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Betancourth-Cundar M, Canoine V, Fusani L, Cadena CD. Does testosterone underly the interplay between male traits and territorial behavior in neotropical poison frogs? Horm Behav 2024; 162:105547. [PMID: 38677262 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The ability of individual animals to defend a territory as well as various phenotypic and behavioral traits may be targets of sexual selection used by males to evaluate their competitors or by females to choose males. A frequent question in animal behavior is whether male traits and characteristics of their territory are correlated and what are the mechanisms that may mediate such associations when they exist. Because hormones link phenotype to behavior, by studying the role of testosterone in territoriality one may come closer to understanding the mechanisms mediating correlations or lack thereof between characteristics of territories and of males. We evaluated whether variation in characteristics of territories (size and quality) are correlated with variation in morphology, coloration, testosterone, heterozygosity, and calls in two species of poison frogs. The Amazonian frog Allobates aff. trilineatus exhibits male care and defends territories only during the breeding season, while the endangered frog Oophaga lehmanni displays maternal care and defends territories throughout the year. We found that morphological traits (body length, weight, thigh size), call activity, and testosterone levels correlated with size and various indicators of quality of the territory. However, the direction of these correlations (whether positive or negative) and which specific morphological, acoustic traits or testosterone level variables covaried depended on the species. Our findings highlight an endocrine pathway as part of the physiological machinery that may underlie the interplay between male traits and territorial behavior. We were able to identify some male traits related to territory attributes, but whether females choose males based on these traits requires further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Gould J, McHenry C. It's not easy being green: Comparing typical skin colouration among amphibians with colour abnormalities associated with chromatophore deficits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11438. [PMID: 38779532 PMCID: PMC11108801 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amphibians can obtain their colour from a combination of several different pigment and light reflecting cell types called chromatophores, with defects in one or several of the cells leading to colour abnormalities. There is a need for better recording of colour abnormalities within wild amphibian populations, as this may provide baseline data that can be used to determine changes in environmental conditions and population dynamics, such as inbreeding. In this study, we provide records of several types of chromatophore deficiencies, including those involving iridophores, xanthophores and melanophores, among two Australian tree frog species; the green and golden bell frog, Litoria aurea, and the eastern dwarf tree frog, L. fallax. We explore these colour abnormalities in terms of the chromatophores that have likely been affected and associated with their expression, in combination with typical colour phenotypes, colour variations and colour changes for these species. We intend for our photographs to be used as a visual guide that addresses the need for more accessible information regarding the physical manifestation of different chromatophore defects among amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Gould
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Colin McHenry
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
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3
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Schlippe-Justicia L, Lemaire J, Dittrich C, Mayer M, Bustamante P, Rojas B. Poison in the nursery: Mercury contamination in the tadpole-rearing sites of an Amazonian frog. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169450. [PMID: 38135067 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has become a major threat for Neotropical forests. This technique for obtaining gold is a substantial driver of small-scale deforestation and the largest contributor of Hg emissions to both the atmosphere and freshwater systems globally. Previous studies have demonstrated the impacts of Hg accumulation on various aquatic ecosystems and organisms. However, its consequences in other, more discrete systems such as phytotelmata (water-holding plant structures), and the organisms therein, have so far gone unnoticed. Here, we show high concentrations of Hg (mean ± SD: 1.43 ± 2.19 ppm) in phytotelmata and other small pools, the aquatic microenvironments used by the Neotropical poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius as tadpole-rearing sites. In 17 % of the cases, we detected Hg concentrations above the severe effect level (SEL = 2 ppm) for freshwater sediments. Hg concentrations varied depending on pool characteristics and tended to increase in proximity to known ASGM sites. We did not find an effect of Hg concentration on the number of D. tinctorius tadpoles in a given pool. Tadpoles were found in pools with concentrations of up to 8.68 ppm, suggesting that D. tinctorius fathers do not avoid pools with high Hg levels for tadpole deposition. While further research is needed to determine the potential effects of Hg on tadpole development, we found an intriguing tendency for tadpoles in later developmental stages to have lower body condition when occurring in pools with higher Hg concentrations. Our findings provide evidence of relevant Hg concentrations in the terrestrial water systems used by phytotelm-breeding anurans, and highlight the need of further field and experimental studies investigating the implications of Hg contamination for tadpole development and behaviour and the overall conservation of Amazonian biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Schlippe-Justicia
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jérémy Lemaire
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carolin Dittrich
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria; University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Martin Mayer
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Anne Evenstads Vei 80, 2480 Koppang, Norway; Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria; University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
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4
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Yeager J, Penacchio O. Outcomes of multifarious selection on the evolution of visual signals. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230327. [PMID: 37040810 PMCID: PMC10089717 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Multifarious sources of selection shape visual signals and can produce phenotypic divergence. Theory predicts that variance in warning signals should be minimal due to purifying selection, yet polymorphism is abundant. While in some instances divergent signals can evolve into discrete morphs, continuously variable phenotypes are also encountered in natural populations. Notwithstanding, we currently have an incomplete understanding of how combinations of selection shape fitness landscapes, particularly those which produce polymorphism. We modelled how combinations of natural and sexual selection act on aposematic traits within a single population to gain insights into what combinations of selection favours the evolution and maintenance of phenotypic variation. With a rich foundation of studies on selection and phenotypic divergence, we reference the poison frog genus Oophaga to model signal evolution. Multifarious selection on aposematic traits created the topology of our model's fitness landscape by approximating different scenarios found in natural populations. Combined, the model produced all types of phenotypic variation found in frog populations, namely monomorphism, continuous variation and discrete polymorphism. Our results afford advances into how multifarious selection shapes phenotypic divergence, which, along with additional modelling enhancements, will allow us to further our understanding of visual signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Yeager
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencas Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador
| | - Olivier Penacchio
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
- Computer Vision Center, Computer Science Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
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5
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Lawrence JP, Rojas B, Blanchette A, Saporito RA, Mappes J, Fouquet A, Noonan BP. Linking Predator Responses to Alkaloid Variability in Poison Frogs. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:195-204. [PMID: 36854928 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01412-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Many chemically-defended/aposematic species rely on diet for sequestering the toxins with which they defend themselves. This dietary acquisition can lead to variable chemical defenses across space, as the community composition of chemical sources is likely to vary across the range of (an aposematic) species. We characterized the alkaloid content of two populations of the Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) in northeastern French Guiana. Additionally, we conducted unpalatability experiments with naive predators, Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), using whole-skin secretion cocktails to assess how a model predator would respond to the defense of individuals from each population. While there was some overlap between the two D. tinctorius populations in terms of alkaloid content, our analysis revealed that these two populations are markedly distinct in terms of overall alkaloid profiles. Predator responses to skin secretions differed between the populations. We identified 15 candidate alkaloids (including three previously undescribed) in seven classes that are correlated with predator response in one frog population. We describe alkaloid profile differences between populations for D. tinctorius and provide a novel method for assessing unpalatability of skin secretions and identifying which toxins may contribute to the predator response. In one population, our results suggest 15 alkaloids that are implicated in predator aversive response. This method is the first step in identifying the causal link between alkaloids and behavioral responses of predators, and thus makes sense of how varying alkaloid combinations are capable of eliciting consistent behavioral responses, and eventually driving evolutionary change in aposematic characters (or characteristics).
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Lawrence
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA. .,Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48825, USA.
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annelise Blanchette
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antoine Fouquet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France
| | - Brice P Noonan
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
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6
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Ponkshe A, Endler JA. Joint effects of female preference intensity and frequency-dependent predation on the polymorphism maintenance in aposematic sexual traits. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9356. [PMID: 36248673 PMCID: PMC9551523 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9356] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of variation in aposematic traits within and among populations is paradoxical because aposematic species are normally under positive frequency‐dependent predation (PFD), which is expected to erode variation. Aposematic traits can evolve in an ecological context where aposematic traits are simultaneously under mate choice. Here, we examine how the mate preference intensity affects the permissiveness of polymorphism in sexually selected aposematic traits under different PFD regimes. We use the haploid version of the classical sexual selection model and show that strong mate preferences can substantially increase the permissiveness of polymorphism in aposematic traits under different PFD regimes. The Fisher process can interact with PFD, and their interaction can promote the maintenance of polymorphism within populations when mate preferences are strong. We show that the same selective conditions that promote the maintenance of polymorphism within populations reduce the likelihood of divergence in aposematic traits among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Ponkshe
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia,MINT Lab, Edificio Luis Vives, Campus EspinardoUniversity of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | - John A. Endler
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
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7
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Betancourth-Cundar M, Palacios-Rodriguez P. Reproductive behaviors promote ecological and phenotypic sexual differentiation in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10207-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTerritoriality and parental care are complex reproductive behaviors found in many taxa from insects to mammals. Parental care can be carried out by the female, the male, or both, depending on the species. Territoriality, in contrast, is predominantly displayed by males. Different selective pressures imposed on individuals from the sex performing territorial or parental care behaviors may also lead to sexual differentiation in other life-history traits. Due to their territorial behavior and their diversity of parental care behaviors, Neotropical poison frogs are an excellent study system to investigate whether behavioral traits can influence sexual differentiation in intrinsic or extrinsic traits of individuals. Here, we evaluate whether territorial and parental care behaviors mediate sexual differentiation in ecological (habitat use) and phenotypic (coloration, morphology) traits in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog (Oophaga lehmanni), a species in which males defend territories while females provide parental care. We found sex differences in habitat use and morphological traits, but not in coloration. Males use trunks and green leaves as perches more frequently and are found on higher substrates, than females. We found no sex differences in body size, but females have longer arms than males, which is probably associated with their parental duties (climbing trees to feed the tadpoles). Altogether, our results provide evidence that selection pressures act differently on male and female traits, and that territoriality and parental care may promote the evolution of sexual differentiation in dendrobatids. Long-term wildlife observations are essential to identify important life-history traits and to evaluate hypotheses about the behavioral ecology and conservation of this and other vertebrate species.
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8
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Schlippe Justicia L, Fouilloux CA, Rojas B. Poison frog social behaviour under global change: potential impacts and future challenges. Acta Ethol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-022-00400-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe current and cascading effects of global change challenges the interactions both between animal individuals (i.e. social and sexual behaviour) and the environment they inhabit. Amphibians are an ecologically diverse class with a wide range of social and sexual behaviours, making them a compelling model to understand the potential adaptations of animals faced with the effects of human-induced rapid environmental changes (HIREC). Poison frogs (Dendrobatoidea) are a particularly interesting system, as they display diverse social behaviours that are shaped by conspecific and environmental interactions, thus offering a tractable system to investigate how closely related species may respond to the impacts of HIREC. Here, we discuss the potential impacts of global change on poison frog behaviour, and the future challenges this group may face in response to such change. We pay special attention to parental care and territoriality, which are emblematic of this clade, and consider how different species may flexibly respond and adapt to increasingly frequent and diverse anthropogenic stress. More specifically, we hypothesise that some parents may increase care (i.e. clutch attendance and distance travelled for tadpole transport) in HIREC scenarios and that species with more generalist oviposition and tadpole deposition behaviours may fare more positively than their less flexible counterparts; we predict that the latter may either face increased competition for resources limited by HIREC or will be forced to adapt and expand their natural preferences. Likewise, we hypothesise that human-driven habitat alteration will disrupt the acoustic and visual communication systems due to increased noise pollution and/or changes in the surrounding light environment. We highlight the need for more empirical research combining behavioural ecology and conservation to better predict species’ vulnerability to global change and efficiently focus conservation efforts.
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9
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Binns GE, Hämäläinen L, Kemp DJ, Rowland HM, Umbers KDL, Herberstein ME. Additive genetic variation, but not temperature, influences warning signal expression in Amata nigriceps moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiinae). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9111. [PMID: 35866015 PMCID: PMC9288930 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9111] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aposematic species show variation in their color patterns even though selection by predators is expected to stabilize warning signals toward a common phenotype. Warning signal variability can be explained by trade‐offs with other functions of coloration, such as thermoregulation, that may constrain warning signal expression by favoring darker individuals. Here, we investigated the effect of temperature on warning signal expression in aposematic Amata nigriceps moths that vary in their black and orange wing patterns. We sampled moths from two flight seasons that differed in the environmental temperatures and also reared different families under controlled conditions at three different temperatures. Against our prediction that lower developmental temperatures would reduce the warning signal size of the adult moths, we found no effect of temperature on warning signal expression in either wild or laboratory‐reared moths. Instead, we found sex‐ and population‐level differences in wing patterns. Our rearing experiment indicated that ~70% of the variability in the trait is genetic but understanding what signaling and non‐signaling functions of wing coloration maintain the genetic variation requires further work. Our results emphasize the importance of considering both genetic and plastic components of warning signal expression when studying intraspecific variation in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina E Binns
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Liisa Hämäläinen
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Darrell J Kemp
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans Knöll Straße 8,Jena Germany
| | - 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
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
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10
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Yuan ML, Jung C, Bell RC, Nelson JL. Aposematic patterns shift continuously throughout the life of poison frogs. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Yuan
- Center for Population Biology University of California Davis CA USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - C. Jung
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - R. C. Bell
- Department of Herpetology California Academy of Sciences San Francisco CA USA
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11
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Clark MI, Bradburd GS, Akopyan M, Vega A, Rosenblum EB, Robertson JM. Genetic isolation by distance underlies colour pattern divergence in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1666-1681. [PMID: 35034406 PMCID: PMC8923152 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Investigating the spatial distribution of genetic and phenotypic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in natural systems. We characterized patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity to learn about drivers of colour-pattern diversification in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas) in Costa Rica. Along the Pacific coast, red-eyed treefrogs have conspicuous leg colour patterning that transitions from orange in the north to purple in the south. We measured phenotypic variation of frogs, with increased sampling at sites where the orange-to-purple transition occurs. At the transition zone, we discovered the co-occurrence of multiple colour-pattern morphs. To explore possible causes of this variation, we generated a single nucleotide polymorphism data set to analyse population genetic structure, measure genetic diversity and infer the processes that mediate genotype-phenotype dynamics. We investigated how patterns of genetic relatedness correspond to individual measures of colour pattern along the coast, including testing for the role of hybridization in geographic regions where orange and purple phenotypic groups co-occur. We found no evidence that colour-pattern polymorphism in the transition zone arose through recent hybridization. Instead, a strong pattern of genetic isolation by distance indicates that colour-pattern variation was either retained through other processes such as ancestral colour polymorphisms or ancient secondary contact, or else it was generated by novel mutations. We found that phenotype changes along the Pacific coast more than would be expected based on genetic divergence and geographic distance alone. Combined, our results suggest the possibility of selective pressures acting on colour pattern at a small geographic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan I. Clark
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA,W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA
| | - Gideon S. Bradburd
- Department of integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Maria Akopyan
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA,Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Robertson
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
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12
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Carvajal-Castro JD, Vargas-Salinas F, Casas-Cardona S, Rojas B, Santos JC. Aposematism facilitates the diversification of parental care strategies in poison frogs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19047. [PMID: 34561489 PMCID: PMC8463664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97206-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved adaptations to increase the odds of survival of their offspring. Parental care has evolved several times in animals including ectotherms. In amphibians, ~ 10% of species exhibit parental care. Among these, poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are well-known for their extensive care, which includes egg guarding, larval transport, and specialized tadpole provisioning with trophic eggs. At least one third of dendrobatids displaying aposematism by exhibiting warning coloration that informs potential predators about the presence of defensive skin toxins. Aposematism has a central role in poison frog diversification, including diet specialization, and visual and acoustic communication; and it is thought to have impacted their reproductive biology as well. We tested the latter association using multivariate phylogenetic methods at the family level. Our results show complex relationships between aposematism and certain aspects of the reproductive biology in dendrobatids. In particular, aposematic species tend to use more specialized tadpole-deposition sites, such as phytotelmata, and ferry fewer tadpoles than non-aposematic species. We propose that aposematism may have facilitated the diversification of microhabitat use in dendrobatids in the context of reproduction. Furthermore, the use of resource-limited tadpole-deposition environments may have evolved in tandem with an optimal reproductive strategy characterized by few offspring, biparental care, and female provisioning of food in the form of unfertilized eggs. We also found that in phytotelm-breeders, the rate of transition from cryptic to aposematic phenotype is 17 to 19 times higher than vice versa. Therefore, we infer that the aposematism in dendrobatids might serve as an umbrella trait for the evolution and maintenance of their complex offspring-caring activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D. Carvajal-Castro
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA ,grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Fernando Vargas-Salinas
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Santiago Casas-Cardona
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland ,grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan C. Santos
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA
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13
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Burdfield-Steel E, Kemp DJ. Negative intersexual genetic correlation for colour pattern in a variable aposematic insect. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Despite the fact their coloration functions as an aposematic signal, and is thus expected to be under stabilizing selection, hibiscus harlequin bugs (Tectocoris diophthalmus) show an impressive level of variation in their iridescent coloration both within and between populations. To date the heritability of coloration in this species remains unknown. Here we focus on a single population in New South Wales (the southern part of this species’ Australian range), with the greatest colour variation. We reared full-sib families of known pedigree in the laboratory and analysed the extent of iridescent coloration at adulthood. We then looked for evidence of heritability, condition dependence and antagonistic sexual selection acting on colour in this species. We found significant heritability in the extent of iridescent coloration for both sexes, as well as in development time and body size, but no evidence that condition dependence played a role in the determination of adult coloration. There was, however, a sex by genotype interaction for iridescent cover, in the form of a negative intersexual genetic correlation: in families where sons had high iridescent cover the daughters had low, and vice versa. Our results suggest that different selective pressures may act on coloration in males and females of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Burdfield-Steel
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Darrell J Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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14
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Zhou W, Yu L, Kwek BZW, Jin G, Zeng H, Li D. Sexual selection on jumping spider color pattern: investigation with a new quantitative approach. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
