| | |
Summary: resolved -- the sperm head is closer
to the site of fertilisation [15,17] -- this
is unclear for Onthophagus. What
are the characteristics of short sperm
that contribute to fertilization success?
Or approaching the problem from
another angle, what drives the
evolution of (large) spermatheca size?
Larger spermathecae could promote
increased sperm competition and
relate to a greater propensity for
polyandry. Genetic correlations
between reproductive traits (sperm and
spermatheca size) and male and female
mating rates could be addressed
experimentally. Artificial selection
incorporating monandrous (no sexual
selection) and polyandrous lines
(sexual selection) could be applied to
verify whether fertilisation efficiency
|
