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Evolution of sexual mimicry in sperm‐dependent all‐female forms of Poeciliopsis (Pisces: Poeciliidae)
Author(s) -
Lima N. R. W.,
Kobak C. J.,
Vrijenhoek R. C.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1996.9020185.x
Subject(s) - biology , mimicry , poeciliidae , zoology , sexual selection , mating , sperm competition , asexuality , lineage (genetic) , evolutionary biology , genetics , fish <actinopterygii> , gene , human sexuality , gender studies , fishery , sociology
Abstract The twofold advantage of all‐female reproduction is limited in many asexual lineages because females are sperm‐dependent. Males of a related sexual‐host species typically prefer conspecific females as mates. According to the “sexual mimicry” hypothesis, an all‐female lineage that closely resembles females of the sexual‐host species should have enhanced mating success. Examination of mating success in all‐female fish of the genus Poeciliopsis supported this hypothesis. The excellent sexual mimicry of some all‐female strains could have evolved through mutations within clonal lineages subsequent to their origins as interspecific hybrids. Alternatively, this mimicry may have been “frozen” from variation in the sexual gene pool when new unisexual lineages first arose. To test the latter hypothesis, we examined laboratory synthesized strains of the hybridogenetic fish P. monacha‐lucida . The frozen variation hypothesis was supported by the present results.