Adaptive radiation along a deeply conserved genetic line of least resistance in Anolis lizards

The paradox of predictability provides a bridge between micro- and macroevolution

The relationship between the evolutionary dynamics observed in contemporary populations (microevolution) and evolution on timescales of millions of years (macroevolution) has been a topic of considerable debate. Historically, this debate centers on inconsistencies between microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns. Here, we characterize a striking exception: emerging evidence indicates that standing variation in contemporary populations and macroevolutionary rates of phenotypic divergence is often positively correlated. This apparent consistency between micro- and macroevolution is paradoxical because it contradicts our previous understanding of phenotypic evolution and is so far unexplained. Here, we explore the prospects for bridging evolutionary timescales through an examination of this "paradox of predictability." We begin by explaining why the divergence-variance correlation is a paradox, followed by data analysis to show that the correlation is a general phenomenon across a broad range of temporal scales, from a few generations to tens of millions of years. Then we review complementary approaches from quantitative genetics, comparative morphology, evo-devo, and paleontology to argue that they can help to address the paradox from the shared vantage point of recent work on evolvability. In conclusion, we recommend a methodological orientation that combines different kinds of short-term and long-term data using multiple analytical frameworks in an interdisciplinary research program. Such a program will increase our general understanding of how evolution works within and across timescales.

Distribution theories for genetic line of least resistance and evolvability measures

Quantitative genetic theory on multivariate character evolution predicts that a population's response to directional selection is biased towards the major axis of the genetic covariance matrix G-the so-called genetic line of least resistance. Inferences on the genetic constraints in this sense have traditionally been made by measuring the angle of deviation of evolutionary trajectories from the major axis or, more recently, by calculating the amount of genetic variance-the Hansen-Houle evolvability-available along the trajectories. However, there have not been clear practical guidelines on how these quantities can be interpreted, especially in a high-dimensional space. This study summarizes pertinent distribution theories for relevant quantities, pointing out that they can be written as ratios of quadratic forms in evolutionary trajectory vectors by taking G as a parameter. For example, a beta distribution with appropriate parameters can be used as a null distribution for the squared cosine of the angle of deviation from a major axis or subspace. More general cases can be handled with the probability distribution of ratios of quadratic forms in normal variables. Apart from its use in hypothesis testing, this latter approach could potentially be used as a heuristic tool for looking into various selection scenarios, like directional and/or correlated selection, as parameterized with the mean and covariance of selection gradients.

Evolution in fossil time series reconciles observations in micro- and macroevolution

Extrapolating microevolutionary models does not always provide satisfactory explanations for phenotypic diversification on million-year time scales. For example, short-term evolutionary change is often modelled assuming a fixed adaptive landscape, but macroevolutionary changes are likely to involve changes in the adaptive landscape itself. A better understanding of how the adaptive landscape changes across different time intervals and how these changes cause populations to evolve has the potential to narrow the gap between micro- and macroevolution. Here, we analyze two fossil diatom time series of exceptional quality and resolution covering time intervals of a few hundred thousand years using models that account for different behaviours of the adaptive landscape. We find that one of the lineages evolves on a randomly and continuously changing landscape, whereas the other lineage evolves on a landscape that shows a rapid shift in the position of the adaptive peak of a magnitude that is typically associated with species-level differentiation. This suggests phenotypic evolution beyond generational timescales may be a consequence of both gradual and sudden repositioning of adaptive peaks. Both lineages show rapid and erratic evolutionary change and are constantly readapting towards the optimal trait state, observations that align with evolutionary dynamics commonly observed in contemporary populations. The inferred trait evolution over a span of a few hundred thousand years in these two lineages is, therefore, chimeric in the sense that it combines components of trait evolution typically observed on both short and long timescales.

Adaptive Radiation Without Independent Stages of Trait Evolution in a Group of Caribbean Anoles

Adaptive radiation involves diversification along multiple trait axes, producing phenotypically diverse, species-rich lineages. Theory generally predicts that multi-trait evolution occurs via a "stages" model, with some traits saturating early in a lineage's history, and others diversifying later. Despite its multidimensional nature, however, we know surprisingly little about how different suites of traits evolve during adaptive radiation. Here, we investigated the rate, pattern, and timing of morphological and physiological evolution in the anole lizard adaptive radiation from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Rates and patterns of morphological and physiological diversity are largely unaligned, corresponding to independent selective pressures associated with structural and thermal niches. Cold tolerance evolution reflects parapatric divergence across elevation, rather than niche partitioning within communities. Heat tolerance evolution and the preferred temperature evolve more slowly than cold tolerance, reflecting behavioral buffering, particularly in edge-habitat species (a pattern associated with the Bogert effect). In contrast to the nearby island of Puerto Rico, closely related anoles on Hispaniola do not sympatrically partition thermal niche space. Instead, allopatric and parapatric separation across biogeographic and environmental boundaries serves to keep morphologically similar close relatives apart. The phenotypic diversity of this island's adaptive radiation accumulated largely as a by-product of time, with surprisingly few exceptional pulses of trait evolution. A better understanding of the processes that guide multidimensional trait evolution (and nuance therein) will prove key in determining whether the stages model should be considered a common theme of adaptive radiation.

Developmental bias as a cause and consequence of adaptive radiation and divergence

Efforts to reconcile development and evolution have demonstrated that development is biased, with phenotypic variation being more readily produced in certain directions. However, how this "developmental bias" can influence micro- and macroevolution is poorly understood. In this review, we demonstrate that defining features of adaptive radiations suggest a role for developmental bias in driving adaptive divergence. These features are i) common ancestry of developmental systems; ii) rapid evolution along evolutionary "lines of least resistance;" iii) the subsequent repeated and parallel evolution of ecotypes; and iv) evolutionary change "led" by biased phenotypic plasticity upon exposure to novel environments. Drawing on empirical and theoretical data, we highlight the reciprocal relationship between development and selection as a key driver of evolutionary change, with development biasing what variation is exposed to selection, and selection acting to mold these biases to align with the adaptive landscape. Our central thesis is that developmental biases are both the causes and consequences of adaptive radiation and divergence. We argue throughout that incorporating development and developmental bias into our thinking can help to explain the exaggerated rate and scale of evolutionary processes that characterize adaptive radiations, and that this can be best achieved by using an eco-evo-devo framework incorporating evolutionary biology, development, and ecology. Such a research program would demonstrate that development is not merely a force that imposes constraints on evolution, but rather directs and is directed by evolutionary forces. We round out this review by highlighting key gaps in our understanding and suggest further research programs that can help to resolve these issues.

