Species are disappearing worldwide, and changes in climate and land use are commonly assumed to be the most important causes. Organisms are counteracting the negative effects of environmental factors on their survival by evolving various defence strategies, which positively affect their fitness. Here, the question addressed is: can evolution shape these defence strategies so that they positively affect the fitness of an organism? This question is complex and depends on the taxa and environmental factors. Therefore, here, only a special case of this question is studied in deceptive species of orchids: reproductive success (RS, ratio of the number of fruits to the number of flowers produced by a plant during the whole season), a commonly used measure of fitness is used to develop a model describing how RS affects the number of flowers, n, of a plant. This model predicts that: (i) the resulting relationship between RS and n is a positively skewed parabola, (ii) the distribution of the numbers of individuals with a specific number (n) of flowers, NI(n), also resembles a parabola and is also positively skewed, and that (iii) the peak of the distribution of NI is to the left of the peak of RS. A large set of data is presented that supports these predictions. If the data set is small, the concave positively skewed parabolic RS-n dependence is obscured by other factors.

• Klíčová slova
• fitness, model, orchid, reproductive success,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Animal personality can affect individual fitness and population growth. Personality traits of either parent or parents' combination may facilitate reproduction and offspring survival across species. However, previous studies focused mainly on the role of only one sex, and the link between personality and fitness has not been confirmed in primates. We examined this link in both sexes of captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a cooperatively breeding primate with extensive paternal care. We studied the effects of five personality traits of the parents (Agreeableness, Assertiveness, Conscientiousness, Inquisitiveness, and Patience), including their absolute and directional differences within pairs, on key components of reproductive performance. We expected pairs with more similar personality scores to have higher reproductive success as found in other species with long-term pairs and biparental care, but found no evidence for this hypothesis. Instead, we detected strong effects of female traits on inter-birth intervals, which were shorter in more agreeable females, and fecundity rates, which were higher in more inquisitive females. Male traits appeared to have only a limited effect on reproductive success of the pair. Our study demonstrates that various aspects of animal personality underpin reproductive performance in captive common marmosets and provides novel insights into the possible ultimate causes of personality in cooperatively breeding species.

• MeSH
• Callithrix * MeSH
• osobnost MeSH
• poruchy osobnosti MeSH
• rozmnožování * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Quantifying the individual reproductive success and understanding its determinants is a central issue in evolutionary research for the major consequences that the transmission of genetic variation from parents to offspring has on the adaptive potential of populations. Here, we propose to distil the myriad of information embedded in tree-ring time series into a set of tree-ring-based phenotypic traits to be investigated as potential drivers of reproductive success in forest trees. By using a cross-disciplinary approach that combines parentage analysis and a thorough dendrophenotypic characterisation of putative parents, we assessed sex-specific relationships between such dendrophenotypic traits (i.e., age, growth rate and parameters describing sensitivity to climate and to extreme climatic events) and reproductive success in Norway spruce. We applied a full probability method for reconstructing parent-offspring relationships between 604 seedlings and 518 adult trees sampled within five populations from southern and central Europe. We found that individual female and male reproductive success was positively associated with tree growth rate and age. Female reproductive success was also positively influenced by the correlation between growth and the mean temperature of the previous vegetative season. Overall, our results showed that Norway spruce individuals with the highest fitness are those who are able to keep high-growth rates despite potential growth limitations caused by reproductive costs and climatic limiting conditions. Identifying such functional links between the individual ecophysiological behaviour and its evolutionary gain would increase our understanding on how natural selection shapes the genetic composition of forest tree populations over time.

• MeSH
• lesy MeSH
• rozmnožování MeSH
• smrk * genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• teplota * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH

In the recent past, application of DNA genotyping techniques has enabled researchers to more accurately test relationships between dominance rank (DR), mating success (MS) and reproductive success (RS). Paternity studies often reveal that reproductive outcome does not always correlate with male DR and/or MS and thus open room for discussion and interpretation of alternative reproductive tactics of both sexes. In this study, we analysed male DR, MS and RS in a group of bonobos at Twycross Zoo (UK). Genetic relationships were determined using 8 tetrameric microsatellite loci. Despite clear and asymmetric dominance relationships, analysed using normalised David's scores based on a dyadic index of dominance among the group's 3 mature males, we found that the most dominant male did not sire the most offspring. In fact, both infants conceived during the observation period were found to be sired by the lower-ranking males. Although the alpha male had almost exclusive mating access to one of the females during the time she was showing a maximal anogenital swelling, her infant was sired by the lowest-ranking male who mostly mated with her when outside the maximal swelling period. This result suggests that either sperm competition operates and/or ovulation is decoupled from the phase of maximal anogenital swelling which could allow greater female choice.

• MeSH
• DNA fingerprinting MeSH
• DNA analýza   MeSH
• fertilita fyziologie   MeSH
• mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
• Pan paniscus genetika   fyziologie   psychologie   MeSH
• paternita MeSH
• rozmnožování fyziologie   MeSH
• sexuální chování zvířat fyziologie   MeSH
• sociální chování MeSH
• sociální dominance * MeSH
• zvířata v ZOO MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA MeSH

Uterus transplantation is an experimental method in the treatment of infertility in women with congenital or acquired absence of uterus. The majority of uterus transplants worldwide have been performed in women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, with neovagina and absent uterus. We report two aspects affecting reproductive success related to the surgical technique of transplantation. The first is the stenosis of vaginal-neovaginal anastomosis between the graft's vaginal rim and the recipient's neovagina. The second is a firm fixation of the uterus close to the pubic symphysis. Both these aspects contribute to the technical difficulty of embryo transfer to the transplanted uterus.

• Klíčová slova
• absolute uterine factor infertility, assisted reproduction, clinical trial, quality of life, uterus transplantation,
• MeSH
• ductus Mülleri chirurgie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poruchy sexuálního vývoje s karyotypem 46, XX chirurgie   MeSH
• reprodukční techniky MeSH
• rozmnožování MeSH
• uterus transplantace   MeSH
• vagina MeSH
• vrozené vady MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

OBJECTIVE: Sexual arousal by dominance and submissiveness was long considered a mental disorder. The origin of this sexual preference has not been clearly explained. This study scrutinizes the hypothesis that sexual arousal by hierarchical disparity is a manifestation of mating strategy by comparing number of offspring and self-reported attractiveness of the study participants. METHODS: Our data were obtained from the general population via e-mail questionnaire (n=673, age 25-34 years and 35-44 years). RESULTS: Sexually dominant men aged 35-44 years had more biological male children. Both the sexually dominant men aged 35-44 years and sexually submissive women aged 35-44 years perceived themselves as being more attractive. THE MAIN FINDINGS: Here we show that sexual arousal by dominance and submissiveness confers an increased capacity to pass on genes in the general population. CONCLUSION: We suggest that sexual arousal by dominance is likely to be the means by which the mating strategy is accomplished. Sexual arousal by dominance and submissiveness is a manifestation of mating strategy because such a behaviour results in an increased reproductive success and thus may lead to the preferential selection of individuals who prefer sexual arousal by hierarchical disparity. This fact explains why the high number of people is excited by sexual fantasies and activities connected to hierarchical disparity. This finding might open up novel insights into some reproductive medicine issues, as well as into such field as partnership therapy and partner violence.

• MeSH
• dominance a subordinace * MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• emoce fyziologie   MeSH
• libido fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• rozmnožování fyziologie   MeSH
• sebepojetí * MeSH
• sexuální chování fyziologie   MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The spatial distribution of breeding resources can have pronounced demographic and evolutionary consequences. We used 20 experimental groups of the bitterling (Rhodeus amarus), an annual fish with a promiscuous, resource-based mating system, and extended breeding season to investigate how the spatial distribution (clumped or regular) of bitterling oviposition sites (live freshwater mussels) affected offspring production, variation in reproductive success, and directional selection on phenotypic traits over their entire reproductive lifetime. We did not detect any effect of resource distribution on offspring production or variation in reproductive success among individual fish, although variation between replicates was higher with a clumped distribution. This finding is discussed with regard to the incidence of alternative mating behaviors (sneaking) within the limitations imposed by our experimental design. Breeding resource distribution had a significant effect on selection on male phenotypic traits. Stronger directional selection on traits associated with intrasexual competition for fertilizations, gonad mass (an indicator of sperm competition), and the extent of red, carotenoid-based pigment in the iris (an index of dominance status), was detected with a clumped resource distribution. With a regular resource distribution, a stronger positive selection on male body size was detected. We discuss the implications of our results for natural populations.

