1
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Watkins CD. Mate assessment based on physical characteristics: a review and reflection. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39175167 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13131] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Mate choice, and sex differences in romantic behaviours, represented one of the first major applications of evolutionary biology to human behaviour. This paper reviews Darwinian approaches to heterosexual mate assessment based on physical characteristics, placing the literature in its historical context (1871-1979), before turning (predominantly) to psychological research on attractiveness judgements based on physical characteristics. Attractiveness is consistently inferred across multiple modalities, with biological theories explaining why we differentiate certain individuals, on average, from others. Simultaneously, it is a judgement that varies systematically in light of our own traits, environment, and experiences. Over 30 years of research has generated robust effects alongside reasons to be humble in our lack of understanding of the precise physiological mechanisms involved in mate assessment. This review concludes with three questions to focus attention in further research, and proposes that our romantic preferences still provide a critical window into the evolution of human sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Watkins
- Division of Psychology and Forensic Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Kydd Building, Bell Street, Dundee, DD11HG, UK
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2
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Pollo P, Lagisz M, Yang Y, Culina A, Nakagawa S. Synthesis of sexual selection: a systematic map of meta-analyses with bibliometric analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38982618 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Sexual selection has been a popular subject within evolutionary biology because of its central role in explaining odd and counterintuitive traits observed in nature. Consequently, the literature associated with this field of study became vast. Meta-analytical studies attempting to draw inferences from this literature have now accumulated, varying in scope and quality, thus calling for a synthesis of these syntheses. We conducted a systematic literature search to create a systematic map with a report appraisal of meta-analyses on topics associated with sexual selection, aiming to identify the conceptual and methodological gaps in this secondary literature. We also conducted bibliometric analyses to explore whether these gaps are associated with the gender and origin of the authors of these meta-analyses. We included 152 meta-analytical studies in our systematic map. We found that most meta-analyses focused on males and on certain animal groups (e.g. birds), indicating severe sex and taxonomic biases. The topics in these studies varied greatly, from proximate (e.g. relationship of ornaments with other traits) to ultimate questions (e.g. formal estimates of sexual selection strength), although the former were more common. We also observed several common methodological issues in these studies, such as lack of detailed information regarding searches, screening, and analyses, which ultimately impairs the reliability of many of these meta-analyses. In addition, most of the meta-analyses' authors were men affiliated to institutions from developed countries, pointing to both gender and geographical authorship biases. Most importantly, we found that certain authorship aspects were associated with conceptual and methodological issues in meta-analytical studies. Many of our findings might simply reflect patterns in the current state of the primary literature and academia, suggesting that our study can serve as an indicator of issues within the field of sexual selection at large. Based on our findings, we provide both conceptual and analytical recommendations to improve future studies in the field of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Pollo
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Yefeng Yang
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Antica Culina
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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3
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Gosai KR, Zhou L, Liu Y, Braun EL, Kimball RT, Robinson SK, Jiang A, Goodale E. Investigating flock-associated mimicry: examining the evidence for, and drivers of, plumage mimicry in the greater and lesser necklaced laughingthrush. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:230976. [PMID: 38601036 PMCID: PMC11004677 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Visual mimicry is less understood in birds than in other taxa. The interspecific social dominance mimicry (ISDM) hypothesis asserts that subordinate species resemble dominant ones to reduce aggression. Plumage mimicry has also been consistently noted in mixed-species flocks (MSFs), suggesting a connection to grouping behaviour, although it is unclear whether this is linked to ISDM. We studied greater necklaced laughingthrush (GNLT, Pterorhinus pectoralis) and lesser necklaced laughingthrush (LNLT, Garrulax monileger), which were recently placed in different genera. Measurements of 162 museum specimens showed LNLT converging in sympatry with GNLT in necklace colour, but diverging in necklace to body ratio, with proportionally smaller necklaces. The species were closely associated in six of seven MSF systems from Nepal to China. In a study of foraging behaviour in Nepal, aggression was rare between the species, LNLT followed GNLT and had lower foraging rates when further from GNLT. Our data suggest a link between this MSF-associated mimicry and ISDM, and that the subordinate LNLT may be the mimic and gain more from the resemblance. The species spend much time together in dense and poorly lit vegetation, where the LNLTs resemblance to GNLTs potentially allows them to forage closer to GNLTs than would be otherwise possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Raj Gosai
