Reproductive output of old males is limited by seminal fluid, not sperm number.

ABSTRACT: Male reproductive senescence is typically characterized by a decline in the number of sperm produced and transferred by old males, a phenomenon that may be exacerbated in polygynous species where males mate multiply. However, males also transfer seminal fluid to females, and little is known about its role in modulating male reproductive senescence. Here, we explore the contributions of sperm and seminal fluid towards male reproductive senescence in a series of sequential matings, using Drosophila melanogaster. As expected, old males produce fewer offspring than young males. However, this pattern is not driven by sperm limitation: old males have more sperm and transfer similar numbers to females, compared to young males. Instead, females storing fewer sperm of old males compared to t

SUBMITTER: Sanghvi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11968187 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature