The unisexual Ambystoma salamander complex is a lineage of all-female salamanders that use a unique form of reproduction: kleptogenesis. Kleptogenesis requires sperm from male salamanders of co-occurring sexual species, potentially putting unisexual and sexual females in breeding competition. We investigated if unisexual salamanders require courtship from sexual males or if they can use sperm left over from previous breeding events. We put unisexual salamanders into boxes containing spermatophores from a previous courtship and examined if they laid viable eggs. We also genotyped adults and embryos to assess parentage. Some of the unisexuals in the boxes produced viable eggs; however, the varied combinations of alleles in the eggs suggest unisexuals may be using a combination of breeding, spermatophore scavenging, and sperm storage to reproduce. Unisexual salamander breeding is a genetically and behaviorally complex process, and their ecological success may be due to the diversity of their reproductive strategies.
","abstract_html":"<p>The unisexual <em>Ambystoma</em> salamander complex is a lineage of all-female salamanders that use a unique form of reproduction: kleptogenesis. Kleptogenesis requires sperm from male salamanders of co-occurring sexual species, potentially putting unisexual and sexual females in breeding competition. We investigated if unisexual salamanders require courtship from sexual males or if they can use sperm left over from previous breeding events. We put unisexual salamanders into boxes containing spermatophores from a previous courtship and examined if they laid viable eggs. We also genotyped adults and embryos to assess parentage. Some of the unisexuals in the boxes produced viable eggs; however, the varied combinations of alleles in the eggs suggest unisexuals may be using a combination of breeding, spermatophore scavenging, and sperm storage to reproduce. Unisexual salamander breeding is a genetically and behaviorally complex process, and their ecological success may be due to the diversity of their reproductive strategies.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Venezia, Jane"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Katy Greenwald, PhD","Cara Shillington, PhD","Kristin Judd, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:53Z","subjects":["Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1234","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Katy Greenwald, PhD","Cara Shillington, PhD","Kristin Judd, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Venezia, Jane"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-09-13T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1234"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The unisexual Ambystoma salamander complex is a lineage of all-female salamanders that use a unique form of reproduction: kleptogenesis. Kleptogenesis requires sperm from male salamanders of co-occurring sexual species, potentially putting unisexual and sexual females in breeding competition. We investigated if unisexual salamanders require courtship from sexual males or if they can use sperm left over from previous breeding events. We put unisexual salamanders into boxes containing spermatophores from a previous courtship and examined if they laid viable eggs. We also genotyped adults and embryos to assess parentage. Some of the unisexuals in the boxes produced viable eggs; however, the varied combinations of alleles in the eggs suggest unisexuals may be using a combination of breeding, spermatophore scavenging, and sperm storage to reproduce. Unisexual salamander breeding is a genetically and behaviorally complex process, and their ecological success may be due to the diversity of their reproductive strategies.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Stealing, scavenging, or storing? Breeding behaviors of unisexual Ambystoma salamanders"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Katy Greenwald, PhD","Cara Shillington, PhD","Kristin Judd, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Venezia, Jane"],"dc:date.available":["2024-09-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The unisexual Ambystoma salamander complex is a lineage of all-female salamanders that use a unique form of reproduction: kleptogenesis. Kleptogenesis requires sperm from male salamanders of co-occurring sexual species, potentially putting unisexual and sexual females in breeding competition. We investigated if unisexual salamanders require courtship from sexual males or if they can use sperm left over from previous breeding events. We put unisexual salamanders into boxes containing spermatophores from a previous courtship and examined if they laid viable eggs. We also genotyped adults and embryos to assess parentage. Some of the unisexuals in the boxes produced viable eggs; however, the varied combinations of alleles in the eggs suggest unisexuals may be using a combination of breeding, spermatophore scavenging, and sperm storage to reproduce. Unisexual salamander breeding is a genetically and behaviorally complex process, and their ecological success may be due to the diversity of their reproductive strategies.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1234"],"dc:subject":["Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"],"dc:title":["Stealing, scavenging, or storing? Breeding behaviors of unisexual Ambystoma salamanders"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:53Z"}