Possible coevolution of male and female genital form and function in a calopterygid damselfly.
J Evol Biol
; 18(1): 132-7, 2005 Jan.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15669969
ABSTRACT
In this paper some evolutionary changes of genitalia in the damselfly Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis are investigated by determining their current and past function. Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis males stimulate females by aedeagal frictioning on a set of vaginal sensilla. The aedeagus is considerably variable and positively correlates with volumes of ejected sperm from the spermatheca. Interestingly, females show a significantly reduced sensillum number compared with other family members. Here I explore whether there existed directional selection for aedeagal width at its evolutionary onset; and whether the sensillum reduction evolved to make sperm ejection less effective. Using C. haemorrhoidalis aedeagi in females whose species retained the ancestral conditions (no stimulatory ability and large sensillum numbers), Hetaerina cruentata and C. xanthostoma, my results corroborated these assumptions variation in aedeagal width inversely correlated with sperm ejection rate while sperm ejection was higher in species with high sensillum numbers. A suggested coevolutionary interpretation of these results in C. haemorrhoidalis is that aedeagal width was favoured which was followed by a sensillum reduction.
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Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Evolución Biológica
/
Genitales Femeninos
/
Genitales Masculinos
/
Insectos
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Evol Biol
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2005
Tipo del documento:
Article