A comparative analysis of morphological data across 149 species of Drosophilidae shows that sperm length in males has co-evolved with the length of the sperm-storage organ in females. Combining a genome-wide association study of these traits in Drosophila melanogaster with molecular evolutionary analyses of the genomes of 15 Drosophila species, the authors find that the genetic architecture underlying sperm length is associated with indirect genetic benefits in females, providing support for the ‘good genes’ hypothesis.
- Zeeshan A. Syed
- R. Antonio Gomez
- Scott Pitnick
