Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sperm morphology, swimming velocity, and longevity in the house sparrow Passer domesticus

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sperm competition exerts strong selection on males to produce spermatozoa with an optimal morphology that maximizes their fertilization success. Long sperm were first suggested to be favored because they should swim faster. However, studies that investigated the relationship between sperm length and sperm competitive ability or sperm swimming velocity yielded contradictory results. More recently, ratios of the different sections of a spermatozoon (the head, midpiece, and flagellum) were suggested to be more crucial in determining swimming velocity. Additionally, sperm ability to remain and survive in the female storage organs may also influence fertilization success, so that optimal sperm morphology may rather maximize sperm longevity than velocity. In this study, we investigated how sperm morphology is related to sperm velocity and sperm longevity in the house sparrow Passer domesticus. Sperm velocity was found to be correlated with head/flagellum ratio. Sperm with small heads relative to their flagellum showed higher swimming velocity. Additionally, shorter sperm were found to live longer. Finally, we found sperm morphological traits to vary substantially within males and the head/flagellum ratio to be unrelated to total sperm length. We discuss the hypothesis that the substantial within-male variation in sperm morphology reflects a male strategy to produce a diversity of sperm from long, fast-swimming to short, long-living sperm to maximize their fertilization success in a context of sperm competition.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson MJ, Dixson AF (2002) Sperm competition: motility and the midpiece in primates. Nature 416:496

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead TR, Brillard J-P (2007) Reproductive isolation in birds: postcopulatory prezygotic barriers. Trends Ecol Evol 22:266–272

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead TR, Fletcher F (1995) Male phenotype and ejaculate quality in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata. Proc R Soc Lond B 262:329–334

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead TR, Møller AP, Sutherland WJ (1993) Why do females make it so difficult for males to fertilize their eggs? J Theor Biol 161:51–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead TR, Martinez JG, Burke T, Froman DP (1999) Sperm mobility determines the outcome of sperm competition in the domestic fowl. Proc R Soc Lond B 266:1759–1764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Briskie JV, Montgomerie R (1992) Sperm size and sperm competition in birds. Proc R Soc Lond B 247:89–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Briskie JV, Montgomerie R, Birkhead TR (1997) The evolution of sperm size in birds. Evolution 51:937–945

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calhim S, Immler S, Birkhead TR (2007) Postcopulatory sexual selection is associated with reduced variation in sperm morphology. PLoS ONE 2:e413

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cardullo RA, Baltz JM (1991) Metabolic regulation in mammalian sperm: mitochondrial volume determines sperm length and flagellar beat frequency. Cell Motil Cytoskelet 19:180–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwallis CK, Birkhead TR (2007) Changes in sperm quality and numbers in response to experimental manipulation of male social status and female attractiveness. Am Nat 170:758–770

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dean R, Bonsall MB, Pizzari T (2007) Aging and sexual conflict. Science 316:383–384

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Froman DP (2003) Deduction of a model for sperm storage in the oviduct of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus). Biol Reprod 69:248–253

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Froman DP, Feltmann AJ (2000) Sperm mobility: phenotype in roosters (Gallus domesticus) determined by concentration of motile sperm and straight line velocity. Biol Reprod 62:303–309

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Froman DP, Feltmann AJ, Rhoads ML, Kirby JD (1999) Sperm mobility: a primary determinant of fertility in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus). Biol Reprod 61:400–405

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Froman DP, Pizzari T, Feltmann AJ, Castillo-Juarez H, Birkhead TR (2002) Sperm mobility: mechanisms of fertilizing efficiency, genetic variation and phenotypic relationship with male status in the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus domesticus. Proc R Soc Lond B 269:607–612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gage MJG, Macfarlane C, Yeates S, Shackleton R, Parker GA (2002) Relationships between sperm morphometry and sperm motility in the Atlantic salmon. J Fish Biol 61:1528–1539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gage MJG, Macfarlane CP, Yeates S, Ward RG, Searle JB, Parker GA (2004) Spermatozoal traits and sperm competition in Atlantic salmon: relative sperm velocity is the primary determinant of fertilization success. Curr Biol 14:44

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • García-Gonzáles F, Simmons LW (2007) Shorter sperm confer higher competitive fertilization success. Evolution 61:816–824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomendio M, Roldan ERS (1991) Sperm competition influences sperm size in mammals. Proc R Soc Lond B 243:181–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomendio M, Roldan ERS (2008) Implications of diversity in sperm size and function for sperm competition and fertility. Int J Dev Biol 52:439–447

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Helfenstein F, Szép T, Nagy Z, Kempenaers B, Wagner RH (2008) Between-male variation in sperm size, velocity and longevity in sand martins Riparia riparia. J Avian Biol 39:647–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holt C, Holt WV, Moore HDM, Reed HC, Curnock RM (1997) Objectively measured boar sperm motility parameters correlate with the outcomes of on-farm inseminations: results of two fertility trials. J Androl 18:312–323

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Humphries S, Evans JP, Simmons LW (2008) Sperm competition: linking form and function. BMC Evol Biol 8:319

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Immler S, Birkhead TR (2007) Sperm competition and sperm midpiece size: no consistent pattern in passerine birds. Proc R Soc Lond B 274:561–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Immler S, Saint-Jalme M, Lesobre L, Sorci G, Roman Y, Birkhead TR (2007) The evolution of sperm morphometry in pheasants. J Evol Biol 20:1008–1014

