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opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Female reproductive fluid increases the opportunities for post-mating sexual selection by prolonging egg fertilization window

Female reproductive fluid, the fluid that surrounds the eggs, has attracted increasing attention for its role in fertilization and post-mating sexual selection through its effects on sperm traits. Surprisingly, however, only a few studies have investigated the effects of female reproductive fluid on the eggs. Yet, these effects might offer great potential to affect fertilization dynamics by, for example, increasing the opportunities for post-mating sexual selection. Here, we determined whether, by extending the egg fertilization window (time available for egg fertilization), the female reproductive fluid could also increase the opportunities for multiple paternity. Using the Zebrafish Danio rerio we first tested the prediction that female reproductive fluid increases the egg fertilization window, and then, using a split-brood design with sperm of two males added at different times after eggs activation, we tested whether the degree of multiple paternity varies in presence or absence of female reproductive fluid. Our results reveal the potential of the female reproductive fluid to increase multiple paternity throughout its effects on the egg fertilization window thus broadening our knowledge of the mechanisms females in externally fertilizing species affect post-mating sexual selection.

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

Population genomics and sexual signals identify reproductive interference in Uperoleia

When closely related species come into contact via range expansion, both may experience reduced fitness as a result of the interaction. Selection is expected to favor traits that minimize costly interspecies reproductive interactions (such as mismating) via a phenomenon called reproductive character displacement (RCD). Research on RCD frequently assumes secondary contact between species, but the geographic history of species interactions is often unknown. Landscape genomic data allows tests of geographic hypotheses about species origins and secondary contact through range expansion. We used landscape genomic data from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mitochondrial sequence data, advertisement call data, and morphological data to investigate a species complex of toadlets (Uperoleia borealis, U. crassa, U. inundata) from northern Australia. Although the three species of frogs were morphologically indistinguishable in our analysis, we determined that U. crassa and U. inundata form a single species (synonymized here) based on an absence of genomic divergence. SNP data identified the phylogeographic origin of U. crassa as the Top End, with subsequent westward invasion into the range of U. borealis in the Kimberley. We identified six F1 hybrids, all of which had the U. borealis mitochondrial haplotype, suggesting unidirectional hybridization. Consistent with the RCD hypothesis, U. borealis and U. crassa sexual signals differ more in sympatry than in allopatry. Hybrid males have intermediate calls, which likely reduces attractiveness to females. Integrating landscape genomic data, mitochondrial sequencing, morphology, and behavioral approaches supplies us an unusually detailed collection of evidence for reproductive character displacement following range expansion and secondary contact.

opencc-zeroJul 2022View details →

Data from: What ecological factors favor parthenogenesis over sexual reproduction? A study on the facultatively parthenogenetic mayfly Alainites muticus in natural populations

Different reproductive modes are characterized by costs and benefits which depend on ecological contexts. For example, sex can provide benefits under complex biotic interactions, while its costs increase under mate limitation. Furthermore, ecological contexts often vary along abiotic gradients. Here, we study how these factors simultaneously influence the frequency of sex in the facultatively parthenogenetic mayfly Alainites muticus . We first verified that parthenogenesis translates into female-biased population sex ratios. We then measured the density of individuals (a proxy for mate limitation) and community diversity (biotic interaction complexity) for 159 A. muticus populations covering a broad altitudinal gradient and used structural equation modeling to investigate their direct and indirect influences on sex ratios. We found no effect of community diversity or altitude on sex ratios. Furthermore, even when females can reproduce parthenogenetically, they generally reproduce sexually, indicating that the benefits of sex exceed its costs in most situations. Sex ratios only become female-biased under low population densities, as expected if mate limitation was the main factor selecting for parthenogenesis. Mate limitation might be widespread in mayflies because of their short adult lifespan and limited dispersal, which can generate strong selection for reproductive assurance and may provide a stepping-stone towards obligate parthenogenesis.

opencc-zeroMay 2024View details →

Can developmental plasticity shape sexual competition and promote reproductive isolation?

