| Post-copulatory sexual selection and sexual conflict in the evolution of male pregnancy. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20237568 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Male pregnancy in seahorses, pipefishes and sea dragons (family Syngnathidae) represents a striking reproductive adaptation that has shaped the evolution of behaviour and morphology in this group of fishes. In many syngnathid species, males brood their offspring in a specialized pouch, which presumably evolved to facilitate male parental care. However, an unexplored possibility is that brood pouch evolution was partly shaped by parent-offspring or sexual conflict, processes that would result in trade-offs between current and future pregnancies. Here we report a controlled breeding experiment using the sexually dimorphic Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, to test for post-copulatory sexual selection within broods and for trade-offs between successive male pregnancies as functions of female attractiveness. Offspring survivorship within a pregnancy was affected by the size of a male's mate, the number of eggs transferred and the male's sexual responsiveness. Significantly, we also found that embryo survivorship in a current pregnancy was negatively related to survivorship in the prior pregnancy, clearly demonstrating fitness trade-offs between broods. Overall, our data indicate that post-copulatory sexual selection and sexual conflict occur in Gulf pipefishes. The conflict seems to be mediated by a strategy of cryptic choice in which males increase rates of offspring abortion in pregnancies from unattractive mothers to retain resources for future reproductive opportunities. Hence, the male brood pouch of syngnathid fishes, which nurtures offspring, also seems to have an important role as an arbiter of conflict between the sexes. |
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Authors:
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Kimberly A Paczolt; Adam G Jones |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Nature Volume: 464 ISSN: 1476-4687 ISO Abbreviation: Nature Publication Date: 2010 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-03-18 Completed Date: 2010-04-29 Revised Date: 2010-08-30 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0410462 Medline TA: Nature Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 401-4 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845, USA. kpaczolt@mail.bio.tamu.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Abortion, Eugenic
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veterinary Animals Body Size / physiology Conflict (Psychology)* Copulation* Embryo, Nonmammalian / embryology, physiology Embryonic Development / physiology* Evolution* Female Male Mating Preference, Animal / physiology* Paternal Behavior Selection, Genetic Sex* Sex Characteristics Smegmamorpha / anatomy & histology, embryology, physiology* Survival Rate Texas |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
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Nature. 2010 Mar 18;464(7287):364-5
[PMID:
20237558
]
Nature. 2010 Aug 26;466(7310):E11; discussion E12 [PMID: 20739960 ] |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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