Collaborative Research: Reproductive tactics in an androdioecious crustacean

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Plants and animals display an amazing array of reproductive systems. One of the most intriguing is "androdioecy," in which males coexist with hermaphrodites (individuals in which both sexes are present), but there are no true females. Androdioecy is rare, as predicted by theory, yet there are a few, well-documented cases in plants and animals. This project is a continuation of earlier experiments exploring androdioecy in a freshwater crustacean, the clam shrimp Eulimnadia texana. A three-year examination of this species revealed both benefits and detriments to males, and thus to better understand this mating system, refinement of these results is required. Additionally, all previous experiments were conducted in laboratory settings. To truly understand the system, field experiments need to be conducted. The two proposed projects will accomplish both of these goals: (1) a laboratory experiment will measure the relationship between the proportion of males and male mating effectiveness in two natural populations, and (2) development of "microsatellite loci" will allow genetic "fingerprinting" of field-collected shrimp so that the previous laboratory experiments can be extended into the field. The proposed projects are one of the few attempts to delineate the benefits of outcrossing (offspring produced by mating with males) in an animal system. This information is crucial for developing breeding programs, both in agriculture and for the maintenance of endangered species.