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Fitness and sexual response to population density in Daphnia pulex
Author(s) -
Berg,
Pálsson,
Lascoux
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00704.x
Subject(s) - biology , daphnia pulex , parthenogenesis , population , genetic variation , sexual reproduction , asexual reproduction , asexuality , pulex , ecology , daphnia , population density , population bottleneck , linkage disequilibrium , fecundity , zoology , genetics , demography , microsatellite , allele , crustacean , sociology , gene , gender studies , embryo , human sexuality , haplotype
1. The switch between asexual and sexual reproduction is an important fitness component in cyclically parthenogenetic populations as it is the key to persistence in unstable habitats and because it influences population genetic characteristics such as linkage disequilibrium and population genetic structure. 2. Genetic variation for sexual and asexual reproductive rate ( R C ) was examined, under varying population density, in Daphnia pulex sampled from a rockpool system and two other distinct European localities. 3. Density affected the switch to sexual behaviour, as found in other studies and reduced R c . Production of males was not correlated with sexual reproduction, promoting outcrossing. 4. Genetic variation was found for the response to density, both within and between populations. There was substantial variation within the rockpools despite their demographic instability, indicating rapid recovery of life‐history variation or maintenance during bottlenecks.