Experimental evolution of male reproductive success

We combined environmentally-inducible control of sperm production within a highly reproducible factorial experimental evolution design to directly quantify the contribution of post-insemination selection to male reproductive evolution. We demonstrated that enhanced sperm competition increases the efficacy of selection and enhances the rate of male evolution. Alternatively, we showed that enhanced pre-insemination competition slows the evolutionary rate. Using whole-genome approaches, we identified over 60 genes that contribute to male fertilization success. Brought together, our new approaches and results demonstrate that the unseen world of molecular interactions occurring during post-insemination are as fundamentally important as the pre-mating factors that lead to some of the most fascinating traits.