Engel, Katharina C. and Stoekl, Johannes and Schweizer, Rebecca and Vogel, Heiko and Ayasse, Manfred and Ruther, Joachim and Steiger, Sandra (2016) A hormone-related female anti-aphrodisiac signals temporary infertility and causes sexual abstinence to synchronize parental care. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 7: 11035. ISSN 2041-1723,
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
The high energetic demand of parental care requires parents to direct their resources towards the support of existing offspring rather than investing into the production of additional young. However, how such a resource flow is channelled appropriately is poorly understood. In this study, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of the physiological mechanisms coordinating parental and mating effort in an insect exhibiting biparental care. We show a hormone-mediated infertility in female burying beetles during the time the current offspring is needy and report that this temporary infertility is communicated via a pheromone to the male partner, where it inhibits copulation. A shared pathway of hormone and pheromone system ensures the reliability of the anti-aphrodisiac. Female infertility and male sexual abstinence provide for the concerted investment of parental resources into the existing developing young. Our study thus contributes to our deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying adaptive parental decisions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | BEETLE NICROPHORUS-VESPILLOIDES; BURYING BEETLES; JUVENILE-HORMONE; BREEDING STATUS; ZEA-MAYS; PROLACTIN; EVOLUTION; WORKERS; INSECT; SILPHIDAE; |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Mar 2019 14:38 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Mar 2019 14:38 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/2317 |
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