Sperm selection by females
Article Abstract:
Previous studies have limited female participation in the natural selection process to only the pre-copulatory stage, with females choosing their mates. However, a study of Swedish sand lizards suggests that female participation in the selection process extends beyond the copulatory stage. Female sand lizards copulate more than once during a breeding cycle, often with both genetically similar and dissimilar mates. An analysis of the DNA of the offsprings shows that males of the same gene pool sire less offspring than those outside the gene pool. This finding suggests that female lizards are able to discriminate between sperm from different mates to ensure genetic diversity.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1996
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Sympatric speciation by sexual selection
Article Abstract:
Sympatric speciation may be due to sexual selection without disruptive natural selection. Variation in a male secondary sexual character and a corresponding variance in female mating preference, may evolve jointly into bimodal distributions with increased modal divergence of male and female traits.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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