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Experience affects mating behavior, but does not impact parental reproductive allocation in a lizard

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Abstract

Investment into reproduction is influenced by multiple factors and varies substantially between males and females. Theory predicts that males should adjust their ejaculate size or quality in response to variation in female experience or phenotypic quality. In addition, sperm investment by males may also be influenced by their own status and experience. Although such adjustments of male ejaculate size can impact reproductive success (via fertilization success), fitness returns from male sperm investment may be influenced (either limited or facilitated) by the level of maternal investment. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment that simultaneously evaluated the effect of paternal and maternal experience (which incorporates mating status, age, body size, and other related variables) on paternal sperm investment and maternal reproductive allocation in the lizard Anolis sagrei. During staged mating trials, experienced males were more likely to copulate with females, but these individuals were less likely to transfer sperm during mating than were naïve individuals. Maternal experience had no impact on these mating behaviors. In contrast to expectations, experience and phenotypic quality (of both sexes) had no impact on male ejaculate size or quality (proportion of live sperm) or on maternal reproductive investment (in terms of egg size and yolk steroids). These findings were intriguing given the mating system and past evidence for differential maternal investment in relation to sire quality in A. sagrei. The results found in this study highlight the complexity of reproductive investment patterns, and we urge caution when applying general conclusions across populations or taxa.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to T. Duncan and D. Warner for allowing us to collect lizards on their property. This work was supported by the Eppley Foundation for Research (to DAW). DAW was supported by the National Science Foundation (grant DEB0640932 to F. Janzen). CDK was supported by an Iowa State University faculty start-up grant. The endocrine work was made possible by NSF support to MBL (IOS 0641434).

Ethical standards

This research complies with current laws in the USA, and protocols were approved by the Iowa State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol no. 5-08-6565-J).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Daniel A. Warner & Clint D. Kelly

  2. Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Daniel A. Warner

  3. Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Matthew B. Lovern

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  1. Daniel A. Warner
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  2. Clint D. Kelly
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Correspondence to Daniel A. Warner.

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Communicated by T. Madsen

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Warner, D.A., Kelly, C.D. & Lovern, M.B. Experience affects mating behavior, but does not impact parental reproductive allocation in a lizard. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 67, 973–983 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1523-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1523-8

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