The relative nature of fertilization success: implications for the study of post-copulatory sexual selection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The determination of genetic variation in sperm competitive ability is fundamental to distinguish between post-copulatory sexual selection models based on good-genes vs compatible genes. The sexy-sperm and the good-sperm hypotheses for the evolution of polyandry require additive (intrinsic) effects of genes influencing sperm competitiveness, whereas the genetic incompatibility hypothesis invokes non-additive genetic effects. A male's sperm competitive ability is typically estimated from his fertilization success, a measure that is dependent on the ability of rival sperm competitors to fertilize the ova. It is well known that fertilization success may be conditional to genotypic interactions among males as well as between males and females. However, the consequences of ef

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Gonzalez F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2408597 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature