Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em>
Female common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) typically reproduce annually and lay more than one clutch per season. In this study, we tested whether females store sperm between clutches and between years by manipulating mating opportunities of females through appropriate experiments. Our results rev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Firenze University Press
2012-05-01
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| Series: | Acta Herpetologica |
| Online Access: | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/1649 |
| _version_ | 1819163291996389376 |
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| author | Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa Roberto Sacchi Fabio Pupin Adriana Bellati Walter Cocca Augusto Gentilli Paolo Galeotti Mauro Fasola |
| author_facet | Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa Roberto Sacchi Fabio Pupin Adriana Bellati Walter Cocca Augusto Gentilli Paolo Galeotti Mauro Fasola |
| author_sort | Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Female common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) typically reproduce annually and lay more than one clutch per season. In this study, we tested whether females store sperm between clutches and between years by manipulating mating opportunities of females through appropriate experiments. Our results revealed that females are definitely unable to store sperm for medium or long-term, suggesting they necessary need to repeatedly mate with males to fertilize their eggs. Finally, by comparing our results to other similar multi-clutched species, we conclude that sperm storage probably does not constitute a selective advantage for species with a promiscuous reproductive system based on multiple mating in populations with high densities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:41:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c34cbcc185b64446b8b85175f9a6feab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1827-9635 1827-9643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:41:48Z |
| publishDate | 2012-05-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Herpetologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-c34cbcc185b64446b8b85175f9a6feab2022-12-21T18:18:24ZengFirenze University PressActa Herpetologica1827-96351827-96432012-05-017110.13128/Acta_Herpetol-98909983Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em>Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa0Roberto SacchiFabio PupinAdriana BellatiWalter CoccaAugusto GentilliPaolo GaleottiMauro FasolaUniversità di PaviaFemale common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) typically reproduce annually and lay more than one clutch per season. In this study, we tested whether females store sperm between clutches and between years by manipulating mating opportunities of females through appropriate experiments. Our results revealed that females are definitely unable to store sperm for medium or long-term, suggesting they necessary need to repeatedly mate with males to fertilize their eggs. Finally, by comparing our results to other similar multi-clutched species, we conclude that sperm storage probably does not constitute a selective advantage for species with a promiscuous reproductive system based on multiple mating in populations with high densities.https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/1649 |
| spellingShingle | Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa Roberto Sacchi Fabio Pupin Adriana Bellati Walter Cocca Augusto Gentilli Paolo Galeotti Mauro Fasola Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> Acta Herpetologica |
| title | Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> |
| title_full | Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> |
| title_fullStr | Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> |
| title_short | Testing the ability to store sperm: an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard, <em>Podarcis muralis</em> |
| title_sort | testing the ability to store sperm an experimental manipulation of mating opportunities in the common wall lizard em podarcis muralis em |
| url | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/1649 |
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