Life history and reproductive fitness variation associated with the Y chromosome in Callosobruchus maculatus

Abstract: In the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, the female is the larger sex and the male is the smaller sex. However, males that are almost as large as females can also occur, which is due to a specific Y chromosome haplotype. This Y chromosome polymorphism is not expected since the Y chromosome does not recombine and has lost genetic variation as a consequence. Nevertheless, the Y chromosome manages to maintain this polymorphism. Thus, the questions asked are how this occurs and how the large male Y haplotype persists to exist since previous studies have shown how small males have the higher fitness. In this study, large males were from line SL3b Y and small males were from line SL1b Y. To answer the questions, two important measures of fitness were conducted, mating- and lifetime reproductive success, as well as lifetime-history traits of the SL1b Y and SL3b Y males. Males from line SL3b Y turned out to have a faster growth rate and a shorter development time compared to the SL1b Y males. Both the SL3b Y males with a shorter development time and the SL1b Y males with a longer development time had larger body sizes. Large males also showed to have heavier ejaculate weight and produced more offspring compared to the other male Y haplotype. However, neither of the males had higher pre-mating success. In conclusion, the two male Y haplotypes must coexist in nature since their traits are beneficial in different environments and circumstances.