Include the females: morphology-performance relationships vary between sexes in lizards

An animal's morphology influences its ability to perform essential tasks, such as locomoting to obtain prey or escape predators. While morphology-performance relationships are well-studied in lizards, most conclusions have been based only on male study subjects, leaving unanswered questions about females. Sex-specific differences are important to understand because females carry the bulk of the physiological demands of reproduction. Consequently, their health and survival can determine the fate of the population as a whole. To address this knowledge gap, we sampled introduced populations of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) in Ohio, USA. We measured a complete suite of limb and body dimensions of both males and females, and we measured sprint speeds while following straight and curved paths on different substrates. Using a multivariate statistical approach, we identified that body dimensions relative to snout-to-vent length in males were much larger compared with females and that body dimensions of P. muralis have changed over time in both sexes. We found that sprint speed along curved paths increased with relative limb size in both males and females. When following straight paths, male speed similarly increased as body dimensions increased; conversely, female speed decreased as body dimensions increased. Female sprint speed was also found to have less variation than that of males and was less affected by changes in body size and hindfoot length compared with males. This study thus provides insights into how selective pressures might shape males and females differently and the functional implications of sexual dimorphism.

Predictable and Divergent Change in the Multivariate Matrix during Parallel Adaptation

AbstractAdaptation to replicated environmental conditions can be remarkably predictable, suggesting that parallel evolution may be a common feature of adaptive radiation. An open question, however, is how phenotypic variation itself evolves during repeated adaptation. Here, we use a dataset of morphological measurements from 35 populations of threespine stickleback, consisting of 16 parapatric lake-stream pairs and three marine populations, to understand how phenotypic variation has evolved during transitions from marine to freshwater environments and during subsequent diversification across the lake-stream boundary. We find statistical support for divergent phenotypic covariance (P) across populations, with most diversification of P occurring among freshwater populations. Despite a close correspondence between within-population phenotypic variation and among-population divergence, we find that variation in P is unrelated to total variation in population means across the set of populations. For lake-stream pairs, we find that theoretical predictions for microevolutionary change can explain more than 30% of divergence in P matrices across the habitat boundary. Together, our results indicate that divergence in variance structure occurs primarily in dimensions of trait space with low phenotypic integration, correlated with disparate lake and stream environments. Our findings illustrate how conserved and divergent features of multivariate variation can underlie adaptive radiation.

Evolvability predicts macroevolution under fluctuating selection

Heritable variation is a prerequisite for evolutionary change, but the relevance of genetic constraints on macroevolutionary timescales is debated. By using two datasets on fossil and contemporary taxa, we show that evolutionary divergence among populations, and to a lesser extent among species, increases with microevolutionary evolvability. We evaluate and reject several hypotheses to explain this relationship and propose that an effect of evolvability on population and species divergence can be explained by the influence of genetic constraints on the ability of populations to track rapid, stationary environmental fluctuations.

The predictive power of genetic variation

New analyses show that trait variability links evolution across vastly different timescales.

The Role of (Co)variation in Shaping the Response to Selection in New World Leaf-Nosed Bats

AbstractUnderstanding and predicting the evolutionary responses of complex morphological traits to selection remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Because traits are genetically correlated, selection on a particular trait produces both direct effects on the distribution of that trait and indirect effects on other traits in the population. The correlations between traits can strongly impact evolutionary responses to selection and may thus impose constraints on adaptation. Here, we used museum specimens and comparative quantitative genetic approaches to investigate whether the covariation among cranial traits facilitated or constrained the response to selection during the major dietary transitions in one of the world's most ecologically diverse mammalian families-the phyllostomid bats. We reconstructed the set of net selection gradients that would have acted on each cranial trait during the major transitions to feeding specializations and decomposed the selection responses into their direct and indirect components. We found that for all transitions, most traits capturing craniofacial length evolved toward adaptive directions owing to direct selection. Additionally, we showed instances of dietary transitions in which the complex interaction between the patterns of covariation among traits and the strength and direction of selection either constrained or facilitated evolution. Our work highlights the importance of considering the within-species covariation estimates to quantify evolvability and to disentangle the relative contribution of variational constraints versus selective causes for observed patterns.

Innovation and elaboration on the avian tree of life

Widely documented, megaevolutionary jumps in phenotypic diversity continue to perplex researchers because it remains unclear whether these marked changes can emerge from microevolutionary processes. Here, we tackle this question using new approaches for modeling multivariate traits to evaluate the magnitude and distribution of elaboration and innovation in the evolution of bird beaks. We find that elaboration, evolution along the major axis of phenotypic change, is common at both macro- and megaevolutionary scales, whereas innovation, evolution away from the major axis of phenotypic change, is more prominent at megaevolutionary scales. The major axis of phenotypic change among species beak shapes at megaevolutionary scales is an emergent property of innovation across clades. Our analyses suggest that the reorientation of phenotypes via innovation is a ubiquitous route for divergence that can arise through gradual change alone, opening up further avenues for evolution to explore.

Rules of teeth development align microevolution with macroevolution in extant and extinct primates

Macroevolutionary biologists have classically rejected the notion that higher-level patterns of divergence arise through microevolutionary processes acting within populations. For morphology, this consensus partly derives from the inability of quantitative genetics models to correctly predict the behaviour of evolutionary processes at the scale of millions of years. Developmental studies (evo-devo) have been proposed to reconcile micro- and macroevolution. However, there has been little progress in establishing a formal framework to apply evo-devo models of phenotypic diversification. Here we reframe this issue by asking whether using evo-devo models to quantify biological variation can improve the explanatory power of comparative models, thus helping us bridge the gap between micro- and macroevolution. We test this prediction by evaluating the evolution of primate lower molars in a comprehensive dataset densely sampled across living and extinct taxa. Our results suggest that biologically informed morphospaces alongside quantitative genetics models allow a seamless transition between the micro- and macroscales, whereas biologically uninformed spaces do not. We show that the adaptive landscape for primate teeth is corridor like, with changes in morphology within the corridor being nearly neutral. Overall, our framework provides a basis for integrating evo-devo into the modern synthesis, allowing an operational way to evaluate the ultimate causes of macroevolution.

Conceptual and empirical bridges between micro- and macroevolution

Explaining broad molecular, phenotypic and species biodiversity patterns necessitates a unifying framework spanning multiple evolutionary scales. Here we argue that although substantial effort has been made to reconcile microevolution and macroevolution, much work remains to identify the links between biological processes at play. We highlight four major questions of evolutionary biology whose solutions require conceptual bridges between micro and macroevolution. We review potential avenues for future research to establish how mechanisms at one scale (drift, mutation, migration, selection) translate to processes at the other scale (speciation, extinction, biogeographic dispersal) and vice versa. We propose ways in which current comparative methods to infer molecular evolution, phenotypic evolution and species diversification could be improved to specifically address these questions. We conclude that researchers are in a better position than ever before to build a synthesis to understand how microevolutionary dynamics unfold over millions of years.

Experimentally simulating the evolution-to-ecology connection: Divergent predator morphologies alter natural food webs

The idea that changing environmental conditions drive adaptive evolution is a pillar of evolutionary ecology. But, the opposite-that adaptive evolution alters ecological processes-has received far less attention yet is critical for eco-evolutionary dynamics. We assessed the ecological impact of divergent values in a key adaptive trait using 16 populations of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). Mirroring natural variation, we established islands with short- or long-limbed lizards at both low and high densities. We then monitored changes in lower trophic levels, finding that on islands with a high density of short-limbed lizards, web-spider densities decreased and plants grew more via an indirect positive effect, likely through an herbivore-mediated trophic cascade. Our experiment provides strong support for evolution-to-ecology connections in nature, likely closing an otherwise well-characterized eco-evolutionary feedback loop.

Hummingbird blood traits track oxygen availability across space and time

Predictable trait variation across environments suggests shared adaptive responses via repeated genetic evolution, phenotypic plasticity or both. Matching of trait-environment associations at phylogenetic and individual scales implies consistency between these processes. Alternatively, mismatch implies that evolutionary divergence has changed the rules of trait-environment covariation. Here we tested whether species adaptation alters elevational variation in blood traits. We measured blood for 1217 Andean hummingbirds of 77 species across a 4600-m elevational gradient. Unexpectedly, elevational variation in haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) was scale independent, suggesting that physics of gas exchange, rather than species differences, determines responses to changing oxygen pressure. However, mechanisms of [Hb] adjustment did show signals of species adaptation: Species at either low or high elevations adjusted cell size, whereas species at mid-elevations adjusted cell number. This elevational variation in red blood cell number versus size suggests that genetic adaptation to high altitude has changed how these traits respond to shifts in oxygen availability.

Morphology, evolution, and the whole organism imperative: Why evolutionary questions need multi-trait evolutionary quantitative genetics

Since Washburn's New Physical Anthropology, researchers have sought to understand the complexities of morphological evolution among anatomical regions in human and non-human primates. Researchers continue, however, to preferentially use comparative and functional approaches to examine complex traits, but these methods cannot address questions about evolutionary process and often conflate function with fitness. Moreover, researchers also tend to examine anatomical elements in isolation, which implicitly assumes independent evolution among different body regions. In this paper, we argue that questions asked in primate evolution are best examined using multiple anatomical regions subjected to model-bound methods built from an understanding of evolutionary quantitative genetics. A nascent but expanding number of studies over the last two decades use this approach, examining morphological integration, evolvability, and selection modeling. To help readers learn how to use these methods, we review fundamentals of evolutionary processes within a quantitative genetic framework, explore the importance of neutral evolutionary theory, and explain the basics of evolutionary quantitative genetics, namely the calculation of evolutionary potential for multiple traits in response to selection. Leveraging these methods, we demonstrate their use to understand non-independence in possible evolutionary responses across the limbs, limb girdles, and basicranium of humans. Our results show that model-bound quantitative genetic methods can reveal unexpected genetic covariances among traits that create a novel but measurable understanding of evolutionary complexity among multiple traits. We advocate for evolutionary quantitative genetic methods to be a standard whenever appropriate to keep studies of primate morphological evolution relevant for the next seventy years and beyond.

Frank Beach Award Winner: The centrality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dealing with environmental change across temporal scales

Understanding if and how individuals and populations cope with environmental change is an enduring question in evolutionary ecology that has renewed importance given the pace of change in the Anthropocene. Two evolutionary strategies of coping with environmental change may be particularly important in rapidly changing environments: adaptive phenotypic plasticity and/or bet hedging. Adaptive plasticity could enable individuals to match their phenotypes to the expected environment if there is an accurate cue predicting the selective environment. Diversifying bet hedging involves the production of seemingly random phenotypes in an unpredictable environment, some of which may be adaptive. Here, I review the central role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoids (GCs) in enabling vertebrates to cope with environmental change through adaptive plasticity and bet hedging. I first describe how the HPA axis mediates three types of adaptive plasticity to cope with environmental change (evasion, tolerance, recovery) over short timescales (e.g., 1-3 generations) before discussing how the implications of GCs on phenotype integration may depend upon the timescale under consideration. GCs can promote adaptive phenotypic integration, but their effects on phenotypic co-variation could also limit the dimensions of phenotypic space explored by animals over longer timescales. Finally, I discuss how organismal responses to environmental stressors can act as a bet hedging mechanism and therefore enhance evolvability by increasing genetic or phenotypic variability or reducing patterns of genetic and phenotypic co-variance. Together, this emphasizes the crucial role of the HPA axis in understanding fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology.

Diversification of the ruminant skull along an evolutionary line of least resistance

Clarifying how microevolutionary processes scale to macroevolutionary patterns is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology, but these analyses, requiring comparative datasets of population-level variation, are limited. By analyzing a previously published dataset of 2859 ruminant crania, we find that variation within and between ruminant species is biased by a highly conserved mammalian-wide allometric pattern, CREA (craniofacial evolutionary allometry), where larger species have proportionally longer faces. Species with higher morphological integration and species more biased toward CREA have diverged farther from their ancestors, and Ruminantia as a clade diversified farther than expected in the direction of CREA. Our analyses indicate that CREA acts as an evolutionary "line of least resistance" and facilitates morphological diversification due to its alignment with the browser-grazer continuum. Together, our results demonstrate that constraints at the population level can produce highly directional patterns of phenotypic evolution at the macroevolutionary scale. Further research is needed to explore how CREA has been exploited in other mammalian clades.

Evolvability and trait function predict phenotypic divergence of plant populations

Understanding the causes and limits of population divergence in phenotypic traits is a fundamental aim of evolutionary biology, with the potential to yield predictions of adaptation to environmental change. Reciprocal transplant experiments and the evaluation of optimality models suggest that local adaptation is common but not universal, and some studies suggest that trait divergence is highly constrained by genetic variances and covariances of complex phenotypes. We analyze a large database of population divergence in plants and evaluate whether evolutionary divergence scales positively with standing genetic variation within populations (evolvability), as expected if genetic constraints are evolutionarily important. We further evaluate differences in divergence and evolvability-divergence relationships between reproductive and vegetative traits and between selfing, mixed-mating, and outcrossing species, as these factors are expected to influence both patterns of selection and evolutionary potentials. Evolutionary divergence scaled positively with evolvability. Furthermore, trait divergence was greater for vegetative traits than for floral (reproductive) traits, but largely independent of the mating system. Jointly, these factors explained ~40% of the variance in evolutionary divergence. The consistency of the evolvability-divergence relationships across diverse species suggests substantial predictability of trait divergence. The results are also consistent with genetic constraints playing a role in evolutionary divergence.

