Multiple paternity and sperm competition in the sibling species Drosophila buzzatii and D. koepferae. Molecular Ecology

HURTADO J., P IGLESIAS, P LIPKO Y Y E HASSON

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 19 p. 5016 - 5026

0962-1083

Sperm competition (SC) is a major component of sexual selection that enhances intra and inter-sexual conflicts and may trigger rapid adaptive evolution of sexual characters. The actual role of SC on rapid evolution, however, is poorly understood. Besides, the relative contribution of distinctive features of the mating system to among species variation in the strength of SC remains unclear. Here, we assessed the strength of SC and mating system factors that may account for it in the closely related species Drosophila buzzatii and D. koepferae. Our results show higher incidence of multiple paternity in D. buzzatii wild inseminated females revealing higher risk of SC in this species than in its sibling. We found that this pattern may be accounted for by the faster rate of stored sperm usage observed in D. koepferae and by the greater female remating rate exhibited by D. buzzatii. In addition, we found that the male reproductive cost of SC is also higher in D. buzzatii. Therefore, we may conclude that post-mating sexual selection via SC is a stronger evolutionary force in D. buzzatii than its sibling.