Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Male Reproductive Traits in Benthic Octopuses.

ABSTRACT: Competition between same-sex organisms, or intra-sexual selection, can occur before and after mating, and include processes such as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. One of the consequences of intra-sexual selection is that male reproductive traits tend to evolve and diverge at high rates. In benthic octopuses, females often mate with more than one male in a single reproductive event, opening the venue for intra-sexual selection at multiple levels. For instance, males transfer spermatophores through hectocotylus, and can remove the spermatophores left by other males. Considering the limited evidence on post-copula competition in benthic octopuses, and the potential to affect the evolution of reproductive traits within octopodids, we put this hypothesis to a test employing a phyl

SUBMITTER: Ibanez CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6794433 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature