Hermaphrodites combine the male and female sex functions into a single individual, either
sequentially or simultaneously. This simple fact means that they exhibit both similarities and …

Copulation can involve the wounding of the mating partner by specialised devices. This type
of mating, which we term traumatic mating, has been regarded as exceptional. Its …

Sex allocation is a crucial life-history parameter in all sexual organisms. Over the last
decades a body of evolutionary theory, sex allocation theory, was developed, which has …

Publisher Summary The mechanisms of sexual reproduction are expected to be complex
and evolutionarily dynamic in internally fertilizing species, where numerous biochemical …

Animal nuptial gifts display multitudinous forms, and such gifts are especially interesting
because they sit at the intersection of sexual selection, foraging ecology, and life-history …

Sexual selection has been studied as a major evolutionary driver of animal diversity for
roughly 50 years. Much evidence indicates that competition for mates favors elaborate …

Many of the seemingly bizarre animal behaviours can be understood only by acknowledging
the power of sex to shape evolution. A case in point is the so-called love-dart that some …

Background Efficient transfer of chemical signals is important for successful mating in many
animal species. Multiple evolutionary lineages of animals evolved direct sex pheromone …

Traumatic insemination is a mating behavior during which the (sperm) donor uses a
traumatic intromittent organ to inject an ejaculate through the epidermis of the (sperm) …

Seminal fluid is an important part of the ejaculate of internally fertilizing animals. This fluid
contains substances that nourish and activate sperm for successful fertilization. Additionally …