Autosomal Variation For Male Body Size And Sperm Competition Phenotypes Are Genetically Uncorrelated In Drosophila Melanogaster

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 26 Jun 2008 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

Identifying factors impacting a male's ability to attract females and successfully fertilize her eggs is critical for understanding how selection will affect those traits.

Body size is known to affect a male's ability to attract mates. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, we test if the genetic basis to male body size affects his ability to fertilize a females eggs when competing against other males.

Despite extensive genetic variation for male body size and traits affecting sperm competition, we did not observe significant genetic correlations between male body size and sperm competitive ability.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters