Male mate choice based on ontogenetic colour changes of females in the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis
TL;DR: Female body colour is an important cue for males in discriminating between sexual maturation stages and Learned mate discrimination depending on copulation experience might help males to detect potential mates effectively and avoid sexually unreceptive immature female.
Abstract: While male mate choice behaviour has been reported in many taxa, little is known about its plasticity and evolutionary consequences. In the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis, females exhibit colour dimorphism (gynomorph and andromorph). The body colour of gynomorphs changed ontogenetically in accordance with sexual maturation, while little change occurred in andromorphs. To test the male mate choice between sexually immature and mature females of both morphs, binary choice experiments were conducted. Virgin males that were reared separately from females after emergence did not show significant preference between sexually immature and mature females for both morphs, indicating that virgin males were unable to discriminate female reproductive status. On the other hand, males that had experienced copulation with gynomorphs preferred sexually mature gynomorphs to sexually immature ones. However, males that had experienced copulation with andromorphs could not discriminate between sexually immature and mature andromorphs, probably due to the absence of significant ontogenetic change in their thoracic colour. Therefore, female body colour is an important cue for males in discriminating between sexual maturation stages. Learned mate discrimination depending on copulation experience might help males to detect potential mates effectively and avoid sexually unreceptive immature female. We finally discuss the adaptive significance of the ontogenetic colour change in females.
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TL;DR: It is suggested that deeper ecological perspectives on sexual selection may alter some of the fundamental assumptions of sexual selection theory and rapidly lead to new discoveries.
Abstract: Sexual selection has resulted in some of the most captivating features of insects, including flashy colors, bizarre structures, and complex pheromones. These features evolve in dynamic environments, where conditions can change rapidly over space and time. However, only recently has ecological complexity been embraced by theory and practice in sexual selection. We review replicated selection studies as well as studies on variation in the agents of selection to delineate gaps in current knowledge and clarify exciting new directions for research. Existing work suggests that fluctuations in sexual selection may be extremely common, though work on the ecological factors influencing these fluctuations is scarce. We suggest that deeper ecological perspectives on sexual selection may alter some of the fundamental assumptions of sexual selection theory and rapidly lead to new discoveries.
184 citations
Cites background from "Male mate choice based on ontogenet..."
...For example, males in the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis (158) and the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus (12) initially do not exhibit mate preferences, but they become discriminating after gaining mating experience....
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TL;DR: A difference in resource quality is used to test for the influence of past environmental conditions and current environmental conditions on male and female mate choice and resulting selection gradients for leaf‐footed cactus bugs, Narnia femorata, and demonstrates context‐dependent mate choice by both males and females.
Abstract: Sexual selection is often assumed to be strong and consistent, yet increasing research shows it can fluctuate over space and time. Few experimental studies have examined changes in sexual selection in response to natural environmental variation. Here, we use a difference in resource quality to test for the influence of past environmental conditions and current environmental conditions on male and female mate choice and resulting selection gradients for leaf-footed cactus bugs, Narnia femorata. We raised juveniles on natural high- and low-quality diets, cactus pads with and without ripe cactus fruits. New adults were again assigned a cactus pad with or without fruit, paired with a potential mate, and observed for mating behaviors. We found developmental and adult encounter environments affected mating decisions and the resulting patterns of sexual selection for both males and females. Males were not choosy in the low-quality encounter environment, cactus without fruit, but they avoided mating with small females in the high-quality encounter environment. Females were choosy in both encounter environments, avoiding mating with small males. However, they were the choosiest when they were in the low-quality encounter environment. Female mate choice was also context dependent by male developmental environment. Females were more likely to mate with males that had developed on cactus with fruit when they were currently in the cactus with fruit environment. This pattern disappeared when females were in the cactus without fruit environment. Altogether, these results experimentally demonstrate context-dependent mate choice by both males and females. Furthermore, we demonstrate that simple, seasonal changes in resources can lead to fluctuations in sexual selection.
54 citations
Cites background from "Male mate choice based on ontogenet..."
...…2011), thus it should not be surprising that male mating decisions should also be context dependent (Itzkowitz and Haley 1999; Simcox et al. 2005; Bateman and Fleming 2006; Bel-Venner et al. 2008; Heubel and Schlupp 2008; Venner et al. 2010; Takahashi and Watanabe 2011; Jordan and Brooks 2012)....
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TL;DR: The finding that the presence of male preferences cannot be assumed to lead to the evolution of female ornaments during polygyny is emphasized, and situations where models have elucidated ways in which female or Naments can nevertheless evolve are pointed out.
Abstract: The evolution of male preferences and of female ornaments in species with traditional sex roles (i.e., polygyny) have been highlighted as areas in need of more active research by an accumulation of recent findings. The theoretical literature on these topics is relatively small and has centered on the evolution of male choice. Mathematical models have emphasized that, under polygyny, the evolution of male preferences faces much greater competition costs than does the evolution of female preferences. We discuss ways in which costly male choice can nonetheless evolve, via (1) direct selection that favors preferences, primarily through mating with highly fecund females, (2) mechanisms that rely on indirect selection, which weakly counters competitive costs of male preferences, and (3) genetic constraints, primarily in the form of pleiotropy of male and female preferences and traits. We also review a variety of mathematical models that have elucidated how costs to male preferences can be avoided. Finally, we turn our attention to the relatively scant theoretical literature on the effects of male mate choice on the evolution of female traits. We emphasize the finding that the presence of male preferences cannot be assumed to lead to the evolution of female ornaments during polygyny, and point out situations where models have elucidated ways in which female ornaments can nevertheless evolve.
49 citations
Cites background from "Male mate choice based on ontogenet..."
...2009), crabs (Takahashi and Watanabe 2011; Baldwin and Johnsen 2012), and primates (Huchard et al....
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...…patterns hold for fishes (Amundsen and Forsgren 2001; Massironi et al. 2005), lizards (LeBas and Marshall 2000; Weiss 2006; Calisi et al. 2008; Weiss et al. 2009), crabs (Takahashi and Watanabe 2011; Baldwin and Johnsen 2012), and primates (Huchard et al. 2009; Fitzpatrick et al. 2014) (Figure 1)....
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01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: Assessing what is known and as yet unknown about the interface between CFC and Sfps and suggesting avenues for further research in this fascinating area of Diptera is concluded.
Abstract: Dipteran females have many opportunities to influence the reproductive success of their mates. After each mating, females may influence their mates’ postcopulatory reproductive success by choosing whether and where to store sperm, whether and when to remate and lay eggs, and how much to invest in eggs fertilized by different males. Female neural, endocrine, and muscular mechanisms are necessary for these processes to occur. We review physiological experiments that have borne this out. Further evidence from many Diptera shows that seminal fluid proteins (Sfps) also influence female post-copulatory processes including ones that affect sperm use. The most comprehensive evidence comes from Drosophila melanogaster, whose seminal proteome is well characterized. In this species, studies of sequence variation, including in natural populations, and of gene-specific knockdown in the laboratory, have identified male and female genes whose actions influence and/or correlate with post-copulatory processes in the female. Furthermore, co-evolution between Sfps and female reproductive proteins suggests their involvement in common functional pathways. We review the evidence for the interaction of Sfp-mediated effects and cryptic female choice (CFC), with a focus on D. melanogaster and evidence from other Diptera as available. L.K. Sirot (*) Department of Biology, College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, USA e-mail: Lsirot@wooster.edu M.F. Wolfner Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA e-mail: mariana.wolfner@cornell.edu 352 L.K. Sirot and M.F. Wolfner Finally, we conclude by assessing what is known and as yet unknown about the interface between CFC and Sfps and by suggesting avenues for further research in this fascinating area.
46 citations
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that the combination of NFDS and gene-by-environment interaction, i.e., multi-selection pressure on color morphs, can explain the geographic cline in morph frequency in the current system.
Abstract: Background
Establishment of geographic morph frequency clines is difficult to explain in organisms with limited gene flow. Balancing selection, such as negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS), is instead suggested to establish a morph frequency cline on a geographic scale at least theoretically. Here we tested whether a large-scale smooth cline in morph frequency is established by NFDS in the female-dimorphic damselfly, Ischnura senegalensis, where andromorphs and gynomorphs are maintained by NFDS.
43 citations
Cites background from "Male mate choice based on ontogenet..."
...Whereas males are monomorphic, females exhibit color dimorphism: an andromorph and a gynomorph [34,61]....
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References
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12 Jul 2017
TL;DR: The p,cnetics of sex nas now becn clarif ied, and Fishcr ( 1958 ) hrs produccd , n,od"l to cxplarn sex ratios at coDception, a nrodel recently extendcd to include special mccha_ nisms that operate under inbreeding (Hunrilron I96?).
Abstract: There is a tendency among biologists studying social behavior to regard the adult sex ratio as an independent variable to which the species reacts with appropriate adaptations D Lack often interprets social behavior as an adaptation in part to an unbalanced (or balanced) sex ratio, and J Verner has summarized other instances of this tendency The only mechanism that will generate differential mortality independent of sexual differences clearly related to parental investment and sexual selection is the chromosomal mechanism, applied especially to humans and other mammals: the unguarded X chromosome of the male is presumed to predispose him to higher mortality Each offspring can be viewed as an investment independent of other offspring, increasing investment in one offspring tending to decrease investment in others Species can be classified according to the relative parental investment of the sexes in their young In the vast majority of species, the male's only contribution to the survival of his offspring is his sex cells
10,571 citations
"Male mate choice based on ontogenet..." refers background in this paper
...Because females in most animal species make a greater investment in each offspring than males (Trivers 1972), selection would seem to favour the choice of males by females in situation of direct (e.g. Boggs 1995) or indirect (e.g. Bussière et al. 2008) benefit....
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...Because females in most animal species make a greater investment in each offspring than males (Trivers 1972), selection would seem to favour the choice of males by females in situation of direct (e....
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Book•
01 Jan 1972
TL;DR: In the first full discussion of sexual selection since 1871, leading biologists brought modern genetic theory and behavior observation to bear on the subject as mentioned in this paper, and the result is a remarkably original and well-rounded view of the whole concept that will be invaluable especially to students of evolution and human sexual behavior.
Abstract: Just over one hundred and thirty years ago Charles Darwin, in The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871), developed remarkably accurate conclusions about man's ancestry, based on a review of general comparative anatomy and psychology in which he regarded sexual selection as a necessary part of the evolutionary process. But the attention of biologists turned to the more general concept of natural selection, in which sexual selection plays a complex role that has been little understood. This volume significantly broadens the scope of modern evolutionary biology by looking at this important and long neglected concept of great importance. In this book, which is the first full discussion of sexual selection since 1871, leading biologists bring modern genetic theory and behavior observation to bear on the subject. The distinguished authors consider many aspects of sexual selection in many species, including man, within the context of contemporary evolutionary theory and research. The result is a remarkably original and well-rounded view of the whole concept that will be invaluable especially to students of evolution and human sexual behavior. The lucid authority of the contributors and the importance of the topic will interest all who share in man's perennial fascination with his own history. The book will be of central importance to a wide variety of professionals, including biologists, anthropologists, and geneticists. It will be an invaluable supplementary text for courses in vertebrate biology, theory of evolution, genetics, and physical anthropology. It is especially important with the emergence of alternative explanations of human development, under the rubric of creationism and doctrines of intelligent design.
3,863 citations
Book•
24 Jun 1999
1,551 citations
"Male mate choice based on ontogenet..." refers background in this paper
...Because ontogenetic colour changes in accordance with sexual maturation are common in odonate species, body colour is one of the indicators of female sexual maturation (Corbet 1999)....
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...Because ontogenetic colour changes in accordance with sexual maturation are common in odonate species, body colour is one of the indicators of female sexual maturation (Corbet 1999). Cordero (1990) reported that in I....
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...Ontogenetic colour changes in relation to sexual maturation are widespread traits in odonate species (Corbet 1999)....
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TL;DR: The empirical evidence and theory pertaining to the evolution of male mate choice and sex role reversal in insects are synthesized, and the potential for male mating p to generate sexual selection on female phenotypes is examined.
Abstract: Mate choice by males has been recognized at least since Darwin's time, but its phylogenetic distribution and effect on the evolution of female phenotypes remain poorly known. Moreover, the relative importance of factors thought to underlie the evolution of male mate choice (especially parental investment and mate quality variance) is still unresolved. Here I synthesize the empirical evidence and theory pertaining to the evolution of male mate choice and sex role reversal in insects, and examine the potential for male mating preferences to generate sexual selection on female phenotypes. Although male mate choice has received relatively little empirical study, the available evidence suggests that it is widespread among insects (and other animals). In addition to 'precopulatory' male mate choice, some insects exhibit 'cryptic' male mate choice, varying the amount of resources allocated to mating on the basis of female mate quality. As predicted by theory, the most commonly observed male mating preferences are those that tend to maximize a male's expected fertilization success from each mating. Such preferences tend to favour female phenotypes associated with high fecundity or reduced sperm competition intensity. Among insect species there is wide variation in mechanisms used by males to assess female mate quality, some of which (e.g. probing, antennating or repeatedly mounting the female) may be difficult to distinguish from copulatory courtship. According to theory, selection for male choosiness is an increasing function of mate quality variance and those reproductive costs that reduce, with each mating, the number of subsequent matings that a male can perform ('mating investment') Conversely, choosiness is constrained by the costs of mate search and assessment, in combination with the accuracy of assessment of potential mates and of the distribution of mate qualities. Stronger selection for male choosiness may also be expected in systems where female fitness increases with each copulation than in systems where female fitness peaks at a small number of matings. This theoretical framework is consistent with most of the empirical evidence. Furthermore, a variety of observed male mating preferences have the potential to exert sexual selection on female phenotypes. However, because male insects typically choose females based on phenotypic indicators of fecundity such as body size, and these are usually amenable to direct visual or tactile assessment, male mate choice often tends to reinforce stronger vectors of fecundity or viability selection, and seldom results in the evolution of female display traits. Research on orthopterans has shown that complete sex role reversal (i.e. males choosy, females competitive) can occur when male parental investment limits female fecundity and reduces the potential rate of reproduction of males sufficiently to produce a female-biased operational sex ratio. By contrast, many systems exhibiting partial sex role reversal (i.e. males choosy and competitive) are not associated with elevated levels of male parental investment, reduced male reproductive rates, or reduced male bias in the operational sex ratio. Instead, large female mate quality variance resulting from factors such as strong last-male sperm precedence or large variance in female fecundity may select for both male choosiness and competitiveness in such systems. Thus, partial and complete sex role reversal do not merely represent different points along a continuum of increasing male parental investment, but may evolve via different evolutionary pathways.
907 citations
"Male mate choice based on ontogenet..." refers background in this paper
...However, male mate choice behaviour is also widespread in many taxa (e.g. Bateman and Fleming 2006; Bonduriansky 2001; Clutton-Brock 2007)....
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...Such male mate choice is suggested to lead to the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics in females (Amundsen and Forsgren 2001; Clutton-Brock 2009) and of mating systems (Bonduriansky 2001), consequently resulting in sexual dimorphism....
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TL;DR: It is shown that both intrasexual competition between females and male choice of mating partners are common, leading to strong sexual selection in females and, in extreme cases, to reversals in the usual pattern of sex differences in behavior and morphology.
Abstract: Research on sexual selection shows that the evolution of secondary sexual characters in males and the distribution of sex differences are more complex than was initially suggested but does not undermine our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms involved. However, the operation of sexual selection in females has still received relatively little attention. Recent studies show that both intrasexual competition between females and male choice of mating partners are common, leading to strong sexual selection in females and, in extreme cases, to reversals in the usual pattern of sex differences in behavior and morphology.
785 citations
"Male mate choice based on ontogenet..." refers background in this paper
...However, male mate choice behaviour is also widespread in many taxa (e.g. Bateman and Fleming 2006; Bonduriansky 2001; Clutton-Brock 2007)....
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