據(jù)最新Science報道（6月4日）稱,，一個英國的研究團隊?wèi)?yīng)用動作感應(yīng)且配備有紅外線的攝像機和麥克風(fēng)來窺視在野外的一群蟋蟀，并‘晝夜不停’地監(jiān)控著這些昆蟲的一舉一動,。
這些觀察結(jié)果包括了可提高某蟋蟀繁殖機會的有關(guān)因素的新資訊,，并揭示了在實驗室研究中所缺失的組成目前我們有關(guān)該類昆蟲性生活知識中的大部分的復(fù)雜性。 Rolando Rodriguez-Mu oz及其同僚對某一整個蟋蟀群體的生活史,、行為和繁殖上的成功進行了監(jiān)控,。他們還采集了基因數(shù)據(jù)以決定哪些成蟲產(chǎn)下了不同的后代。 除了揭示了雄性和雌性蟋蟀經(jīng)常交配而且與多個性伴交配之外,，該項研究還包括了數(shù)項有趣的發(fā)現(xiàn),。
例如，盡管總體來說雄性和雌性有著相同數(shù)目的后代,，但其在雄性后代總數(shù)上的差異要大得多,，而且它們中的大多數(shù)沒有活到可繁殖階段的后代。 這一理念曾經(jīng)在理論中被預(yù)測,，但很少在實地對其進行測試,。
與人們期望的相反，那些使雄性作為更有吸引力性伴的特征并不總是能夠使它們更有可能繁育后代,。 令研究人員感到驚奇的是,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，作為首要的蟋蟀（或者說至少戰(zhàn)勝了大多數(shù)的進攻性遭遇者的蟋蟀）并非實際上反映了該雄性蟋蟀在生殖上的成功,。 然而,，雜交確實可增強雄雌兩性蟋蟀在生殖上的成功。 一則相關(guān)的Perspective詳細(xì)討論了這一研究,。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1188102
Natural and Sexual Selection in a Wild Insect Population
R. Rodríguez-Mu?oz,1 A. Bretman,1,2 J. Slate,3 C. A. Walling,4 T. Tregenza1,*
The understanding of natural and sexual selection requires both field and laboratory studies to exploit the advantages and avoid the disadvantages of each approach. However, studies have tended to be polarized among the types of organisms studied, with vertebrates studied in the field and invertebrates in the lab. We used video monitoring combined with DNA profiling of all of the members of a wild population of field crickets across two generations to capture the factors predicting the reproductive success of males and females. The factors that predict a male’s success in gaining mates differ from those that predict how many offspring he has. We confirm the fundamental prediction that males vary more in their reproductive success than females, and we find that females as well as males leave more offspring when they mate with more partners.
1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 EZ, UK.
2 School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
3 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
4 Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK.
