Sex peptide receptor-regulated polyandry mediates the balance of pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection in Drosophila

Morimoto, Juliano, McDonald, Grant, Smith, Emelia, Smith, Damian, Perry, Jennifer ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8449-2764, Chapman, Tracey, Pizzari, Tommaso and Wigby, Stuart (2019) Sex peptide receptor-regulated polyandry mediates the balance of pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection in Drosophila. Nature Communications, 10. ISSN 2041-1723

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Abstract

Polyandry prolongs sexual selection on males by forcing ejaculates to compete for fertilisation. Recent theory predicts that increasing polyandry may weaken pre-copulatory sexual selection on males and increase the relative importance of post-copulatory sexual selection, but experimental tests of this prediction are lacking. Here, we manipulate the polyandry levels in groups of Drosophila melanogaster by deletion of the female sex peptide receptor. We show that groups in which the sex-peptide-receptor is absent in females (SPR-) have higher polyandry, and – as a result – weaker pre-copulatory sexual selection on male mating success, compared to controls. Post-copulatory selection on male paternity share is relatively more important in SPR- groups, where males gain additional paternity by mating repeatedly with the same females. These results provide experimental evidence that elevated polyandry weakens pre-copulatory sexual selection on males, shifts selection to post-copulatory events, and that the sex peptide pathway can play a key role in modulating this process in Drosophila

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2019 09:30
Last Modified:	12 May 2023 19:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/69655
DOI:	10.1038/s41467-018-08113-w

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