Diet affects ejaculate traits in a lizard with condition-dependent fertilization success

Ariel F. Kahrl and Robert M. Cox

Behavioral Ecology, 2015, vol. 26, issue 6, 1502-1511

Abstract: Sexually selected traits are often driven to costly extremes by persistent directional selection. Energy acquisition and allocation can therefore influence variation in traits subject to both precopulatory and postcopulatory sexual selection, though the later have received much less attention. We tested the condition dependence of sperm morphology, sperm count, and fertilization success in a promiscuous lizard (Anolis sagrei) by 1) collecting sperm samples from wild males that varied naturally in body condition, 2) experimentally altering the body condition of captive males through dietary restriction, and 3) analyzing genetic paternity data from competitive mating trials between captive males that differed in body condition. In both wild and captive males, the length of the sperm midpiece decreased with body condition. Experimental food restriction decreased sperm production, decreased length of the sperm head, increased length of the sperm midpiece, and increased variance in sperm morphology within individuals. When restricted to a single copulation, males on high-intake diets exhibited a slight but nonsignificant fertilization advantage. Reanalysis of a previous experiment in which high- and low-condition males were sequentially allowed to copulate ad libitum for 1 week revealed a significant fertilization bias in favor of high-condition males. When controlling for mean treatment effects on the proportion of offspring sired and on sperm phenotypes, multiple regression revealed negative correlations between fertilization success and sperm head length, midpiece length, and sperm count. Collectively, our results suggest that condition-dependent fertilization success in A. sagrei may be partially mediated by underlying condition dependence of sperm morphology and sperm count.

Date: 2015
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