Experimental evolution under hyper-promiscuity in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The number of partners that individuals mate with over their lifetime is a defining feature of mating systems, and variation in mate number is thought to be a major driver of sexual evolution. Although previous research has investigated the evolutionary consequences of reductions in the number of mates, we know little about the costs and benefits of increased numbers of mates. Here, we use a genetic manipulation of mating frequency in Drosophila melanogaster to create a novel, highly promiscuous mating system. We generated D. melanogaster populations in which flies were deficient for the sex peptide receptor (SPR) gene - resulting in SPR- females that mated more frequently - and genetically-matched control populations, and allowed them to evolve for 55 generations. At se

SUBMITTER: Perry JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4910217 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature