1
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Ziegelbecker A, Sefc KM. Family resemblance in color-patch size is not affected by stress experience in a cichlid fish. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70009. [PMID: 39035042 PMCID: PMC11260441 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal body coloration is often linked to social dominance and mating success. This is because it can carry information on an animal's body condition and competitive ability by reflecting the genetic quality of individuals or by responding to their current or past living conditions. The present study investigates genetic and environmental effects on a conspicuous color pattern of the cichlid fish Tropheus sp. black "Ikola," in which the size of a carotenoid-based yellow area on the body co-varies with social dominance. To examine environmental plasticity of the color pattern, we tested for effects of early-life stress, induced by reduced feeding of juveniles prior to color pattern formation, as well as effects of a stress treatment administered to fully colored adult fish. None of the stress treatments affected the color pattern as quantified by the width of the yellow bar. However, offspring bar width was correlated to parental values in mid-parent-mid-offspring regression analyses, and animal models estimated significant additive genetic effects on bar width, indicating heritability of the trait. Depending on the random effects structure of the animal models (i.e., whether including or excluding maternal and brood effects), narrow-sense heritability estimates for bar width ranged between 0.2 and 0.8, with the strongest statistical support for the highest estimate. In each of the alternative models, a large proportion of the total variance in bar width was explained by the included random effects, suggesting that bar width is strongly determined by genetic factors or shared maternal and brood environments, with limited scope for environmental influences later in life.
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2
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El-Sabaawi RW, Lemmen KD, Jeyasingh PD, Declerck SAJ. SEED: A framework for integrating ecological stoichiometry and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S109-S126. [PMID: 37840025 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Characterising the extent and sources of intraspecific variation and their ecological consequences is a central challenge in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecological stoichiometry, which uses elemental variation of organisms and their environment to understand ecosystem patterns and processes, can be a powerful framework for characterising eco-evolutionary dynamics. However, the current emphasis on the relative content of elements in the body (i.e. organismal stoichiometry) has constrained its application. Intraspecific variation in the rates at which elements are acquired, assimilated, allocated or lost is often greater than the variation in organismal stoichiometry. There is much to gain from studying these traits together as components of an 'elemental phenotype'. Furthermore, each of these traits can have distinct ecological effects that are underappreciated in the current literature. We propose a conceptual framework that explores how microevolutionary change in the elemental phenotype occurs, how its components interact with each other and with other traits, and how its changes can affect a wide range of ecological processes. We demonstrate how the framework can be used to generate novel hypotheses and outline pathways for future research that enhance our ability to explain, analyse and predict eco-evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana W El-Sabaawi
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kimberley D Lemmen
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Punidan D Jeyasingh
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Steven A J Declerck
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Voirin CJ, Tsunekage T, Liu Y, Alexy KF, Levin II. Brood size is associated with apparent telomere lengthening in nestling barn swallows. Oecologia 2023; 202:29-40. [PMID: 37087699 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05375-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Early life for animals is often a time of rapid growth and development. In a resource-limited environment, life history theory predicts that there must be trade-offs between resource sinks in ways that optimize future survival and reproductive success. Telomeres have emerged as putative indicators of these early life trade-offs, but there are conflicting accounts as to how developmental traits and conditions impact telomere length and dynamics. For 2 years, we studied the nestlings of a breeding population of barn swallows from day 6 to day 12 of life, measuring various ontogenetic factors to understand to what extent they explain variation in telomere length and dynamics. We unexpectedly found that telomeres lengthened between the two sampling points. Nestlings in large broods had shorter telomeres, but surprisingly, individuals that grew faster from day 6 to day 12 had longer telomeres and more telomere lengthening. Nestlings with higher mass relative to their nestmates on d6 had shorter telomeres, suggesting that the relatively fast growth barn swallows experience early in development is more costly than the relatively slower growth later in development. These effects were only found in the first year of study. Telomere lengthening may be due to the initiation of new hematopoietic cell lines during development or the expression of telomerase early in life. Favorable early life conditions and high parental investment could allow for more growth with little to no cost to telomere length or dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshi Tsunekage
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Yujie Liu
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Kate F Alexy
