Objective The main objective of the proposed project is to investigate post-copulatory sexual selection in squid, which provide the rare potential for direct assessment under natural conditions of the interactions of male sperm competition strategy and female strategies for sperm storage and usage. Since females of many species of animals mate with multiple males, it is now widely recognized that post-copulatory male competition and female choice are pervasive evolutionary forces acting on mating strategy. Sperm traits of males, and sperm storage and usage patterns by females would be possible proximate factors responsible for sperm precedence patterns. Loliginid squid offer an excellent opportunity to examine post-copulatory male-male and male-female interactions. Male squid have adult size dimorphism, associated with alternative mating tactics, and females have two distinct sperm storage sites on their bodies, correlated with mating tactics adopted by males. Sperm in both storage sites have the potential to achieve fertilizations during the egg laying process. So the presence of alternative sperm storage sites potentially makes a clear constraint for post-mating sperm competition and cryptic female choice dynamics. In this proposed study I will investigate, in a comparison of two related squid species having different mating biology: 1) male dimorphism in sperm investment pattern; 2) function of male dimorphism (sperm allocation or morphological adaptation for female sperm storage sites); 3) level of constraint imposed on sperm competition by females (sperm storage and usage patterns); and 4) level of paternity bias among males. Results will be integrated to analyze how post-copulatory male-male and male-female interactions shape the evolution of mating strategies. The project has potential to contribute to development of conservation and management strategies for these valuable commercially exploited species, and to collaborations between EU and Japanese scientists. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biology Keywords Animal ecology Animal reproduction Aquatic biology Behavioural biology Sperm competition Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) PEOPLE-2007-4-2.IIF - Marie Curie Action: "International Incoming Fellowships" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-2-IIF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) Coordinator ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE EU contribution € 169 957,94 Address EGHAM HILL UNIVERSITY OF LONDON TW20 0EX Egham United Kingdom See on map Region South East (England) Surrey, East and West Sussex West Surrey Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jenny Febry (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data