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kleven O, Laskemoen T, Lifjeld JT (2009) Sperm length in sand martins Riparia riparia: a comment on Helfenstein et al. J Avian Biol 40:241–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaMunyon CW, Ward S (1998) Larger sperm outcompete smaller sperm in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc R Soc Lond B 265:1997–2002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laskemoen T, Kleven O, Fossoy F, Lifjeld JT (2007) Intraspecific variation in sperm length in two passerine species, the bluethroat Luscinia svecica and the willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus. Ornis Fenn 84:131–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Littell RC, Milliken GA, Stroup WW, Wolfinger RD, Schabenberger O (2006) SAS for mixed models, 2nd edn. SAS Institute, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Lüpold S, Linz GM, Birkhead TR (2009a) Sperm design and variation in the New World blackbirds (Icteridae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63:899–909

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lüpold S, Calhim S, Immler S, Birkhead TR (2009b) Sperm morphology and sperm velocity in passerine birds. Proc R Soc Lond B 276:1175–1181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malo AF, Gomendio M, Garde J, Lang-Lenton B, Soler AJ, Roldan ERS (2006) Sperm design and sperm function. Biol Lett 2:246–249

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minoretti N, Baur B (2006) Among- and within-population variation in sperm quality in the simultaneously hermaphroditic land snail Arianta arbustorum. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 60:270–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mossman J, Slate J, Humphries S, Birkhead TR (2009) Sperm morphology and velocity are genetically codetermined in the zebra finch. Evolution 63:2730–2737

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller AP, Mousseau TA, Rudolfsen G, Balbontín J, Marzal A, Hermosell I, De Lope F (2009) Senescent sperm performance in old male birds. J Evol Biol 22:334–344

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakagawa S (2004) A farewell to Bonferroni: the problems of low statistical power and publication bias. Behav Ecol 15:1044–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakagawa S, Ockendon N, Gillespie DOS, Hatchwell BJ, Burke T (2007) Assessing the function of house sparrows' bib size using a flexible meta-analysis method. Behav Ecol 18:831–840

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neff BD, Fu P, Gross MR (2003) Sperm investment and alternative mating tactics in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Behav Ecol 14:634–641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker GA (1970) Sperm competition and its evolutionary consequences in the insects. Biol Rev 45:525–567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker GA (1998) Sperm competition and the evolution of ejaculates: towards a theory base. In: Birkhead TR, Møller AP (eds) Sperm competition and sexual selection. Academic, San Diego, pp 3–54

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pitcher TE, Rodd FH, Rowe L (2007) Sexual colouration and sperm traits in guppies. J Fish Biol 70:165–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzari T, Parker GA (2009) Sperm competition and sperm phenotype. In: Birkhead TR, Hosken DJ, Pitnick S (eds) Sperm biology: an evolutionary perspective. Academic, San Diego, pp 207–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizzari T, Jensen P, Cornwallis CK (2004) A novel test of the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis reveals independent components of fertility. Proc R Soc Lond B 271:51–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzari T, Cornwallis CK, Froman DP (2007) Social competitiveness associated with rapid fluctuations in sperm quality in male fowl. Proc R Soc Lond B 274:853–860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzari T, Worley K, Burke T, Froman D (2008a) Sperm competition dynamics: ejaculate fertilising efficiency changes differentially with time. BMC Evol Biol 8:332

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pizzari T, Dean R, Pacey A, Moore H, Bonsall MB (2008b) The evolutionary ecology of pre- and post-meiotic sperm senescence. Trends Ecol Evol 23:131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rudolfsen G, Figenschou L, Folstad I, Tveiten H, Figenschou M (2006) Rapid adjustments of sperm characteristics in relation to social status. Proc R Soc Lond B 273:325–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS® (2003) In, vol 9.1, 9.1 edn. SAS Institute, Cary

  • Stockley P, Gage MJG, Parker GA, Møller AP (1997) Sperm competition in fishes: the evolution of testis size and ejaculate characteristics. Am Nat 149:933–954

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vladić TV, Järvi T (2001) Sperm quality in the alternative reproductive tactics of Atlantic salmon: the importance of the loaded raffle mechanism. Proc R Soc Lond B 268:2375–2381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wedell N, Gage MJG, Parker GA (2002) Sperm competition, male prudence and sperm-limited females. Trends Ecol Evol 17:313–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson-Leedy JG, Ingermann RL (2007) Development of a novel CASA system based on open source software for characterization of zebrafish sperm motility parameters. Theriogenology 67:661–672

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfson A (1952) The cloacal protuberance—a means for determining breeding condition in live male passerines. Bird Banding 23:159–165

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Dr. Beat Wampfler for allowing us to work in the Nationales Pferdezentrum Bern. The authors would also like to thank the two anonymous referees for their valuable comments on the manuscript. This work was conducted under license of the Ethical Committee of the Agricultural Office of the Canton Bern and a ringing permit provided by the Agency for Environment, Forests, and Landscapes.

Authors’ contributions

FH designed the study, collected the data, and analyzed sperm motility; MP measured sperm; FH and MP analyzed data and wrote the paper; and HR supervised the study. This study was part of MP's bachelor's work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Fabrice Helfenstein, Murielle Podevin & Heinz Richner

Authors
  1. Fabrice Helfenstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Murielle Podevin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Heinz Richner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabrice Helfenstein.

Additional information

Communicated by R. Gibson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Helfenstein, F., Podevin, M. & Richner, H. Sperm morphology, swimming velocity, and longevity in the house sparrow Passer domesticus . Behav Ecol Sociobiol 64, 557–565 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0871-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0871-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation