Linked Life Data

18053077

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/18053077

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-2-27
pubmed:abstractText
Sperm size and number are important determinants of male reproductive success. The genus Drosophila exhibits a remarkable diversity of sperm production strategies, including the production of multiple sperm morphs by individual males, a phenomenon called sperm heteromorphism. Sperm-heteromorphic Drosophila species in the obscura group produce large numbers of infertile "parasperm" in addition to fertile eusperm. Parasperm have been hypothesized to perform a number of roles in place of fertilization, predominantly focused on their potential function in postcopulatory sexual selection. However, the evolutionary significance of parasperm remains unknown. Here we measured several male and female morphological, behavioral, and life-history traits in 13 obscura group species to test competing hypotheses of parasperm function using comparative methods. We found that parasperm size was unrelated to female reproductive tract morphology but was negatively related to our two indices of sperm competition, suggesting that postcopulatory sexual selection may indeed have shaped the evolution of parasperm. We also found abundant coevolution between male and female reproductive traits. Some of these relationships have been found in both sperm-monomorphic and sperm-heteromorphic taxa, but others are dissimilar. We discuss the significance of our results to the evolution of reproductive traits and the elusive function of Drosophila parasperm.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0014-3820
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
62
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
374-85
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
What use is an infertile sperm? A comparative study of sperm-heteromorphic Drosophila.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't