Postmating Female Control: 20 Years of Cryptic Female Choice

Overview

Journal Trends Ecol Evol

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health

Date 2017 Mar 21

PMID 28318651

Citations 123

Authors

Renee C Firman

Clelia Gasparini

Mollie K Manier

Tommaso Pizzari

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cryptic female choice (CFC) represents postmating intersexual selection arising from female-driven mechanisms at or after mating that bias sperm use and impact male paternity share. Although biologists began to study CFC relatively late, largely spurred by Eberhard's book published 20 years ago, the field has grown rapidly since then. Here, we review empirical progress to show that numerous female processes offer potential for CFC, from mating through to fertilization, although seldom has CFC been clearly demonstrated. We then evaluate functional implications, and argue that, under some conditions, CFC might have repercussions for female fitness, sexual conflict, and intersexual coevolution, with ramifications for related evolutionary phenomena, such as speciation. We conclude by identifying directions for future research in this rapidly growing field.

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