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Iris I Levin
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
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4
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Zhang X, Zhu T, Wang L, Lv X, Yang W, Qu C, Li H, Wang H, Ning Z, Qu L. Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Basis of Duck Plumage Colors. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14040856. [PMID: 37107611 PMCID: PMC10137861 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plumage color is an artificially and naturally selected trait in domestic ducks. Black, white, and spotty are the main feather colors in domestic ducks. Previous studies have shown that black plumage color is caused by MC1R, and white plumage color is caused by MITF. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate genes associated with white, black, and spotty plumage in ducks. Two non-synonymous SNPs in MC1R (c.52G>A and c.376G>A) were significantly related to duck black plumage, and three SNPs in MITF (chr13:15411658A>G, chr13:15412570T>C and chr13:15412592C>G) were associated with white plumage. Additionally, we also identified the epistatic interactions between causing loci. Some ducks with white plumage carry the c.52G>A and c.376G>A in MC1R, which also compensated for black and spotty plumage color phenotypes, suggesting that MC1R and MITF have an epistatic effect. The MITF locus was supposed to be an upstream gene to MC1R underlying the white, black, and spotty colors. Although the specific mechanism remains to be further clarified, these findings support the importance of epistasis in plumage color variation in ducks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Beijing Municipal General Station of Animal Science, Beijing 100107, China
| | - Xueze Lv
- Beijing Municipal General Station of Animal Science, Beijing 100107, China
| | - Weifang Yang
- Beijing Municipal General Station of Animal Science, Beijing 100107, China
| | - Changqing Qu
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-Aging Chinese Herbal Medicine of Anhui Province, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, China
| | - Haiying Li
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumchi 830052, China
| | - Huie Wang
- College of Animal Science, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
| | - Zhonghua Ning
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lujiang Qu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
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5
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Perdigón Ferreira J, Rohner PT, Lüpold S. Strongly sexually dimorphic forelegs are not more condition-dependent than less dimorphic traits in Drosophila prolongata. Evol Ecol 2023; 37:493-508. [PMID: 37152714 PMCID: PMC10156779 DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10226-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
AbstractDirectional sexual selection drives the evolution of traits that are most closely linked to reproductive success, giving rise to trait exaggeration and sexual dimorphism. Exaggerated structures are often costly and, therefore, thought to be expressed in a condition-dependent manner. Sexual selection theory thus predicts a direct link between directional sexual selection, sexual dimorphism, and sex-specific condition dependence. However, only a handful of studies investigate the relationship between sexual dimorphism and condition dependence. Using 21 genetic lines of Drosophila prolongata, we here compared the degree of sexual dimorphism and sex-specific condition dependence, measured as allometric slopes, in sexually selected and non-sexual traits. Our data revealed male-biased sexual dimorphism in all traits examined, most prominently in the sexually selected forelegs. However, there was no relationship between the degree of sex-specific condition dependence and sexual dimorphism across traits and genetic lines. Our results contradict theoretical predictions and highlight the importance of understanding the role of exaggerated traits in the context of both sexual and natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhoniel Perdigón Ferreira
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick T. Rohner
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, 102 Myers Hall, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
| | - Stefan Lüpold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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6
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Raynal RS, Schwanz LE, Riley JL, Umbers KDL. Genetic and environmental drivers of colour and pattern in the Australian jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus). J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1229-1239. [PMID: 35861703 PMCID: PMC9544122 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The underlying drivers of variation in the colouration (colour and pattern) of animals can be genetic, non‐genetic, or more likely, a combination of both. Understanding the role of heritable genetic elements, as well as non‐genetic factors such as age, habitat or temperature, in shaping colouration can provide insight into the evolution and function of these traits, as well as the speed of response to changing environments. This project examined the genetic and non‐genetic drivers of continuous variation in colouration in a lizard, the jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus). We leveraged a large captive experiment that manipulated parental and offspring thermal environment to simultaneously estimate the genetic and non‐genetic drivers of variation in colouration. We found that the overall brightness, the elongation of the longitudinal stripes on the dorsum and the contrast between light and dark patches of the pattern were all heritable. Colouration varied according to the age of the hatchling; however, the thermal environment of neither the parents nor offspring contributed significantly to colouration. It appears that developmental plasticity and maternal effects associated with temperature are not important drivers of variation in our measures of colouration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Raynal
