Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status
Sperm competition models predict that males typically mating in disfavoured roles should be selected to compensate for their disadvantage by investing more into sperm. We studied the effect of rapid changes in social status on ejaculate investments during experimental trials with an externally ferti...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 2024-09-15T17:52:24+00:00 Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status Rudolfsen, Geir Figenschou, Lars Folstad, Ivar Tveiten, Helge Figenschou, Marie 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 273, issue 1584, page 325-332 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2005 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 2024-08-26T04:21:00Z Sperm competition models predict that males typically mating in disfavoured roles should be selected to compensate for their disadvantage by investing more into sperm. We studied the effect of rapid changes in social status on ejaculate investments during experimental trials with an externally fertilizing teleost—the Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus ). We document that males becoming dominant produce less sperm with lower velocity, but have higher sex steroid concentrations than subordinate males. These differences in sperm characteristics seem mainly to result from a decreased investment in sperm among fish that become dominant compared to pre-trial levels. Moreover, these adjustments of sperm production and sperm velocity seem not to be traded against sperm longevity. Our results support theoretical models of sperm competition, as males forced to mate in disfavoured roles seem to invest more into ejaculate quality than males in favoured roles. Additionally, we are the first to report that males, in a species with status-dependent shifts in reproductive tactics, have evolved rapid tactic specific adjustments of sperm production and sperm velocity corresponding to what could be predicted from their reproductive roles. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus The Royal Society Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 273 1584 325 332 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Sperm competition models predict that males typically mating in disfavoured roles should be selected to compensate for their disadvantage by investing more into sperm. We studied the effect of rapid changes in social status on ejaculate investments during experimental trials with an externally fertilizing teleost—the Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus ). We document that males becoming dominant produce less sperm with lower velocity, but have higher sex steroid concentrations than subordinate males. These differences in sperm characteristics seem mainly to result from a decreased investment in sperm among fish that become dominant compared to pre-trial levels. Moreover, these adjustments of sperm production and sperm velocity seem not to be traded against sperm longevity. Our results support theoretical models of sperm competition, as males forced to mate in disfavoured roles seem to invest more into ejaculate quality than males in favoured roles. Additionally, we are the first to report that males, in a species with status-dependent shifts in reproductive tactics, have evolved rapid tactic specific adjustments of sperm production and sperm velocity corresponding to what could be predicted from their reproductive roles. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rudolfsen, Geir Figenschou, Lars Folstad, Ivar Tveiten, Helge Figenschou, Marie |
spellingShingle |
Rudolfsen, Geir Figenschou, Lars Folstad, Ivar Tveiten, Helge Figenschou, Marie Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
author_facet |
Rudolfsen, Geir Figenschou, Lars Folstad, Ivar Tveiten, Helge Figenschou, Marie |
author_sort |
Rudolfsen, Geir |
title |
Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
title_short |
Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
title_full |
Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
title_fullStr |
Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
title_sort |
rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 |
genre |
Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus |
genre_facet |
Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 273, issue 1584, page 325-332 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3305 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
273 |
container_issue |
1584 |
container_start_page |
325 |
op_container_end_page |
332 |
_version_ |
1810294446724481024 |