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Spermicide by females: what should males do?
Spermicide by females: what should males do?
- Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- The female reproductive tract can be particularly aggressive towards ejaculates, often leading to the death of large numbers of sperm. It has been suggested that males can respond to these actions by investing more in sperm and donating larger ejaculates. Such counteractions may lead to arms races, which can have significant implications for the mating system. In a series of simple models we first show that arms races are not necessarily supported: in fact, sperm killing may even favour no change or reductions in sperm allocation. Second, we identify a simple mechanistic rule for sperm killing that determines whether an arms race or sperm reduction will be favoured. Which of these responses is favoured by selection depends on whether a certain number, or proportion, of sperm are killed. When a specific number is killed, larger investment in sperm is favoured and when a specific proportion is killed, no change or lower investment in sperm is favoured. Both of these mechanisms are biologically plausible.
- Subjects :
- Male
endocrine system
Zoology
Biology
Models, Biological
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Sperm heteromorphism
Sexual Behavior, Animal
Human fertilization
Phagocytosis
Animals
Sperm competition
reproductive and urinary physiology
General Environmental Science
General Immunology and Microbiology
Sperm Count
Ecology
urogenital system
Spermicide
General Medicine
Mating system
Polyspermy
Sperm
Biological Evolution
Spermatozoa
Sexual selection
Fertilization
Female
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....83d638a08ce250a67a407ebd91693a48