title: Polyandrous females produce sons that are successful at post-copulatory competition.
abstract: Some of the genetic benefit hypotheses put forward to explain multiple male mating (polyandry) predict that sons of polyandrous females will have an increased competitive ability under precopulatory or post-copulatory competition via paternally inherited traits, such as attractiveness or fertilization efficiency. Here, we tested these predictions by comparing the competitive ability of sons of experimentally monandrous and polyandrous female bank voles (Myodes glareolus), while controlling for potential material and maternal effects. In female choice experiments, we found no clear preference for sons of either monandrous or polyandrous mothers. Moreover, neither male type was dominant over the other, indicating no advantage in precopulatory male contest competition. However, in competitive matings, sons of polyandrous mothers significantly increased their mating efforts (mating duration, intromission number). In line with this, paternity success was biased towards sons of polyandrous mothers. Because there was no evidence for maternal effects, our results suggest that female bank voles gain genetic benefits from polyandry.
authors: Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Klemme
authors: Department of Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Bäumer
authors: Department of Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Eccard
authors: Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ylönen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000502:physiology*; D003307:Copulation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
keywords: Clethrionomys; Myodes; genetic benefits; good sperm; polyandry; sexy sperm