How animals assess information encoded in individual color patches have been extensively studied, yet the role of both individual color patches and gross color pattern (i.e., the combination of color patches) remains understudied. We tested the functioning of both individual color patches and gross color pattern in sexual selection using the jumping spider Siler semiglaucus as a study system. We first quantified sexual dimorphism in S. semiglaucus in both individual patches and gross color pattern using the newly developed quantitative color pattern analysis (QCPA) framework. After detecting sexual differences in color coverage and pattern contrast, we manipulated the abdomen color pattern of males and had them engage in both female mate choice and male contest trials. Females spent more time watching males with lower pattern contrast and greater red coverage during mate assessment, suggesting that they evaluate information from both individual patches and gross color pattern of males. However, male color pattern had no significant effect on the outcomes of male contests. Thus, we suggest that the observed sexual color pattern dimorphism evolved primarily through female mate choice in S. semiglaucus. This is the first study to use QCPA framework to quantify sexual dimorphism in within-pattern conspicuousness from an intraspecific perspective in invertebrates. Our study also highlights the importance of both individual color patches and gross color pattern in sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Long Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering and Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Bernetta Z W Kwek
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ge Jin
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, 70 Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Hua Zeng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research and Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
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15
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Caro T, Koneru M. Towards an ecology of protective coloration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:611-641. [PMID: 33258554 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The strategies underlying different forms of protective coloration are well understood but little attention has been paid to the ecological, life-history and behavioural circumstances under which they evolve. While some comparative studies have investigated the ecological correlates of aposematism, and background matching, the latter particularly in mammals, few have examined the ecological correlates of other types of protective coloration. Here, we first outline which types of defensive coloration strategies may be exhibited by the same individual; concluding that many protective coloration mechanisms can be employed simultaneously, particularly in conjunction with background matching. Second, we review the ecological predictions that have been made for each sort of protective coloration mechanism before systematically surveying phylogenetically controlled comparative studies linking ecological and social variables to antipredator defences that involve coloration. We find that some a priori predictions based on small-scale empirical studies and logical arguments are indeed supported by comparative data, especially in relation to how illumination affects both background matching and self-shadow concealment through countershading; how body size is associated with countershading, motion dazzle, flash coloration and aposematism, although only in selected taxa; how immobility may promote background matching in ambush predators; and how mobility may facilitate motion dazzle. Examination of nearly 120 comparative tests reveals that many focus on ecological variables that have little to do with predictions derived from antipredator defence theory, and that broad-scale ecological studies of defence strategies that incorporate phylogenetics are still very much in their infancy. We close by making recommendations for future evolutionary ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Manisha Koneru
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
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16
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Fouilloux CA, Garcia-Costoya G, Rojas B. Visible implant elastomer (VIE) success in early larval stages of a tropical amphibian species. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9630. [PMID: 32864207 PMCID: PMC7425637 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are often difficult to distinguish at an individual level, and being able to identify individuals can be crucial in ecological or behavioral studies. In response to this challenge, biologists have developed a range of marking (tattoos, brands, toe-clips) and tagging (banding, collars, PIT, VIA, VIE) methods to identify individuals and cohorts. Animals with complex life cycles are notoriously hard to mark because of the distortion or loss of the tag across metamorphosis. In amphibians, few studies have attempted larval tagging and none have been conducted on a tropical species. Here, we present the first successful account of VIE tagging in early larval stages (Gosner stage 25) of the dyeing poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) coupled with a novel anesthetic (2-PHE) application for tadpoles that does not require buffering. Mean weight of individuals at time of tagging was 0.12 g, which is the smallest and developmentally youngest anuran larvae tagged to date. We report 81% tag detection over the first month of development, as well as the persistence of tags across metamorphosis in this species. Cumulative tag retention vs tag observation differed by approximately 15% across larval development demonstrating that "lost" tags can be found later in development. Tagging had no effect on tadpole growth rate or survival. Successful application of VIE tags on D. tinctorius tadpoles introduces a new method that can be applied to better understand early life development and dispersal in various tropical species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A Fouilloux
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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17
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Arias M, Davey JW, Martin S, Jiggins C, Nadeau N, Joron M, Llaurens V. How do predators generalize warning signals in simple and complex prey communities? Insights from a videogame. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200014. [PMID: 32070260 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistence of distinct warning signals within and between sympatric mimetic communities is a puzzling evolutionary question because selection favours convergence of colour patterns among toxic species. Such convergence is partly shaped by predators' reaction to similar but not identical stimulus (i.e. generalization behaviour), and generalization by predators is likely to be shaped by the diversity of local prey. However, studying generalization behaviour is generally limited to simple variations of prey colour patterns. Here, we used a computer game played by humans as surrogate predators to investigate generalization behaviours in simple (4 morphs) and complex (10 morphs) communities of unprofitable (associated with a penalty) and profitable butterflies. Colour patterns used in the game are observed in the natural populations of unprofitable butterfly species such as Heliconius numata. Analyses of 449 game participants' behaviours show that players avoided unprofitable prey more readily in simple than in complex communities. However, generalization was observed only in players that faced complex communities, enhancing the protection of profitable prey that looked similar to at least one unprofitable morph. Additionally, similarity among unprofitable prey also reduced attack rates only in complex communities. These results are consistent with previous studies using avian predators but artificial colour patterns and suggest that mimicry is more likely to evolve in complex communities where increases in similarity are more likely to be advantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Arias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paul Valéry, 34293 Montpellier 5, France
| | - John W Davey
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Simon Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Chris Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Nicola Nadeau
- Molecular Ecology Lab, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paul Valéry, 34293 Montpellier 5, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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18
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19
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van den Berg CP, Troscianko J, Endler JA, Marshall NJ, Cheney KL. Quantitative Colour Pattern Analysis (QCPA): A comprehensive framework for the analysis of colour patterns in nature. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John A. Endler
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences Deakin University Geelong Australia
| | - N. Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
| | - Karen L. Cheney
- The School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
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20
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Preferences for and use of light microhabitats differ among and within populations of a polytypic poison frog. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Anti-predator strategies can influence trade-offs governing other activities important to fitness. Crypsis, for example, might make conspicuous sexual display especially costly, whereas aposematism might reduce or remove such costs. We tested for correlates of anti-predator strategy in Oophaga pumilio, a polytypic poison frog with morphs spanning the crypsis–aposematism continuum. In the wild, males of visually conspicuous morphs display from conspicuous perches and behave as if they perceive predation risk to be low. We thus predicted that, given a choice of ambient light microhabitats, these males would use high ambient light conditions the most and be most likely to perch in high-light conditions. We found no evidence that differently colored male O. pumilio preferentially used bright microhabitats or that ambient light influenced perching in a morph-specific manner. Independent of light conditions, males from the most conspicuous population perched the least, but the most conspicuous individuals from a polymorphic population perched the most. These patterns suggest that preferences do not necessarily underlie among-morph differences observed in the wild. This could be explained, and remain consistent with theory, if risk aversion is shaped, in part, by experience.
