The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy
Assessing the consequences of personality traits on reproductive success is one of the most important challenges in personality studies and critical to understand the evolutionary implications of behavioural variability among animals. Personality traits are typically associated with mating acquisiti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190474 |
| _version_ | 1818116571705376768 |
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| author | Clelia Gasparini Elizabeth M. Speechley Giovanni Polverino |
| author_facet | Clelia Gasparini Elizabeth M. Speechley Giovanni Polverino |
| author_sort | Clelia Gasparini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Assessing the consequences of personality traits on reproductive success is one of the most important challenges in personality studies and critical to understand the evolutionary implications of behavioural variability among animals. Personality traits are typically associated with mating acquisition in males, and, hence, linked to variation in their reproductive success. However, in most species, sexual selection continues after mating, and sperm traits (such as sperm number and quality) become very important in determining post-mating competitive success. Here, we investigate whether variation in personality traits is associated with variation in sperm traits using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a species with high levels of sperm competition. We found a positive association between boldness and sperm number but not sperm velocity, suggesting that bolder males have increased post-copulatory success than shyer individuals. No association was found between exploration and sperm traits. Our work highlights the importance of considering post-copulatory traits when investigating fitness consequences of personality traits, especially in species with high levels of female multiple matings and hence sperm competition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:24:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-876a9ec4976d41589a7f30634c1c8e59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:24:38Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-876a9ec4976d41589a7f30634c1c8e592022-12-22T01:21:00ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032019-07-016710.1098/rsos.190474190474The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppyClelia GaspariniElizabeth M. SpeechleyGiovanni PolverinoAssessing the consequences of personality traits on reproductive success is one of the most important challenges in personality studies and critical to understand the evolutionary implications of behavioural variability among animals. Personality traits are typically associated with mating acquisition in males, and, hence, linked to variation in their reproductive success. However, in most species, sexual selection continues after mating, and sperm traits (such as sperm number and quality) become very important in determining post-mating competitive success. Here, we investigate whether variation in personality traits is associated with variation in sperm traits using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a species with high levels of sperm competition. We found a positive association between boldness and sperm number but not sperm velocity, suggesting that bolder males have increased post-copulatory success than shyer individuals. No association was found between exploration and sperm traits. Our work highlights the importance of considering post-copulatory traits when investigating fitness consequences of personality traits, especially in species with high levels of female multiple matings and hence sperm competition.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190474sexual selectionfitnesspersonalitypost-copulatoryspermtemperament |
| spellingShingle | Clelia Gasparini Elizabeth M. Speechley Giovanni Polverino The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy Royal Society Open Science sexual selection fitness personality post-copulatory sperm temperament |
| title | The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| title_full | The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| title_fullStr | The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| title_short | The bold and the sperm: positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| title_sort | bold and the sperm positive association between boldness and sperm number in the guppy |
| topic | sexual selection fitness personality post-copulatory sperm temperament |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190474 |
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