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A general explanation for the persistence of reproductive interference

Drury, J.P.; Anderson, C.N.; Cabezas Castillo, M.B.; Fisher, J.; McEachin, S.; Grether, G.F.

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Authors

C.N. Anderson

M.B. Cabezas Castillo

J. Fisher

S. McEachin

G.F. Grether



Abstract

Reproductive interference is widespread, despite the theoretical expectation that it should be eliminated by reproductive character displacement (RCD). A possible explanation is that females of sympatric species are too similar phenotypically for males to distinguish between them, resulting in a type of evolutionary dilemma or catch-22 in which reproductive interference persists because male mate recognition (MR) cannot evolve until female phenotypes diverge further, and vice versa. Here we illustrate and test this hypothesis with data on rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.). First, reproductive isolation owing to male MR breaks down with increasing interspecific similarity in female phenotypes. Second, comparing allopatric and sympatric populations yielded no evidence for RCD, suggesting that parallel divergence in female coloration and male MR in allopatry determines the level of reproductive isolation on secondary contact. Whenever reproductive isolation depends on male MR and females of sympatric species are phenotypically similar, the evolutionary catch-22 hypothesis offers an explanation for the persistence of reproductive interference.

Citation

Drury, J., Anderson, C., Cabezas Castillo, M., Fisher, J., McEachin, S., & Grether, G. (2019). A general explanation for the persistence of reproductive interference. The American Naturalist, 194(2), 268-275. https://doi.org/10.1086/704102

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 22, 2019
Online Publication Date Jun 13, 2019
Publication Date Aug 31, 2019
Deposit Date Mar 4, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal American Naturalist
Print ISSN 0003-0147
Electronic ISSN 1537-5323
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 194
Issue 2
Pages 268-275
DOI https://doi.org/10.1086/704102

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© 2019 by The University of Chicago Press.


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