Mammal life history traits relating to growth and reproduction are extremely diverse. Sibling rivalry may contribute to selection pressures influencing this diversity, because individuals that are relatively large at birth typically have an advantage in competition for milk. However, selection for increased growth rate is likely to be constrained by kin selection and physiological costs. Here, ...

Repeat sequences of approximately 100 base pairs in length were found in the rDNA ITS2 region of Anopheles barbirostris van der Wulp (Diptera: Culicidae) species A1, A2, A3, A4, and An. campestris-like in the An. barbirostris complex. Variation in the number of repeats was observed among the five sibling species. Specifically, 10 repeats were observed in A1, eight in A2, A4, and campestris-like...

BACKGROUND Lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin America, is a complex of sibling species. In Brazil, a number of very closely related sibling species have been revealed by the analyses of copulation songs, sex pheromones and molecular markers. However, the level of divergence and gene flow between the sibling species remains unclear. Brazilian populations of...

Inbreeding is known to have adverse effects on fitness-related traits in a range of insect species. A series of theoretical and experimental studies have suggested that polyandrous insects could avoid the cost of inbreeding via pre-copulatory mate choice and/or post-copulatory mechanisms. We looked for evidence of pre-copulatory inbreeding avoidance using female mate preference trials, in which...

Conventional methods for fungal identification in the clinical laboratory rely on morphological andphysiological tests. These tests often need several days or weeks to complete and are frequentlyunspecific. Molecular identification mostly implies sequencing, which is relatively expensive andtime-consuming, as well as impractical for large numbers of isolates. The Rolling CircleAmplification app...

We have studied by gel electrophoresis the variability of 14 structural genes in four sibling species, Drosophila willistoni, D. paulistorum, D. equinoxialis, and D. tropicalis. Samples of about 30 populations from different parts of the distribution areas of each species were examined. Genetic variants are found at every locus; 67% of the loci are polymorphic, having two or more alleles, the r...