Maklakov Alexei A, Kremer Natacha, Arnqvist Göran
Animal Ecology/Department of Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
Biol Lett. 2006 Mar 22;2(1):62-4. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2005.0398.
Female remating behaviour is a key mating system parameter that is predicted to evolve according to the net effect of remating on female fitness. In many taxa, females commonly resist male remating attempts because of the costs of mating. Here, we use replicated populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus selected for either early or late life reproduction and show that 'Early' and 'Late' females evolved different age-specific rates of remating. Early females were more likely to remate with control males as they aged, while Late females were more resistant to remating later in life. Thus, female remating rate decreases with age when direct selection on late-life fitness is operating and increases when such selection is relaxed. Our findings not only demonstrate that female resistance to remating can evolve rapidly, but also that such evolution is in accordance with the genetic interests of females.
雌性再交配行为是一个关键的交配系统参数,预计会根据再交配对雌性适合度的净效应而进化。在许多分类群中,由于交配成本,雌性通常会抵制雄性的再交配企图。在这里,我们使用了为早期或晚期繁殖而选择的豆象Acanthoscelides obtectus的重复种群,并表明“早期”和“晚期”雌性进化出了不同的年龄特异性再交配率。随着年龄的增长,早期雌性与对照雄性再交配的可能性更大,而晚期雌性在生命后期对再交配更具抵抗力。因此,当对晚年适合度进行直接选择时,雌性再交配率会随着年龄的增长而降低,而当这种选择放松时,再交配率会增加。我们的研究结果不仅表明雌性对再交配的抵抗力可以迅速进化,而且这种进化符合雌性的遗传利益。