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Male-Killing Bacteria Trigger a Cycle of Increasing Male Fatigue and Female Promiscuity

Charlat, Sylvain ; Reuter, Max ; Dyson, Emily A. ; Hornett, Emily A. ; Duplouy, Anne LU ; Davies, Neil ; Roderick, George K. ; Wedell, Nina and Hurst, Gregory D D D (2007) In Current Biology 17(3). p.273-277
Abstract

Sex-ratio distorters are found in numerous species and can reach high frequencies within populations. Here, we address the compelling, but poorly tested, hypothesis that the sex ratio bias caused by such elements profoundly alters their host's mating system. We compare aspects of female and male reproductive biology between island populations of the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina that show varying degrees of female bias, because of a male-killing Wolbachia infection. Contrary to expectation, female bias leads to an increase in female mating frequency, up to a point where male mating capacity becomes limiting. We show that increased female mating frequency can be explained as a facultative response to the depleted male mating resources in... (More)

Sex-ratio distorters are found in numerous species and can reach high frequencies within populations. Here, we address the compelling, but poorly tested, hypothesis that the sex ratio bias caused by such elements profoundly alters their host's mating system. We compare aspects of female and male reproductive biology between island populations of the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina that show varying degrees of female bias, because of a male-killing Wolbachia infection. Contrary to expectation, female bias leads to an increase in female mating frequency, up to a point where male mating capacity becomes limiting. We show that increased female mating frequency can be explained as a facultative response to the depleted male mating resources in female biased populations. In other words, this system is one where male-killing bacteria trigger a vicious circle of increasing male fatigue and female promiscuity.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
EVO_ECOL
in
Current Biology
volume
17
issue
3
pages
273 - 277
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:17276921
  • scopus:33846786785
ISSN
0960-9822
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2006.11.068
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
789983b1-b632-48bd-ba8f-6c56472c0137
date added to LUP
2018-11-16 16:18:55
date last changed
2024-03-02 12:12:06
@article{789983b1-b632-48bd-ba8f-6c56472c0137,
  abstract     = {{<p>Sex-ratio distorters are found in numerous species and can reach high frequencies within populations. Here, we address the compelling, but poorly tested, hypothesis that the sex ratio bias caused by such elements profoundly alters their host's mating system. We compare aspects of female and male reproductive biology between island populations of the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina that show varying degrees of female bias, because of a male-killing Wolbachia infection. Contrary to expectation, female bias leads to an increase in female mating frequency, up to a point where male mating capacity becomes limiting. We show that increased female mating frequency can be explained as a facultative response to the depleted male mating resources in female biased populations. In other words, this system is one where male-killing bacteria trigger a vicious circle of increasing male fatigue and female promiscuity.</p>}},
  author       = {{Charlat, Sylvain and Reuter, Max and Dyson, Emily A. and Hornett, Emily A. and Duplouy, Anne and Davies, Neil and Roderick, George K. and Wedell, Nina and Hurst, Gregory D D D}},
  issn         = {{0960-9822}},
  keywords     = {{EVO_ECOL}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{273--277}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Current Biology}},
  title        = {{Male-Killing Bacteria Trigger a Cycle of Increasing Male Fatigue and Female Promiscuity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2006.11.068}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.cub.2006.11.068}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}