Multiple biological mechanisms result in correlations between pre- and post-mating traits that differ among versus within individuals and genotypes.

ABSTRACT: Reproductive traits involved in mate acquisition (pre-mating traits) are predicted to covary with those involved in fertilization success (post-mating traits). Variation in male quality may give rise to positive, and resource allocation trade-offs to negative, covariances between pre- and post-mating traits. Empirical studies have yielded mixed results. Progress is hampered as researchers often fail to appreciate that mentioned biological mechanisms can act simultaneously but at different hierarchical levels of biological variation: genetic correlations may, for example, be negative due to genetic trade-offs but environmental correlations may instead be positive due to individual variation in resource acquisition. We measured pre-mating (aggression, body weight) and post-mating (ejaculate

SUBMITTER: Tuni C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6125919 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature