li> <li>The likelihood that females switched mates, as well as their conditional acceptance criteria of a new mate, was both raised with the intensity of males' mating interference that was manipulated in an enhanced encounter rate experiment, and in male introduction or stepwise removal experiments. These experimental findings confirm that a "trial marriage" strategy occurs during females' mate choice.</li> <li>Compared with other strategies, it is more beneficial for females to choose a better mate without paying the costs of identifying males as suggested by the "trial marriage" strategy. More importantly, by using the current partner quality as the conditional acceptance threshold of new mates, females can choose better males in future encounters with potential mates. In the green weevils, males' preference for larger females and the higher possibility of the largest male winning an interference are mixed together when males' mating interference reaches a higher intensity. Therefore, the consequence of a male interference will determine which male could be chosen by a female. Under this condition, conditional acceptance of the winner becomes the most beneficial strategy of females in choosing their mates. We thus suggest that the "trial marriage" strategy would be more efficient when males' mating interference becomes the determinant factor of females' mate choice.</li> </ol>
Data from: Female and male genetic effects on offspring paternity: additive genetic (co)variances in female extra-pair reproduction and male paternity success in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)
Ongoing evolution of polyandry, and consequent extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems, is hypothesised to be facilitated by indirect selection stemming from cross-sex genetic covariances with components of male fitness. Specifically, polyandry is hypothesised to create positive genetic covariance with male paternity success due to inevitable assortative reproduction, driving ongoing coevolution. However, it remains unclear whether such covariances could or do emerge within complex polyandrous systems. First, we illustrate that genetic covariances between female extra-pair reproduction and male within-pair paternity success might be constrained in socially monogamous systems where female and male additive genetic effects can have opposing impacts on the paternity of jointly reared offspring. Second, we demonstrate non-zero additive genetic variance in female liability for extra-pair reproduction and male liability for within-pair paternity success, modelled as direct and associative genetic effects on offspring paternity respectively, in free-living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The posterior mean additive genetic covariance between these liabilities was slightly positive, but the credible interval was wide and overlapped zero. Therefore, while substantial total additive genetic variance exists, the hypothesis that ongoing evolution of female extra-pair reproduction is facilitated by genetic covariance with male within-pair paternity success cannot yet be definitively supported or rejected either conceptually or empirically.
Data from: Leader preference in Neoconocephalus ensiger katydids: a female preference for a non-heritable male trait
Leader preferences, which result in greater mating success of males that produce their signals just ahead of those of their neighbors, are common in acoustically communicating insects and anurans (e.g. Whitney and Krebs 1975, Greenfield and Roizen 1993, Grafe 1996, Römer et al. 1997, Greenfield et al. 2004). These preferences are unusual in that they do not act on a property of the male signal itself but rather on its timing relative to that of other males (Snedden and Greenfield 1998), making the relationship between female preferences and male signal traits particularly complex. Leader preferences have been studied from several perspectives: their strength, their effect on male interactions, and their evolutionary origins (e.g. Greenfield and Roizen 1993, Grafe 1999, Römer et al. 2002, Hartbauer et al. 2006, Richardson et al. 2008, Hartbauer 2014, Party et al. 2014, Party et al. 2015).
Data from: Impact of male condition on his spermatophore and consequences for female reproductive performance in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
In butterflies, male reproductive success is highly related to the quality and the size of the spermatophore transferred to the female. The spermatophore is a capsule produced by the male during copulation, which in many species contains sperm in addition to a nuptial gift, and which is digested by the female after copulation. The nuptial gift may contribute to egg production and offspring quality, and in some cases also to female body maintenance. The production of the spermatophore, however, represents a cost for the male and, in polyandrous species, ejaculates are sometimes allocated adaptively across matings. Nonetheless, although the ecological factors affecting the reproductive success of female butterflies have been the topic of numerous studies, little information exists on the factors affecting males' contribution to reproduction, and the indirect impacts on female fecundity and fitness. We used the Glanville fritillary butterfly, Melitaea cinxia (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae), in order to assess variation in male allocation to matings. In this species, smaller males produce smaller spermatophores, but variation in spermatophore size is not correlated with female reproductive success. We show that spermatophore size increases with male age at first mating, decreases with mating frequency and adult food-deprivation, and is not influenced by developmental food-limitation. The length of copulation period does not influence the spermatophore size nor influences the polyandrous mating behavior in this species. Male contribution to his spermatophore size is clearly influenced by his condition and adult-resource at the time of mating. Despite this variation, spermatophore size does not seem to have a direct impact on female reproductive output or mating behavior.