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi530004, People's Republic of China
- Department of Environmental Science, Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu44600, Nepal
| | - Liping Zhou
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Edward L. Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611, USA
| | | | - Scott K. Robinson
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611, USA
| | - Aiwu Jiang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu215123, People's Republic of China
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4
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Patterson C, Pilakouta N. Effects of Parental Care on the Magnitude of Inbreeding Depression: A Meta-Analysis in Fishes. Am Nat 2024; 203:E50-E62. [PMID: 38306289 DOI: 10.1086/728001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
AbstractInbreeding results from matings between relatives and often leads to a reduction in the fitness of inbred offspring, known as inbreeding depression. There is substantial variation in the magnitude of inbreeding depression among and within species, driven by differences in the biotic and abiotic environment. Recent studies in three species found that parental care has the potential to buffer against inbreeding depression in the offspring, but the generality of this pattern is still unknown. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to test whether variation in the magnitude of inbreeding depression is related to among-species differences in parental care in fishes. We synthesized 536 effect sizes across 56 studies and 18 species, spanning 47 years of research. We found that inbred offspring suffer a smaller reduction in fitness in species that provide biparental care than in species with uniparental or no care. By using a comparative approach, this study provides novel insights into the capacity of parental care to moderate inbreeding depression and suggests that these effects may currently be underappreciated. Considering the potential effects of parental care on inbreeding depression can help us understand why some species avoid inbreeding, whereas others tolerate or even prefer inbreeding, which has important implications for the maintenance of genetic variation within populations.
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5
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Richardson J, Zuk M. Meta-analytical evidence that males prefer virgin females. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14341. [PMID: 37988323 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14341] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Males are often predicted to prefer virgin over non-virgin females because of the reduced risk of sperm competition. Does this prediction hold across studies? Our systematic meta-analysis of 138 studies, mainly conducted in invertebrates, confirms that males generally prefer virgin females. However, males preferred virgin females even in species with last male sperm precedence, suggesting that sperm competition alone does not drive male preferences. Furthermore, our results suggest that males may reject mated females even when no alternative exists. Preference for virgins is unlikely to influence female reproductive success since virginity cannot be selected for, but strong preference for virgin females could swamp or reinforce selection on other traits. Our results add to growing evidence that males are not indiscriminate in mating. However, given the unexplained heterogeneity in effect sizes, we urge caution in assuming that males will prefer virgins and recommend considering the natural context of mating decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Richardson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Valcu M, Valcu C, Kempenaers B. Extra‐pair paternity and sexual dimorphism in birds. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:764-779. [PMID: 36971464 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Differences in the strength of sexual selection between males and females can lead to sexual dimorphism. Extra-pair paternity (EPP) can increase the variance in male reproductive success and hence the opportunity for sexual selection. Previous research on birds suggests that EPP drives the evolution of dimorphism in plumage colour and in body size. Because EPP increases the intensity of sexual selection in males, it should lead to increased dimorphism in species with larger or more colourful males, but decreased dimorphism in species with larger or more colourful females. We explored the covariation between EPP and sexual dimorphism in wing length and plumage colouration in 401 bird species, while controlling for other, potentially confounding variables. Wing length dimorphism was associated positively with the frequency of EPP, but also with social polygamy, sex bias in parental behaviour and body size and negatively with migration distance. The frequency of EPP was the only predictor of plumage colour dimorphism. In support of our prediction, high EPP levels were associated with sexual dichromatism, positively in species in which males are more colourful and negatively in those in which females are more colourful. Contrary to our prediction, high EPP rates were associated with increased wing length dimorphism in species with both male- and female-biased dimorphism. The results support a role for EPP in the evolution of both size and plumage colour dimorphism. The two forms of dimorphism were weakly correlated and predicted by different reproductive, social and life-history traits, suggesting an independent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Cristina Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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7
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Cuervo JJ, Morales J, Soler JJ, Moreno J. Sexual selection, feather wear, and time constraints on the pre-basic molt explain the acquisition of the pre-alternate molt in European passerines. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9260. [PMID: 36091343 PMCID: PMC9448967 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9260] [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: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian feathers need to be replaced periodically to fulfill their functions, with natural, social, and sexual selection presumably driving the evolution of molting strategies. In temperate birds, a common pattern is to molt feathers immediately after the breeding season, the pre-basic molt. However, some species undergo another molt in winter-spring, the pre-alternate molt. Using a sample of 188 European passerine species, Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models, and correlated evolution analyses, we tested whether the occurrence of the pre-alternate molt was positively associated with proxies for sexual selection (sexual selection hypothesis) and nonsexual social selection (social selection hypothesis), and with factors related to feather wear (feather wear hypothesis) and time constraints on the pre-basic molt (time constraints hypothesis). We found that the pre-alternate molt was more frequent in migratory and less gregarious species inhabiting open/xeric habitats and feeding on the wing, and marginally more frequent in species with strong sexual selection and those showing a winter territorial behavior. Moreover, an increase in migratory behavior and sexual selection intensity preceded the acquisition of the pre-alternate molt. These results provide support for the feather wear hypothesis, partial support for the sexual selection and time constraints hypotheses, and no support for the social selection hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J Cuervo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Juan J Soler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC) Almería Spain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
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8
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Aggression induced by ornament similarity is limited to females in a mutually ornamented fish, Betta brownorum. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Girard-Buttoz C, Bortolato T, Laporte M, Grampp M, Zuberbühler K, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Population-specific call order in chimpanzee greeting vocal sequences. iScience 2022; 25:104851. [PMID: 36034222 PMCID: PMC9399282 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates rarely learn new vocalizations, but they can learn to use their vocalizations in different contexts. Such “vocal usage learning,” particularly in vocal sequences, is a hallmark of human language, but remains understudied in non-human primates. We assess usage learning in four wild chimpanzee communities of Taï and Budongo Forests by investigating population differences in call ordering of a greeting vocal sequence. Whilst in all groups, these sequences consisted of pant-hoots (long-distance contact call) and pant-grunts (short-distance submissive call), the order of the two calls differed across populations. Taï chimpanzees consistently commenced greetings with pant-hoots, whereas Budongo chimpanzees started with pant-grunts. We discuss different hypotheses to explain this pattern and conclude that higher intra-group aggression in Budongo may have led to a local pattern of individuals signaling submission first. This highlights how within-species variation in social dynamics may lead to flexibility in call order production, possibly acquired via usage learning. Chimpanzees combine pant-grunt and pant-hoot calls into a greeting hoot sequence Call-order of these greeting and contact calls is population specific Pant-grunt is uttered first in the population with higher in-group aggressions Vocal usage learning may lead to these population differences in sequence structure
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10
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Fülöp A, Németh Z, Kocsis B, Deák-Molnár B, Bozsoky T, Kőmüves G, Barta Z. Fighting ability, personality and melanin signalling in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows ( Passer montanus). PeerJ 2022; 10:e13660. [PMID: 35923892 PMCID: PMC9341450 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals' access to resources is often decided during dyadic contests the outcome of which is determined by the fighting (or competitive) ability of the participants. Individuals' fighting ability (termed also as resource-holding power or potential, RHP) is usually associated with individual features (e.g., sex, age, body size) and is also frequently signalled through various ornaments like the black throat patch (bib) in many birds. Individual personality is a behavioural attribute often linked to fighting ability as well. Based on earlier studies, however, the relationship between personality and fighting ability is far from being straightforward. While accounting for sex and body size, we studied whether exploratory behaviour, an aspect of personality, predicts fighting ability when competing for food during winter in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus). We also investigated whether the bib can serve as a potential indicator of individual competitiveness in this species. Methods We captured adult tree sparrows, marked them with a unique combination of colour rings, and collected data about the individuals' sex, body size, bib size and exploratory behaviour. Birds were then released and the agonistic behaviour of the marked individuals was recorded while foraging in groups on bird feeding platforms. Results The probability of winning a fight, a proxy for fighting ability of individuals, was not related to exploratory behaviour, in either of the sexes. However, bib size was positively related to probability of winning in females, but not in males. Body size was not associated with probability of winning neither in males, nor in females. Conclusions Our results suggest that, at least in tree sparrows, the outcome of dyadic encounters over food during the non-breeding period are not determined by the exploratory personality of individuals. However, our findings provide further support for a status signalling role of the black bib in tree sparrows, and hint for the first time that bib size might function as a status signal in females as well. Finally, our results do not confirm that body size could serve as an indicator of fighting ability (i.e., RHP) in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Fülöp
- Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Németh
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Bianka Kocsis
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Bettina Deák-Molnár
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Tímea Bozsoky
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Kőmüves
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Barta
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
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11
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Pilakouta N, Baillet A. Effects of temperature on mating behaviour and mating success: A meta-analysis. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1642-1650. [PMID: 35811382 PMCID: PMC9541322 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13761] [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: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In light of global climate change, there is a pressing need to understand how populations will respond to rising temperatures. Understanding the effects of temperature changes on mating behaviour is particularly important, given its implications for population viability. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of 53 studies to examine how temperature changes influence mating latency, choosiness and mating success. We hypothesized that if higher temperatures make mate searching and mate assessment more costly due to an elevated metabolism, this may lead to a reduction in mating latency and choosiness, thereby increasing overall mating success. We found no evidence for an overall effect of temperature on mating latency, choosiness, or mating success. There was an increase in mating success when animals were exposed to higher temperatures during mating trials but not when they were exposed before mating trials. In addition, in a subset of studies that measured both mating latency and mating success, there was a strong negative relationship between the effect sizes for these traits. This suggests that a decrease in mating latency at higher temperatures was associated with an increase in mating success and vice versa. In sum, our meta-analysis provides new insights into the effects of temperature on mating patterns. The absence of a consistent directional effect of temperature on mating behaviours and mating success suggests it may be difficult to predict changes in the strength of sexual selection in natural populations in a warming world. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that (a) higher temperatures during mating may lead to an increase in mating success and that (b) an increase in mating success is associated with a decrease in mating latency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anaїs Baillet
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes, Rennes, France.,Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
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12
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Kenyon HL, Martin PR. Aggressive signaling among competing species of birds. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13431. [PMID: 35722268 PMCID: PMC9202552 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive interactions help individuals to gain access to and defend resources, but they can be costly, leading to increased predation risk, injury, or death. Signals involving sounds and color can allow birds to avoid the costs of intraspecific aggressive encounters, but we know less about agonistic signaling between species, where fights can be frequent and just as costly. Here, we review photographic and video evidence of aggressive interactions among species of birds (N = 337 interactions documenting the aggressive signals of 164 different bird species from 120 genera, 50 families, and 24 orders) to document how individuals signal in aggressive encounters among species, and explore whether these visual signals are similar to those used in aggressive encounters with conspecifics. Despite the diversity of birds examined, most aggressively signaling birds displayed weapons (bills, talons, wings) used in fighting and placed these weapons closest to their heterospecific opponent when signaling. Most species oriented their bodies and heads forward with their bills pointing towards their heterospecific opponent, often highlighting their face, throat, mouth, and bill. Many birds also opened their wings and/or tails, increasing their apparent size in displays, consistent with the importance of body size in determining behavioral dominance among species. Aggressive postures were often similar across species and taxonomic families. Exceptions included Accipitridae and Falconidae, which often highlighted their talons in the air, Columbidae, which often highlighted their underwings from the side, and Trochilidae, which often hovered upright in the air and pointed their fanned tail downward. Most species highlighted bright carotenoid-based colors in their signals, but highlighted colors varied across species and often involved multiple colors in combination (e.g., black, white, and carotenoid-based colors). Finally, birds tended to use the same visual signals in aggressive encounters with heterospecifics that they use in aggressive encounters with conspecifics, suggesting that selection from aggressive interactions may act on the same signaling traits regardless of competitor identity.