Environmental factors such as dietary nutrients can shape the expression of developmentally plastic sexual traits in many species. However, while there has been extensive research into the developmental plasticity of sexual traits at the individual level, the broader consequences of this variation at the population scale remain poorly understood. Here, we asked whether plastic responses to the developmental environment can shape sexual competition and initiate reproductive isolation between populations. We reared neriid flies, Telostylinus angusticollis, on nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor larval diets, generating adult flies that differed in body size and secondary sexual trait expression. We then investigated sexual competition in experimental populations from each developmental environment, and tested for reproductive isolation between flies from mismatched environments. We found that, compared with poor-diet populations, rich-diet populations exhibited more frequent and escalated male-male combat and more frequent mating and mate-guarding. However, we found no evidence that sexual selection was affected by the developmental environment. Mismatched female-male pairs tended to take longer to mate and rich-diet females often rejected poor-diet males, but mismatched pairs were not less likely to mate within 1 hour or produce viable offspring. Our findings suggest that developmental plasticity could generate dramatic differences in sexual competition between populations, and could contribute to reproductive isolation.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2018View details →

Figure 1 in Does Male Sexual Experience Influence Female Mate Choice and Reproduction in the Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)?

Figure 1. (A) Number of eggs laid per female per week and (B) proportion of hatched eggs per week for Zeugodacus cucurbitae females mated to virgin or non-virgin (thrice-mated) males. Symbols represent averages (+ 1 SE) over 8 cages per male type.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2016View details →

Fig. 2 in Development, reproduction and sexual competitiveness of Conopomorpha sinensis (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) gamma-irradiated as pupae and adults

Fig. 2. Mean (± SE) mortality of eggs oviposited by Conopomorpha sinensis females involved in 3 different crosses. The upper curve shows the percentage hatch of eggs from the cross, UF × TM in which males were γ-irradiated as mature pupae with doses ranging egg from 50 and 300 Gy. The middle curve shows the corresponding results from the cross, TF × UM, however females irradiated with 200–300 Gy did not oviposit any eggs. The lower curve shows the corresponding results when both parents were irradiated.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2016View details →

Fig. 1 in Development, reproduction and sexual competitiveness of Conopomorpha sinensis (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) gamma-irradiated as pupae and adults

Fig. 1. Fecundity of P generation Conopomorpha sinensis adults that emerged from pupae irradiated at various γ-radiation doses ranging from 50 to 300 Gy. UF = non-irradiated females, TF = treated females, UM = non-irradiated males, TM = treated males. Different letters above bars indicate statistically significant differences within each combination (DMRT, P = 0.05).

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

Figure 3 in Intragonadal evaluation of sexual steroid hormones during three reproductive events in two species of Peromyscus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

Figure 3. Fluctuations of each intraovarian [SSH] in the ∆4 pathway throughout three reproductive events in two species of Peromyscus. Mean concentrations of sexual steroid hormones, [SSH], were obtained from estrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation in free-living, adult females of P. melanotis (A) and P. difficilis (B). Symbology as in Fig. 2. Note that scales differ; complete ANOVA information is available in Table S2.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

Figure 1 in Intragonadal evaluation of sexual steroid hormones during three reproductive events in two species of Peromyscus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

Figure 1. Intraovarian contents of selected ∆ 4 pathway's SSH in two Peromyscus species. Sexual steroid hormones (SSH: progesterone, P4; androstenedione, A; testosterone, T; estradiol, E2) were obtained from free-living, adult females of P. melanotis (A) and P. difficilis (B), during a complete estrous cycle (CEC: proestrus to diestrus), and after ovulation (vertical arrows) followed by fecundation in a successful estrous cycle (SEC: proestrus, estrus + early gestation 1 and late gestation 2 + overall lactation); note that proestrus and estrus data from CEC are duplicated in SEC). The oogenetic and anabolic/ catabolic phases of the ovarian cycle are also depicted (see Table 1).

