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Sexual selection maintains whole-body chiral dimorphism in snails

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 15:00 authored by M. Schilthuizen, P.G. Craze, A.S. Cabanban, A. Davison, J. Stone, E. Gittenberger, B.J. Scott
Although the vast majority of higher animals are fixed for one chiral morph or another, the cause for this directionality is known in only a few cases. In snails, for example, rare individuals of the opposite coil are unable to mate with individuals of normal coil, so directionality is maintained by frequencydependent selection. The snail subgenus Amphidromus presents an unexplained exception, because dextral (D) and sinistral (S) individuals occur sympatrically in roughly equal proportions (so-called ‘antisymmetry’) in most species. Here we show that in Amphidromus there is sexual selection for dimorphism, rather than selection for monomorphism. We found that matings between D and S individuals occur more frequently than expected by chance. Anatomical investigations showed that the chirality of the spermatophore and the female reproductive tract probably allow a greater fecundity in such interchiral matings. Computer simulation confirms that under these circumstances, sustained dimorphism is the expected outcome.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

ISSN

1010-061X

Publisher

WILEY-BLACKWELL

Issue

5

Volume

20

Page range

1941-1949

Department affiliated with

  • Biology and Environmental Science Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2009-04-06

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