Natural variation in male frequency fails to predict inbreeding responses in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

In androdioecious species like Caenorhabditis elegans, where the primary mode of reproduction is self-fertilization, the evolutionary role of males has long puzzled biologists. One proposed benefit of males is the potential to escape inbreeding depression. We tested this by enforcing seven generations of inbreeding across nine C. elegans strains differing in baseline male frequency and measuring competitive relative fitness before and after inbreeding. We then relaxed inbreeding for four generations to assess recovery. We predicted that strains with higher male frequency, and greater opportunity for outcrossing, would exhibit faster recovery once inbreeding was relaxed. Strains varied substantially in their responses with most showing significant fitness declines and partial recovery but neither the magnitude of inbreeding depression nor the extent of recovery correlated with male frequency. These results show that male frequency is a poor predictor of inbreeding responses and does not reliably reflect realized outcrossing or its fitness consequences.