Genetic architecture of multiple mutualisms and mating system in Turnera ulmifolia

Plants often associate with multiple arthropod mutualists. These partners provide important services to their hosts, but multiple interactions can constrain a plant's ability to respond to complex, multivariate selection. Here, we quantified patterns of genetic variance and covariance among rewards for pollination, biotic defence and seed dispersal mutualisms in multiple populations of Turnera ulmifolia to better understand how the genetic architecture of multiple mutualisms might influence their evolution. We phenotyped plants cultivated from 17 Jamaican populations for several mutualism and mating system-related traits. We then fit genetic variance-covariance (G) matrices for the island metapopulation and the five largest individual populations. At the metapopulation level, we observed significant positive genetic correlations among stigma-anther separation, floral nectar production and extrafloral nectar production. These correlations have the potential to significantly constrain or facilitate the evolution of multiple mutualisms in T. ulmifolia and suggest that pollination, seed dispersal and defence mutualisms do not evolve independently. In particular, we found that positive genetic correlations between floral and extrafloral nectar production may help explain their stable coexistence in the face of physiological trade-offs and negative interactions between pollinators and ant bodyguards. Locally, we found only small differences in G among our T. ulmifolia populations, suggesting that geographic variation in G may not shape the evolution of multiple mutualisms.

Can extreme climatic events induce shifts in adaptive potential? A conceptual framework and empirical test with Anolis lizards

Multivariate adaptation to climatic shifts may be limited by trait integration that causes genetic variation to be low in the direction of selection. However, strong episodes of selection induced by extreme climatic pressures may facilitate future population-wide responses if selection reduces trait integration and increases adaptive potential (i.e., evolvability). We explain this counter-intuitive framework for extreme climatic events in which directional selection leads to increased evolvability and exemplify its use in a case study. We tested this hypothesis in two populations of the lizard Anolis scriptus that experienced hurricane-induced selection on limb traits. We surveyed populations immediately before and after the hurricane as well as the offspring of post-hurricane survivors, allowing us to estimate both selection and response to selection on key functional traits: forelimb length, hindlimb length, and toepad area. The direct selection was parallel in both islands and strong in several limb traits. Even though overall limb integration did not change after the hurricane, both populations showed a non-significant tendency toward increased evolvability after the hurricane despite the direction of selection not being aligned with the axis of most variance (i.e., body size). The population with comparably lower between-limb integration showed a less constrained response to selection. Hurricane-induced selection, not aligned with the pattern of high trait correlations, likely conflicts with selection occurring during normal ecological conditions that favours functional coordination between limb traits, and would likely need to be very strong and more persistent to elicit a greater change in trait integration and evolvability. Future tests of this hypothesis should use G-matrices in a variety of wild organisms experiencing selection due to extreme climatic events.

A common mechanism drives the alignment between the micro- and macroevolution of primate molars

A central challenge for biology is to reveal how different levels of biological variation interact and shape diversity. However, recent experimental studies have indicated that prevailing models of evolution cannot readily explain the link between micro- and macroevolution at deep timescales. Here, we suggest that this paradox could be the result of a common mechanism driving a correlated pattern of evolution. We examine the proportionality between genetic variance and patterns of trait evolution in a system whose developmental processes are well understood to gain insight into how such alignment between morphological divergence and genetic variation might be maintained over macroevolutionary time. Primate molars present a model system by which to link developmental processes to evolutionary dynamics because of the biased pattern of variation that results from the developmental architecture regulating their formation. We consider how this biased variation is expressed at the population level, and how it manifests through evolution across primates. There is a strong correspondence between the macroevolutionary rates of primate molar divergence and their genetic variation. This suggests a model of evolution in which selection is closely aligned with the direction of genetic variance, phenotypic variance, and the underlying developmental architecture of anatomical traits.

Evolvability and constraint in the evolution of three-dimensional flower morphology

PREMISE

Flower phenotypes evolve to attract pollinators and to ensure efficient pollen transfer to and from the bodies of pollinators or, in self-compatible bisexual flowers, between anthers and stigmas. If functionally interacting traits are genetically correlated, response to selection may be subject to genetic constraints. Genetic constraints can be assessed by quantifying standing genetic variation in (multivariate) phenotypic traits and by asking how much the available variation is reduced under specific assumptions about phenotypic selection on functionally interacting and genetically correlated traits.

METHODS

We evaluated multivariate evolvability and potential genetic constraints underlying the evolution of the three-dimensional structure of Dalechampia blossoms. First, we used data from a greenhouse crossing design to estimate the G matrix for traits representing the relative positions of male and female sexual organs (anthers and stigmas) and used the G matrix to ask how genetic variation is distributed in multivariate space. To assess the evolutionary importance of genetic constraints, we related standing genetic variation across phenotypic space to evolutionary divergence of population and species in the same phenotypic directions.

RESULTS

Evolvabilities varied substantially across phenotype space, suggesting that certain traits or trait combinations may be subject to strong genetic constraint. Traits involved functionally in flower-pollinator fit and autonomous selfing exhibited considerable independent evolutionary potential, but population and species divergence tended to occur in phenotypic directions associated with greater-than-average evolvability.

CONCLUSIONS

These results are consistent with the hypothesis that genetic constraints can hamper joint trait evolution towards optimum flower-pollinator fit and optimum self-pollination rates.

Leaf Economic and Hydraulic Traits Signal Disparate Climate Adaptation Patterns in Two Co-Occurring Woodland Eucalypts

With climate change impacting trees worldwide, enhancing adaptation capacity has become an important goal of provenance translocation strategies for forestry, ecological renovation, and biodiversity conservation. Given that not every species can be studied in detail, it is important to understand the extent to which climate adaptation patterns can be generalised across species, in terms of the selective agents and traits involved. We here compare patterns of genetic-based population (co)variation in leaf economic and hydraulic traits, climate–trait associations, and genomic differentiation of two widespread tree species (Eucalyptus pauciflora and E. ovata). We studied 2-year-old trees growing in a common-garden trial established with progeny from populations of both species, pair-sampled from 22 localities across their overlapping native distribution in Tasmania, Australia. Despite originating from the same climatic gradients, the species differed in their levels of population variance and trait covariance, patterns of population variation within each species were uncorrelated, and the species had different climate–trait associations. Further, the pattern of genomic differentiation among populations was uncorrelated between species, and population differentiation in leaf traits was mostly uncorrelated with genomic differentiation. We discuss hypotheses to explain this decoupling of patterns and propose that the choice of seed provenances for climate-based plantings needs to account for multiple dimensions of climate change unless species-specific information is available.

