Sex differences in laterality are associated with reproduction in threespine stickleback

McLean, Stephanie; Morrell, Lesley J.

Abstract

Laterality, the partitioning of information processing into specific brain hemispheres, is widespread across animal taxa. Substantial unexplained variation in this trait exists, particularly between the sexes, despite multiple identified advantages of lateralization. Here, we demonstrate a relationship among laterality (mea-sured as directional biases), reproduction, and experience of mating and parenting. Using threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculea-tus), a species with uniparental male care, we showed that individuals of the caring sex (males) were more strongly lateralized than the non-caring sex (females) during reproduction and that laterality was reduced outside the breeding season in males. Additionally, males with experience of mating and parenting were more strongly lateralized than males without this experience. Our findings suggest that fitness-related behaviors that vary between the sexes, such as reproductive behaviors including courtship, spawning, and parenting, are significant but previously unidentified sources of variation in laterality.

Citation

McLean, S., & Morrell, L. J. (2021). Sex differences in laterality are associated with reproduction in threespine stickleback. The American naturalist, 197(6), 708-718. https://doi.org/10.1086/714138

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 19, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 1, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 2, 2022
• Journal: American Naturalist
• Print ISSN: 0003-0147
• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 197
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 708-718
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/714138
• Keywords: Cerebral lateralisation; Variation in laterality; Sex-differences; Parental care; Reproduction; Gasterosteus aculeatus
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3731444