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21
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Lawrence JP, Rojas B, Fouquet A, Mappes J, Blanchette A, Saporito RA, Bosque RJ, Courtois EA, Noonan BP. Weak warning signals can persist in the absence of gene flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:19037-19045. [PMID: 31481623 PMCID: PMC6754554 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901872116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic organisms couple conspicuous warning signals with a secondary defense to deter predators from attacking. Novel signals of aposematic prey are expected to be selected against due to positive frequency-dependent selection. How, then, can novel phenotypes persist after they arise, and why do so many aposematic species exhibit intrapopulation signal variability? Using a polytypic poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), we explored the forces of selection on variable aposematic signals using 2 phenotypically distinct (white, yellow) populations. Contrary to expectations, local phenotype was not always better protected compared to novel phenotypes in either population; in the white population, the novel phenotype evoked greater avoidance in natural predators. Despite having a lower quantity of alkaloids, the skin extracts from yellow frogs provoked higher aversive reactions by birds than white frogs in the laboratory, although both populations differed from controls. Similarly, predators learned to avoid the yellow signal faster than the white signal, and generalized their learned avoidance of yellow but not white. We propose that signals that are easily learned and broadly generalized can protect rare, novel signals, and weak warning signals (i.e., signals with poor efficacy and/or poor defense) can persist when gene flow among populations, as in this case, is limited. This provides a mechanism for the persistence of intrapopulation aposematic variation, a likely precursor to polytypism and driver of speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Lawrence
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677;
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland;
| | - Antoine Fouquet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5174, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Annelise Blanchette
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118
| | | | - Elodie A Courtois
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens, Centre de Recherche de Montabo, Universite de Guyane, BP 70620, 97334 Cayenne cedex, France
| | - Brice P Noonan
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677
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22
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Rojas B, Pašukonis A. From habitat use to social behavior: natural history of a voiceless poison frog, Dendrobates tinctorius. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7648. [PMID: 31576237 PMCID: PMC6753930 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7648] [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: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Descriptive studies of natural history have always been a source of knowledge on which experimental work and scientific progress rely. Poison frogs are a well-studied group of small Neotropical frogs with diverse parental behaviors, distinct calls, and bright colors that warn predators about their toxicity; and a showcase of advances in fundamental biology through natural history observations. The dyeing poison frog, Dendrobates tinctorius, is emblematic of the Guianas region, widespread in the pet trade, and increasingly popular in research. This species shows several unusual behaviors, such as the lack of advertisement calls and the aggregation around tree-fall gaps, which remain poorly described and understood. Here, we summarize our observations from a natural population of D. tinctorius in French Guiana collected over various field trips between 2009 and 2017; our aim is to provide groundwork for future fundamental and applied research spanning parental care, animal dispersal, disease spread, habitat use in relation to color patterns, and intra-specific communication, to name a few. We report sex differences in habitat use and the striking invasion of tree-fall gaps; describe their courtship and aggressive behaviors; document egg development and tadpole transport; and discuss how the knowledge generated by this study could set the grounds for further research on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Andrius Pašukonis
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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23
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French CM, Deutsch MS, Chávez G, Almora CE, Brown JL. Speciation with introgression: Phylogeography and systematics of the Ameerega petersi group (Dendrobatidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 138:31-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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24
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Sibeaux A, Cole GL, Endler JA. The relative importance of local and global visual contrast in mate choice. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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25
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Maia R, Gruson H, Endler JA, White TE. pavo
2: New tools for the spectral and spatial analysis of colour in
r. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Maia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York NY
| | - Hugo Gruson
- CEFE, University Montpellier CNRS University Paul Valery Montpellier 3 EPHE IRD Montpellier France
| | - John A. Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus Vic. Australia
| | - Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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26
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Briolat ES, Burdfield‐Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency-dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator-prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once-paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S. Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
| | - Emily R. Burdfield‐Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
| | - Sarah C. Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
- Department of Chemical EcologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25, 33615, BielefeldGermany
| | - Katja H. Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki, 00014Finland
| | - Brett M. Seymoure
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCA 90840U.S.A.
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of BiologyEast Carolina University1000 E Fifth St, GreenvilleNC 27858U.S.A.
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27
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Klonoski K, Bi K, Rosenblum EB. Phenotypic and genetic diversity in aposematic Malagasy poison frogs (genus Mantella). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2725-2742. [PMID: 30891212 PMCID: PMC6406014 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific color variation has long fascinated evolutionary biologists. In species with bright warning coloration, phenotypic diversity is particularly compelling because many factors, including natural and sexual selection, contribute to intraspecific variation. To better understand the causes of dramatic phenotypic variation in Malagasy poison frogs, we quantified genetic structure and color and pattern variation across three closely related species, Mantella aurantiaca, Mantella crocea, and Mantella milotympanum. Although our restriction site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing approach identified clear genetic clusters, they do not align with current species designations, which has important conservation implications for these imperiled frogs. Moreover, our results suggest that levels of intraspecific color variation within this group have been overestimated, while species diversity has been underestimated. Within major genetic clusters, we observed distinct patterns of variation including: populations that are phenotypically similar yet genetically distinct, populations where phenotypic and genetic breaks coincide, and populations that are genetically similar but have high levels of within-population phenotypic variation. We also detected admixture between two of the major genetic clusters. Our study suggests that several mechanisms-including hybridization, selection, and drift-are contributing to phenotypic diversity. Ultimately, our work underscores the need for a reevaluation of how polymorphic and polytypic populations and species are classified, especially in aposematic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Klonoski
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
| | - Ke Bi
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
- Computational Genomics Resource Laboratory (CGRL), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3)University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
| | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia
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28
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Stoddard MC, Osorio D. Animal Coloration Patterns: Linking Spatial Vision to Quantitative Analysis. Am Nat 2019; 193:164-186. [DOI: 10.1086/701300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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29
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Doktorovová L, Exnerová A, Hotová Svádová K, Štys P, Adamová-Ježová D, Zverev V, Kozlov MV, Zvereva EL. Differential Bird Responses to Colour Morphs of an Aposematic Leaf Beetle may Affect Variation in Morph Frequencies in Polymorphic Prey Populations. Evol Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-018-9465-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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30
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Rojas B, Burdfield-Steel E, De Pasqual C, Gordon S, Hernández L, Mappes J, Nokelainen O, Rönkä K, Lindstedt C. Multimodal Aposematic Signals and Their Emerging Role in Mate Attraction. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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31
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Distance-dependent defensive coloration in the poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius, Dendrobatidae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6416-6421. [PMID: 29866847 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800826115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Poison dart frogs provide classic examples of warning signals: potent toxins signaled by distinctive, conspicuous coloration. We show that, counterintuitively, the bright yellow and blue-black color of Dendrobates tinctorius (Dendrobatidae) also provides camouflage. Through computational modeling of predator vision, and a screen-based detection experiment presenting frogs at different spatial resolutions, we demonstrate that at close range the frog is highly detectable, but from a distance the colors blend together, forming effective camouflage. This result was corroborated with an in situ experiment, which found survival to be background-dependent, a feature more associated with camouflage than aposematism. Our results suggest that in D. tinctorius the distribution of pattern elements, and the particular colors expressed, act as a highly salient close range aposematic signal, while simultaneously minimizing detectability to distant observers.
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32
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Henze MJ, Lind O, Mappes J, Rojas B, Kelber A. An aposematic colour‐polymorphic moth seen through the eyes of conspecifics and predators – Sensitivity and colour discrimination in a tiger moth. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam J. Henze
- Lund Vision GroupDepartment of BiologyLund University Lund Sweden
| | - Olle Lind
- Department of PhilosophyCognitive ScienceLund University Lund Sweden
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological InteractionsUniversity of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological InteractionsUniversity of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision GroupDepartment of BiologyLund University Lund Sweden
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33
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Simple observations with complex implications: What we have learned and can learn about parental care from a frog that feeds its young. ZOOL ANZ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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34
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Phylogeny and evolution of Müllerian mimicry in aposematic Dilophotes: evidence for advergence and size-constraints in evolution of mimetic sexual dimorphism. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3744. [PMID: 29487341 PMCID: PMC5829258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22155-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple patterns and intraspecific polymorphism should not persist in mutualistic Müllerian systems due to purifying and frequency-dependent selection, but they are commonly identified in nature. We analysed molecular phylogeny and reconstructed dispersal history of 58 species of Dilophotes (Coleoptera: Lycidae) in Asia. Dilophotes colonized the Great Sundas and Malay Peninsula where they joined extensive mimetic communities of net-winged beetles. We identified the brightly bi-coloured males and females which adverged on five occasions to different autochthonous models. This is the first described case of Müllerian sexual dimorphism based on sex-specific body size. We propose that the constraint, i.e. the conservative sexual size dimorphism, forced the unprofitable prey to such complex adaptation in a multi-pattern environment. Although mimetic sexual dimorphism has frequently evolved in Dilophotes, a single pattern has been maintained by both sexes in multiple closely related, sympatrically occurring species. Some patterns may be suboptimal because they are rare, crudely resemble co-mimics, or are newly evolved, but they persist in Müllerian communities for a long time. We assume that failure to closely resemble the most common model can increase the diversity of large Müllerian communities and produce mimetic dimorphism.
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Pérez-Rodríguez L, Jovani R, Stevens M. Shape matters: animal colour patterns as signals of individual quality. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2446. [PMID: 28228513 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour patterns (e.g. irregular, spotted or barred forms) are widespread in the animal kingdom, yet their potential role as signals of quality has been mostly neglected. However, a review of the published literature reveals that pattern itself (irrespective of its size or colour intensity) is a promising signal of individual quality across species of many different taxa. We propose at least four main pathways whereby patterns may reliably reflect individual quality: (i) as conventional signals of status, (ii) as indices of developmental homeostasis, (iii) by amplifying cues of somatic integrity and (iv) by amplifying individual investment in maintenance activities. Methodological constraints have traditionally hampered research on the signalling potential of colour patterns. To overcome this, we report a series of tools (e.g. colour adjacency and pattern regularity analyses, Fourier and granularity approaches, fractal geometry, geometric morphometrics) that allow objective quantification of pattern variability. We discuss how information provided by these methods should consider the visual system of the model species and behavioural responses to pattern metrics, in order to allow biologically meaningful conclusions. Finally, we propose future challenges in this research area that will require a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together inputs from genetics, physiology, behavioural ecology and evolutionary-developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Roger Jovani
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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36
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Rönkä K, De Pasqual C, Mappes J, Gordon S, Rojas B. Colour alone matters: no predator generalization among morphs of an aposematic moth. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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37
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Dreher CE, Rodríguez A, Cummings ME, Pröhl H. Mating status correlates with dorsal brightness in some but not all poison frog populations. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10503-10512. [PMID: 29299233 PMCID: PMC5743646 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual signals are important for intraspecific communication and mate selection, but their evolution may be driven by both natural and sexual selection, and stochastic processes. Strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) show strong color divergence among populations, but coloration also varies among individuals of the same population. The importance of coloration for female mate choice has been studied intensely, and sexual selection seems to affect color divergence in strawberry poison frogs. However, the effect of coloration on mating success under field conditions has received very little attention. Furthermore, few studies examined how phenotypic variation among individuals of the same color morph affects mate selection under natural conditions. We measured the spectral reflectance of courting and noncourting individuals and their background substrates in three geographically separated populations. In one population (Sarapiquí, Costa Rica), we found that naturally occurring courting pairs of males and females had significantly brighter dorsal coloration than individual males and females not engaged in courtship interactions. Our field observations suggest that, in the wild, females prefer brighter males while the reason for the higher courtship activity of brighter females remains unclear. Overall our results imply that brightness differences among individuals of the same color morph may actually affect reproductive success in some populations of strawberry poison frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna E Dreher
- Institute of Zoology University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover Germany
| | - Ariel Rodríguez
- Institute of Zoology University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover Germany
| | - Molly E Cummings
- Section of Integrative Biology University of Texas Austin TX USA
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover Germany
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38
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Tolosa Y, Molina-Zuluaga C, Restrepo A, Daza JM. Madurez y dimorfismo sexual de la ranita cohete <i>Colostethus</i> aff. <i>fraterdanieli</i> (Anura: Dendrobatidae) en una población al este de la Cordillera Central de Colombia. ACTUALIDADES BIOLÓGICAS 2017. [DOI: 10.17533/udea.acbi.329007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
El tamaño mínimo de madurez sexual y el dimorfismo sexual son importantes características de historia de vida, útiles para estudiar y comprender la dinámica poblacional de cualquier especie. En este estudio, determinamos el tamaño mínimo de madurez sexual y la existencia de dimorfismo sexual en una población de la ranita cohete, Colostethus aff. fraterdanieli, a través de datos morfológicos y morfométricos y de observaciones macro y microscópicas de las gónadas. Las hembras alcanzan la madurez sexual a los 17,90 ± 0,1 mm de longitud rostro cloaca (SVL), mientras que los machos alcanzan la madurez sexual sobre los 16,13 ± 0,06 mm (SVL). Las hembras difirieron de los machos en tamaño, forma y coloración de la garganta. Los machos fueron más pequeños que las hembras y tuvieron una marcada y oscura coloración gular que algunas veces se extiende hasta el pecho, mientras que las hembras carecen de esta característica, con una garganta inmaculada o débilmente manchada. En este estudio, describimos algunos aspectos importantes de la ecología reproductiva de una población de C. aff. fraterdanieli útiles como línea base para otros estudios más especializados.
