Pizzari, T., Cornwallis, C.K., Lovlie, H. et al. (2 more authors) (2003) Sophisticated sperm allocation in male fowl. Nature, 426 (6962). pp. 70-74. ISSN 0028-0836
Abstract
When a female is sexually promiscuous, the ejaculates of different males compete for the fertilization of her eggs; the more sperm a male inseminates into a female, the more likely he is to fertilize her eggs. Because sperm production is limited and costly, theory predicts that males will strategically allocate sperm (1) according to female promiscuity, (2) saving some for copulations with new females, and (3) to females producing more and/or better offspring. Whether males allocate sperm in all of these ways is not known, particularly in birds where the collection of natural ejaculates only recently became possible. Here we demonstrate male sperm allocation of unprecedented sophistication in the fowl Gallus gallus. Males show status-dependent sperm investment in females according to the level of female promiscuity; they progressively reduce sperm investment in a particular female but, on encountering a new female, instantaneously increase their sperm investment; and they preferentially allocate sperm to females with large sexual ornaments signalling superior maternal investment. Our results indicate that female promiscuity leads to the evolution of sophisticated male sexual behaviour.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2003 Nature Publishing Group |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) > Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (Sheffield) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Biological Sciences (Leeds) > Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Repository Officer |
Date Deposited: | 14 Mar 2006 |
Last Modified: | 24 Oct 2016 18:52 |
Published Version: | http://www.nature.com/nature/ |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1038/nature02004 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:73 |