Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

In hot pursuit: fluctuating mating system and sexual selection in sand lizards

Olsson, Mats ; Wapstra, Erik ; Schwartz, Tonia ; Madsen, Thomas LU ; Ujvari, Beata and Uller, Tobias LU (2011) In Evolution: international journal of organic evolution Online 5 NOV 2010. p.574-583
Abstract
A changing climate is expected to have profound effects on many aspects of ectotherm biology. We report on a decade-long study of free-ranging sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), exposed to an increasing mean mating season temperature and with known operational sex ratios. We assessed year-to-year variation in sexual selection on body size and postcopulatory sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Higher temperature was not linked to strength of sexual selection on body mass, but operational sex ratio (more males) did increase the strength of sexual selection on body size. Elevated temperature increased mating rate and number of sires per clutch with positive effects on offspring fitness. In years when the "quality" of a female's partners... (More)
A changing climate is expected to have profound effects on many aspects of ectotherm biology. We report on a decade-long study of free-ranging sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), exposed to an increasing mean mating season temperature and with known operational sex ratios. We assessed year-to-year variation in sexual selection on body size and postcopulatory sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Higher temperature was not linked to strength of sexual selection on body mass, but operational sex ratio (more males) did increase the strength of sexual selection on body size. Elevated temperature increased mating rate and number of sires per clutch with positive effects on offspring fitness. In years when the "quality" of a female's partners was more variable (in standard errors of a male sexual ornament), clutches showed less multiple paternity. This agrees with prior laboratory trials in which females exercised stronger cryptic female choice when male quality varied more. An increased number of sires contributing to within-clutch paternity decreased the risk of having malformed offspring. Ultimately, such variation may contribute to highly dynamic and shifting selection mosaics in the wild, with potential implications for the evolutionary ecology of mating systems and population responses to rapidly changing environmental conditions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Evolution: international journal of organic evolution
volume
Online 5 NOV 2010
pages
574 - 583
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:21044055
  • scopus:79251503601
  • pmid:21044055
ISSN
1558-5646
DOI
10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01152.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001), Evolutionary Ecology (432112238)
id
fedff0f6-eebb-467a-8303-1c7f68d2d831 (old id 1732402)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:41:23
date last changed
2022-02-19 20:19:35
@article{fedff0f6-eebb-467a-8303-1c7f68d2d831,
  abstract     = {{A changing climate is expected to have profound effects on many aspects of ectotherm biology. We report on a decade-long study of free-ranging sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), exposed to an increasing mean mating season temperature and with known operational sex ratios. We assessed year-to-year variation in sexual selection on body size and postcopulatory sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Higher temperature was not linked to strength of sexual selection on body mass, but operational sex ratio (more males) did increase the strength of sexual selection on body size. Elevated temperature increased mating rate and number of sires per clutch with positive effects on offspring fitness. In years when the "quality" of a female's partners was more variable (in standard errors of a male sexual ornament), clutches showed less multiple paternity. This agrees with prior laboratory trials in which females exercised stronger cryptic female choice when male quality varied more. An increased number of sires contributing to within-clutch paternity decreased the risk of having malformed offspring. Ultimately, such variation may contribute to highly dynamic and shifting selection mosaics in the wild, with potential implications for the evolutionary ecology of mating systems and population responses to rapidly changing environmental conditions.}},
  author       = {{Olsson, Mats and Wapstra, Erik and Schwartz, Tonia and Madsen, Thomas and Ujvari, Beata and Uller, Tobias}},
  issn         = {{1558-5646}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{574--583}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Evolution: international journal of organic evolution}},
  title        = {{In hot pursuit: fluctuating mating system and sexual selection in sand lizards}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01152.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01152.x}},
  volume       = {{Online 5 NOV 2010}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}