DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Pre-Copulatory Reproductive Cannibalism: The Ecology of an Extreme Reproductive Conflict

论文研究：交配前生殖自相残杀：极端生殖冲突的生态学大卫·F·韦斯特内特詹姆斯·查德威克·约翰逊生殖自相残杀，特别是女性在交配前、交配期间或交配后立即消耗雄性，发生在几个有机体中，是生态如何塑造行为的一个戏剧性的例子。特别令人感兴趣的物种是表现出交配前生殖同类相食的物种，或在求偶期间但在精子转移之前雌性对雄性的捕食。在这种情况下，这种行为给男性(死亡)和女性(失去配偶)带来的代价显而易见。相比之下，交配前生殖同类相食的好处仍然知之甚少。这项研究计划旨在揭示北美捕鱼蛛(Dolomedes Triton)交配前生殖自相残杀的功能意义。关于交配前生殖同类相食的四个假说将被检验。首先，雄性可能是捕食性成年雌性的食物来源。其次，雌性在交配前攻击雄性可能是一种极端的拒绝配偶行为。第三，交配前的攻击可能是在许多其他环境中选择高度贪婪的掠夺性行为的附带副产品。最后，交配前的攻击可能发生，因为雄性模仿猎物以吸引雌性的注意。如果这些攻击足够频繁地失败，那么这样的雄性可能比以风险较小的方式追求雌性的雄性更频繁地交配。因此，这项研究将加深我们对生态如何影响两性之间极端行为演变的理解。

DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Pre-copulatory reproductive cannibalism: the ecology of an extreme reproductive conflictDavid F. WestneatJames Chadwick JohnsonReproductive cannibalism, specifically female consumption of the male prior to, during, or immediately following copulation, occurs in several organisms and is a dramatic example of how ecology can shape behavior. Of particular interest are species exhibiting pre-copulatory reproductive cannibalism, or predation of the male by the female during courtship but prior to sperm transfer. In such cases, the costs of the behavior to males (death) and females (loss of a mate) are readily apparent. In contrast, the benefits of pre-copulatory reproductive cannibalism remain poorly understood. This research program is designed to uncover the functional significance of pre-copulatory reproductive cannibalism in the North American fishing spider (Dolomedes triton). Four hypotheses for pre-copulatory reproductive cannibalism will be tested. First, males may be a source of food for the predatory, adult female. Second, female attacks of males before mating may be an extreme form of mate rejection behavior. Third, pre-copulatory attacks may be the incidental by-product of selection for highly voracious predatory behavior in a multitude of other contexts. Finally, pre-copulatory attacks may occur because males simulate prey items in order to attract the female's attention. If these attacks fail sufficiently often, then such males may mate more often than males who court females in a less risky fashion. The study will thus enhance our understanding of how ecology influences the evolution of extreme behavior between the sexes.