L7 Reproduction - sperm competition

Question 1

What is individual selection?

Answer 1

The adaptive significance of behaviour (tinburgen’s four question)

Question 2

What is sexual selection?

Answer 2

mode of natural selection by which mates are chosen by the other sex, and compete with members of the same sex to gain access to the opposite sex

Question 3

What is post-copulatory sexual selection

Answer 3

Sexual selection that continues after mating: Sperm competition and cryptic female choice

Question 4

What is sperm competition?

Answer 4

Competition between the ejaculates of two or more males for the ova of a single female

Question 5

What was Darwins view of sexual selection?

Answer 5

That it was by male acquisition only, females were monogamous

Question 6

What did G.A Parker observe in the yellow dungflies?

Answer 6

female yellow dungflies mate with more than one male = sperm competition, and males guarded females they had mated with.

Question 7

What is an extra pair copulation?

Answer 7

One performed by an individual that is paired with a mate with the mate of another pair

Question 8

What is the adaptive significance of extra pair copulation for males?

Answer 8

Genes more widely spread through the population

Question 9

How do some species ensure they have spread there genes as much as possible during breeding season?

Answer 9

Wait till about 80% of females eggs are fertilised then go look for another female. Ensures he gets as many offspring produced as possible

Question 10

How can you identify paternity in zebra finches?

Answer 10

can use genetic plumage to assign paternity. Fawn genotype is sex linked recessive so only fawn females with a fawn male produce fawn offspring

Question 11

What modern method i used to assign paternity?

Answer 11

Multilocus DNA fingerprinting

Question 12

What is the % of extra pair paternity in:
Swans?
Zebra finch?
Guillimot?
Fairy wren?

Answer 12

0
2
7
75

Question 13

What are the direct benefits of EPC for females?

Answer 13

Insurance against infertile mates
More food/more paternal care
Avoidance of infanticide by other males

Question 14

What are the indirect benefits of EPC for females?

Answer 14

More varied phenotype of offspring

Better/fitter mates, better genes

Question 15

How have female reproductive tracts coevolved with males in ducks?

Answer 15

Increased variation on complexity of reproductive system, with coils and blind ends, helps females avoid unwanted EPC

Question 16

When would mate guarding occur?

Answer 16

When females are fertile

Question 17

When does EPC take place in guillemots?

Answer 17

Most frequent before laying period, guard their own mate more when close to laying

Question 18

Why did thinking switch from group selection to individual selection in the interpretation of EPC?

Answer 18

With group selection thinking there was no obvious benefit to the group or species of extra-pair copulation.