Evolution of sex allocation plasticity and its predictors in a flatworm genus

Abstract

Sex allocation (SA) theory in simultaneous hermaphrodites predicts that optimal SA is influenced by local sperm competition (LSC), which occurs when related sperm compete to fertilize a given set of eggs. Different factors, including the mating strategy and the ability to self-fertilize, are predicted to affect LSC and hence the optimal SA. Moreover, since the LSC experienced by an individual can vary temporally and spatially, this can favour the evolution of SA plasticity. Here, using seven species of the free-living flatworm genus Macrostomum, we document sizable interspecific variation in SA, but neither their mating strategy nor their ability to self-fertilize significantly predicted SA among these species. Since we also found considerable interspecific variation in SA plasticity, we further estimated standardized effect sizes for plasticity in response to i) the presence of mating partners (i.e. in isolation vs. with partners) and ii) the strength of LSC (i.e. in small vs. large groups). We found that self-fertilization predicted SA plasticity with respect to the presence of mating partners, with plasticity being lower for self-fertilizing species. Finally, we showed that interspecific variation in SA is higher than intraspecific variation due to SA plasticity. Our study suggests that both SA and SA plasticity are evolutionarily labile, with self-fertilization predicting the latter in Macrostomum.