The Morphological Diversity of Intromittent Organs: An Introduction to the Symposium

Abstract

Intromittent organs are structures that enter the female genital tract and deposit sperm; these organs are found in many animal taxa that use internal fertilization. Despite their shared function, they are fantastically diverse morphologically. Many of their species-specific shape differences are likely the result of sexual selection and coevolution between male and female reproductive tracts, but a growing number of studies have identified other factors that can also affect their functional anatomy. In this symposium, we united scientists who combine morphological methods with contemporary molecular, phylogenetic, and imaging techniques to study the reproductive performance of intromittent organs in invertebrate and vertebrate model systems. The result was a collection of studies discussing competing selective pressures that act on these structures, including the effects of life history, genes and development, sexual conflict, ecological interactions, the biomechanics of copulation, and phenotypic plasticity. There was also an overwhelming consensus that a full understanding of intromittent organ evolution will not be possible without complimentary studies of morphology and function in female reproductive tracts.