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39
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Clemente-Carvalho RB, Vaira M, King LE, Koscinski D, Bonansea MI, Lougheed SC. Phytogeographic patterns and cryptic diversity in an aposematic toad from NW Argentina. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 116:248-256. [PMID: 28750851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Yungas Redbelly Toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris, is patchily distributed in Argentina, confined to the upland portion (1000-2000m above sea level) of the montane forests of northern and central regions of Salta, and in central-eastern and south-eastern Jujuy. This species is known for its striking aposematic color variation across its geographic distribution, and was once treated as a complex of three subspecies based on distinctive color patterns. Here we assess the geographical genetic variation within M. rubriventris and quantify divergence in color and pattern among individuals sampled from Northwestern Argentina. We compare multi-gene phylogeography of M. rubriventris to patterns of dorsal and ventral coloration to test whether evolutionary affinities predict variation in warning color. Our results reveal two well-supported species lineages: one confined to the extreme northern portion of our sampling area, and the other extending over most of the Argentine portion of the species' range, within which there are two populations. However, these well-supported evolutionary relationships do not mirror the marked variation in warning coloration. This discordance between DNA genealogy and warning color variation may reflect selection brought about by differences in local predation pressures, potentially coupled with effects of sexual selection and thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos Vaira
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Jujuy, Conicet - Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Gorriti 237, 4600 S.S. de Jujuy, Argentina.
| | - Laura E King
- Wildlife Preservation Canada, 5420 Highway 6 North Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6J2, Canada.
| | - Daria Koscinski
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Maria I Bonansea
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600 S. S. de Jujuy, Argentina.
| | - Stephen C Lougheed
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
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40
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Arias M, le Poul Y, Chouteau M, Boisseau R, Rosser N, Théry M, Llaurens V. Crossing fitness valleys: empirical estimation of a fitness landscape associated with polymorphic mimicry. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0391. [PMID: 27122560 PMCID: PMC4855388 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing fitness landscapes associated with polymorphic adaptive traits enables investigation of mechanisms allowing transitions between fitness peaks. Here, we explore how natural selection can promote genetic mechanisms preventing heterozygous phenotypes from falling into non-adaptive valleys. Polymorphic mimicry is an ideal system to investigate such fitness landscapes, because the direction of selection acting on complex mimetic colour patterns can be predicted by the local mimetic community composition. Using more than 5000 artificial butterflies displaying colour patterns exhibited by the polymorphic Müllerian mimic Heliconius numata, we directly tested the role of wild predators in shaping fitness landscapes. We compared predation rates on mimetic phenotypes (homozygotes at the supergene controlling colour pattern), intermediate phenotypes (heterozygotes), exotic morphs (absent from the local community) and palatable cryptic phenotypes. Exotic morphs were significantly more attacked than local morphs, highlighting predators' discriminatory capacities. Overall, intermediates were attacked twice as much as local homozygotes, suggesting the existence of deep fitness valleys promoting strict dominance and reduced recombination between supergene alleles. By including information on predators' colour perception, we also showed that protection on intermediates strongly depends on their phenotypic similarity to homozygous phenotypes and that ridges exist between similar phenotypes, which may facilitate divergence in colour patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Arias
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France UMR CNRS 7179, CNRS-MNHN MECADEV, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1, avenue du petit château, 91800 Brunoy, France
| | - Yann le Poul
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Chouteau
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Romain Boisseau
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale supérieure, 75 005 Paris, France
| | - Neil Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Marc Théry
- UMR CNRS 7179, CNRS-MNHN MECADEV, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1, avenue du petit château, 91800 Brunoy, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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41
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Lindstedt C, Schroderus E, Lindström L, Mappes T, Mappes J. Evolutionary constraints of warning signals: A genetic trade-off between the efficacy of larval and adult warning coloration can maintain variation in signal expression. Evolution 2016; 70:2562-2572. [PMID: 27624666 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
To predict evolutionary responses of warning signals under selection, we need to determine the inheritance pattern of the signals, and how they are genetically correlated with other traits contributing to fitness. Furthermore, protective coloration often undergoes remarkable changes within an individual's lifecycle, requiring us to quantify the genetic constraints of adaptive coloration across all the relevant life stages. Based on a 12 generation pedigree with > 11,000 individuals of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), we show that high primary defense as a larva (large warning signal) results in weaker defenses as adult (less efficient warning color), due to the negative genetic correlation between the efficacy of larval and adult warning coloration. However, production of effective warning coloration as a larva did not incur any life-history costs and was positively genetically correlated with reproductive output. These results provide novel insights into the evolutionary constraints on protective coloration in animals, and explain the maintenance of variation in the signal expression despite the strong directional selection by predators. By analyzing the genetic and environmental effects on warning signal and life-history traits in all relevant life stages, we can accurately determine the mechanisms shaping the evolutionary responses of phenotypic traits under different selection environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lindstedt
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland. .,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland.
