Actual research on Chase-away Sexual Selection
S. K. Sakaluk. 2000. Sensory exploitation as an evolutionary origin to nuptial food gifts in insects. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 267 (1441): 339-343 FEB 22 2000.
Abstract:
Nuptial food gifts given by males to females at mating are widespread in insects, but their evolutionary origin remains obscure. Such gifts may arise as a form of sensory trap that exploits the normal gustatory responses of females, favouring the selective retention of sperm of gift-giving males. I tested this hypothesis by offering foreign food gifts, synthesized by males of one cricket species, to females of three non-gift-giving species. Females provisioned with novel food gifts were 'fooled' into accepting more sperm than they otherwise would in the absence of a gift. These results support the hypothesis that nuptial food gifts and post-copulatory female mating preferences coevolve through a unique form of sensory exploitation.
Previous
Top
of page