• MeSH
• kladení vajíček MeSH
• rozmnožování MeSH
• ryby fyziologie   MeSH
• sexuální chování zvířat MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Equality between partners is considering a feature of the functional partnerships in westernized societies. However, the evolutionary consequences of how in-pair hierarchy influences reproduction are less known. Attraction of some high-ranking women towards low-ranking men represents a puzzle. METHODS: Young urban adults (120 men, 171 women) filled out a questionnaire focused on their sexual preference for higher or lower ranking partners, their future in-pair hierarchy, and hierarchy between their parents. RESULTS: Human pairs with a hierarchic disparity between partners conceive more offspring than pairs of equally-ranking individuals, who, in turn, conceive more offspring than pairs of two dominating partners. Importantly, the higher reproductive success of hierarchically disparate pairs holds, regardless of which sex, male or female, is the dominant one. In addition, the subjects preferring hierarchy disparity in partnerships were with greater probability sexually aroused by such disparity, suggesting that both the partnership preference and the triggers of sexual arousal may reflect a mating strategy. CONCLUSION: These results challenge the frequently held belief in within-pair equality as a trademark of functional partnerships. It rather appears that existence of some disparity improves within-pair cohesion, facilitating both cooperation between partners and improving the pairs' ability to face societal challenges. The parallel existence of submissivity-dominance hierarchies within human sexes allows for the parallel existence of alternative reproductive strategies, and may form a background for the diversity of mating systems observed in human societies. Arousal of overemphasized dominance/submissiveness may explain sadomasochistic sex, still little understood from the evolutionary psychology point of view.

• MeSH
• dominance a subordinace * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• masochismus psychologie   MeSH
• městské obyvatelstvo * MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• rozmnožování * MeSH
• sadismus psychologie   MeSH
• sexuální chování psychologie   MeSH
• sexuální partneři psychologie   MeSH
• výběrové chování MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH

Biological invasions are impacting biota worldwide, and explaining why some taxa tend to become invasive is of major scientific interest. North American crayfish species, particularly of the family Cambaridae, are prominent invaders in freshwaters, defying the "tens rule" which states that only a minority of species introduced to new regions become established, and only a minority of those become invasive and pests. So far, success of cambarid invaders has largely been attributed to rapid maturation, high reproductive output, aggressiveness, and tolerance to pollution. We provide experimental evidence that females of one cambarid species particularly widespread in Europe, the spiny-cheek crayfish Orconectes limosus, are capable of facultative parthenogenesis. Such reproductive mode has never before been recognized in decapods, the most diverse crustacean order. As shown by analysis of seven microsatellite loci, crayfish females kept physically separated from males produced genetically homogeneous offspring identical with maternal individuals; this suggests they reproduced by apomixis, unlike those females which mated with males and had a diverse offspring. Further research is needed to clarify what environmental conditions are necessary for a switch to parthenogenesis in O. limosus, and what role it plays in natural crayfish populations. However, if such reproductive plasticity is present in other cambarid crayfish species, it may contribute to the overwhelming invasive success of this group.

• MeSH
• Decapoda (Crustacea) fyziologie   MeSH
• partenogeneze fyziologie   MeSH
• rozmnožování fyziologie   MeSH
• severní raci fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The study was designed to test the hypothesis that siring success of male rats depends on when during the receptivity period the matings occur. In Experiment 1, females were mated with pairs of males differing in coat colour genetic marker. The males copulated with the female successively, either about 1 hour apart at dusk (schedule AA) or about 1 hour apart around midnight (BB) or one at dusk and the other around midnight (AB). The males mating first had lesser siring success under the schedule AB than under the other two schedules. In Experiment 2, females were mated under the same regimen as in Experiment 1. One male of each competing pair had its spermatozoa labeled by 3H-thymidine. The proportions of spermatozoa of the labeled males were identified in samples from uterine horns and oviducts. Balanced contributions of both males were recorded in uterus in all groups. No definitive conclusion concerning oviductal sperm composition could be reached. In both experiments, night-mating males copulated more quickly. It is suggested that copulation at about midnight is advantageous in intermale reproductive competition and that the function of the diurnal variation in the speed of male sexual behaviour might be clarified on this ground.

• MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus fyziologie   MeSH
• fertilizace fyziologie   MeSH
• inbrední kmeny potkanů MeSH
• kopulace fyziologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• paternita MeSH
• sexuální chování zvířat fyziologie   MeSH
• transport spermií fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH