Sperm evolution
Sperm are the most variable cell type found in animals, but we know relatively little about how this cellular diversity has arisen evolutionarily. Ariel Kahrl's dissertation has taken the lab in a new direction by asking (1) how variation in sperm morphology and sperm count is related to diet and body condition, (2) how sperm morphology and sperm performance contribute to reproductive success in controlled breeding trials and wild populations, and (3) how post-copulatory sexual selection has shaped the evolution of sperm across lizard species.
The figure above shows a typical sperm cell from a brown anole, Anolis sagrei.
Relevant publications
Kahrl, A.F., C.L. Cox and R.M. Cox. 2016. Correlated evolution of targets of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection in squamate reptiles. Ecology & Evolution 6: 6452-6459.
Kahrl, A.F., and R.M. Cox. 2015. Diet affects ejaculate traits in a lizard with condition-dependent fertilization success. Behavioral Ecology 26: 1501-1511.
Kahrl, A.F., C.L. Cox and R.M. Cox. 2016. Correlated evolution of targets of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection in squamate reptiles. Ecology & Evolution 6: 6452-6459.
Kahrl, A.F., and R.M. Cox. 2015. Diet affects ejaculate traits in a lizard with condition-dependent fertilization success. Behavioral Ecology 26: 1501-1511.
