Skip to main content
Log in

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Sperm size evolution

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Ecology & Evolution

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Sperm length unexpectedly varies more than 3,000-fold across species, posing new questions for anisogamy theory and understanding the different forces shaping evolution of the male gamete.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1: Evolution of anisogamy.

References

  1. Pitnick, S., Hosken, D. J. & Birkhead, T. R. in Sperm Biology: An Evolutionary Perspective (eds Birkhead, T. R. et al.) 69–149 (Academic Press, 2009).

  2. Kahrl, A. F., Snook, R. R. & Fitzpatrick, J. L. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01488-y (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Butterfield, N. J. Paleobiology 26, 386–404 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Parker, G. A., Baker, R. R. & Smith, V. L. J. Theor. Biol. 36, 529–553 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Parker, G. A. J. Theor. Biol. 96, 281–294 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hinchliff, C. E. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 112, 12764–12769 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Parker, G. A. Biol. Rev. 45, 525–567 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor, M. L., Price, T. A. R. & Wedell, N. Trends Ecol. Evol. 29, 376–383 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Eberhard, W. Female Control: Sexual Selection by Cryptic Female Choice (Princeton Univ. Press, 1996).

  10. Manier, M. K. et al. Science 328, 354–357 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Scott Pitnick, S., Wolfner, M. F. & Suarez, S. S. in Sperm Biology: An Evolutionary Perspective (eds Birkhead, T. R. et al.) 247–304 (Academic Press, 2009).

  12. Lupold, S. et al. Nature 533, 535–538 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew J. G. Gage.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gage, M.J.G. Sperm size evolution. Nat Ecol Evol 5, 1064–1065 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01501-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01501-4

  • Springer Nature Limited

Navigation