Paternal effects without paternity? Testing non-genetic male influence on offspring size and brood size in a gynogenetic vertebrate, the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa).

ABSTRACT: Paternal effects, i.e., effects of fathers on the phenotype of their offspring that are not mediated by the transmission of alleles, are increasingly recognized as a potentially significant source of phenotypic variation across taxa - even in the absence of paternal care. Gynogenetic systems, which rely on sperm to trigger embryogenesis without incorporating male genetic material, provide a powerful way to experimentally isolate paternal effects from effects caused by the integration of male genetic material. Up to now, however, paternal effects remain largely unexplored in these systems. Here, we tested for non-genetic paternal effects in the gynogenetic Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa): a naturally clonal, all-female species with no parental care. Using a highly controlled breeding experi

SUBMITTER: Scherer U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12948072 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature