Abstract
We investigated the importance of passive sperm loss in the outcome of sperm competition in captive, wild-type Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata). In nature, Muscovy Ducks can be expected to experience more intense sperm competition than most other waterfowl because of their non-monogamous mating system. We estimated the instantaneous rate of sperm loss from the reproductive tracts of female Muscovy Ducks as 0.0235 ± 0.0018 h-1 [SE], a fairly typical rate in comparison to the few other species of birds in which passive sperm loss has been measured. We also measured sperm precedence in trials in which a captive female was allowed to mate with two males in succession, with either a 24-h or a 72-h lag between matings. Paternity was determined with microsatellite markers. The mean proportion of a female's eggs fertilized by the second male (P2) was 0.72 ± 0.14 in trials with the 24-h lag and 0.42 ± 0.13 in trials with the 72-h lag. The last-male precedence observed in the 24-h trials can be explained by a quantitative model in which passive sperm loss alone determines average success, but this model is not consistent with the outcome of the 72-h trials. Other factors, including perhaps postcopulatory female choice, must be acting in addition to passive sperm loss in the trials with the longer lag.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 495-502 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Auk |
| Volume | 127 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2010 |
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Keywords
- Cairina moschata
- Muscovy Ducks
- passive sperm loss
- sperm competition
- sperm precedence
- waterfowl
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cite this
Passive sperm loss and patterns of sperm precedence in Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata). / Stai, Sarah M.; Searcy, William.
In: Auk, Vol. 127, No. 3, 01.07.2010, p. 495-502.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Passive sperm loss and patterns of sperm precedence in Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata)
AU - Stai, Sarah M.
AU - Searcy, William
PY - 2010/7/1
Y1 - 2010/7/1
N2 - We investigated the importance of passive sperm loss in the outcome of sperm competition in captive, wild-type Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata). In nature, Muscovy Ducks can be expected to experience more intense sperm competition than most other waterfowl because of their non-monogamous mating system. We estimated the instantaneous rate of sperm loss from the reproductive tracts of female Muscovy Ducks as 0.0235 ± 0.0018 h-1 [SE], a fairly typical rate in comparison to the few other species of birds in which passive sperm loss has been measured. We also measured sperm precedence in trials in which a captive female was allowed to mate with two males in succession, with either a 24-h or a 72-h lag between matings. Paternity was determined with microsatellite markers. The mean proportion of a female's eggs fertilized by the second male (P2) was 0.72 ± 0.14 in trials with the 24-h lag and 0.42 ± 0.13 in trials with the 72-h lag. The last-male precedence observed in the 24-h trials can be explained by a quantitative model in which passive sperm loss alone determines average success, but this model is not consistent with the outcome of the 72-h trials. Other factors, including perhaps postcopulatory female choice, must be acting in addition to passive sperm loss in the trials with the longer lag.
AB - We investigated the importance of passive sperm loss in the outcome of sperm competition in captive, wild-type Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata). In nature, Muscovy Ducks can be expected to experience more intense sperm competition than most other waterfowl because of their non-monogamous mating system. We estimated the instantaneous rate of sperm loss from the reproductive tracts of female Muscovy Ducks as 0.0235 ± 0.0018 h-1 [SE], a fairly typical rate in comparison to the few other species of birds in which passive sperm loss has been measured. We also measured sperm precedence in trials in which a captive female was allowed to mate with two males in succession, with either a 24-h or a 72-h lag between matings. Paternity was determined with microsatellite markers. The mean proportion of a female's eggs fertilized by the second male (P2) was 0.72 ± 0.14 in trials with the 24-h lag and 0.42 ± 0.13 in trials with the 72-h lag. The last-male precedence observed in the 24-h trials can be explained by a quantitative model in which passive sperm loss alone determines average success, but this model is not consistent with the outcome of the 72-h trials. Other factors, including perhaps postcopulatory female choice, must be acting in addition to passive sperm loss in the trials with the longer lag.
KW - Cairina moschata
KW - Muscovy Ducks
KW - passive sperm loss
KW - sperm competition
KW - sperm precedence
KW - waterfowl
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955073145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955073145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1525/auk.2010.09138
DO - 10.1525/auk.2010.09138
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77955073145
VL - 127
SP - 495
EP - 502
JO - Auk
JF - Auk
SN - 0004-8038
IS - 3
ER -