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa E Schwanz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julia L Riley
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Kate D L Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Ma S, Liu H, Wang J, Wang L, Xi Y, Liu Y, Xu Q, Hu J, Han C, Bai L, Li L, Wang J. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated With Sexual Dichromatism of Head Feather Color in Mallard. Front Genet 2021; 12:627974. [PMID: 34956302 PMCID: PMC8692775 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.627974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism of feather color is typical in mallards, in which drakes exhibit green head feathers, while females show dull head feather color. We showed that more melanosomes deposited in the males' head's feather barbules than females and further form a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, which conferred the green feather coloration of drakes. Additionally, transcriptome analysis revealed that some essential melanin biosynthesis genes were highly expressed in feather follicles during the development of green feathers, contributing to melanin deposition. We further identified 18 candidate differentially expressed genes, which may affect the sharp color differences between the males' head feathers, back feathers, and the females' head feathers. TYR and TYRP1 genes are associated with melanin biosynthesis directly. Their expressions in the males' head feather follicles were significantly higher than those in the back feather follicles and females' head feather follicles. Most clearly, the expression of TYRP1 was 256 and 32 times higher in the head follicles of males than in those of the female head and the male back, respectively. Hence, TYR and TYRP1 are probably the most critical candidate genes in DEGs. They may affect the sexual dimorphism of head feather color by cis-regulation of some transcription factors and the Z-chromosome dosage effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hehe Liu
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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8
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Davoodi P, Ehsani A, Vaez Torshizi R, Masoudi AA. New insights into genetics underlying of plumage color. Anim Genet 2021; 53:80-93. [PMID: 34855995 DOI: 10.1111/age.13156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Plumage color can be considered as a social signal in chickens and a breeding identification tool among breeders. The relationship between plumage color and trait groups of immunity, growth and fertility is still a controversial issue. This research aimed to determine the genome-wide additive and epistatic variants affecting plumage color variation in chickens using the chicken Illumina 60k high-density SNP array. Two scenarios of genome-wide additive association studies using all SNPs and independent SNPs were carried out. To perform epistatic association analysis, the LD pruning approach was used to reduce the complexity of the analysis. We detected seven novel significant loci using all of the SNPs in the model and 14 SNPs using the LD pruning approach associated with plumage color. Moreover, 89 significantly associated SNP-SNP interactions (P-value <10-6 ) distributed in 25 chromosomes were identified, indicating that all of the signals together putatively influence the quantitative variation of plumage color. By annotating genes relevant to top SNPs, we have distinguished 18 potential candidate genes comprising HNF4beta, CKMT1B, TBC1D22A, RPL8, CACNA2D1, FZD4, SGMS1, IRF8, OPTN, LOC420362, TRABD, OvoDA1, DAD1, USP6, RBM12B, MIR1772, MIR1709 and MIR6696 and also 89 putative gene-gene combinations responsible for plumage color variation in chickens. Furthermore, several KEGG pathways including metabolic pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, focal adhesion, melanogenesis, glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis-keratan sulfate and sphingolipid metabolism were enriched in the gene-set analysis. The results indicated that plumage color is a highly polygenic trait which, in turn, can be affected by multiple coding genes, regulatory genes and gene-gene epistasis interactions. In addition to genes with additive effects, epistatic genes with tiny individual effect sizes but significant effects in a pair have the potential to control plumage coloration in chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Davoodi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-336, Tehran, Iran
| | - A Ehsani
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-336, Tehran, Iran
| | - R Vaez Torshizi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-336, Tehran, Iran
| | - A A Masoudi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-336, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Krausová S, Munclinger P, Safran RJ. Different underlying mechanisms drive associations between multiple parasites and the same sexual signal. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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10
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Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Albrecht T, Vortman Y, Munclinger P, Krausová S, Tomášek O, Safran RJ. Divergent sexual signals reflect costs of local parasites. Evolution 2020; 74:2404-2418. [PMID: 32385910 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Many closely related populations are distinguished by variation in sexual signals and this variation is hypothesized to play an important role in reproductive isolation and speciation. Within populations, there is considerable evidence that sexual signals provide information about the incidence and severity of parasite infections, but it remains unclear if variation in parasite communities across space could play a role in initiating or maintaining sexual trait divergence. To test for variation in parasite-associated selection, we compared three barn swallow subspecies with divergent sexual signals. We found that parasite community structure and host tolerance to ecologically similar parasites varied between subspecies. Across subspecies we also found that different parasites were costly in terms of male survival and reproductive success. For each subspecies, the preferred sexual signal(s) were associated with the most costly local parasite(s), indicating that divergent signals are providing relevant information to females about local parasite communities. Across subspecies, the same traits were often associated with different parasites, indicating that parasite-sexual signal links are quite flexible and may evolve relatively quickly. This study provides evidence for (1) variation in parasite communities and (2) different parasite-sexual signal links among three closely related subspecies with divergent sexual signal traits, suggesting that parasites may play an important role in initiating and/or maintaining the divergence of sexual signals among these closely related, yet geographically isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108
| | - Joanna K Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, 63501
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, Israel
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Krausová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Tomášek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
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11
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Lindsay WR, Andersson S, Bererhi B, Höglund J, Johnsen A, Kvarnemo C, Leder EH, Lifjeld JT, Ninnes CE, Olsson M, Parker GA, Pizzari T, Qvarnström A, Safran RJ, Svensson O, Edwards SV. Endless forms of sexual selection. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7988. [PMID: 31720113 PMCID: PMC6839514 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the field of sexual selection has exploded, with advances in theoretical and empirical research complementing each other in exciting ways. This perspective piece is the product of a "stock-taking" workshop on sexual selection and sexual conflict. Our aim is to identify and deliberate on outstanding questions and to stimulate discussion rather than provide a comprehensive overview of the entire field. These questions are organized into four thematic sections we deem essential to the field. First we focus on the evolution of mate choice and mating systems. Variation in mate quality can generate both competition and choice in the opposite sex, with implications for the evolution of mating systems. Limitations on mate choice may dictate the importance of direct vs. indirect benefits in mating decisions and consequently, mating systems, especially with regard to polyandry. Second, we focus on how sender and receiver mechanisms shape signal design. Mediation of honest signal content likely depends on integration of temporally variable social and physiological costs that are challenging to measure. We view the neuroethology of sensory and cognitive receiver biases as the main key to signal form and the 'aesthetic sense' proposed by Darwin. Since a receiver bias is sufficient to both initiate and drive ornament or armament exaggeration, without a genetically correlated or even coevolving receiver, this may be the appropriate 'null model' of sexual selection. Thirdly, we focus on the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits. Despite advances in modern molecular techniques, the number and identity of genes underlying performance, display and secondary sexual traits remains largely unknown. In-depth investigations into the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in the context of long-term field studies will reveal constraints and trajectories of sexually selected trait evolution. Finally, we focus on sexual selection and conflict as drivers of speciation. Population divergence and speciation are often influenced by an interplay between sexual and natural selection. The extent to which sexual selection promotes or counteracts population divergence may vary depending on the genetic architecture of traits as well as the covariance between mating competition and local adaptation. Additionally, post-copulatory processes, such as selection against heterospecific sperm, may influence the importance of sexual selection in speciation. We propose that efforts to resolve these four themes can catalyze conceptual progress in the field of sexual selection, and we offer potential avenues of research to advance this progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R. Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Badreddine Bererhi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Arild Johnsen
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Erica H. Leder
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan T. Lifjeld
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Calum E. Ninnes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Geoff A. Parker
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Ola Svensson
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Gothenburg Centre for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
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12
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Michálková R, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Kreisinger J, Albrecht T. Extra-pair paternity patterns in European barn swallows Hirundo rustica are best explained by male and female age rather than male ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2725-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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13
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Overlooked Costs of Coloniality: Mislaid Eggs and the Double Incubation of Separate Nests. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-182.1.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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14
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Dupont SM, Grace JK, Brischoux F, Angelier F. Post-natal corticosterone exposure affects ornaments in adult male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 276:45-51. [PMID: 30831120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the ontogeny of several crucial organismal systems is known to occur early in life. Developmental conditions can ultimately have important consequences on adult fitness by affecting individual phenotype. These developmental effects are thought to be primarily mediated by endocrine systems, and especially by glucocorticoids. In this study, we tested how post-natal exposure to corticosterone (the primary avian glucocorticoid) may subsequently affect the expression of ornaments in adult male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Specifically, we investigated the long-term consequences of this manipulation on the size and color of several visual signals: badge, wing bar, tarsus and beak. Post-natal corticosterone exposure had a strong negative impact on the size, but not the color, of some male ornaments (badge and wing bar surface area). Because wing bar and badge surface area are used as sexual and/or hierarchical signals in house sparrow, we showed that early life stress can affect some aspect of attractiveness and social status in this species with potentially important fitness consequences (e.g. sexual selection and reproductive performance). Future studies need now to explore the costs and benefits of this developmental plasticity for individuals (i.e. fitness).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Dupont
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Jacquelyn K Grace
- Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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15
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Experimental manipulation of a signal trait reveals complex phenotype-behaviour coordination. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15533. [PMID: 30341385 PMCID: PMC6195576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33948-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals use morphological signals such as ornamental traits or weaponry to mediate social interactions, and the extent of signal trait elaboration is often positively associated with reproductive success. By demonstrating relationships between signal traits and fitness, researchers often make inferences about how behaviour operates to shape those outcomes. However, detailed information about fine-scale individual behaviour, and its physiological basis, can be difficult to obtain. Here we show that experimental manipulations to exaggerate a signal trait (plumage colour) and concomitant changes in testosterone and stress-induced corticosterone levels altered social interactivity between manipulated males and their social mates. On average, darkened males did not have higher levels of interactivity than unmanipulated males; however, males who experienced a greater shift in colour (pale to dark), a larger, positive change in testosterone levels, and a dampened stress-induced corticosterone response had a larger increase in the number of interactions with their social mate post-manipulation compared to pre-manipulation. This work provides new insights into the integration and real-time flexibility of multivariate phenotypes and direct evidence for the role of social interactions in pair bond maintenance.
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16
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Fargallo JA, Martínez F, Wakamatsu K, Serrano D, Blanco G. Sex-Dependent Expression and Fitness Consequences of Sunlight-Derived Color Phenotypes. Am Nat 2018; 191:726-743. [DOI: 10.1086/697218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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17
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Arai E, Hasegawa M, Ito S, Wakamatsu K. Sex allocation based on maternal body size in Japanese barn swallows. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1336118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
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18
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Romano A, Saino N, Møller AP. Viability and expression of sexual ornaments in the barn swallowHirundo rustica: a meta-analysis. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1929-1935. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - N. Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - A. P. Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS; Université Paris-Sud; AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; Orsay France
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19
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Cox RM, Costello RA, Camber BE, McGlothlin JW. Multivariate genetic architecture of the Anolis dewlap reveals both shared and sex-specific features of a sexually dimorphic ornament. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1262-1275. [PMID: 28370951 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Darwin viewed the ornamentation of females as an indirect consequence of sexual selection on males and the transmission of male phenotypes to females via the 'laws of inheritance'. Although a number of studies have supported this view by demonstrating substantial between-sex genetic covariance for ornament expression, the majority of this work has focused on avian plumage. Moreover, few studies have considered the genetic basis of ornaments from a multivariate perspective, which may be crucial for understanding the evolution of sex differences in general, and of complex ornaments in particular. Here, we provide a multivariate, quantitative-genetic analysis of a sexually dimorphic ornament that has figured prominently in studies of sexual selection: the brightly coloured dewlap of Anolis lizards. Using data from a paternal half-sibling breeding experiment in brown anoles (Anolis sagrei), we show that multiple aspects of dewlap size and colour exhibit significant heritability and a genetic variance-covariance structure (G) that is broadly similar in males (Gm ) and females (Gf ). Whereas sexually monomorphic aspects of the dewlap, such as hue, exhibit significant between-sex genetic correlations (rmf ), sexually dimorphic features, such as area and brightness, exhibit reduced rmf values that do not differ from zero. Using a modified random skewers analysis, we show that the between-sex genetic variance-covariance matrix (B) should not strongly constrain the independent responses of males and females to sexually antagonistic selection. Our microevolutionary analysis is in broad agreement with macroevolutionary perspectives indicating considerable scope for the independent evolution of coloration and ornamentation in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - R A Costello
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - B E Camber
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - J W McGlothlin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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20
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21
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Arai E, Hasegawa M, Makino T, Hagino A, Sakai Y, Ohtsuki H, Wakamatsu K, Kawata M. Physiological conditions and genetic controls of phaeomelanin pigmentation in nestling barn swallows. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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22
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Corti M, Bazzi G, Costanzo A, Podofillini S, Saino N, Rubolini D, Romano A. Behavioural stress response and melanin-based plumage colouration in barn swallow nestlings. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Consistent and correlated inter-individual differences in behaviours, the so-called ‘personalities’, have been identified in many vertebrates. The ability to respond to stressful events is part of personalities and can have important fitness consequences, as it determines how individuals cope with environmental challenges. As a consequence of pleiotropic effects of genes involved in several functions, inter-individual differences in behavioural responses can be associated with phenotypic traits, like melanin-based plumage colouration in birds. We examined the association between three proxies of the behavioural stress response and breast plumage colouration in barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings. We found that nestling behavioural responses were consistent within individuals and similar among siblings, thus suggesting that these behaviours may contribute to define individual ‘personalities’. However, nestling behavioural stress response was not significantly predicted by variation in breast plumage colouration, indicating that in juveniles of this species melanin-based colouration does not convey to conspecifics reliable information on individual ability to cope with stressful events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Corti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Podofillini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
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23
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Costanzo A, Panseri S, Giorgi A, Romano A, Caprioli M, Saino N. The Odour of Sex: Sex-Related Differences in Volatile Compound Composition among Barn Swallow Eggs Carrying Embryos of Either Sex. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165055. [PMID: 27851741 PMCID: PMC5112806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian communication has been traditionally believed to be mainly mediated by visual and auditory channels. However, an increasing number of studies are disclosing the role of olfaction in the interaction of birds with their social environment and with other species, as well as in other behaviors such as nest recognition, food location and navigation. Olfaction has also been suggested to play a role in parent-offspring communication not only in the post- but also in the pre-hatching period. Volatile compounds produced during embryogenesis and passively released through the eggshell pores may indeed represent the only cue at parents' disposal to assess offspring quality, including the sex composition of their clutch before hatching. In turn, sex identification before hatching may mediate adaptive strategies of allocation to either sex. In the present study, we analyzed odour composition of barn swallow eggs incubated in their nest in order to identify any sex-related differences in volatile compounds emitted. For the first time in any bird species, we also investigated whether odour composition is associated with relatedness. The evidence of differences in odour composition among eggs containing embryos of either sex indicates that parents have a cue to identify their brood sex composition even before hatching which can be used to modulate their behavior accordingly. Moreover, odour similarity within nests may represent the prerequisite for kin recognition in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Panseri
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Giorgi
- Centre for Applied Studies in the Sustainable Management and Protection of the Mountain Environment, Ge.S.Di.Mont., University of Milan, Edolo, Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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24
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Romano A, Costanzo A, Rubolini D, Saino N, Møller AP. Geographical and seasonal variation in the intensity of sexual selection in the barn swallowHirundo rustica: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1582-1600. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; F-91400 Orsay France
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25
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Colour ornamentation in the blue tit: quantitative genetic (co)variances across sexes. Heredity (Edinb) 2016; 118:125-134. [PMID: 27577691 PMCID: PMC5234477 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although secondary sexual traits are commonly more developed in males than females, in many animal species females also display elaborate ornaments or weaponry. Indirect selection on correlated traits in males and/or direct sexual or social selection in females are hypothesized to drive the evolution and maintenance of female ornaments. Yet, the relative roles of these evolutionary processes remain unidentified, because little is known about the genetic correlation that might exist between the ornaments of both sexes, and few estimates of sex-specific autosomal or sex-linked genetic variances are available. In this study, we used two wild blue tit populations with 9 years of measurements on two colour ornaments: one structurally based (blue crown) and one carotenoid based (yellow chest). We found significant autosomal heritability for the chromatic part of the structurally based colouration in both sexes, whereas carotenoid chroma was heritable only in males, and the achromatic part of both colour patches was mostly non heritable. Power limitations, which are probably common among most data sets collected so far in wild populations, prevented estimation of sex-linked genetic variance. Bivariate analyses revealed very strong cross-sex genetic correlations in all heritable traits, although the strength of these correlations was not related to the level of sexual dimorphism. In total, our results suggest that males and females share a majority of their genetic variation underlying colour ornamentation, and hence the evolution of these sex-specific traits may depend greatly on correlated responses to selection in the opposite sex.
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26
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Safran RJ, Scordato ESC, Wilkins MR, Hubbard JK, Jenkins BR, Albrecht T, Flaxman SM, Karaardıç H, Vortman Y, Lotem A, Nosil P, Pap P, Shen S, Chan S, Parchman T, Kane NC. Genome‐wide differentiation in closely related populations: the roles of selection and geographic isolation. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3865-83. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - E. S. C. Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - M. R. Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - J. K. Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - B. R. Jenkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - T. Albrecht
- Department of Zoology Charles University in Prague and Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague Czech Republic
| | - S. M. Flaxman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - H. Karaardıç
- Elementary Science Education Department Education Faculty Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Turkey
| | - Y. Vortman
- Department of Zoology Tel‐Aviv University Tel‐Aviv Israel
- Hula Research Center Department of Animal Sciences Tel‐Hai College Israel
| | - A. Lotem
- Department of Zoology Tel‐Aviv University Tel‐Aviv Israel
| | - P. Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - P. Pap
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology Babeş‐Bolyai University Cluj‐Napoca Romania
| | - S. Shen
- Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - S.‐F. Chan
- Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - T.L. Parchman
- Department of Biology University of Nevada Reno NV USA
| | - N. C. Kane
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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27
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Vitousek MN, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Wilkins MR, Safran RJ. Signal Traits and Oxidative Stress: A Comparative Study across Populations with Divergent Signals. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Romano A, Costanzo A, Caprioli M, Parolini M, Ambrosini R, Rubolini D, Saino N. Better-surviving barn swallow mothers produce more and better-surviving sons. Evolution 2016; 70:1120-8. [PMID: 26990898 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sex allocation theory predicts that parents are selected to bias their progeny sex ratio (SR) toward the sex that will benefit the most from parental quality. Because parental quality may differentially affect survival of sons and daughters, a pivotal test of the adaptive value of SR adjustment is whether parents overproduce offspring of the sex that accrues larger fitness advantages from high parental quality. However, this crucial test of the long-term fitness consequences of sex allocation decisions has seldom been performed. In this study of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), we showed a positive correlation between the proportion of sons and maternal annual survival. We then experimentally demonstrated that this association did not depend on the differential costs of rearing offspring of either sex. Finally, we showed that maternal lifespan positively predicted lifespan of sons but not of daughters. Because in barn swallows lifespan is a strong determinant of lifetime reproductive success, the results suggest that mothers overproduce offspring of the sex that benefits the most from maternal quality. Hence, irrespective of mechanisms causing the SR bias and mother-son covariation in lifespan, we provide strong evidence that sex allocation decisions of mothers can highly impact on their lifetime fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Romano
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133, Milan, Italy.
| | | | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, I-20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133, Milan, Italy.
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