Phenotypic plasticity in genitalia: baculum shape responds to sperm competition risk in house mice.

ABSTRACT: Males are known to adjust their expenditure on testes growth and sperm production in response to sperm competition risk. Genital morphology can also contribute to competitive fertilization success but whether male genital morphology can respond plastically to the sperm competition environment has received little attention. Here, we exposed male house mice to two different sperm competition environments during their sexual development and quantified phenotypic plasticity in baculum morphology. The sperm competition environment generated plasticity in body growth. Males maturing under sperm competition risk were larger and heavier than males maturing under no sperm competition risk. We used a landmark-based geometric morphometric approach to measure baculum size and shape. Independent of var

SUBMITTER: Andre GI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6053933 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature