Sperm competition: Linking form to function
Background. Using information from physics, biomechanics and evolutionary biology, we explore the implications of physical constraints on sperm performance, and review empirical evidence for links between sperm length and sperm competition (where two or more males compete to fertilise a female'...
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Springer Verlag
2008
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Online Access: | https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/file/464106/1/Supplementary%20material.pdf https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464106 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 |
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ftunivhullir:oai:hull-repository.worktribe.com:464106 2024-09-15T17:56:30+00:00 Sperm competition: Linking form to function Humphries, Stuart Evans, Jonathan P. Simmons, Leigh W. 2008-11-25 https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/file/464106/1/Supplementary%20material.pdf https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464106 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 English eng Springer Verlag https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464106 BMC evolutionary biology Volume 8 Issue 1 doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/file/464106/1/Supplementary%20material.pdf 1471-2148 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 Cryptic female choice sperm Low-reynolds-number Fertilization success Flagellar propulsion Atlantic salmon Lepomis-macrochirus Intraspecific variation Passerine birds Sperm Specialist Research - Other Journal Article acceptedVersion publishedVersion 2008 ftunivhullir https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 2024-07-29T14:00:56Z Background. Using information from physics, biomechanics and evolutionary biology, we explore the implications of physical constraints on sperm performance, and review empirical evidence for links between sperm length and sperm competition (where two or more males compete to fertilise a female's eggs). A common theme in the literature on sperm competition is that selection for increased sperm performance in polyandrous species will favour the evolution of longer, and therefore faster swimming, sperm. This argument is based on the common assumption that sperm swimming velocity is directly related to sperm length, due to the increased thrust produced by longer flagella. Results. We critically evaluate the evidence for links between sperm morphology and swimming speed, and draw on cross-disciplinary studies to show that the assumption that velocity is directly related to sperm length will rarely be satisfied in the microscopic world in which sperm operate. Conclusion. We show that increased sperm length is unlikely to be driven by selection for increased swimming speed, and that the relative lengths of a sperm's constituent parts, rather than their absolute lengths, are likely to be the target of selection. All else being equal, we suggest that a simple measure of the ratio of head to tail length should be used to assess the possible link between morphology and speed. However, this is most likely to be the case for external fertilizers in which females have relatively limited opportunity to influence a sperm's motility. © 2008 Humphries et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic salmon University of Hull: Repository@Hull BMC Evolutionary Biology 8 1 319 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Hull: Repository@Hull |
op_collection_id |
ftunivhullir |
language |
English |
topic |
Cryptic female choice sperm Low-reynolds-number Fertilization success Flagellar propulsion Atlantic salmon Lepomis-macrochirus Intraspecific variation Passerine birds Sperm Specialist Research - Other |
spellingShingle |
Cryptic female choice sperm Low-reynolds-number Fertilization success Flagellar propulsion Atlantic salmon Lepomis-macrochirus Intraspecific variation Passerine birds Sperm Specialist Research - Other Humphries, Stuart Evans, Jonathan P. Simmons, Leigh W. Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
topic_facet |
Cryptic female choice sperm Low-reynolds-number Fertilization success Flagellar propulsion Atlantic salmon Lepomis-macrochirus Intraspecific variation Passerine birds Sperm Specialist Research - Other |
description |
Background. Using information from physics, biomechanics and evolutionary biology, we explore the implications of physical constraints on sperm performance, and review empirical evidence for links between sperm length and sperm competition (where two or more males compete to fertilise a female's eggs). A common theme in the literature on sperm competition is that selection for increased sperm performance in polyandrous species will favour the evolution of longer, and therefore faster swimming, sperm. This argument is based on the common assumption that sperm swimming velocity is directly related to sperm length, due to the increased thrust produced by longer flagella. Results. We critically evaluate the evidence for links between sperm morphology and swimming speed, and draw on cross-disciplinary studies to show that the assumption that velocity is directly related to sperm length will rarely be satisfied in the microscopic world in which sperm operate. Conclusion. We show that increased sperm length is unlikely to be driven by selection for increased swimming speed, and that the relative lengths of a sperm's constituent parts, rather than their absolute lengths, are likely to be the target of selection. All else being equal, we suggest that a simple measure of the ratio of head to tail length should be used to assess the possible link between morphology and speed. However, this is most likely to be the case for external fertilizers in which females have relatively limited opportunity to influence a sperm's motility. © 2008 Humphries et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Humphries, Stuart Evans, Jonathan P. Simmons, Leigh W. |
author_facet |
Humphries, Stuart Evans, Jonathan P. Simmons, Leigh W. |
author_sort |
Humphries, Stuart |
title |
Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
title_short |
Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
title_full |
Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
title_fullStr |
Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sperm competition: Linking form to function |
title_sort |
sperm competition: linking form to function |
publisher |
Springer Verlag |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/file/464106/1/Supplementary%20material.pdf https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464106 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 |
genre |
Atlantic salmon |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon |
op_relation |
https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464106 BMC evolutionary biology Volume 8 Issue 1 doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/file/464106/1/Supplementary%20material.pdf 1471-2148 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 |
op_rights |
openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-319 |
container_title |
BMC Evolutionary Biology |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
319 |
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1810432706037678080 |