Measuring polyandry in wild populations: a case study using promiscuous crickets
Measuring polyandry in wild populations: a case study using promiscuous crickets
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-294x.2005.02556.x
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发表时间：
2005-06-01
影响因子：
4.9
通讯作者：
Tregenza, T
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bretman, A;Tregenza, T
交配率对性选择和性冲突的模式具有重要影响，因此对物种形成和遗传多样性的维持等问题具有重要影响。了解自然交配率可以深入了解推动雌性交配行为的因素。我们利用微卫星标记研究了西班牙蟋蟀 Gryllus bimaculatus 种群中的一妻多夫制水平。采用两种方法：（i）对野生捕获的怀孕雌性的后代进行基因分型，以确定生育后代的雄性数量；（ii）对野外交配的雌性受精囊中储存的精子进行基因分型，以估计交配伙伴的数量。我们比较了推断父亲的最小数量和可能数量的现有方法，并描述了一种通过对储存的精子进行基因分型来估计配偶数量的新颖概率技术。使用最保守的等位基因计数方法，71% 的雌性产生了至少由两个雄性（每窝至少平均 2.4 个父亲）生育的后代，并且所有雌性都与至少两个雄性交配，最低平均估计为每只雌性 2.7-5.1 个配偶。我们的研究揭示了野外一妻多夫现象的严重程度，并表明雌性与更多的雄性交配，而不是生育后代。
Mating rate has important implications for patterns of sexual selection and sexual conflict and hence for issues such as speciation and the maintenance of genetic diversity. Knowledge of natural mating rates can provide insights into the factors driving female mating behaviour. We investigated the level of polyandry in a Spanish population of the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus using microsatellite markers. Two approaches were employed: (i) genotyping the offspring of wild-caught gravid females to determine the number of males siring the brood and (ii) genotyping sperm stored in the spermathecae of females mated in the wild to estimate the number of mating partners. We compared existing methods for inferring the minimum and probable number of fathers and described a novel probabilistic technique estimating the number of mates by genotyping stored sperm. Using the most conservative allele-counting method, 71% of females produced offspring sired by at least two males (a minimum mean of 2.4 fathers per clutch), and all females had mated to at least two males with minimum mean estimates of 2.7-5.1 mates per female. Our study reveals high levels of polyandry in the wild and suggests that females mate with more males than sire their offspring.