Allometry, sexual selection and evolutionary lines of least resistance shaped the evolution of exaggerated sexual traits within the genus Tyrannus

Variational properties hold a fundamental role in shaping biological evolution, exerting control over the magnitude and direction of evolutionary change elicited by microevolutionary processes that sort variation, such as selection or drift. We studied the genus Tyrannus as a model for examining the conditions and drivers that facilitate the repeated evolution of exaggerated, secondary sexual traits in the face of significant functional limitations. In particular, we explore the role of allometry, sexual selection and their interaction, on the diversification of tail morphology in the genus, assessing whether and how they promoted or constrained phenotypic evolution. Non-deep-forked species tend to show reduced sexual dimorphism and moderate allometric variation in tail shape. The exaggerated and functionally constrained long feathers of deep-forked species, T. savana and T. forficatus, which show both marked sexual dimorphism and allometric tail shape variation, independently diverged from the rest of the genus following the same direction of main interspecific variation accrued during the evolution of non-deep-forked species. Moreover, the latter direction is also aligned with axes summarising sexual dimorphism and allometric variation on deep-forked species, a feature lacking in the rest of the species. Thus, exaggerated tail morphologies are interpreted as the result of amplified divergence through reorientation and co-option of allometric variation by sexual selection, repeatedly driving morphology along a historically favoured direction of cladogenetic evolution.

Development and function explain the modular evolution of phalanges in gecko lizards

Selective regimes favouring the evolution of functional specialization probably affect covariation among phenotypic traits. Phalanges of most tetrapods develop from a conserved module that constrains their relative proportions. In geckos, however, biomechanical specializations associated with adhesive toepads involve morphological variation in the autopodium and might reorganize such modular structures. We tested two hypotheses to explain the modular architecture of hand bones in geckos, one based on developmental interactions and another incorporating functional associations related to locomotion, and compared the empirical support for each hypothetical module between padded and padless lineages. We found strong evidence for developmental modules in most species, which probably reflects embryological constraints during phalangeal formation. Although padded geckos exhibit a functional specialization involving the hyperextension of the distal phalanges that is absent in padless species, the padless species are the ones that show a distal functional module with high integration. Some ancestrally padless geckos apparently deviate from developmental predictions and present a relatively weak developmental module of phalanges and a strongly integrated distal module, which may reflect selective regimes involving incipient frictional adhesion in digit morphology. Modularity of digit elements seems dynamic along the evolutionary history of geckos, being associated with the presence/absence of adhesive toepads.

Evolvability: A Quantitative-Genetics Perspective

The concept of evolvability emerged in the early 1990s and soon became fashionable as a label for different streams of research in evolutionary biology. In evolutionary quantitative genetics, evolvability is defined as the ability of a population to respond to directional selection. This differs from other fields by treating evolvability as a property of populations rather than organisms or lineages and in being focused on quantification and short-term prediction rather than on macroevolution. While the term evolvability is new to quantitative genetics, many of the associated ideas and research questions have been with the field from its inception as biometry. Recent research on evolvability is more than a relabeling of old questions, however. New operational measures of evolvability have opened possibilities for understanding adaptation to rapid environmental change, assessing genetic constraints, and linking micro- and macroevolution.

Axes of multivariate sexual signal divergence among incipient species: Concordance with selection, genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity

Sexual signalling traits are often observed to diverge rapidly among populations, thereby playing a potentially key early role in the evolution of reproductive isolation. While often assumed to reflect divergent sexual selection among populations, patterns of sexual trait diversification might sometimes be biased along axes of standing additive genetic variation and covariation among trait components. Additionally, theory predicts that environmentally induced phenotypic variation might facilitate rapid trait evolution, suggesting that patterns of divergence between populations should mirror phenotypic plasticity within populations. Here, we evaluate the concordance between observed axes of multivariate sexual trait divergence and predicted divergence based on (1) interpopulation variation in sexual selection, (2) additive genetic variances and (3) temperature-related phenotypic plasticity in male courtship song among geographically isolated populations of the Hawaiian swordtail cricket, Laupala cerasina, which exhibit sexual isolation due acoustic signalling traits. The major axis of multivariate divergence, d_max , accounted for 76% of variation among population male song trait means and was moderately correlated with interpopulation differences in directional sexual selection based on female preferences. However, the majority of additive genetic variance was largely oriented away from the direction of divergence, suggesting that standing genetic variation may not play a dominant role in the patterning of signal divergence. In contrast, the axis of phenotypic plasticity strongly mirrored patterns of interpopulation phenotypic divergence, which is consistent with a role for temperature-related plasticity in facilitating instead of inhibiting male song evolution and sexual isolation in these incipient species. We propose potential mechanisms by which sexual selection might interact with phenotypic plasticity to facilitate the rapid acoustic diversification observed in this species and clade.

Biodiversity, resilience and the stability of evolutionary systems

Various macro-evolutionary phenomena, such as long-term stability punctuated by bursts of evolution, are difficult to explain via the micro-evolutionary process of weak selection acting steadily on individual mutations. In contrast, bursts of change are expected if evolutionary systems are complex and balanced, with occasional disruption of balance. Such disruption represents the collapse of resilience, akin to the snapping of an elastic band. It can be driven by external factors, or by self-propagating feedback loops internal to a system. Thus, evolutionary resilience could help explain how evolution generates broader patterns of biodiversity. We outline evidence and tests for this hypothesis, which emphasizes the processes balancing evolution, as urged fifty years ago in ecological genetics and via modern results in a range of systems.

Taxon-specific or universal? Using target capture to study the evolutionary history of rapid radiations

Target capture has emerged as an important tool for phylogenetics and population genetics in nonmodel taxa. Whereas developing taxon‐specific capture probes requires sustained efforts, available universal kits may have a lower power to reconstruct relationships at shallow phylogenetic scales and within rapidly radiating clades. We present here a newly developed target capture set for Bromeliaceae, a large and ecologically diverse plant family with highly variable diversification rates. The set targets 1776 coding regions, including genes putatively involved in key innovations, with the aim to empower testing of a wide range of evolutionary hypotheses. We compare the relative power of this taxon‐specific set, Bromeliad1776, to the universal Angiosperms353 kit. The taxon‐specific set results in higher enrichment success across the entire family; however, the overall performance of both kits to reconstruct phylogenetic trees is relatively comparable, highlighting the vast potential of universal kits for resolving evolutionary relationships. For more detailed phylogenetic or population genetic analyses, for example the exploration of gene tree concordance, nucleotide diversity or population structure, the taxon‐specific capture set presents clear benefits. We discuss the potential lessons that this comparative study provides for future phylogenetic and population genetic investigations, in particular for the study of evolutionary radiations.

