Age-related sperm transfer and sperm competitive ability in the male hide beetle
Age-related sperm transfer and sperm competitive ability in the male hide beetle
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DOI：
10.1093/beheco/arl077
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发表时间：
2007-01-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Elgar, Mark A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jones, Theresa M.;Featherston, Rebecca;Elgar, Mark A.
男性年龄对单次交配后生殖成功的影响已被广泛探讨;然而，很少有研究调查男性精子的数量或质量差异是否对所观察到的模式负责。此外，男性年龄对精子竞争力的作用在很大程度上被忽视了。我们研究了男性年龄的重要性，在一个单一的交配过程中转移的精子的概率和数量，并探讨了精子竞争能力是否随男性年龄的变化在隐藏甲虫Dermestes maculatus，一个物种，精子活力不随男性年龄的变化。我们还调查了精子转移率是否随女性年龄而变化。我们发现，精子转移的概率和转移的精子量随男性而异，但不随女性的年龄而异。所有的男性进行行为成功的交配，但中年和老年男性更有可能成功地转移精子，也转移了大量的精子比年轻男性。老年男性比中年男性更不可能转移精子，但如果他们成功转移精子，他们转移的数量相当。精子竞争力随年龄的变化而变化，并反映了精子转移的数量。平均而言，中年男性在与年轻或老年男性竞争时比与其他中年男性竞争时获得更大的受精成功。老年男性是穷人的竞争对手对中年男性，但他们取得了显着较高的受精率时，与年轻男性竞争。我们的研究结果表明，转移的精子数量的数量差异决定男性成功的精子竞争中的隐藏甲虫。
The influence of male age on reproductive success after a single mating has been explored widely; however, few studies have investigated whether quantitative or qualitative differences in male sperm are responsible for the observed patterns. Moreover, the role of male age on sperm competitive ability has been largely ignored. We examined the importance of male age on the probability and amount of sperm transferred during a single mating and explored whether sperm competitive ability varies with male age in the hide beetle Dermestes maculatus, a species where sperm viability does not vary with male age. We also investigated whether sperm transfer rates varied with female age. We found that the probability of sperm transfer and the amount of sperm transferred varied with male, but not female, age. All males performed behaviorally successful copulations, but intermediate-age and old males were more likely to transfer sperm successfully and also transferred a greater quantity of sperm than young males. Old males were less likely to transfer sperm than intermediate-age males, but if they did transfer sperm successfully, they transferred comparable amounts. Sperm competitive ability varied with male age and reflected the quantity of sperm transferred. On average, intermediate-age males achieved greater fertilization success when competing against young or old males than when competing against other intermediate-age males. Old males were poor competitors against intermediate-age males, but they achieved significantly higher rates of fertilization when competing against young males. Our findings suggest that quantitative differences in the amount of sperm transferred determine male success in sperm competition in the hide beetle.