| | - E Schroderus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - L Lindström
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - T Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - J Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
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42
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Rojas B. Behavioural, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of diversity in frog colour patterns. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1059-1080. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyvaskyla; PO Box 35 Jyväskylä FI 40001 Finland
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43
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44
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Su S, Lim M, Kunte K. Prey from the eyes of predators: Color discriminability of aposematic and mimetic butterflies from an avian visual perspective. Evolution 2015; 69:2985-94. [PMID: 26477885 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Predation exerts strong selection on mimetic butterfly wing color patterns, which also serve other functions such as sexual selection. Therefore, specific selection pressures may affect the sexes and signal components differentially. We tested three predictions about the evolution of mimetic resemblance by comparing wing coloration of aposematic butterflies and their Batesian mimics: (a) females gain greater mimetic advantage than males and therefore are better mimics, (b) due to intersexual genetic correlations, sexually monomorphic mimics are better mimics than female-limited mimics, and (c) mimetic resemblance is better on the dorsal wing surface that is visible to predators in flight. Using a physiological model of avian color vision, we quantified mimetic resemblance from predators' perspective, which showed that female butterflies were better mimics than males. Mimetic resemblance in female-limited mimics was comparable to that in sexually monomorphic mimics, suggesting that intersexual genetic correlations did not constrain adaptive response to selection for female-limited mimicry. Mimetic resemblance on the ventral wing surface was better than that on the dorsal wing surface, implying stronger natural and sexual selection on ventral and dorsal surfaces, respectively. These results suggest that mimetic resemblance in butterfly mimicry rings has evolved under various selective pressures acting in a sex- and wing surface-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Su
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India. .,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Matthew Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
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45
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Gordon SP, Kokko H, Rojas B, Nokelainen O, Mappes J. Colour polymorphism torn apart by opposing positive frequency-dependent selection, yet maintained in space. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1555-64. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Swanne P. Gordon
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyväskylä; yväskylä Finland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyväskylä; yväskylä Finland
| | - Ossi Nokelainen
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyväskylä; yväskylä Finland
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyväskylä; yväskylä Finland
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46
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Visual illusions in predator–prey interactions: birds find moving patterned prey harder to catch. Anim Cogn 2015; 18:1059-68. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0874-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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47
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Cole GL, Endler JA. Variable environmental effects on a multicomponent sexually selected trait. Am Nat 2015; 185:452-68. [PMID: 25811082 DOI: 10.1086/680022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Multicomponent signals are made up of interacting elements that generate a functional signaling unit. The interactions between signal components and their effects on individual fitness are not well understood, and the effect of environment is even less so. It is usually assumed that color patterns appear the same in all light environments and that the effects of each color are additive. Using guppies, Poecilia reticulata, we investigated the effect of water color on the interactions between components of sexually selected male coloration. Through behavioral mate choice trials in four different water colors, we estimated the attractiveness of male color patterns, using multivariate fitness estimates and overall signal contrast. Our results show that females exhibit preferences that favor groups of colors rather than individual colors independently and that each environment favors different color combinations. We found that these effects are consistent with female guppies selecting entire color patterns on the basis of overall visual contrast. This suggests that both individuals and populations inhabiting different light environments will be subject to divergent, multivariate selection. Although the appearance of color patterns changes with light environment, achromatic components change little, suggesting that these could function in species recognition or other aspects of communication that must work across environments. Consequently, we predict different phylogenetic patterns between chromatic and achromatic signals within the same clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma L Cole
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds 3216, Victoria, Australia
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48
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Differential detectability of polymorphic warning signals under varying light environments. Behav Processes 2014; 109 Pt B:164-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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49
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Galarza JA, Nokelainen O, Ashrafi R, Hegna RH, Mappes J. Temporal relationship between genetic and warning signal variation in the aposematic wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4939-57. [PMID: 25211063 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many plants and animals advertise unpalatability through warning signals in the form of colour and shape. Variation in warning signals within local populations is not expected because they are subject to directional selection. However, mounting evidence of warning signal variation within local populations suggests that other selective forces may be acting. Moreover, different selective pressures may act on the individual components of a warning signal. At present, we have a limited understanding about how multiple selection processes operate simultaneously on warning signal components, and even less about their temporal and spatial dynamics. Here, we examined temporal variation of several wing warning signal components (colour, UV-reflectance, signal size and pattern) of two co-occurring colour morphs of the aposematic wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis). Sampling was carried out in four geographical regions over three consecutive years. We also evaluated each morph's temporal genetic structure by analysing mitochondrial sequence data and nuclear microsatellite markers. Our results revealed temporal differences between the morphs for most signal components measured. Moreover, variation occurred differently in the fore- and hindwings. We found no differences in the genetic structure between the morphs within years and regions, suggesting single local populations. However, local genetic structure fluctuated temporally. Negative correlations were found between variation produced by neutrally evolving genetic markers and those of the different signal components, indicating a non-neutral evolution for most warning signal components. Taken together, our results suggest that differential selection on warning signal components and fluctuating population structure can be one explanation for the maintenance of warning signal variation in this aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Galarza
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9, Jyväskylä, 40500, Finland
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50
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Rojas B, Devillechabrolle J, Endler JA. Paradox lost: variable colour-pattern geometry is associated with differences in movement in aposematic frogs. Biol Lett 2014; 10:20140193. [PMCID: PMC4090543 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Aposematic signal variation is a paradox: predators are better at learning and retaining the association between conspicuousness and unprofitability when signal variation is low. Movement patterns and variable colour patterns are linked in non-aposematic species: striped patterns generate illusions of altered speed and direction when moving linearly, affecting predators' tracking ability; blotched patterns benefit instead from unpredictable pauses and random movement. We tested whether the extensive colour-pattern variation in an aposematic frog is linked to movement, and found that individuals moving directionally and faster have more elongated patterns than individuals moving randomly and slowly. This may help explain the paradox of polymorphic aposematism: variable warning signals may reduce protection, but predator defence might still be effective if specific behaviours are tuned to specific signals. The interacting effects of behavioural and morphological traits may be a key to the evolution of warning signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | | | - John A. Endler
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
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