Divergent processes drive parallel evolution in marine and freshwater fishes

Evolutionary comparisons between major environmental divides, such as between marine and freshwater systems, can reveal the fundamental processes governing diversification dynamics. Although processes may differ due to the different scales of their biogeographic barriers, freshwater and marine environments nevertheless offer similar opportunities for diversification in benthic, demersal, and pelagic habitats. Here, we compare the evolutionary patterns and processes shaping teleost diversity both in each of these three habitats and between marine and freshwater systems. Using specimens from the National Museum of Natural History, we developed a dataset of linear measurements capturing body shape in 2,266 freshwater and 3,344 marine teleost species. With a novel comparative approach, we contrast the primary axis of morphological diversification in each habitat with the major axis defined by phylogenetic signal. By comparing angles between these axes, we find that fish in corresponding habitats have more similar primary axes of morphological diversity than would be expected by chance, but that different historical processes underlie these parallel patterns in freshwater and marine environments. Marine diversification is more strongly aligned with phylogenetic signal and shows a trend toward lineages occupying separate regions of morphospace. In contrast, ecological signal appears to be a strong driver of diversification in freshwater lineages through repeated morphological evolution in densely packed regions of morphospace. In spite of these divergent histories, our findings reveal that habitat has driven convergent patterns of evolutionary diversification on a global scale.

Phylogenetic conservation of behavioural variation and behavioural syndromes

Individuals frequently differ consistently from one another in their average behaviours (i.e. 'animal personality') and in correlated suites of consistent behavioural responses (i.e. 'behavioural syndromes'). However, understanding the evolutionary basis of this (co)variation has lagged behind demonstrations of its presence. This lag partially stems from comparative methods rarely being used in the field. Consequently, much of the research on animal personality has relied on 'adaptive stories' focused on single species and populations. Here, we used a comparative approach to examine the role of phylogeny in shaping patterns of average behaviours, behavioural variation and behavioural correlations. In comparing the behaviours and behavioural variation for five species of Gryllid crickets, we found that phylogeny shaped average behaviours and behavioural (co)variation. Despite differences among species, behavioural responses and variation were most similar among more closely related species. These results suggest that phylogenetic constraints play an important role in the expression of animal personalities and behavioural syndromes and emphasize the importance of examining evolutionary explanations within a comparative framework.

What does modularity mean?

Modularity is now generally recognized as a fundamental feature of organisms, one that may have profound consequences for evolution. Modularity has recently become a major focus of research in organismal biology across multiple disciplines including genetics, developmental biology, functional morphology, population and evolutionary biology. While the wealth of new data, and also new theory, has provided exciting and novel insights, the concept of modularity has become increasingly ambiguous. That ambiguity is underlain by diverse intuitions about what modularity means, and the ambiguity is not merely about the meaning of the word-the metrics of modularity are measuring different properties and the methods for delimiting modules delimit them by different, sometimes conflicting criteria. The many definitions, metrics and methods can lead to substantial confusion not just about what modularity means as a word but also about what it means for evolution. Here we review various concepts, using graphical depictions of modules. We then review some of the metrics and methods for analyzing modularity at different levels. To place these in theoretical context, we briefly review theories about the origins and evolutionary consequences of modularity. Finally, we show how mismatches between concepts, metrics and methods can produce theoretical confusion, and how potentially illogical interpretations can be made sensible by a better match between definitions, metrics, and methods.

Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies: The SPI-Birds data hub

The integration and synthesis of the data in different areas of science is drastically slowed and hindered by a lack of standards and networking programmes. Long-term studies of individually marked animals are not an exception. These studies are especially important as instrumental for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the wild. Furthermore, their number and global distribution provides a unique opportunity to assess the generality of patterns and to address broad-scale global issues (e.g. climate change). To solve data integration issues and enable a new scale of ecological and evolutionary research based on long-term studies of birds, we have created the SPI-Birds Network and Database (www.spibirds.org)-a large-scale initiative that connects data from, and researchers working on, studies of wild populations of individually recognizable (usually ringed) birds. Within year and a half since the establishment, SPI-Birds has recruited over 120 members, and currently hosts data on almost 1.5 million individual birds collected in 80 populations over 2,000 cumulative years, and counting. SPI-Birds acts as a data hub and a catalogue of studied populations. It prevents data loss, secures easy data finding, use and integration and thus facilitates collaboration and synthesis. We provide community-derived data and meta-data standards and improve data integrity guided by the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), and aligned with the existing metadata languages (e.g. ecological meta-data language). The encouraging community involvement stems from SPI-Bird's decentralized approach: research groups retain full control over data use and their way of data management, while SPI-Birds creates tailored pipelines to convert each unique data format into a standard format. We outline the lessons learned, so that other communities (e.g. those working on other taxa) can adapt our successful model. Creating community-specific hubs (such as ours, COMADRE for animal demography, etc.) will aid much-needed large-scale ecological data integration.

Moving to the city: testing the implications of morphological shifts on locomotor performance in introduced urban lizards

Understanding how morphology affects performance in novel environments and how populations shift their morphology in response to environmental selective pressures is necessary to understand how invaders can be successful. We tested these relationships in a global colonizer, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), translocated to Cincinnati, OH, USA 70 years ago. We investigated how morphology shifts in this population inhabiting a novel environment, how these morphological shifts influence locomotor performance and how performance changes in novel conditions. We compared the morphology of museum specimens and current lizards to see which aspects of morphology have shifted over time. Although overall body size did not change, most body dimensions reduced in size. We measured sprint speed with a full-factorial design of substrate type, incline angle and obstacles. We identified a pattern of negative correlation in sprint performance between conditions with and without obstacles. The locomotor advantage of larger body size was diminished when obstacles were present. Finally, there was no relationship between individual variation in contemporary morphology and sprint performance, providing no support to the hypothesis that these shifts are attributable to selective pressures on locomotor performance in the conditions tested.

