Cloacal Bacterial Diversity Increases with Multiple Mates in Female Common Lizards
Author Information
Author(s): Joël White, Murielle Richard, Manuel Massot, Sandrine Meylan
Primary Institution: Ecologie & Evolution (UMPC-ENS-CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Hypothesis
Does mating behavior influence the diversity and composition of cloacal bacterial communities in female common lizards?
Conclusion
Polyandrous female common lizards have more diverse cloacal bacterial communities than monandrous females, suggesting that multiple mating increases bacterial diversity through sexual transmission.
Supporting Evidence
- Polyandrous females had significantly higher cloacal bacterial diversity than monandrous females.
- Cloacal diversity decreased with age in polyandrous females.
- The study provides empirical data linking mating strategies to bacterial diversity in wild populations.
Takeaway
Female lizards that mate with many males have a wider variety of bacteria in their bodies than those that only mate with one male.
Methodology
The study compared cloacal bacterial communities in monandrous and polyandrous female common lizards using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analyses (ARISA).
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the method of identifying mating strategies and the ecological context of the study population.
Limitations
The study was limited to a specific population of common lizards in France, which may not represent other populations or species.
Participant Demographics
The study involved 38 gravid female common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) captured in Mont-Lozère, France.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.007
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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