Sperm as a paternal investment: a model of sex allocation in sperm-digesting hermaphrodites |
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Authors: | Sachi Yamaguchi Kota Sawada Yasuhiro Nakashima Satoshi Takahashi |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Information and Computer Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara 630-8506, Japan;(2) JSPS, Chiyoda, Japan;(3) Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama-cho, Miura-gun Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan;(4) College of Economics, Nihon University, 1-3-2 Misaki-cho, Chiyoda Tokyo, 101-8360, Japan;(5) Present address: Department of Biology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan |
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Abstract: | Some simultaneously hermaphroditic animals are known to digest received sperm. To investigate the effect of sperm digestion
on the sex allocation of simultaneous hermaphrodites, we constructed models about evolutionarily stable resource allocation
between male and female functions. We assumed that resource obtained from sperm digestion is used for gametogenesis (sperm
and/or egg production). As a result, we found that sperm digestion increases the evolutionarily stable allocation to male
function under finite number of matings. This is because excess sperm function as nuptial gift or paternal investment when
at least a fraction of digested sperm is translated into eggs. Therefore, some factors which affect the assurance of paternity
for sperm donors, such as cryptic female choice and/or sperm displacement, may change the result. In addition, this result
implies that sperm digestion does not necessarily make male role less preferred. Further studies on the usage of donated sperm
are required to test the validity of our models. |
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