Morphometric variance, evolutionary constraints and their change through time in Late Devonian Palmatolepis conodonts

Phenotypic variation is the raw material of evolution. Standing variation can facilitate response to selection along "lines of least evolutionary resistance", but selection itself might alter the structure of the variance. Shape was quantified using 2D geometric morphometrics in Palmatolepis conodonts through the Late Devonian period. Patterns of variance were characterized along the record by the variance-covariance matrix (P-matrix) and its first axis (Pmax). The Late Frasnian was marked by environmental oscillations culminating with the Frasnian/Famennian mass extinction. A shape response was associated with these fluctuations, together with a deflection of the Pmax and the P-matrix. Thereafter, along the Famennian, Palmatolepis mean shape shifted from broad elements with a large platform to slender elements devoid of platform. This shift in shape was associated with a reorientation of Pmax and the P-matrix, due to profound changes in the functioning of the elements selecting for new types of variants. Both cases provide empirical evidences that moving adaptive optimum can reorient phenotypic variation, boosting response to environmental changes. On such time scales, the question seems thus not to be whether the P-matrix is stable, but how it is varying in response to changes in selection regimes and shifts in adaptive optimum. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

From micro to macroevolution: drivers of shape variation in an island radiation of Podarcis lizards

Phenotypictraits have been shown to evolve in response to variation in the environment. However, the evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of phenotypic diversity can typically only be understood at the population level. Consequently, how subtle phenotypic differences at the intraspecific level can give rise to larger-scale changes in performance and ecology remains poorly understood. We here tested for the covariation between ecology, bite force, jaw muscle architecture, and the three-dimensional shape of the cranium and mandible in 16 insular populations of the lizards Podarcis melisellensis and P. sicula. We then compared the patterns observed at the among-population level with those observed at the interspecific level. We found that three-dimensional head shape as well as jaw musculature evolve similarly under similar ecological circumstances. Depending on the type of food consumed or on the level of sexual competition, different muscle groups were more developed and appeared to underlie changes in cranium and mandible shape. Our findings show that the local selective regimes are primary drivers of phenotypic variation resulting in predictable patterns of form and function. Moreover, intraspecific patterns of variation were generally consistent with those at the interspecific level, suggesting that microevolutionary variation may translate into macroevolutionary patterns of ecomorphological diversity.

What constrains adaptive radiation? Documentation and explanation of under-evolved morphologies in Anolis lizards

Adaptive radiations fill ecological and morphological space during evolutionary diversification. Why do some trait combinations evolve during such radiations, whereas others do not? 'Required' constraints of pleiotropy and developmental interaction frequently are implicated in explanations for such patterns, but selective forces also may discourage particular trait combinations. Here, we use a dataset of 351 species to demonstrate the dearth of some theoretically plausible trait combinations of limb, toe and tail length in Anolis lizards. For example, disproportionately few Anolis species display long limbs and short toes. We evaluate recovered patterns within three species of Anolis, and find that cladewide patterns are not evident at intraspecific levels. For example, within species, the combination of long limbs and short toes is not significantly rarer than long limbs and long toes. Differences in scale complicate inter- and intraspecific comparisons and disallow concrete conclusions of cause. However, the absence of the interspecific pattern at the intraspecific level is more compatible with selection favouring particular trait combinations than with 'required' forces dictating which trait combinations are available for selection. We also demonstrate the isometry of toe, tail and hindlimb length relative to body length between species but allometry in four of nine trait-body comparisons within species.

Quantitative assessment of observed versus predicted responses to selection

Although artificial-selection experiments seem well suited to testing our ability to predict evolution, the correspondence between predicted and observed responses is often ambiguous due to the lack of uncertainty estimates. We present equations for assessing prediction error in direct and indirect responses to selection that integrate uncertainty in genetic parameters used for prediction and sampling effects during selection. Using these, we analyzed a selection experiment on floral traits replicated in two taxa of the Dalechampia scandens (Euphorbiaceae) species complex for which G-matrices were obtained from a diallel breeding design. After four episodes of bidirectional selection, direct and indirect responses remained within wide prediction intervals, but appeared different from the predictions. Combined analyses with structural-equation models confirmed that responses were asymmetrical and lower than predicted in both species. We show that genetic drift is likely to be a dominant source of uncertainty in typically-dimensioned selection experiments in plants and a major obstacle to predicting short-term evolutionary trajectories.

Hormonal pleiotropy structures genetic covariance

Quantitative genetic theory proposes that phenotypic evolution is shaped by G, the matrix of genetic variances and covariances among traits. In species with separate sexes, the evolution of sexual dimorphism is also shaped by B, the matrix of between‐sex genetic variances and covariances. Despite considerable focus on estimating these matrices, their underlying biological mechanisms are largely speculative. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that G and B are structured by hormonal pleiotropy, which occurs when one hormone influences multiple phenotypes. Using juvenile brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) bred in a paternal half‐sibling design, we elevated the steroid hormone testosterone with slow‐release implants while administering empty implants to siblings as a control. We quantified the effects of this manipulation on the genetic architecture of a suite of sexually dimorphic traits, including body size (males are larger than females) and the area, hue, saturation, and brightness of the dewlap (a colorful ornament that is larger in males than in females). Testosterone masculinized females by increasing body size and dewlap area, hue, and saturation, while reducing dewlap brightness. Control females and males differed significantly in G, but treatment of females with testosterone rendered G statistically indistinguishable from males. Whereas B was characterized by low between‐sex genetic correlations when estimated between control females and males, these same correlations increased significantly when estimated between testosterone females and either control or testosterone males. The full G matrix (including B) for testosterone females and either control or testosterone males was significantly less permissive of sexually dimorphic evolution than was G estimated between control females and males, suggesting that natural sex differences in testosterone help decouple genetic variance between the sexes. Our results confirm that hormonal pleiotropy structures genetic covariance, implying that hormones play an important yet overlooked role in mediating evolutionary responses to selection.

Natural Selection on Adults Has Trait-Dependent Consequences for Juvenile Evolution in Dragonflies

AbstractAlthough natural selection often fluctuates across ontogeny, it remains unclear what conditions enable selection in one life-cycle stage to shape evolution in others. Organisms that undergo metamorphosis are useful for addressing this topic because their highly specialized life-cycle stages cannot always evolve independently despite their dramatic life-history transition. Using a comparative study of dragonflies, we examined three conditions that are hypothesized to allow selection in one stage to affect evolution in others. First, we tested whether lineages with less dramatic metamorphosis (e.g., hemimetabolous insects) lack the capacity for stage-specific evolution. Rejecting this hypothesis, we found that larval body shape evolves independently from selection on adult shape. Next, we evaluated whether stage-specific evolution is limited for homologous and/or coadapted structures. Indeed, we found that selection for larger wings is associated with the evolution of coadapted larval sheaths that store developing wing tissue. Finally, we assessed whether stage-specific evolution is restricted for traits linked to a single biochemical pathway. Supporting this hypothesis, we found that species with more wing melanization in the adult stage have evolved weaker melanin immune defenses in the larval stage. Thus, our results collectively show that natural selection in one stage imposes trait-dependent constraints on evolution in others.

