BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

Pre- and postcopulatory trait measures Sheet 1: Data. Sheet 2: Variable descriptions Episodes sexsel_DRYADdata.xlsx, When females mate polyandrously, male reproductive success depends both on the male's ability to attain matings and his ability to outcompete rival males in the fertilization of ova post copulation. Increased investment in ejaculate components may trade-off with investment in precopulatory traits due to resource allocation. Alternatively, pre- and postcopulatory traits could be positively related if individuals can afford to invest heavily in traits advantageous at both episodes of selection. There is empirical evidence for both positive and negative associations between pre- and postcopulatory episodes, but little is known about the genetic basis of these correlations. In this study, we measured morphological, chemical, and behavioural precopulatory male traits and investigated their relationship with measures of male fitness (male mating success, remating inhibition and offensive sperm competitiveness) across 40 isofemale lines of Drosophila melanogaster. We found significant variation among isofemale lines, indicating a genetic basis for most of the traits investigated. However, we found weak evidence for genetic correlations between precopulatory traits and our indices of male fitness. Moreover, pre-and postcopulatory episodes of selection were uncorrelated, suggesting selection may act independently at the different episodes to maximise male reproductive success., Peer reviewed

Female mating frequency, P2 and Egg-adult Viability data Sheet 1: Female lifetime mating frequency, Sheet 2: Description of variables contained in Sheet 1. Sheet 3: Focal male P2 and egg-to adult viability data, Sheet 4: Description of variables contained in Sheet 3. sexy-good sperm.xlsx, Polyandry is widespread despite its costs. The sexually selected sperm hypotheses (‘sexy’ and ‘good’ sperm) posit that sperm competition plays a role in the evolution of polyandry. Two poorly studied assumptions of these hypotheses are the presence of additive genetic variance in polyandry and sperm competitiveness. Using a quantitative genetic breeding design in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster, we first established the potential for polyandry to respond to selection. We then investigated whether polyandry can evolve through sexually selected sperm processes. We measured lifetime polyandry and offensive sperm competitiveness (P2) while controlling for sampling variance due to male x male x female interactions. We also measured additive genetic variance in egg-to-adult viability and controlled for its effect on P2 estimates. Female lifetime polyandry showed significant and substantial additive genetic variance and evolvability. In contrast, we found little genetic variance or evolvability in P2 or egg-to-adult viability. Additive genetic variance in polyandry highlights its potential to respond to selection. However, the low levels of genetic variance in sperm competitiveness suggest the evolution of polyandry may not be driven by sexy sperm or good sperm processes., Peer reviewed