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Journal article
Converging or diverging?: Shape coevolution between a sperm-dependent asexual and its sexual hosts
Proceedings of the Royal Society. B-Biological sciences, Vol.292(2050), p.20250432
07/2025
PMID: 40592460
Web of Science ID: WOS:001520477600003
Abstract
Asexual species, despite lacking recombination, can evolve in response to environmental changes and influence the evolutionary trajectory of coexisting sexual species. Gynogenesis, where asexual females rely on sperm from males of a different species, offers a unique perspective on the eco-evolutionary dynamics between asexual females and their sexual hosts. The Amazon molly,
, is a gynogenetic species that primarily uses sperm from two sympatric sexual species: the sailfin molly (
) and the Atlantic molly (
). To understand shape variation in an asexual species relative to their sexual hosts, we analysed shape variation among wild Amazon mollies and their sexual hosts. We tested three hypotheses: (i) Amazon mollies mimic their sexual hosts to enhance mating opportunities (sexual mimicry hypothesis); (ii) ecological interactions or male mate choice drive morphological divergence (character displacement hypothesis); and (iii) Amazon mollies exhibit random shape variation due to their asexual nature (null hypothesis). Our findings revealed significant shape variation in Amazon mollies, which differ from their sexual hosts in a host-specific manner (e.g. Amazon mollies with
resemble
and vice versa), supporting character displacement at the interspecific level in a sexual-asexual system.
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Details
- Title
- Converging or diverging?
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the Royal Society. B-Biological sciences, Vol.292(2050), p.20250432
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Royal Society
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- Des Lee Collaborative Vision in Zoological Studies: SPR-0305-45
We are grateful to the many helpers in the field that helped with collecting fishes. We are also grateful to the authorities in Mexico and Texas for issuing the permits that allowed this work. Mexico (DGOPA.022232.230706.1079) and Texas (SPR-0305-45). We are thankful to the authorities in New Braunfels for access to Landa Park. This paper partially fulfills an honours thesis for A.E. at the University of Oklahoma.
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Identifiers
- WOS:001520477600003; 99381430120006600
- Academic Unit
- Biology; Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English