Extreme fertilization bias towards freshly inseminated sperm in a species exhibiting prolonged female sperm storage.

ABSTRACT: The storage of sperm by females across successive reproductive cycles is well documented in internal fertilizers, yet the fate of stored sperm when they compete with 'new' sperm to fertilize a female's eggs has rarely been considered. This gap in our understanding is likely due to the logistical difficulties of controlling behavioural interactions during or after mating, which in turn may influence how many sperm are inseminated and how stored sperm are ultimately used during successive bouts of sperm competition with freshly inseminated sperm. Here, we use artificial insemination (AI) in guppies (Poecilia reticulata), a polyandrous live-bearing poeciliid fish exhibiting prolonged sperm storage by females, to overcome these challenges. The use of AI enables us to control potential d

SUBMITTER: Gasparini C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5882737 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature