Plants and their interaction partners offer unparalleled views of evolutionary ecology.Nectar larceny,entailing nectar extraction without pollinating,is thought to be an example of a harmful,antagonistic behavior,but ...Plants and their interaction partners offer unparalleled views of evolutionary ecology.Nectar larceny,entailing nectar extraction without pollinating,is thought to be an example of a harmful,antagonistic behavior,but the precise consequences of floral larceny on plant reproductive success remain contentious.We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 153 studies across 120 plant species,using 14 moderators to assess the effects of floral larceny on plant reproductive success and examine the key moderators.We found that floral larceny negatively impacts flower traits,pollinator visitation,pollen deposition,and fruit set,while having a neutral effect on critical female fitness indicators,such as seed set and seed quality,as well as on male fitness.By altering pollinator behavior,floral larceny may reduce geitonogamy,potentially enhancing genetic diversity.Additionally,factors such as pollinator type,plant mating system,and pollen limitation were identified as key moderators of these effects.Our analysis reveals an ultimately neutral effect of floral larceny on plant reproductive success,with potential benefits in certain contexts.These findings suggest that floral larceny plays a complex and multifaceted role within plant-pollinator interactions,facilitating the evolutionary stability and coexistence of floral larcenists and host plants.展开更多
Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain ...Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.展开更多
In hermaphroditic plants, female reproductive success often varies among different positions within an inflorescence. However, few studies have evaluated the relative importance of underlying causes such as pollen lim...In hermaphroditic plants, female reproductive success often varies among different positions within an inflorescence. However, few studies have evaluated the relative importance of underlying causes such as pollen limitation, resource limitation or architectural effect, and few have compared male allocation. During a 2-year investigation, we found that female reproductive success of an acropetally flowering species, Corydalis remota Fisch. ex Maxim. var. lineariloba Maxim. was significantly lower in the upper late developing flowers when compared with the lower early flowers. Supplementation with outcross pollen did not improve female reproductive success of the upper flowers, while removal of the lower developing fruits significantly increased female reproductive success of the upper flowers in both years, evidencing resource limitation of the upper flowers. Female production in upper flowers was greatly improved by simultaneous pollen supplementation of the upper flowers and removal of the lower fruits, suggesting that, when resources are abundant, pollen may limit the female reproductive success of the upper flowers. The less seed mass in the upper flowers didn＇t increase in all treatments due to architecture. In the upper flowers, ovule production was significantly lower and the pollen ： ovule ratio was significantly higher. These results suggest that male-biased sex allocation in the upper flowers may lead to increased male reproductive success, whereas the lower flowers have higher female reproductive success.展开更多
The pistil, the female reproductive organ of plants, is a key player in the success of sexual plant reproduction. Ultimately, the production of fruits and seeds depends on the proper pistil development and function. T...The pistil, the female reproductive organ of plants, is a key player in the success of sexual plant reproduction. Ultimately, the production of fruits and seeds depends on the proper pistil development and function. Therefore, the identification and characterization of pistil expressed genes is essential for a better understanding and manipulation of the plant reproduction process. For studying the function of pistil expressed genes, transgenic and/or mutant plants for the genes of interest are used. The present article provides a review of methods already exploited to analyze sexual reproductive success. We intend to supply useful information and to guide future experiments in the study of genes affecting pistil development and function.展开更多
In natural ecosystems,the timely abscission of seeds in wild plants is a crucial adaptive trait that contributes to reproductive success,population renewal,and colony expansion(Thurber et al.2010).In contrast,the tend...In natural ecosystems,the timely abscission of seeds in wild plants is a crucial adaptive trait that contributes to reproductive success,population renewal,and colony expansion(Thurber et al.2010).In contrast,the tendency for high seed shattering in domesticated crops,such as rice,not only reduces paddy yield but also complicates mechanized harvesting.展开更多
Urban areas differ from natural habitats in several environmental features that influence the characteristics of animals living there.For example,birds often start breeding seasonally earlier and fledge fewer offsprin...Urban areas differ from natural habitats in several environmental features that influence the characteristics of animals living there.For example,birds often start breeding seasonally earlier and fledge fewer offspring per brood in cities than in natural habitats.However,longer breeding seasons in cities may increase the frequency of double-brooding in urban compared with nonurban populations,thus potentially increasing urban birds’annual reproductive output and resulting in lower habitat difference in reproductive success than estimated by studies focusing on first clutches only.In this study,we investigated 2 urban and 2 forests great tit Parus major populations from 2013 to 2019.We compared the probability of double-brooding and the total number of annually fledged chicks per female between urban and forest habitats,while controlling for the effects of potentially confounding variables.There was a trend for a higher probability of double-brooding in urban(44%of females)than in forest populations(36%),although this was not consistent between the 2 urban sites.Females produced significantly fewer fledglings annually in the cities than in the forest sites,and this difference was present both within single-and double-brooded females.Furthermore,double-brooded urban females produced a similar number of fledglings per season as single-brooded forest females.These results indicate that double-brooding increases the reproductive success of female great tits in both habitats,but urban females cannot effectively compensate in this way for their lower reproductive output per brood.However,other mechanisms like increased post-fledging survival can mitigate habitat differences in reproductive success.展开更多
Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has...Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44% over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.展开更多
As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they ...As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they highlight areas where current explanations are incomplete. Here we briefly review two ongoing discussions in the sexual selection literature. First, the definition of sexual selection has received renewed interest in light of increasing research effort into when and how it operates in females. Second, how best to measure sexual selection is an ongoing subject of debate; in practice, recognition that the appropriate measures depend on the focus of the specific study, and that multiple measures should be employed wherever possible, seems to provide the most informative approach. The wide scope of recent empirical work in these and related areas, with the application of new techniques and approaches, reflects that the field of sexual selection is being constantly expanded and enriched展开更多
Though females are generally more selective in mate choice, males may also benefit from mate choice if male reproductive success is limited by factors other than simply the number of female mates, and if females diffe...Though females are generally more selective in mate choice, males may also benefit from mate choice if male reproductive success is limited by factors other than simply the number of female mates, and if females differ in short-term reproductive potential. We studied male mate choice in a free-ranging troop of Tibetan macaques Macaca thibetana at Mt. Huangshan, China, from August 2007 to April 2008. We employed focal animal sampling and all occurrence sampling to record sexual related behaviors. Eight adult females were divided into three female quality categories according to the females＇ age, rank and parity. Using male mating effort as a proxy for male mate choice, we found that males do distinguish female quality and show time-variant mating strategies. Specifically, females with dominant rank, high fecundity, and middle age attracted significantly more males. Our results suggest that female short-term reproductive potential appears to be an important variable in determining male mating effort. Male Tibetan macaques do exercise mate choice for higher quality females as well as reduce useless reproductive cost, which is consistent with the direct benefits theory of mate choice.展开更多
Chaotic genetic patchiness （CGP） refers to surprising patterns of spatial and temporal genetic structure observed in some marine species at a scale where genetic variation should be efficiently homogenized by gene f...Chaotic genetic patchiness （CGP） refers to surprising patterns of spatial and temporal genetic structure observed in some marine species at a scale where genetic variation should be efficiently homogenized by gene flow via larval dispersal. Here we review and discuss 4 mechanisms that could generate such unexpected patterns： selection, sweepstakes reproductive success, collective dispersal, and temporal shifts in local population dynamics. First, we review examples where genetic differentiation at specific loci was driven by diversifying selection, which was historically the first process invoked to explain CGP. Second, we turn to neutral demographic processes that may drive genome-wide effects, and whose effects on CGP may be enhanced when they act together. We discuss how sweepstakes reproductive success accelerates genetic drift and can thus generate genetic structure, provided that gene flow is not too strong. Collective dispersal is another mechanism whereby genetic structure can be maintained regardless of dispersal intensity, because it may prevent larval cohorts from becoming entirely mixed. Theoretical analyses of both the sweepstakes and the collective dispersal ideas are presented. Finally, we discuss an idea that has received less attention than the other ones just mentioned, namely temporal shifts in local population dynamics.展开更多
Recent studies have revealed that sexually selected traits may signal sperm quality and hence male fertilisation ability. There is also evidence that the expression of male sexual ornamentation and associated sperm ch...Recent studies have revealed that sexually selected traits may signal sperm quality and hence male fertilisation ability. There is also evidence that the expression of male sexual ornamentation and associated sperm characteristics depend on an indi- vidual＇s ability to cope with oxidative stress. Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties and carotenoid-based orna- ments might represent honest signals as these pigments can be traded offbetween the investment in sexual ornamentation, sperm function as well as immune response. In this study, we examined the relationship between sexual ornamentation （breeding colo- ration） and sperm characteristics （e.g., velocity and morphology） in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aeuleatus, an ex- ternally fertilising fish species, in which sperm competition commonly occurs. During the breeding season males are sperm limi- ted and develop a conspicuous carotenoid-based coloration, which is under strong pre-copulatory sexual selection due to female mate choice and male-male competition. The results of the present study show that the expression of stickleback male breeding coloration is significantly positively associated with the linearity of sperm movement, whereas sperm morphology （head length to tail length ratio） is significantly negatively related to the trajectory of sperm movement. Moreover, there is some support for the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis as the intensity of male red breeding coloration is significantly positively correlated with sperm velocity, which is supposed to be an important determinant of fertilisation success in external fertilisers, indicating the honesty of the sexually selected nuptial red coloration.展开更多
The life history of birds dictates their activities and is crucial to population success.However,the life history traits of only one-third of the world’s bird species have been described;the rest are poorly understoo...The life history of birds dictates their activities and is crucial to population success.However,the life history traits of only one-third of the world’s bird species have been described;the rest are poorly understood.We studied the breeding ecology of the Yellow-bellied Warbler(Abroscopus superciliaris)and documented reproductive information throughout the egg and nestling periods.The data included natural nest sites,nest components,nest size,egg laying dates and time,egg morph,egg size,clutch size,egg incubation,nestling brooding and feeding,nestling morph and growth,and reproductive outcome.This study provided particular information of breeding ecology that has not been reported before in the Yellow-bellied Warbler.展开更多
Sexual selection is widespread if not ubiquitous in hermaphroditic organisms. Although many phenomena that have been described as sexual selection in gonochores, （e.g. harem polygamy, multiple mating, elaborate court...Sexual selection is widespread if not ubiquitous in hermaphroditic organisms. Although many phenomena that have been described as sexual selection in gonochores, （e.g. harem polygamy, multiple mating, elaborate courtship, even secondary sexual characters） can be found in some hermaphrodites, what is more interesting is the ways in which sexual selection in her- maphrodites may differ from dioecious taxa. In hermaphrodites, an individual＇s mating success includes its success from both sexual roles. Secondly, in many simultaneously hermaphroditic taxa there is strong evidence of sexual selection and yet the ope- rational sex ratio is 1：1, by definition. Many simultaneous hermaphrodites have elaborate courtship and genital anatomy, suggest- ing sexual selection plays an important role in reproductive success. Sperm competition and cryptic female choice mean that the number of mates acquired is not necessarily a predictor of reproductive success. Even in simultaneous hermaphrodites with re- ciprocal mating, variance in reproductive success through the male role and through the female role may differ in a population. Moreover hermaphrodites may choose to emphasize one sexual role over the other. Data suggest that the preferred role varies in hermaphrodites, which creates an opportunity to test fundamental predictions and assumptions of sexual selection theory. Hermaphrodites may vary their emphasis on one sexual role over the other either developmentally or behaviorally in response to environmental or social parameters. How they use this capability in acquiring more or higher quality mates still requires study展开更多
Background: The Red-crowned Crane(Grus japonensis) is an endangered bird species and while the wild population continues to decrease in China, the captive population has dramatically increased over the last two decade...Background: The Red-crowned Crane(Grus japonensis) is an endangered bird species and while the wild population continues to decrease in China, the captive population has dramatically increased over the last two decades. We hypothesized that some of the captive Red-crowned Cranes originated from the wild and that a growing captive population is eroding the wild population in China.Methods: We surveyed the size of the population and determined the average annual growth rate, reproductive success rate and mortality rate of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China. We assessed this erosion effect through mathematical models, in which the size of the captive Red-crowned Crane population was determined from the annual growth rate, the reproductive success rate and the rate of mortality.Results: We found there were a total of 1520 captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China, with an average annual gro-wth rate of 7.46%, a reproductive success rate of 9.17% and a mortality rate of 3.6%. We found that approximately 1027 supplementary Red-crowned Cranes per year and a total of 244, over the 14 year period from 1999 to 2013, were needed to account for the growing captive population in China.Conclusion: We conclude that the 244 birds probably came from the wild by taking eggs and capturing juveniles or adults and hence accepted the hypothesis. Perhaps more surprisingly, our annual estimate of the number of supplementary Red-crowned Cranes in captive populations is very conservative, with the erosion effect substantially underestimated, because the total number of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 was underestimated, with the annual reproductive success rate in zoos overestimated. The existence of an erosion effect provides a new perspective for the interpretation of why the Red-crowned Crane population in the wild continues to decrease. In our opinion, it is important to understand the consequences of this erosion effect on the management and conservation of this endangered bird species in China.展开更多
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32170241,32160054,and 32470241)supported by the Chinese Academy of Science's PIFI Fellowship Initiative(2024PVC0046).
文摘Plants and their interaction partners offer unparalleled views of evolutionary ecology.Nectar larceny,entailing nectar extraction without pollinating,is thought to be an example of a harmful,antagonistic behavior,but the precise consequences of floral larceny on plant reproductive success remain contentious.We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 153 studies across 120 plant species,using 14 moderators to assess the effects of floral larceny on plant reproductive success and examine the key moderators.We found that floral larceny negatively impacts flower traits,pollinator visitation,pollen deposition,and fruit set,while having a neutral effect on critical female fitness indicators,such as seed set and seed quality,as well as on male fitness.By altering pollinator behavior,floral larceny may reduce geitonogamy,potentially enhancing genetic diversity.Additionally,factors such as pollinator type,plant mating system,and pollen limitation were identified as key moderators of these effects.Our analysis reveals an ultimately neutral effect of floral larceny on plant reproductive success,with potential benefits in certain contexts.These findings suggest that floral larceny plays a complex and multifaceted role within plant-pollinator interactions,facilitating the evolutionary stability and coexistence of floral larcenists and host plants.
基金provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 32071491, 31772465, 31672299, 31572271, and 32260128)the Natural Sciences Foundation of the Tibetan (XZ202101ZR0051G)。
文摘Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30430160).
文摘In hermaphroditic plants, female reproductive success often varies among different positions within an inflorescence. However, few studies have evaluated the relative importance of underlying causes such as pollen limitation, resource limitation or architectural effect, and few have compared male allocation. During a 2-year investigation, we found that female reproductive success of an acropetally flowering species, Corydalis remota Fisch. ex Maxim. var. lineariloba Maxim. was significantly lower in the upper late developing flowers when compared with the lower early flowers. Supplementation with outcross pollen did not improve female reproductive success of the upper flowers, while removal of the lower developing fruits significantly increased female reproductive success of the upper flowers in both years, evidencing resource limitation of the upper flowers. Female production in upper flowers was greatly improved by simultaneous pollen supplementation of the upper flowers and removal of the lower fruits, suggesting that, when resources are abundant, pollen may limit the female reproductive success of the upper flowers. The less seed mass in the upper flowers didn＇t increase in all treatments due to architecture. In the upper flowers, ovule production was significantly lower and the pollen ： ovule ratio was significantly higher. These results suggest that male-biased sex allocation in the upper flowers may lead to increased male reproductive success, whereas the lower flowers have higher female reproductive success.
基金Supported by grants from Fundao de Amparo à Pesquisa no Estado de So Paulo – Brazil(FAPESP no. 06/54431-9)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) – Brazil. CPG Calixto was supported by a fellowship from FAPESP.
文摘The pistil, the female reproductive organ of plants, is a key player in the success of sexual plant reproduction. Ultimately, the production of fruits and seeds depends on the proper pistil development and function. Therefore, the identification and characterization of pistil expressed genes is essential for a better understanding and manipulation of the plant reproduction process. For studying the function of pistil expressed genes, transgenic and/or mutant plants for the genes of interest are used. The present article provides a review of methods already exploited to analyze sexual reproductive success. We intend to supply useful information and to guide future experiments in the study of genes affecting pistil development and function.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32372118 and 32188102)the Qian Qian Academician Workstation,China+3 种基金the Specific Research Fund of the Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province,China(YSPTZX202303)the Nanfan Special Project,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(ZDXM2315)the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Talent Plan-Outstanding Young Talentthe Zhejiang Province’s High-level Talent Special Support Plan-Young Talent,China。
文摘In natural ecosystems,the timely abscission of seeds in wild plants is a crucial adaptive trait that contributes to reproductive success,population renewal,and colony expansion(Thurber et al.2010).In contrast,the tendency for high seed shattering in domesticated crops,such as rice,not only reduces paddy yield but also complicates mechanized harvesting.
基金the National Research Development and Innovation Office(NKFIH)of Hungary through the grant K132490 to A.L.and FK137743 to G.S.and by the TKP2020-IKA-07 project financed under the 2020-4.1.1-TKP2020 Thematic Excellence Program.I.P.was supported by theÚNKP-20-4 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology from the Source of the National Research,Development and Innovation Fund.E.V.was supported by the National Office of Research,Development and Innovation(PD-134985)the MSCA EF Seal of Excellence IF-2019 grant by Vinnova,the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems(grant number:2021-01102).
文摘Urban areas differ from natural habitats in several environmental features that influence the characteristics of animals living there.For example,birds often start breeding seasonally earlier and fledge fewer offspring per brood in cities than in natural habitats.However,longer breeding seasons in cities may increase the frequency of double-brooding in urban compared with nonurban populations,thus potentially increasing urban birds’annual reproductive output and resulting in lower habitat difference in reproductive success than estimated by studies focusing on first clutches only.In this study,we investigated 2 urban and 2 forests great tit Parus major populations from 2013 to 2019.We compared the probability of double-brooding and the total number of annually fledged chicks per female between urban and forest habitats,while controlling for the effects of potentially confounding variables.There was a trend for a higher probability of double-brooding in urban(44%of females)than in forest populations(36%),although this was not consistent between the 2 urban sites.Females produced significantly fewer fledglings annually in the cities than in the forest sites,and this difference was present both within single-and double-brooded females.Furthermore,double-brooded urban females produced a similar number of fledglings per season as single-brooded forest females.These results indicate that double-brooding increases the reproductive success of female great tits in both habitats,but urban females cannot effectively compensate in this way for their lower reproductive output per brood.However,other mechanisms like increased post-fledging survival can mitigate habitat differences in reproductive success.
文摘Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44% over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.
文摘As in any field of research, the study of sexual selection is subject to ongoing debate over definitions and interpreta- tions of the fundamental concepts involved. These arguments generally promote progress, as they highlight areas where current explanations are incomplete. Here we briefly review two ongoing discussions in the sexual selection literature. First, the definition of sexual selection has received renewed interest in light of increasing research effort into when and how it operates in females. Second, how best to measure sexual selection is an ongoing subject of debate; in practice, recognition that the appropriate measures depend on the focus of the specific study, and that multiple measures should be employed wherever possible, seems to provide the most informative approach. The wide scope of recent empirical work in these and related areas, with the application of new techniques and approaches, reflects that the field of sexual selection is being constantly expanded and enriched
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30570237)Outstanding Youth Foundation of Anhui (No.040443070)+1 种基金Technological Innovation team of Anhui Education Bureau (TD200703)Talent Development Foundation of Anhui, Academic Innovation team of Anhui University
文摘Though females are generally more selective in mate choice, males may also benefit from mate choice if male reproductive success is limited by factors other than simply the number of female mates, and if females differ in short-term reproductive potential. We studied male mate choice in a free-ranging troop of Tibetan macaques Macaca thibetana at Mt. Huangshan, China, from August 2007 to April 2008. We employed focal animal sampling and all occurrence sampling to record sexual related behaviors. Eight adult females were divided into three female quality categories according to the females＇ age, rank and parity. Using male mating effort as a proxy for male mate choice, we found that males do distinguish female quality and show time-variant mating strategies. Specifically, females with dominant rank, high fecundity, and middle age attracted significantly more males. Our results suggest that female short-term reproductive potential appears to be an important variable in determining male mating effort. Male Tibetan macaques do exercise mate choice for higher quality females as well as reduce useless reproductive cost, which is consistent with the direct benefits theory of mate choice.
文摘Chaotic genetic patchiness （CGP） refers to surprising patterns of spatial and temporal genetic structure observed in some marine species at a scale where genetic variation should be efficiently homogenized by gene flow via larval dispersal. Here we review and discuss 4 mechanisms that could generate such unexpected patterns： selection, sweepstakes reproductive success, collective dispersal, and temporal shifts in local population dynamics. First, we review examples where genetic differentiation at specific loci was driven by diversifying selection, which was historically the first process invoked to explain CGP. Second, we turn to neutral demographic processes that may drive genome-wide effects, and whose effects on CGP may be enhanced when they act together. We discuss how sweepstakes reproductive success accelerates genetic drift and can thus generate genetic structure, provided that gene flow is not too strong. Collective dispersal is another mechanism whereby genetic structure can be maintained regardless of dispersal intensity, because it may prevent larval cohorts from becoming entirely mixed. Theoretical analyses of both the sweepstakes and the collective dispersal ideas are presented. Finally, we discuss an idea that has received less attention than the other ones just mentioned, namely temporal shifts in local population dynamics.
文摘Recent studies have revealed that sexually selected traits may signal sperm quality and hence male fertilisation ability. There is also evidence that the expression of male sexual ornamentation and associated sperm characteristics depend on an indi- vidual＇s ability to cope with oxidative stress. Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties and carotenoid-based orna- ments might represent honest signals as these pigments can be traded offbetween the investment in sexual ornamentation, sperm function as well as immune response. In this study, we examined the relationship between sexual ornamentation （breeding colo- ration） and sperm characteristics （e.g., velocity and morphology） in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aeuleatus, an ex- ternally fertilising fish species, in which sperm competition commonly occurs. During the breeding season males are sperm limi- ted and develop a conspicuous carotenoid-based coloration, which is under strong pre-copulatory sexual selection due to female mate choice and male-male competition. The results of the present study show that the expression of stickleback male breeding coloration is significantly positively associated with the linearity of sperm movement, whereas sperm morphology （head length to tail length ratio） is significantly negatively related to the trajectory of sperm movement. Moreover, there is some support for the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis as the intensity of male red breeding coloration is significantly positively correlated with sperm velocity, which is supposed to be an important determinant of fertilisation success in external fertilisers, indicating the honesty of the sexually selected nuptial red coloration.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31672303 to CY).
文摘The life history of birds dictates their activities and is crucial to population success.However,the life history traits of only one-third of the world’s bird species have been described;the rest are poorly understood.We studied the breeding ecology of the Yellow-bellied Warbler(Abroscopus superciliaris)and documented reproductive information throughout the egg and nestling periods.The data included natural nest sites,nest components,nest size,egg laying dates and time,egg morph,egg size,clutch size,egg incubation,nestling brooding and feeding,nestling morph and growth,and reproductive outcome.This study provided particular information of breeding ecology that has not been reported before in the Yellow-bellied Warbler.
文摘Sexual selection is widespread if not ubiquitous in hermaphroditic organisms. Although many phenomena that have been described as sexual selection in gonochores, （e.g. harem polygamy, multiple mating, elaborate courtship, even secondary sexual characters） can be found in some hermaphrodites, what is more interesting is the ways in which sexual selection in her- maphrodites may differ from dioecious taxa. In hermaphrodites, an individual＇s mating success includes its success from both sexual roles. Secondly, in many simultaneously hermaphroditic taxa there is strong evidence of sexual selection and yet the ope- rational sex ratio is 1：1, by definition. Many simultaneous hermaphrodites have elaborate courtship and genital anatomy, suggest- ing sexual selection plays an important role in reproductive success. Sperm competition and cryptic female choice mean that the number of mates acquired is not necessarily a predictor of reproductive success. Even in simultaneous hermaphrodites with re- ciprocal mating, variance in reproductive success through the male role and through the female role may differ in a population. Moreover hermaphrodites may choose to emphasize one sexual role over the other. Data suggest that the preferred role varies in hermaphrodites, which creates an opportunity to test fundamental predictions and assumptions of sexual selection theory. Hermaphrodites may vary their emphasis on one sexual role over the other either developmentally or behaviorally in response to environmental or social parameters. How they use this capability in acquiring more or higher quality mates still requires study
基金supported by the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (2013)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.31300350)+2 种基金the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No.2011079)the Baseline Surveys and Assessments of Nature Reserves in China (No.HBSY0915)the State Environmental Protection Public Welfare Scientific Research Project (No.201209028)
文摘Background: The Red-crowned Crane(Grus japonensis) is an endangered bird species and while the wild population continues to decrease in China, the captive population has dramatically increased over the last two decades. We hypothesized that some of the captive Red-crowned Cranes originated from the wild and that a growing captive population is eroding the wild population in China.Methods: We surveyed the size of the population and determined the average annual growth rate, reproductive success rate and mortality rate of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China. We assessed this erosion effect through mathematical models, in which the size of the captive Red-crowned Crane population was determined from the annual growth rate, the reproductive success rate and the rate of mortality.Results: We found there were a total of 1520 captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China, with an average annual gro-wth rate of 7.46%, a reproductive success rate of 9.17% and a mortality rate of 3.6%. We found that approximately 1027 supplementary Red-crowned Cranes per year and a total of 244, over the 14 year period from 1999 to 2013, were needed to account for the growing captive population in China.Conclusion: We conclude that the 244 birds probably came from the wild by taking eggs and capturing juveniles or adults and hence accepted the hypothesis. Perhaps more surprisingly, our annual estimate of the number of supplementary Red-crowned Cranes in captive populations is very conservative, with the erosion effect substantially underestimated, because the total number of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 was underestimated, with the annual reproductive success rate in zoos overestimated. The existence of an erosion effect provides a new perspective for the interpretation of why the Red-crowned Crane population in the wild continues to decrease. In our opinion, it is important to understand the consequences of this erosion effect on the management and conservation of this endangered bird species in China.