Natural selection mediated by seasonal time constraints increases the alignment between evolvability and developmental plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity can either hinder or promote adaptation to novel environments. Recent studies that have quantified alignments between plasticity, genetic variation, and divergence propose that such alignments may reflect constraints that bias future evolutionary trajectories. Here, we emphasize that such alignments may themselves be a result of natural selection and do not necessarily indicate constraints on adaptation. We estimated developmental plasticity and broad sense genetic covariance matrices (G) among damselfly populations situated along a latitudinal gradient in Europe. Damselflies were reared at photoperiod treatments that simulated the seasonal time constraints experienced at northern (strong constraints) and southern (relaxed constraints) latitudes. This allowed us to partition the effects of (1) latitude, (2) photoperiod, and (3) environmental novelty on G and its putative alignment with adaptive plasticity and divergence. Environmental novelty and latitude did not affect G, but photoperiod did. Photoperiod increased evolvability in the direction of observed adaptive divergence and developmental plasticity when G was assessed under strong seasonal time constraints at northern (relative to southern) photoperiod. Because selection and adaptation under time constraints is well understood in Lestes damselflies, our results suggest that natural selection can shape the alignment between divergence, plasticity, and evolvability.

Phylogenetic patterns and ontogenetic origins of limb length variation in ecologically diverse lacertine lizards

Limb length is intrinsically linked to function and, ultimately, fitness. Thus, it can co-evolve with habitat structure, as exemplified by tropical lizards in highly heterogeneous environments. But does lizard limb length respond in a similar manner during adaptive diversification in temperate zones? Here, we examine variation in habitat preference and limb length in lacertine lizards from the Palaearctic. We tested the following three hypotheses: (1) species of the Lacertini tribe descended from a generalist ancestor and subsequently underwent habitat specialization; (2) specialized ecological roles are associated with relative limb length in extant species; and (3) interspecific differences in limb length emerge in embryonic development. Our comparisons supported an ancestral ‘rocky’ or ‘generalist’ habitat preference, and phenotype–habitat associations were particularly supported when examining size-adjusted forelimb length in 69 species that represented all known Lacertini genera. Moreover, we revealed an elevated interlimb ratio in high-vegetation species, which might be linked to climbing performance in species with relatively longer forelimbs. Furthermore, embryonic limb variation was detected solely against an Eremiadini outgroup species. Instead, hind limb length differences within Lacertini originated in post-hatching ontogeny. The mechanisms that modulate limb growth are likely to be limited in Lacertini, because adaptive morphological change might mirror historical contingency and the ecological context wherein this clade diversified.

Population Divergence along a Genetic Line of Least Resistance in the Tree Species Eucalyptus globulus

The evolutionary response to selection depends on the distribution of genetic variation in traits under selection within populations, as defined by the additive genetic variance-covariance matrix (G). The structure and evolutionary stability of G will thus influence the course of phenotypic evolution. However, there are few studies assessing the stability of G and its relationship with population divergence within foundation tree species. We compared the G-matrices of Mainland and Island population groups of the forest tree Eucalyptus globulus, and determined the extent to which population divergence aligned with within-population genetic (co)variation. Four key wood property traits exhibiting signals of divergent selection were studied—wood density, extractive content, and lignin content and composition. The comparison of G-matrices of the mainland and island populations indicated that the G-eigenstructure was relatively well preserved at an intra-specific level. Population divergence tended to occur along a major direction of genetic variation in G. The observed conservatism of G, the moderate evolutionary timescale, and close relationship between genetic architecture and population trajectories suggest that genetic constraints may have influenced the evolution and diversification of the E. globulus populations for the traits studied. However, alternative scenarios, including selection aligning genetic architecture and population divergence, are discussed.

Divergence in Plant Traits and Increased Modularity Underlie Repeated Transitions Between Low and High Elevations in the Andean Genus Leucheria

Understanding why some plant lineages move from one climatic region to another is a mayor goal of evolutionary biology. In the southern Andes plant lineages that have migrated along mountain ranges tracking cold-humid climates coexist with lineages that have shifted repeatedly between warm-arid at low elevations and cold habitats at high elevations. Transitions between habitats might be facilitated by the acquisition of common traits favoring a resource-conservative strategy that copes with drought resulting from either low precipitation or extreme cold. Alternatively, transitions might be accompanied by phenotypic divergence and accelerated evolution of plant traits, which in turn may depend on the level of coordination among them. Reduced integration and evolution of traits in modules are expected to increase evolutionary rates of traits, allowing diversification in contrasting climates. To examine these hypotheses, we conducted a comparative study in the herbaceous genus Leucheria. We reconstructed ancestral habitat states using Maximum Likelihood and a previously published phylogeny. We performed a Phylogenetic Principal Components Analysis on traits, and then we tested the relationship between PC axes, habitat and climate using Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS). Finally, we compared the evolutionary rates of traits, and the levels of modularity among the three main Clades of Leucheria. Our results suggest that the genus originated at high elevations and later repeatedly colonized arid-semiarid shrublands and humid-forest at lower elevations. PGLS analysis suggested that transitions between habitats were accompanied by shifts in plant strategies: cold habitats at high elevations favored the evolution of traits related to a conservative-resource strategy (thicker and dissected leaves, with high mass per area, and high biomass allocation to roots), whereas warm-arid habitats at lower elevations favored traits related to an acquisitive-resource strategy. As expected, we detected higher levels of modularity in the clades that switched repeatedly between habitats, but higher modularity was not associated with accelerated rates of trait evolution.

The role of head shape and trophic variation in the diversification of the genus Herichthys in sympatry and allopatry

In the present study we evaluated the putative cases of sympatric speciation in the genus Herichthys by studying the variation in head shape using principal component analysis, phylomorphospace and reconstructions of the ancestral states of feeding preferences. Herichthys includes both allopatric and sympatric sister species, as well as sympatric unrelated species and thus offers great potential for evolutionary studies of putatively sympatric speciation. Herichthys is the northernmost group of cichlids in America and one of the most ecologically disparate genera within Middle American cichlids. Fifteen anatomical points were recorded on the heads of 293 specimens of the 11 species recognized within the genus. The results show that in spite of having wide variation in consumed diets, most species of Herichthys are close in morphospace. However, morphological variation was great among the two pairs of sympatric sister species in agreement with the suggested sympatric model of speciation.

Behavioural syndromes shape evolutionary trajectories via conserved genetic architecture

Behaviours are often correlated within broader syndromes, creating the potential for evolution in one behaviour to drive evolutionary changes in other behaviours. Despite demonstrations that behavioural syndromes are common, this potential for evolutionary effects has not been demonstrated. Here we show that populations of field crickets (Gryllus integer) exhibit a genetically conserved behavioural syndrome structure, despite differences in average behaviours. We found that the distribution of genetic variation and genetic covariance among behavioural traits was consistent with genes and cellular mechanisms underpinning behavioural syndromes rather than correlated selection. Moreover, divergence among populations' average behaviours was constrained by the genetically conserved behavioural syndrome. Our results demonstrate that a conserved genetic architecture linking behaviours has shaped the evolutionary trajectories of populations in disparate environments-illustrating an important way for behavioural syndromes to result in shared evolutionary fates.