Data from: Sex-specific estimates of dispersal show female philopatry and male dispersal in a promiscuous amphibian, the alpine salamander (Salamandra atra)
Amphibians display wide variations in life-history traits and life cycles that should prove useful to explore the evolution of sex-biased dispersal, but quantitative data on sex-specific dispersal patterns are scarce. Here we focused on Salamandra atra, an endemic alpine species showing peculiar life-history traits. Strictly terrestrial and viviparous, the species has a promiscuous mating system and females reproduce only every three to four years. In the present study, we provide quantitative estimates of asymmetries in male vs female dispersal using both field-based (mark-recapture) and genetic approaches (detection of sex-biased dispersal and estimates of migration rates based on the contrast in genetic structure across sexes and age classes). Our results revealed a high level of gene flow among populations, which stems exclusively from male dispersal. We hypothesize that philopatric females benefit from being familiar with their natal area for the acquisition and defence of an appropriate shelter, while male dispersal has been secondarily favoured by inbreeding avoidance. Together with other studies on amphibians, our results indicate that a species' mating system alone is a poor predictor of sex-linked differences in dispersal, in particular for promiscuous species. Further studies should focus more directly on the proximate forces that favour or limit dispersal to refine our understanding of the evolution of sex-biased dispersal in animals.
Data from: Males, but not females, perform strategic mate searching movements between host plants in a leaf beetle with scramble competition polygyny
1. Mate searching is assumed to be performed mostly by males, but when females benefit from multiple mating or are under risk of failing to mate, they may also perform mate searching. This is especially important in scramble competition polygynies, in which mate searching is the main mechanism of mate competition. Typically, more mobile individuals are expected to achieve higher mating success because mobility increases their probability of finding mates. 2. If we assume individual movements are mainly explained by mate searching in scramble competition polygynies, we can investigate searching strategies by asking when individuals should leave their location and where they should go. We hypothesize that individuals will leave their locations when mating opportunities are scarce and will seek spatially close sites with better mating opportunities. 3. We tested these hypotheses for males and females of Leptinotarsa undecimlineata, a leaf beetle with scramble competition polygyny in which both sexes are promiscuous. Individuals mate and feed exclusively on Solanum plants, thus individual movements can be described as switches between plants. 4. Females were less likely than males to leave isolated plants, and both males and females moved preferentially to neighbouring plants. Males were more likely to leave when the local number of females was low, and the number of males was high. They moved to plants with more females, a behaviour consistent with a mate searching strategy. Females were more likely to move to plants with fewer males and many females, a behaviour consistent with male harassment avoidance. 5. Strategic movement is widely considered in foraging context, but seldom in a mate searching context. Considering that selection to minimize searching costs, maximize mating success, and minimize harassment may be ubiquitous in nature, we argue that strategic movements by mate searching individuals are likely to occur in many species.
Data from: Female remating decisions and a shorter inter-mating interval diminish last-male sperm precedence
Highly variable within and across species, patterns of sperm use not only are often driven by post-copulatory sexual selection but can also be impacted by experimental design. In investigations of paternity bias using competitive double matings, the inter-mating interval is a temporal factor that can affect sperm use patterns if the first male's sperm is used or lost at an appreciable rate between matings or if its viability or relative competitiveness is influenced by the time since ejaculation. Rapid loss of first-male sperm within the female after mating has been established in the seed beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus), a model system in sperm competition studies. However, our understanding of sperm precedence in this species, which disproportionately favors the last (second) male to mate, is based on long inter-mating intervals. Here, I determine the effect of a shortened inter-mating interval on second-male paternity (P2) and, importantly, the extent to which females in this species are willing to remate immediately. I find that P2 is significantly reduced when females remate immediately than when they remate 24 or 48 h after the first mating and that immediate remating is common, indicating that there is a substantial potential for female remating decisions to influence the intensity of sperm competition within species. To understand the variation in inter-mating intervals from a female perspective, I further identify key differences between females that did and did not remate at three inter-mating intervals (0, 24, and 48 h after the initial mating) and discuss potential mechanisms for the observed variation in female refractoriness.
Forest cover at landscape scales increases male and female gametic diversity of palm seedlings
<p>Genetic diversity shapes the evolutionary potential of plant populations. For outcrossing plants, genetic diversity is influenced by effective population size and by dispersal, first of paternal gametes through pollen, and then of paternal and maternal gametes through seeds. Forest loss often reduces genetic diversity, but the degree to which it differentially impacts the paternal and maternal contributions to genetic diversity and the spatial scale at which these impacts are most pronounced are poorly understood. To address these questions, we genotyped 504 seedlings of the animal-dispersed palm <i>Oenocarpus bataua </i>collected from 29 widely distributed sites across Ecuador and decomposed the contribution of paternal and maternal gametes to overall genetic diversity. The amount of forest cover at a landscape scale (> 10 km radius) had an equally significant positive association with both male and female gametic diversity. In addition, there was a significant positive association between forest cover and effective population size. Stronger fine-scale spatial genetic structure for female versus male gametes was observed at sites with low forest cover, but this did not scale up to differences in male vs female gametic diversity. These findings show that reductions in forest cover at spatial scales much larger than those typically evaluated in ecological studies lead to significant, and equivalent, decreases of diversity in both male and female gametes, and that this association between landscape level forest loss and genetic diversity may be driven directly by reductions in effective population size of <i>O. bataua</i>, rather than by indirect disruptions to local dispersal processes. </p>
Data from: Female, but not male, tropical sparrows respond more strongly to the local song dialect: implications for population divergence.
