What stops the `diploid male vortex'?-A simulation study for species with single locus complementary sex determination
Authored by Hans Joachim Poethke, Silke Hein, Silvia Dorn
Date Published: 2009
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.04.001
Sponsors:
German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
The survival of hymenopteran populations especially that of ecologically
and economically important pollinators and parasitoids, has become a
major topic for empirical and theoretical studies. Complementary sex
determination (CSD) in Hymenoptera may impose a substantial genetic load
through the production of inviable or sterile diploid males. Modelling
and laboratory studies have indicated that this genetic load may trigger
a `diploid male vortex' leading to rapid extinction of populations.
Here we take a broader theoretical approach to analyze why populations
exhibiting CSD persist in nature, even if they contain large proportions
of homozygous diploid individuals. Using an individual-based model of
spatially structured hymenopteran populations, we show that (i)
inviability or reduced fertility of homozygous individuals, (ii)
female-biased sex ratio, and (iii) strong intra-specific competition can
mitigate the negative influence of CSD on population persistence and
that (iv) already extremely low dispersal rates will result in long term
survival. These findings underline the importance of life history traits
for population survival and demonstrate that rather specific conditions
must be met to initiate the `diploid male vortex'. (C) 2009 Elsevier
B.V. All rights reserved.
Tags
Evolution
Density-dependent dispersal
Hymenoptera
Populations
Mating system
Primitively eusocial bee
Cotesia-glomerata
Parasitoid wasp
Bracon-hebetor
Honey
bees