Multiple paternity in a wild population of the corn mouse: its potential adaptive significance for females

Mating with multiple males within a single reproductive event is a common female mating strategy in mice and voles, but its adaptive function is often unclear. In this study, we used 7 microsatellite loci to investigate if multiple paternity occurs in wild populations of the socially promiscuous Cal...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Sommaro, Lucía Valeria, Chiappero, Marina Beatriz, Vera, Noelia Soledad, Coda, José Antonio, Priotto, Jose Waldemar, Steinmann, Andrea Rosa
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Argentina
Recursos:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/180600
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/180600
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:CALOMYS MUSCULINUS
MICROSATELLITE
MULTIPLE MALE MATING
PATERNITY SHARE
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descrição
Resumo:Mating with multiple males within a single reproductive event is a common female mating strategy in mice and voles, but its adaptive function is often unclear. In this study, we used 7 microsatellite loci to investigate if multiple paternity occurs in wild populations of the socially promiscuous Calomys musculinus. We also analyzed if multiple paternity increases litter size and/or genetic variability among offspring. In addition, we examined if multiple paternity occurs more frequently in litters conceived at high population density than those conceived at low population density. By genotyping 23 females and their 135 embryos (5.9 ± 1.6 SE pups per female), we found that 56.5% of the litters were sired by 2 or 3 males. We found no association between multiple paternity, litter size, and genetic variability. In addition, multiple paternity did not vary in relation to population density. Our results provide clear evidence of multiple paternity and offer the first genetic documentation of mating systems in mice in Argentina. We discuss the extent of multiple paternity in relation to potential adaptive strategies in female corn mouse.