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14
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Strauss ED, Shizuka D. The dynamics of dominance: open questions, challenges and solutions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200445. [PMID: 35000440 PMCID: PMC8743878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although social hierarchies are recognized as dynamic systems, they are typically treated as static entities for practical reasons. Here, we ask what we can learn from a dynamical view of dominance, and provide a research agenda for the next decades. We identify five broad questions at the individual, dyadic and group levels, exploring the causes and consequences of individual changes in rank, the dynamics underlying dyadic dominance relationships, and the origins and impacts of social instability. Although challenges remain, we propose avenues for overcoming them. We suggest distinguishing between different types of social mobility to provide conceptual clarity about hierarchy dynamics at the individual level, and emphasize the need to explore how these dynamic processes produce dominance trajectories over individual lifespans and impact selection on status-seeking behaviour. At the dyadic level, there is scope for deeper exploration of decision-making processes leading to observed interactions, and how stable but malleable relationships emerge from these interactions. Across scales, model systems where rank is manipulable will be extremely useful for testing hypotheses about dominance dynamics. Long-term individual-based studies will also be critical for understanding the impact of rare events, and for interrogating dynamics that unfold over lifetimes and generations. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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15
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Beltrão P, Marques CI, Cardoso GC, Gomes ACR. Plumage colour saturation predicts long-term, cross-seasonal social dominance in a mutually ornamented bird. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Earl AD, Simpson RK, Yorzinski JL. Dominant females have brighter ornamentation in a sexually dimorphic lekking species. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis D. Earl
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - Richard K. Simpson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Jessica L. Yorzinski
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
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17
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Hernández A, Martínez-Gómez M, Beamonte-Barrientos R, Montoya B. Colourful traits in female birds relate to individual condition, reproductive performance and male-mate preferences: a meta-analytic approach. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210283. [PMID: 34493064 PMCID: PMC8424322 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colourful traits in females are suggested to have evolved and be maintained by sexual selection. Although several studies have evaluated this idea, support is still equivocal. Evidence has been compiled in reviews, and a handful of quantitative syntheses has explored cumulative support for the link between condition and specific colour traits in males and females. However, understanding the potential function of females' colourful traits in sexual communication has not been the primary focus of any of those previous studies. Here, using a meta-analytic approach, we find that evidence from empirical studies in birds supports the idea that colourful female ornaments are positively associated with residual mass and immune response, clutch size and male-mate preferences. Hence, colourful traits in female birds likely evolved and are maintained by sexual selection as condition-dependent signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- América Hernández
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - René Beamonte-Barrientos
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Bibiana Montoya
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
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18
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Baiz MD, Wood AW, Toews DPL. Rare hybrid solves "genetic problem" of linked plumage traits. Ecology 2021; 102:e03424. [PMID: 34086359 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcella D Baiz
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Andrew W Wood
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - David P L Toews
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
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19
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Han C, Watkins CD, Nan Y, Ou J, Lei X, Li X, Wu Y. Exogenous testosterone decreases men's sensitivity to vocal cues of male dominance. Horm Behav 2021; 127:104871. [PMID: 33058835 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Assessing dominance is important for effective social interactions, and prior research suggests that testosterone is associated with men's dominance perceptions. The present study tested for a causal effect of exogenous testosterone on men's sensitivity to vocal cues of other men's dominance, an important parameter in male-male competition across species. One hundred and thirty-nine Chinese men received a single dose (150 mg) of testosterone or placebo gel in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-participant design. Participants reported their own dominance and judged other men's dominance from voices. Men's dominance sensitivity was significantly weaker in the testosterone group compared to those in the placebo group. Moreover, men's dominance sensitivity was negatively associated with their self-reported dominance in our Chinese sample, consistent with findings from Western populations. These results indicate that exogenous testosterone has a causal effect in decreasing men's dominance sensitivity, consistent with the Challenge Hypothesis, suggesting that the fluctuation of testosterone concentration mediates individuals' behaviors. Additionally, the present study could motivate further work on vocal assessment in the context of competition in humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyang Han
