Isolation and characterization of highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in the 2‐Spot Ladybird,Adalia bipunctata

Contrary to theoretical predictions, female 2‐spot ladybirds (Adalia bipunctata) mate many more times than necessary to maintain high fertilisation success and may gain through the acquisition of material or genetic benefits. In order to investigate this mating system in detail, microsatellite markers have been isolated using a modified enrichment technique. Thirty‐nine loci were successfully amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), of which only two were monomorphic. Detailed characterization of ten loci revealed very high levels of polymorphism. These markers are likely to be invaluable tools with which to study population genetics and patterns of paternity in this species.     

The messenger matters: Pollinator functional group influences mating system dynamics

The incredible diversity of plant mating systems has fuelled research in evolutionary biology for over a century. Currently, there is broad concern about the impact of rapidly changing pollinator communities on plant populations. Very few studies, however, examine patterns and mechanisms associated with multiple paternity from cross‐pollen loads. Often, foraging pollinators collect a mixed pollen load that may result in the deposition of pollen from different sires to receptive stigmas. Coincident deposition of self‐ and cross‐pollen leads to interesting mating system dynamics and has been investigated in numerous species. But, mixed pollen loads often consist of a diversity of cross‐pollen and result in multiple sires of seeds within a fruit. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Rhodes, Fant, and Skogen ( 2017 ) examine how pollinator identity and spatial isolation influence multiple paternity within fruits of a self‐incompatible evening primrose. The authors demonstrate that pollen pool diversity varies between two pollinator types, hawkmoths and diurnal solitary bees. Further, progeny from more isolated plants were less likely to have multiple sires regardless of the pollinator type. Moving forward, studies of mating system dynamics should consider the implications of multiple paternity and move beyond the self‐ and cross‐pollination paradigm. Rhodes et al. ( 2017 ) demonstrate the importance of understanding the roles that functionally diverse pollinators play in mating system dynamics.     

Mate choice in modern societies

Most research on mate choice in modern societies is based on data that may or may not reflect actual mating behavior (e.g., stated preferences, personal advertisements). In the present study, real-life matings were reported by a large representative sample of men and women (N = 1,133). These data were used to test an evolutionary model in which mate choice is hypothesized to depend on resources potentially contributed to reproduction by each sex. Consistent with the model, it was found that (a) men (but not women) of higher social status acquire more mating partners, suggesting that male status is an important criterion in female choice; (b) women’s (but not men’s) number of partners decreases linearly with age, suggesting that female reproductive potential is an important criterion in male choice; and (c) women (but not men) display a significant relationship between marital dissolution and promiscuity, suggesting that female sexual exclusivity is an important criterion in male choice. These results are discussed in relation to understanding mate choice mechanisms from behavioral data. Daniel Pérusse is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Université de Montréal. His research interests include the evolutionary biology of human social and reproductive behavior, sexual selection theory, and biocultural evolution. His current research bears on human socialization processes and psychosocial development from an evolutionary and behavior-genetic perspective. Recent publications include “Cultural and Reproductive Success in Industrial Societies: Testing the Relationship at the Proximate and Ultimate Levels” (Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16(2):267–322, 1993) and “Human Parental Behavior: Evidence for Genetic Influence and Potential Implications for Gene-Culture Theory” with M. C. Neale, A. Heath, and L. J. Eaves (Behavior Genetics, in press).     

Does paternity or paternal investment determine the level of paternal care and does female choice explain egg stealing in the fifteen-spined stickleback?

An earlier field study on the fifteen-spined stickleback (Spinachia spinachia) showed that frequent male—male interactionsresult in high frequencies of sneaking and egg stealing. Moreover,sneaking behavior was performed not only by males adoptingalternative mating strategies, but also by males with theirown nests. The advantage of sneaking is easily understood, but it is more difficult to explain the evolutionary benefitof stealing eggs from other males. I investigated whether malessuffering from sneaking adjust their paternal effort in relationto their degree of paternity. I also examined whether femalesprefer males that have more eggs in their nests, as this couldexplain egg stealing. There was no relationship between thedegree of paternity and fanning activity, hatching success,or nest defense. However, the older the eggs become, the morethe males increase their attack rate toward potential egg predators(goldsinny wrasse and shore crabs). Thus, males adjusted theirlevel of defense to the amount of energy and time already investedin the clutch. Females did not prefer males with more eggs intheir nests. On the contrary, females preferred males withreduced clutches over males with enlarged clutches. Therefore,female choice is unlikely to be a driving force behind eggstealing in this species.     

