Meeting Abstract

P2.169  Sunday, Jan. 5 15:30  The effect of oxidative stress on sperm traits in the painted dragon lizard FRIESEN, C.R.*; OLSSON, M; University of Sydney; University of Sydney christopher.friesen@sydney.edu.au

Over the past decade, evolutionary ecologists have begun to focus on the physiological mechanisms underlying trade-offs among traits. Since von Schantz et al.’s (1999) groundbreaking paper, oxidative stress (OS) biology has become a focal point in the integration of proximate mechanisms with ultimate explanations, and has been especially influential in the study of sexually selected condition-dependent traits. One area of research that has been left behind in the integration of evolution and OS biology is postcopulatory sexual selection—sperm competition and cryptic female choice. It is noteworthy that OS has been linked to infertility in human males for almost twenty years, but only one study has directly addressed OS in the context of sperm competition. Here we present data on the effect of experimental manipulation of the oxidative status on sperm motility, viability, and velocity in painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus).