Indirect sperm transfer and male mating strategies in soil invertebrates |
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Authors: | ED STAM GIJS HOOGENDOORN |
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Institution: | Department of Ecology and Ecotoxicology , Vrije Universiteit , de Boelelaan 1087, 1081, HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands Phone: +31 (20) 444-7004 Fax: +31 (20) 444-7004 E-mail: stam@bio.vu.ul |
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Abstract: | Summary Many soil invertebrates transfer their sperm indirectly by means of spermatophores. Among the different taxa there is great variation in spermatophore architecture, auxiliary structures and behaviour. The behaviour, ranging from elaborate courtship rituals to seemingly indifferent scattering of spermatophores, can roughly be classified as association and dissociation. Which of the two is adaptive depends on many factors which can be summarized in a simple functional response model showing that in some cases the best choice depends on density. |
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Keywords: | Indirect sperm transfer spermatophores soil arthropods functional response |
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