In addition to the observed high diversity of species in the tropics, divergence among populations of the same species exists over short geographic distances in both phenotypic traits and neutral genetic markers. Divergence among populations suggests great potential for the evolution of reproductive isolation and eventual speciation. In birds, song can evolve quickly through cultural transmission resulting in regional dialects, which can be a critical component of reproductive isolation through variation in female preference. We examined female and male behavioral responses to local and non-local dialects in two allopatric populations of rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) in the Andes of Ecuador. Here we show that female sparrows prefer their natal song dialect to the dialect from an allopatric population just 25 km away and separated by unsuitable higher elevation habitat (pass 4200 m), thus providing evidence of prezygotic reproductive isolation among populations. Males showed similar territorial responses to all conspecific dialects, with no consistent difference with respect to distance, making male territoriality uninformative for estimating reproductive isolation. This study provides novel evidence for culturally-based prezygotic isolation over very short distances in a tropical bird.
FIGURES 15. Male genitalia and tergite 2. 1 in Notes on the functional morphology of terminalia from Prorates ballmeri Nagatomi and Liu (Diptera: Scenopinidae: Proratinae) collected while in copula, with a description of the previously unknown female
FIGURES 15. Male genitalia and tergite 2. 1, Lateral view of the male aedeagal apparatus showing only the left distiphallus tip, dorsal bridge and gonocoxal apodeme removed; 2, Dorsal view of gonocoxite and aedeagal apparatus; 3, Ventral view of gonocoxite; 4, Dorsal view of tergite 9, cerci, and hypoproct; 5, Dorsal view of tergite 2 with patch of modified setae. Cordlike phallus and dorsal bridge shown in gray to help clarify structures. Measure bar a is for all genitalia, measure bar b is for tergite 2 only. bp, basiphallus; cp, cordlike phallus; db, dorsal bridge; dp, distiphallus; eap, ejaculatory apodeme; ga, gonocoxal apodeme; gdp, gonocoxal dorsal process; gs, gonostylus; hp, hanging bell phallus.
Data from: Condition dependent mortality exacerbates male (but not female) reproductive senescence and the potential for sexual conflict
Disentangling the relationship between age and reproduction is central to understand life-history evolution, and recent evidence shows that considering condition-dependent mortality is a crucial piece of this puzzle. For example, non-random mortality of "low-condition" individuals can lead to an increase in average lifespan. However, selective disappearance of such low-condition individuals may also affect reproductive senescence at the population level due to trade-offs between physiological functions related to survival/lifespan and the maintenance of reproductive functions. Here, we address the idea that condition-dependent extrinsic mortality (i.e. simulated predation) may increase the age-related decline in male reproductive success, and with it the potential for sexual conflict, by comparing reproductive ageing in Drosophila melanogaster male/female cohorts exposed (or not) to condition-dependent simulated predation across time. While female reproductive senescence was not affected by predation, male reproductive senescence was considerably higher under predation, due mainly to an accelerated decline in offspring viability of "surviving" males with age. This sex-specific effect suggests that condition-dependent extrinsic mortality can exacerbate survival-reproductive trade-offs in males, which are typically under stronger condition-dependent selection than females. Interestingly, condition-dependent extrinsic mortality did not affect mating success, hinting that accelerated reproductive senescence is due to a decrease in male post-copulatory fitness components. Our results support the recent proposal that male ageing can be an important source of sexual conflict, further suggesting this effect could be exacerbated under more natural conditions.
Data from: Condition dependence of male and female genital structures in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)
Theory predicts that costly secondary sexual traits will evolve heightened condition dependence, and many studies have reported strong condition dependence of signal and weapon traits in a variety of species. However, although genital structures often play key roles in intersexual interactions and appear to be subject to sexual or sexually antagonistic selection, few studies have examined the condition dependence of genital structures, especially in both sexes simultaneously. We investigated the responses of male and female genital structures to manipulation of larval diet quality (new versus once-used mung beans) in the bruchid seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. We quantified effects on mean relative size and static allometry of the male aedeagus, aedeagal spines, flap and paramere and the female reproductive tract and bursal spines. None of the male traits showed a significant effect of diet quality. In females, we found that longer bursal spines (relative to body size) were expressed on low-quality diet. Although the function of bursal spines is poorly understood, we suggest that greater bursal spine length in low-condition females may represent a sexually antagonistic adaptation. Overall, we found no evidence that genital traits in C. maculatus are expressed to a greater extent when nutrients are more abundant. This suggests that, even though some genital traits appear to function as secondary sexual traits, genital traits do not exhibit heightened condition dependence in this species. We discuss possible reasons for this finding.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
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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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