IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v1y2010i1d10.1038_ncomms1079.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Superconception in mammalian pregnancy can be detected and increases reproductive output per breeding season

Author

Listed:
  • Kathleen Roellig

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

  • Frank Goeritz

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

  • Joerns Fickel

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

  • Robert Hermes

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

  • Heribert Hofer

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

  • Thomas B. Hildebrandt

    (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research)

Abstract

The concept of superfetation, a second conception during pregnancy, has been controversial for a long time. In this paper we use an experimental approach to demonstrate that female European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) frequently develop a second pregnancy while already pregnant and thereby increase their reproductive success. After a new, successful copulation, we confirmed additional ovulations before parturition in living, late-pregnant females by detecting a second set of fresh corpora lutea using high-resolution ultrasonography. The presence of early embryonic stages in the oviduct, demonstrated by oviduct flushing, next to fully developed fetuses in the uterus is best explained by passage of semen through the late-pregnant uterus; this was confirmed by paternity analysis using microsatellite profiling. Subsequent implantation occurred after parturition. This superfetation, categorized as superconception, significantly increased litter size and permitted females to produce up to 35.4% more offspring per breeding season. It is therefore most likely an evolutionary adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen Roellig & Frank Goeritz & Joerns Fickel & Robert Hermes & Heribert Hofer & Thomas B. Hildebrandt, 2010. "Superconception in mammalian pregnancy can be detected and increases reproductive output per breeding season," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 1(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:1:y:2010:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1079
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1079
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1079
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms1079?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:1:y:2010:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1079. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.