Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior

Abstract Asymmetric genitalia and lateralized mating behaviors occur in several taxa, yet whether asymmetric morphology in one sex correlates or coevolves with lateralized mating behavior in the other sex remains largely unexplored. While lateralized mating behaviors are taxonomically widespread, am...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Dara N. Orbach, Patricia L. R. Brennan, Brandon P. Hedrick, William Keener, Marc A. Webber, Sarah L. Mesnick
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2020
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/a272c3d8ba4e43639bf97b18d8450f36
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:a272c3d8ba4e43639bf97b18d8450f36
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:a272c3d8ba4e43639bf97b18d8450f362021-12-02T16:23:09ZAsymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior10.1038/s41598-020-60287-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/a272c3d8ba4e43639bf97b18d8450f362020-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60287-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Asymmetric genitalia and lateralized mating behaviors occur in several taxa, yet whether asymmetric morphology in one sex correlates or coevolves with lateralized mating behavior in the other sex remains largely unexplored. While lateralized mating behaviors are taxonomically widespread, among mammals they are only known in the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Males attempt copulation by approaching a female exclusively on her left side. To understand if this unusual lateralized behavior may have coevolved with genital morphology, we quantified the shape of female and male harbor porpoise reproductive tracts using 2D geometric morphometrics and 3D models of the vaginal lumen and inflated distal penis. We found that the vaginas varied individually in shape and that the vaginas demonstrated both significant directional and fluctuating asymmetry. This asymmetry resulted from complex 3D spirals and vaginal folds with deep recesses, which may curtail the depth or direction of penile penetration and/or semen movement. The asymmetric shapes of the vaginal lumen and penis tip were both left-canted with similar angular bends that mirrored one another and correspond with the left lateral mating approach. We suggest that the reproductive anatomy of both sexes and their lateral mating behavior coevolved.Dara N. OrbachPatricia L. R. BrennanBrandon P. HedrickWilliam KeenerMarc A. WebberSarah L. MesnickNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Dara N. Orbach Patricia L. R. Brennan Brandon P. Hedrick William Keener Marc A. Webber Sarah L. Mesnick Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
description	Abstract Asymmetric genitalia and lateralized mating behaviors occur in several taxa, yet whether asymmetric morphology in one sex correlates or coevolves with lateralized mating behavior in the other sex remains largely unexplored. While lateralized mating behaviors are taxonomically widespread, among mammals they are only known in the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Males attempt copulation by approaching a female exclusively on her left side. To understand if this unusual lateralized behavior may have coevolved with genital morphology, we quantified the shape of female and male harbor porpoise reproductive tracts using 2D geometric morphometrics and 3D models of the vaginal lumen and inflated distal penis. We found that the vaginas varied individually in shape and that the vaginas demonstrated both significant directional and fluctuating asymmetry. This asymmetry resulted from complex 3D spirals and vaginal folds with deep recesses, which may curtail the depth or direction of penile penetration and/or semen movement. The asymmetric shapes of the vaginal lumen and penis tip were both left-canted with similar angular bends that mirrored one another and correspond with the left lateral mating approach. We suggest that the reproductive anatomy of both sexes and their lateral mating behavior coevolved.
format	article
author	Dara N. Orbach Patricia L. R. Brennan Brandon P. Hedrick William Keener Marc A. Webber Sarah L. Mesnick
author_facet	Dara N. Orbach Patricia L. R. Brennan Brandon P. Hedrick William Keener Marc A. Webber Sarah L. Mesnick
author_sort	Dara N. Orbach
title	Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
title_short	Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
title_full	Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
title_fullStr	Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
title_full_unstemmed	Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior
title_sort	asymmetric and spiraled genitalia coevolve with unique lateralized mating behavior
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/a272c3d8ba4e43639bf97b18d8450f36
work_keys_str_mv	AT daranorbach asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior AT patricialrbrennan asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior AT brandonphedrick asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior AT williamkeener asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior AT marcawebber asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior AT sarahlmesnick asymmetricandspiraledgenitaliacoevolvewithuniquelateralizedmatingbehavior
_version_	1718384190065475584

Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia Coevolve with Unique Lateralized Mating Behavior

Ejemplares similares