Baculum morphology predicts reproductive success of male house mice under sexual selection

BMC Biology

Research Article

Steve Paterson¹  Amy L Sherborne²  Paula Stockley³  Jane L Hurst³  Michael D F Thom⁴  Steven A Ramm⁵ 

[1] Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L69 7ZB, Liverpool, UK;Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L69 7ZB, Liverpool, UK;Section of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Cotswold Road, SM2 5NG, Sutton, Surrey, UK;Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution Group, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, Neston, UK;Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution Group, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, Neston, UK;Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Y010 5DD, Heslington, York, UK;Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution Group, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, Neston, UK;Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany;

关键词: Baculum;    Cryptic female choice;    Genital evolution;    Os penis;    Penile morphology;    Postcopulatory sexual selection;    Sperm competition;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1741-7007-11-66

 received in 2013-02-19, accepted in 2013-05-29,  发布年份 2013

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundDiversity in penile morphology is characterised by extraordinary variation in the size and shape of the baculum (penis bone) found in many mammals. Although functionally enigmatic, diversity in baculum form is hypothesised to result from sexual selection. According to this hypothesis, the baculum should influence the outcome of reproductive competition among males within promiscuous mating systems. However, a test of this key prediction is currently lacking.ResultsHere we show that baculum size explains significant variation in the reproductive success of male house mice under competitive conditions. After controlling for body size and other reproductive traits, the width (but not length) of the house mouse baculum predicts both the mean number of offspring sired per litter and total number of offspring sired.ConclusionsBy providing the first evidence linking baculum morphology to male reproductive success, our results support the hypothesis that evolutionary diversity in baculum form is driven by sexual selection.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Stockley et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013