Evolution of external female genital mutilation: why do males harm their mates?
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Authors
Mouginot, Pierick
Uhl, Gabriele
Fromhage, Lutz
Issue Date
2017-11-01
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Sexual Selection , Sperm Competition , Harmful Male Trait , Genital Damage , Mating Costs
Alternative Title
Royal Society Open Science
Abstract
Sperm competition may select for male reproductive traits that influence female mating or oviposition rate. These traits may induce fitness costs to the female; however, they may be costly for the males as well as any decrease in female fitness also affects male fitness. Male adaptations to sperm competition manipulate females by altering not only female behaviour or physiology, but also female morphology. In orb-weaving spiders, mating may entail mutilation of external structures of the female genitalia, which prevents genital coupling with subsequent males. Here, we present a game theoretical model showing that external female genital mutilation is favoured even under relatively high costs of mutilation, and that it is favoured by a high number of mate encounters per female and last-male sperm precedence.
Description
Citation
Mouginot, P., Uhl, G., & Fromhage, L. (2017). Evolution of external female genital mutilation: why do males harm their mates?. Royal Society open science, 4(11), 171195. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.171195