| Abstract |
The battle for control of paternity of offspring has resulted in the evolution of female mate choice as well as elaborate paternity assurance mechanisms in males among diverse organisms.However, the effectiveness of these mechanisms remains relatively unexplored.We have examined the reproductive system of the fossorial ghost shrimp, Callichirus islagrande.With the use of highly polymorphic genetic markers, microsatellites, we determined that 18% of ovigerous females tested were brooding egg clutches that were sired by at least two males.With this evidence, we can infer that female C.islagrande may have the capability to store sperm and that males have not evolved effective paternity assurance mechanisms. |
Bilodeau, A.L., D.L. Felder, and J.E. Neigel (1999) Evidence for multiple paternity in the deep burrowing ghost shrimp, Callichirus islagrande. Program and Abstracts of the 1999 The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting. 