@ARTICLE{TreeBASE2Ref14592, author = {Nils Georg Anthes and Hinrich Schulenburg and Nico K. Michiels}, title = {Evolutionary links between reproductive morphology, ecology and mating behavior in opisthobranch gastropods.}, year = {2008}, keywords = {}, doi = {10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00326.x}, url = {}, pmid = {}, journal = {Evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {4}, pages = {900--916}, abstract = {Sexual coevolution in morphological and behavioral traits has rarely been studied. Using phylogenetic analyses, we explore relationships between such traits based on a new molecular phylogeny of 33 opisthobranch taxa (Aglajidae and Gastropteridae). Our measurements include male and female reproductive anatomy, mating behavior, and spatial gregariousness. After phylogenetic correction, we found evidence for correlated evolution between male and female reproductive organs such as the size of the seminal fluid producing prostate gland and that of the sperm digesting bursa copulatrix. Our findings suggest that reproductive trait variation in these simultaneous hermaphrodites is mediated by sexual coevolution, where putatively manipulative male organs evolved in association with female organs involved in sperm selection. Furthermore, low gregariousness was associated with long, reciprocal copulations. We interpret this result as an adaptation to infrequent mate encounters, where it pays to mate longer with and presumably transfer more sperm to a rare partner. Several complex reproductive traits were repeatedly gained or lost across our phylogeny. This pattern is consistent with a scenario where sexual selection generates dynamic co-evolutionary cycles similar to those expected under sexual antagonism. We finally outline approaches for experimentally assessing the proposed functional links that underlie the evolutionary correlations revealed by our study.} }

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