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The coevolution of male and female genitalia in a mammal: A quantitative genetic insight
Author(s) -
André Gonçalo I.,
Firman Renée C.,
Simmons Leigh W.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.14031
Subject(s) - biology , antagonistic coevolution , morphometrics , sexual selection , evolutionary biology , mammal , coevolution , zoology , sexual conflict , sex organ , penis , divergence (linguistics) , genetics , anatomy , linguistics , philosophy
Male genitalia are among the most phenotypically diverse morphological traits, and sexual selection is widely accepted as being responsible for their evolutionary divergence. Studies of house mice suggest that the shape of the baculum (penis bone) affects male reproductive fitness and experimentally imposed postmating sexual selection has been shown to drive divergence in baculum shape across generations. Much less is known of the morphology of female genitalia and its coevolution with male genitalia. In light of this, we used a paternal half‐sibling design to explore patterns of additive genetic variation and covariation underlying baculum shape and female vaginal tract size in house mice ( Mus musculus domesticus ). We applied a landmark‐based morphometrics approach to measure baculum size and shape in males and the length of the vaginal tract and width of the cervix in females. Our results reveal significant additive genetic variation in house mouse baculum morphology and cervix width, as well as evidence for genetic covariation between male and female genital measures. Our data thereby provide novel insight into the potential for the coevolutionary divergence of male and female genital traits in a mammal.