Inbreeding can have profound negative effects on individuals by reducing fertility and viability. In populations, inbreeding depression can reduce growth rates and increases extinction risk. The aims of this thesis are to investigate inbreeding depression in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and to study the evolution of mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance in females, using guppies from a feral population in Queensland, Australia. Male guppies are highly polymorphic in their sexual ornamentation, indeed they show one of the most extreme polymorphisms observed in nature. Female guppies exhibit complex mate choice based on preferences for ornamentation, as well as social context. I aim is to examine how these factors of inbreeding avoidance alter sexual selection. In male guppies I found strong inbreeding depression in male sperm numbers, which is amplified under semi-natural compared to laboratory conditions (Chapter 2). Moreover, inbreeding depression results in low fertility under sperm competition: an experiment using artificial insemination techniques reveals that highly inbred males are heavily disadvantaged in gaining paternity (Chapter 3). On population level, inbreeding depression is manifest in reduced growth rates, predominantly in the early stages of inbreeding (Chapter 4). Population growth at inbreeding coefficients f=0.375-0.59 did not seem to lead to inbreeding depression, whereas lower levels of inbreeding reduced population growth. Although the growth rates in inbred populations appear normal, severe inbreeding depression is uncovered after outbred immigrants are added. Specifically, male immigrants are most efficient in short-term genetic rescue, probably due to insemination of large numbers of females whereas females are limited in the number of eggs they can produce (Chapter 4). Male ornamental traits show significant inbreeding depression in semi-natural conditions only (Chapters 2 & 3). Inbreeding avoidance mechanisms seem to have evolved in females: they prefer courtship displays of non-inbred males (Chapter 2), unfamiliar males (Chapter 5) and males with rare patterns (Chapter 6). This preference might increase the mating success of immigrants, and may have evolved to facilitate the avoidance of inbreeding. Together with context-independent preferences for ornament combinations (Chapter 6), it also offers an explanation for the maintenance of polymorphism in this species.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/215737 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Zajitschek, Susanne, Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, UNSW |
| Publisher | Publisher:University of New South Wales. Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/copyright, http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/copyright |
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