Inbreeding promotes female promiscuity

Łukasz Michalczyk; Anna L. Millard; Oliver Y. Martin; Alyson J. Lumley; Brent C. Emerson; Tracey Chapman; Matthew J. G. Gage

doi:10.1126/science.1207314

Inbreeding promotes female promiscuity

Łukasz Michalczyk, Anna L. Millard, Oliver Y. Martin, Alyson J. Lumley, Brent C. Emerson, Tracey Chapman, Matthew J. G. Gage

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

82 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The widespread phenomenon of polyandry (mating by females with multiple males) is an evolutionary puzzle, because females can sustain costs from promiscuity, whereas full fertility can be provided by a single male. Using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we identify major fitness benefits of polyandry to females under inbreeding, when the risks of fertilization by incompatible male haplotypes are especially high. Fifteen generations after inbred populations had passed through genetic bottlenecks, we recorded increased levels of female promiscuity compared with noninbred controls, most likely due to selection from prospective fitness gains through polyandry. These data illustrate how this common mating pattern can evolve if population genetic bottlenecks increase the risks of fitness depression due to fertilization by sperm carrying genetically incompatible haplotypes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1739-1742
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	333
Issue number	6050
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207314
Publication status	Published - 23 Sept 2011

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10.1126/science.1207314

Cite this

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title = "Inbreeding promotes female promiscuity",

abstract = "The widespread phenomenon of polyandry (mating by females with multiple males) is an evolutionary puzzle, because females can sustain costs from promiscuity, whereas full fertility can be provided by a single male. Using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we identify major fitness benefits of polyandry to females under inbreeding, when the risks of fertilization by incompatible male haplotypes are especially high. Fifteen generations after inbred populations had passed through genetic bottlenecks, we recorded increased levels of female promiscuity compared with noninbred controls, most likely due to selection from prospective fitness gains through polyandry. These data illustrate how this common mating pattern can evolve if population genetic bottlenecks increase the risks of fitness depression due to fertilization by sperm carrying genetically incompatible haplotypes.",

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AU - Michalczyk, Łukasz

AU - Millard, Anna L.

AU - Martin, Oliver Y.

AU - Lumley, Alyson J.

AU - Emerson, Brent C.

AU - Chapman, Tracey

AU - Gage, Matthew J. G.

PY - 2011/9/23

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N2 - The widespread phenomenon of polyandry (mating by females with multiple males) is an evolutionary puzzle, because females can sustain costs from promiscuity, whereas full fertility can be provided by a single male. Using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we identify major fitness benefits of polyandry to females under inbreeding, when the risks of fertilization by incompatible male haplotypes are especially high. Fifteen generations after inbred populations had passed through genetic bottlenecks, we recorded increased levels of female promiscuity compared with noninbred controls, most likely due to selection from prospective fitness gains through polyandry. These data illustrate how this common mating pattern can evolve if population genetic bottlenecks increase the risks of fitness depression due to fertilization by sperm carrying genetically incompatible haplotypes.

AB - The widespread phenomenon of polyandry (mating by females with multiple males) is an evolutionary puzzle, because females can sustain costs from promiscuity, whereas full fertility can be provided by a single male. Using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we identify major fitness benefits of polyandry to females under inbreeding, when the risks of fertilization by incompatible male haplotypes are especially high. Fifteen generations after inbred populations had passed through genetic bottlenecks, we recorded increased levels of female promiscuity compared with noninbred controls, most likely due to selection from prospective fitness gains through polyandry. These data illustrate how this common mating pattern can evolve if population genetic bottlenecks increase the risks of fitness depression due to fertilization by sperm carrying genetically incompatible haplotypes.

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DO - 10.1126/science.1207314

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