Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it>
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Females in a wide range of taxa have been shown to base their choice of mates on pheromone signals. However, little research has focussed specifically on the form and intensity of selection that mate choice imposes on the pheromone s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2009-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/9/162 |
| _version_ | 1811191186289852416 |
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| author | Simmons Leigh W Thomas Melissa L |
| author_facet | Simmons Leigh W Thomas Melissa L |
| author_sort | Simmons Leigh W |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Females in a wide range of taxa have been shown to base their choice of mates on pheromone signals. However, little research has focussed specifically on the form and intensity of selection that mate choice imposes on the pheromone signal. Using multivariate selection analysis, we characterise directly the form and intensity of sexual selection acting on cuticular hydrocarbons, chemical compounds widely used in the selection of mates in insects. Using the Australian field cricket <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus </it>as a model organism, we use three measures of male attractiveness to estimate fitness; mating success, the duration of courtship required to elicit copulation, and subsequent spermatophore attachment duration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that all three measures of male attractiveness generated sexual selection on male cuticular hydrocarbons, however there were differences in the form and intensity of selection among these three measures. Mating success was the only measure of attractiveness that imposed both univariate linear and quadratic selection on cuticular hydrocarbons. Although we found that all three attractiveness measures generated nonlinear selection, again only mating success was found to exert statistically significant stabilizing selection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that sexual selection plays an important role in the evolution of male cuticular hydrocarbon signals.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:02:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5ccc5f2b4464403a305e00cbd2b1ee6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2148 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:02:17Z |
| publishDate | 2009-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5ccc5f2b4464403a305e00cbd2b1ee62022-12-22T04:16:56ZengBMCBMC Evolutionary Biology1471-21482009-07-019116210.1186/1471-2148-9-162Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it>Simmons Leigh WThomas Melissa L<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Females in a wide range of taxa have been shown to base their choice of mates on pheromone signals. However, little research has focussed specifically on the form and intensity of selection that mate choice imposes on the pheromone signal. Using multivariate selection analysis, we characterise directly the form and intensity of sexual selection acting on cuticular hydrocarbons, chemical compounds widely used in the selection of mates in insects. Using the Australian field cricket <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus </it>as a model organism, we use three measures of male attractiveness to estimate fitness; mating success, the duration of courtship required to elicit copulation, and subsequent spermatophore attachment duration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that all three measures of male attractiveness generated sexual selection on male cuticular hydrocarbons, however there were differences in the form and intensity of selection among these three measures. Mating success was the only measure of attractiveness that imposed both univariate linear and quadratic selection on cuticular hydrocarbons. Although we found that all three attractiveness measures generated nonlinear selection, again only mating success was found to exert statistically significant stabilizing selection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that sexual selection plays an important role in the evolution of male cuticular hydrocarbon signals.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/9/162 |
| spellingShingle | Simmons Leigh W Thomas Melissa L Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| title | Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> |
| title_full | Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> |
| title_fullStr | Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> |
| title_short | Sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the Australian field cricket, <it>Teleogryllus oceanicus</it> |
| title_sort | sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons in the australian field cricket it teleogryllus oceanicus it |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/9/162 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simmonsleighw sexualselectiononcuticularhydrocarbonsintheaustralianfieldcricketitteleogryllusoceanicusit AT thomasmelissal sexualselectiononcuticularhydrocarbonsintheaustralianfieldcricketitteleogryllusoceanicusit |