The evolution of asymmetric genitalia in spiders and insects

@article{Huber2007TheEO,
  title={The evolution of asymmetric genitalia in spiders and insects},
  author={Bernhard A. Huber and Bradley J. Sinclair and M Schmitt},
  journal={Biological Reviews},
  year={2007},
  volume={82}
}
Asymmetries are a pervading phenomenon in otherwise bilaterally symmetric organisms and recent studies have highlighted their potential impact on our understanding of fundamental evolutionary processes like the evolution of development and the selection for morphological novelties caused by behavioural changes. One character system that is particularly promising in this respect is animal genitalia because (1) asymmetries in genitalia have evolved many times convergently, and (2) the taxonomic… 
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The evolution of asymmetric genitalia in Coleoptera
TLDR
An informal assessment of genital asymmetry across the Coleoptera and the phylogeny of the leiodid tribe Cholevini is reconstructed, revealing that endophallus sclerites, endophalls, median lobe and parameres are, in a nested fashion, increasingly unlikely to have evolved asymmetry.
Evolutionary patterns of asymmetric genitalia in the beetle tribe Cyclocephalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)
TLDR
The phylogenetic and evolutionary patterns of asymmetric male genitalia in Cyclocephalini are investigated, using a Procrustes distance based method for quantifying asymmetry and it is found that asymmetries have evolved repeatedly within this small taxon.
Mating positions and the evolution of asymmetric insect genitalia
  • B. Huber
  • Biology, Psychology
    Genetica
  • 2008
TLDR
The basic assumptions and evolutionary steps implied in this model are summarized and the evidence for each of them are reviewed and reviewed.
Asymmetry of the male internal reproductive organs in Mantophasmatodea
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It is confirmed that male heelwalkers exhibit asymmetries in the external genitalia and associated structures, represented by asymmetric phallic lobes and cerci and an extreme asymmetry within the internal male genitalia is found.
Something gone awry: unsolved mysteries in the evolution of asymmetric animal genitalia
TLDR
The current knowledge on the taxonomic distribution, phylogenetic patterns, genetics, development, and ecology of asymmetric (chiral) genitalia is reviewed and a research program that makes use of the simple, binary nature of left-right asymmetry to test hypotheses for its evolution is advocated.
Structural constraints of secondary asymmetry in male external genitalia of Noctuidae
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It is considered that the originally symmetric “bauplan” with its homologies can be considered as a phyletic “heritage”, while the functional dissymmetrisation driven by selective optimization is the “habitus” in which numerous homoplasies can occur.
Sexual Selection Within the Female Genitalia in Lepidoptera
TLDR
This chapter explores the selective pressures responsible for the evolution of genital morphology in the Lepidoptera, emphasizing the possible role of post-copulatory intersexual selection (PCIS) mechanisms (cryptic female choice and sexual conflict).
Selection for imperfection: A review of asymmetric genitalia in araneomorph spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae)
TLDR
It is suggested that spider genital asymmetries, although rare, are more common than previously thought and taxonomic descriptions and illustrations are a useful but not entirely reliable tool for studying them.
Imperfect and askew: A review of asymmetric genitalia in araneomorph spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae)
TLDR
It is suggested that spider genital asymmetries, although rare, are more common than previously thought and taxonomic descriptions and illustrations are a useful but not entirely reliable tool for studying them.
Convergent evolution of sex-specific leg ornaments in Drosophilidae – from cells to structures
TLDR
It is shown that the sex brush has evolved independently at least three times from sexually monomorphic ancestral morphology, and all sex brushes have very similar fine structure and develop through indistinguishable cellular processes, providing a striking example of developmental convergence.
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