A Simple Numerical Procedure for Estimating the Prior Probability in the Biomathematical Proof of Paternity

This note gives a simple procedure for finding the maximum likelihood estimate of the prior probabilities in paternity cases. The procedure is based on a fixed point principle.     

DNA profiling of cattle using micro- and minisatellite core probes

We have evaluated 15 different micro- and minisatellite core probes for use in identity and paternity testing in cattle, based on Southern blot hybridization analysis. The core probes were tested in animals of different breeds and by analysis of seven two-generation pedigrees. Of the 15 core probes tested, seven were able to detect on average seven variant bands per individual animal. Segregation analysis showed that on average two out of 3 6 variant bands scored per core probe were genetically linked while two out of 12 variant bands correspond to the same allelic pair. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of multilocus core probes for determining identity and paternity in cattle.     

Male mating success in an aquatically mating pinniped, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), assessed by microsatellite DNA markers

Similar to many other pinniped species, harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) mate exclusively at sea. Here we present the first attempt to measure male mating success in an aquatically mating pinniped. Male mating success was estimated by paternity analysis in two cohorts of pups born at Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, using microsatellite DNA markers. The genotypes of 275 pups born in 1994 and 1995 were compared to those of 90 candidate males at six microsatellite loci using a likelihood approach to resolve paternity. Paternity could be assigned for two, 22, 40 and 85 pups at confidence levels of 95, 80, 65 and 50%, respectively. Most successful males were assigned the paternity of a single offspring, suggesting a low variance in male mating success relative to most pinniped species. The proportion of paternal half sibs within cohorts and between maternally related sibs estimated by maximum likelihood were not significantly different from zero. It is thus unlikely that most offspring were sired by a small number of highly successful unsampled males, and that female harbour seals do not usually exhibit fidelity to the same male in sequential breeding seasons. A low level of polygyny in Sable Island harbour seals is consistent with predictions based on their breeding ecology, as females are highly mobile and widely dispersed in the aquatic mating environment at Sable Island.     

Eight microsatellite markers for the neotropical tree Luehea seemannii (Tiliaceae)

We isolated eight polymorphic microsatellites from the neotropical tree Luehea seemannii for gene flow and genetic structure studies. We used a streptavidin subtractive enrichment technique to develop a library of CA/GT repeats. Eight loci were screened for diversity from 96 individuals from Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and neighbouring Gigante peninsula in Panama. Luehea seemannii shows moderate levels of genetic diversity within these two populations. Allelic richness ranged from four to nine alleles and averaged 6.44 alleles per locus. Average expected heterozygosity was 0.65 on BCI and 0.60 on Gigante. Results are compared to microsatellite data from another wind‐dispersed gap colonizing species common in Panama.     

Do Fig Wasps Produce Mixed Paternity Clutches?

Pollinating fig wasps (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae) have been the focus of numerous studies examining sex ratio evolution. Recently, molecular genetic techniques have been introduced that assume single matings in fig wasps, yet their mating biology has not been investigated genetically. We used recently developed microsatellite markers to investigate whether a pollinating fig wasp (Liporrhopalum tentacularis Grandi) produces single or mixed paternity clutches. The clutches of 12 females which had had the opportunity to mate with males of different genotypes were investigated. The results suggest that, at least in this species of fig wasp, single paternity clutches are the norm. Based on our behavioural observations, this appears to be due to mating with a single male rather than sperm competition.     

Characterization of nuclear microsatellite loci in South American Araucariaceae species

The Araucariaceae family has only two species in South America: Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana. Both species are mainly used for timber and have been overexploited in the past. Currently, they are found as fragmented populations and are classified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) guidelines as vulnerable species. Population fragmentation may seriously affect the genetic diversity of these two species of Araucariaceae and can consequently lead to decreased survival. To better understand the genetic structure of these South American Araucaria species, eight nuclear microsatellites are reported: six new microsatellites loci developed based on a membrane enrichment procedure and two microsatellites loci transferred from the related species, Araucaria cunninghamii.