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2019View details →

Fig. 1 in Aspects of reproduction and sexual dimorphism of Lygophis flavifrenatus (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae)

Fig. 1. Monthly variation in largest diameter (in millimeters) of the largest follicles (black circles) and eggs (white circles) of Lygophis flavifrenatus Cope, 1862 from Brazil. The horizontal line indicates the size from which follicles were considered as being in secondary vitellogenesis (secondary follicles).

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Difference in reproductive mode rather than ploidy explains niche differentiation in sympatric sexual and apomictic populations of Potentilla puberula

Apomicts tend to have larger geographical distributional ranges and to occur in ecologically more extreme environments than their sexual progenitors. However, the expression of apomixis is typically linked to polyploidy. Thus, it is a priori not clear whether intrinsic effects related to the change in the reproductive mode or rather in the ploidy drive ecological differentiation. We used sympatric sexual and apomictic populations of Potentilla puberula to test for ecological differentiation. To distinguish the effects of reproductive mode and ploidy on the ecology of cytotypes, we compared the niches (i) of sexuals (tetraploids) and autopolyploid apomicts (penta-, hepta- and octoploids) and (ii) of the three apomictic cytotypes. We based comparisons on a ploidy screen of 238 populations along a latitudinal transect through the Eastern European Alps and associated bioclimatic, soil and topographic data. Sexual tetraploids preferred primary habitats at drier, steeper, more south-oriented slopes, while apomicts mostly occurred in human-made habitats with higher water availability. Contrariwise, we found no or only marginal ecological differentiation among the apomictic higher ploids. Based on the pronounced ecological differences found between sexuals and apomicts, in addition to the lack of niche differentiation among cytotypes of the same reproductive mode, we conclude that reproductive mode rather than ploidy is the main driver of the observed differences. Moreover, we compared our system with others from the literature, to stress the importance of identifying alternative confounding effects (such as hybrid origin). Finally, we underline the relevance of studying ecological parthenogenesis in sympatry, to minimise the effects of differential migration abilities

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Greater reproductive assurance of asexual plant compared to sexual relative in a low density sympatric population – experimental evidence for pollen limitation

This dataset contains data from a common garden experiment described in the paper: "Mráz P, Mrázová V. 2021. Greater reproductive assurance of asexual plant compared to sexual relative in a low density sympatric population – experimental evidence for pollen limitation. Journal of Evolutionary Ecology ". We compared the level and stability of reproductive assurance between sexual self-incompatible and asexual autonomously apomictic plants of Hieracium alpinum (Asteraceae) cultivated in a sympatric low-density population with two levels of spatial clumping of sexual plants. Overall, we found that the realized seed set (i.e. proportion of well developed seeds per capitulum) of asexuals was ca. 3-times greater than that of sexuals (83% versus 27%), while the variance of this trait expressed as coefficient of variation was ca. 4-times smaller in asexuals compared to sexuals (19% versus 83%). Solitary sexual plants had more than 2-times lower realized seed set when compared to clumps composed of two spatially close (20-30 cm) sexual plants (13% versus 34%). Our study provides experimental evidence for benefit of uniparental reproduction of asexuals in a sympatric situation when the availability of mates is limited. This, together with unpredictability of pollinator environment could provide autonomous apomicts with an ultimate demographic superiority during colonization reflected in geographical parthenogenesis observed in this species.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Condition-dependent sexual reproduction is driven by benefits, not costs of sex

Facultative sexual organisms must allocate resources to both asexual and sexual reproduction. Optimal patterns of investment in sex depend on the relative costs and benefits of each reproductive mode, and may consequently be context- and condition-dependent. Two proposed explanations for the observed variation in investment in sex among facultative sexual lineages invoke alternative condition-dependent scenarios. Under the 'fitness-associated sex' hypothesis, sex is predicted when individuals are in poor condition or experience stressful environments. Under the 'resource-demanding sex' hypothesis, sex is only affordable to individuals in good condition experiencing favourable environments. Direct tests of these contrasting hypotheses are rare; moreover, investment in different components of sexual reproduction responds differently to cues promoting sex, and may be subject to different energetic constraints. Using genotypes of facultative sexual Daphnia carinata that differ in their level of investment in sex, we manipulated resource availability while accounting for day length (a seasonal cue for sex) to evaluate these hypotheses. The sexual response to day length depended on resource availability: increased day lengths and reduced food availability increased the production of sexual eggs, and relative investment in males, in a manner consistent with the fitness-associated sex hypothesis. The pattern of condition-dependence was specific to each component of reproductive investment – while male production covaried with asexual fecundity across genotypes, increased sexual egg production was associated with reduced asexual reproduction. Our results suggest that investment in sex is determined largely by its context-dependent advantages, and that this investment is not moderated by immediate costs to asexual reproduction.

Fig. 10 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig. 10. Pathways of the reproductive cycle of Alphestes afer showing the steps of protogynous hermaphroditism steps according to histological evidences observed. The schematic figures represent a portion of the histological section observed in microscopic. Fbi (Im), immature bisexual female; Tr(Rp), transitional ripe; TR(Sp), transitional spent; TR(Re), transitional resting; PM, primary male; SM, secondary male.

Fig. 9 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig. 9. Relationship between gonasosomatic index (I) and G size (T) of ripe females (n = 31) and males (n = 33) of Alphestes L afer during the reproductive peak (August up to September 2008, 2009).

Fig. 5 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig. 5. Monthly distribution of number (N) of females of Alphestes afer in sex change during reproductive cycle (from March 2008 up to October 2009); I, gonadosomatic index. G Fbi (Im), inactive bisexual phase of female; Tr(Re), transitional phase of resting; Tr(Rp), transitional phase of ripe; Tr(Sp), transitional phase of spent female; Rc, reproductive cycle (n= 17).

Fig.7 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig.7. Monthly variation analysis of the gonasosomatic index (I) of Females (I F; n=200) Males (I M; n=57); and fat G G G deposited in the mesenteries (Mesenteric fat – Mf F; Mf M) of Alphestes afer from Pernambuco coast. Error bars show standard deviation of original data.

Fig. 4 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig. 4. (left column) Females with bisexual and transitional phases in Alphestes afer. (a) Section showing a gonad in bisexual phase of immature female (bar = 50 μm) (16.1 cm T; L May 2008). (a*) Detail of spermatic crypt in major magnification of same specimen (1000x; bar = 20 μm). (b) Section showing a gonad in transitional phase of resting female with sperm crypts spread among ovarian tissue (bar = 50μm) (19.8 cm T; May L 2009). (b*) Detail of spermatic crypt (1000x; bar = 2μm). (c) Section of ovary showing transitional phase of spent female with sperm crypts around vitellogenic stage oocyte (bar = 50 μm) (21.1 cm T; October 2009). (c*) Detail of spermatic crypt L (1000x, bar = 2 μm) O = primary growth stage oocyte; dot = 1 degenerating ovarian tissue, scr = sperm crypts; mb = muscle boundle; O3 = vitellogenic stage oocyte; atr = atretic vitellogenic oocytes; spd = spermatides.

Fig. 2 in Sexual development and reproductive pattern of the Mutton hamlet, Alphestes afer (Teleostei: Epinephelidae): a dyandric, hermaphroditic reef fish

Fig. 2. Photomicrographs of histological sections from males Alphestes afer gonads. (a), (b) Section from a ripe male (a - bar = 300μm, 15.1 cm T; September 2008; b - bar = 37 μm, 19.0 cm L T; August 2009). (c) Section from a ripening male with residual L previtellogenic oocytes (bar = 50μm; 21 cm T; June 2009). lu L = lumen, spz = spermatozoa; ro = residual oocytes.