Sexual conflict in natural populations

对于大多数生物体来说，雄性和雌性有不同的方法来最大化他们将产生的后代数量，以形成下一代（即他们的适应度）。这是因为雄性产生的配子（精子）消耗很少的能量，而雌性配子（卵子）消耗能量。这种情况可能会产生与最佳交配率有关的性冲突。雄性通常从尽可能频繁的交配中受益，以使最大数量的卵子受精。相反，雌性应该避免交配，因为它们通常在一次或几次交配后不需要精子。水$>是在交配中发生性冲突的最好例子。然而，我们的研究结果表明，女性也受益于有几个男性的后代。这项研究将使用遗传学方法来确定亲子关系，以完善我们对因素如何相互作用以确定男性和女性健康的理解。交配率和繁殖成功率之间的关系，男性和女性的能力，影响如何从不同的合作伙伴的精子被使用，增加的繁殖力，女性可能会获得从多次交配，和自然群体的遗传特性的影响选择过程将进行调查。这项研究将进一步了解自然选择在野生种群中是如何起作用的，以及为什么雌性比必要的更频繁地交配。四名研究生和13名本科生将参与这项研究。

For most organisms, males and females have different means of maximizing the number of offspring they will produce to form the next generation (that is, their fitness). This arises because male produce gametes (sperm) that cost little energy, while female gametes (eggs) are energetically costly. This situation can generate a sexual conflict related to the optimal mating rate. Males generally benefit from mating as often as possible to fertilize a maximum number of eggs. In contrast, females should avoid mating because they often do not require sperm after one or a few copulations. Water striders are prime examples of sexual conflict over mating. Yet, our results rather suggest that females also benefit from having several males siring their offspring. This research will use a genetic approach to determine parentage relationships to refine our understanding of how factors interact to determine male and female fitness. The relationship between mating rate and reproductive success, the capacity of males and females at influencing how sperm from different partners is used, the increased fecundity that female may acquire from multiple mating, and the influence of genetic properties of natura l population on selective processes will be investigated. This research will further our understanding of how selection works in wild population, and why female mate more often than necessary. Four graduate and 13 undergraduate will be involved in this research.