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Christopher D Watkins
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Nan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianxin Ou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue Lei
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangqian Li
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yin Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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20
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San-Jose LM, Roulin A. On the Potential Role of the Neural Crest Cells in Integrating Pigmentation Into Behavioral and Physiological Syndromes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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21
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Castles MP, Brand R, Carter AJ, Maron M, Carter KD, Goldizen AW. Relationships between male giraffes’ colour, age and sociability. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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22
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de Zwaan DR, Barnes S, Martin K. Plumage melanism is linked to male quality, female parental investment and assortative mating in an alpine songbird. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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23
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Carleial R, McDonald GC, Pizzari T. Dynamic phenotypic correlates of social status and mating effort in male and female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus. J Evol Biol 2019; 33:22-40. [PMID: 31529557 PMCID: PMC6972591 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite widespread evidence that mating and intrasexual competition are costly, relatively little is known about how these costs dynamically change male and female phenotypes. Here, we test multiple hypotheses addressing this question in replicate flocks of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). First, we test the interrelationships between social status, comb size (a fleshy ornament) and body mass at the onset of a mating trial. While comb size covaried positively with body mass across individuals of both sexes, comb size was positively related to social status in females but not in males. Second, we test for changes within individuals in body mass and comb size throughout the mating trial. Both body mass and comb size declined at the end of a trial in both sexes, suggesting that mating effort and exposure to the opposite sex are generally costly. Males lost more body mass if they (a) were socially subordinate, (b) were chased by other males or (c) mated frequently, indicating that subordinate status and mating are independently costly. Conversely, females lost more body mass if they were exposed to a higher frequency of coerced matings, suggesting costs associated with male sexual harassment and female resistance, although costs of mating per se could not be completely ruled out. Neither competitive nor mating interactions predicted comb size change in either sex. Collectively, these results support the notion that sex‐specific costs associated with social status and mating effort result in differential, sex‐specific dynamics of phenotypic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rômulo Carleial
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Grant C McDonald
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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24
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Sánchez-Tójar A, Nakagawa S, Sánchez-Fortún M, Martin DA, Ramani S, Girndt A, Bókony V, Kempenaers B, Liker A, Westneat DF, Burke T, Schroeder J. Meta-analysis challenges a textbook example of status signalling and demonstrates publication bias. eLife 2018; 7:37385. [PMID: 30420005 PMCID: PMC6234027 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The status signalling hypothesis aims to explain within-species variation in ornamentation by suggesting that some ornaments signal dominance status. Here, we use multilevel meta-analytic models to challenge the textbook example of this hypothesis, the black bib of male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We conducted a systematic review, and obtained primary data from published and unpublished studies to test whether dominance rank is positively associated with bib size across studies. Contrary to previous studies, the overall effect size (i.e. meta-analytic mean) was small and uncertain. Furthermore, we found several biases in the literature that further question the support available for the status signalling hypothesis. We discuss several explanations including pleiotropic, population- and context-dependent effects. Our findings call for reconsidering this established textbook example in evolutionary and behavioural ecology, and should stimulate renewed interest in understanding within-species variation in ornamental traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sidney, Australia
| | - Moisès Sánchez-Fortún
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic A Martin
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Sukanya Ramani
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Antje Girndt
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - András Liker
- MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, United States
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Schroeder
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
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25
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Ziegelbecker A, Richter F, Sefc KM. Colour pattern predicts outcome of female contest competition in a sexually monomorphic fish. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0480. [PMID: 30404866 PMCID: PMC6283925 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection arising from social competition over non-mating resources, i.e. resources that do not directly and immediately affect mating success, offers a powerful alternative to sexual selection to explain the evolution of conspicuous ornaments, particularly in females. Here, we address the hypothesis that competition associated with the territoriality exhibited by both males and females in the cichlid fish Tropheus selects for the display of a conspicuous colour pattern in both sexes. The investigated pattern consists of a vertical carotenoid-coloured bar on a black body. Bar width affected the probability of winning in size-matched female-female, but not male-male, contests for territory possession. Our results support the idea that the emergence of female territoriality contributed to the evolution of sexual monomorphism from a dimorphic ancestor, in that females acquired the same conspicuous coloration as males to communicate in contest competition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florian Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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26
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Mitchem LD, Stanis S, Sutton NM, Turner Z, Fuller RC. The pervasive effects of lighting environments on sensory drive in bluefin killifish: an investigation into male/male competition, female choice, and predation. Curr Zool 2018; 64:499-512. [PMID: 30108631 PMCID: PMC6084612 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory drive predicts that the conditions under which signaling takes place have large effects on signals, sensory systems, and behavior. The coupling of an ecological genetics approach with sensory drive has been fruitful. An ecological genetics approach compares populations that experience different environments and asks whether population differences are adaptive and are the result of genetic and/or environmental variation. The multi-faceted effects of signaling environments are well-exemplified by the bluefin killifish. In this system, males with blue anal fins are abundant in tannin-stained swamps that lack UV/blue light but are absent in clear springs where UV/blue light is abundant. Past work indicates that lighting environments shape genetic and environmental variation in color patterns, visual systems, and behavior. Less is known about the selective forces creating the across population correlations between UV/blue light and the abundance of blue males. Here, we present three new experiments that investigate the roles of lighting environments on male competition, female mate choice, and predation. We found strong effects of lighting environments on male competition where blue males were more likely to emerge as dominant in tea-stained water than in clear water. Our preliminary study on predation indicated that blue males may be less susceptible to predation in tea-stained water than in clear water. However, there was little evidence for female preferences favoring blue males. The resulting pattern is one where the effects of lighting environments on genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity match the direction of selection and favor the expression of blue males in swamps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D Mitchem
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Shannon Stanis
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nicholas M Sutton
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zachary Turner
- Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fuller
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
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27
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Cantarero A, Carrasco Naranjo J, Casas F, Mougeot F, Viñuela J, Alonso-Alvarez C. The fractal dimension of a conspicuous ornament varies with mating status and shows assortative mating in wild red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2018; 105:45. [PMID: 29959540 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1565-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Complex body designs, such as plumage ornaments in birds, can be described by fractal geometry. These complex patterns could have a role as visual signals during courtship and social interactions, but an empirical validation in the wild is currently lacking. Here, we investigated whether the fractal dimension (FD) of a complex plumage pattern displayed by red-legged partridges Alectoris rufa could function as a potential sexual signal. We captured wild birds early in the breeding season and tested if mated and unmated birds differed in the FD of their conspicuous melanin-based black bib. We also tested if the FD of the black bib was correlated within the pair, looking for evidence of assortative mating based on the expression of this trait. We simultaneously assessed similar effects in other ornamental traits (black bib size, white throat patch and black flank band surface, redness of the eye rings and bill). Mated birds showed higher black bib FD values than unmated ones. Mated males, but not females, also displayed a larger black bib. Moreover, the black bib FD (but not the trait size) and the white throat patch surface showed assortative mating. Finally, females with higher black bib FD showed smaller black flank band surface, suggesting a trade-off in the expression of the two melanin-pigmented plumage traits. This provides unique and novel indication for the shape complexity of a pigmented trait, here described by its fractal dimension, to be potentially under sexual selection in a wild animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jesús Carrasco Naranjo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Fabián Casas
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n. 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Francois Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Javier Viñuela
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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28
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Fan M, Teunissen N, Hall ML, Hidalgo Aranzamendi N, Kingma SA, Roast M, Delhey K, Peters A. From ornament to armament or loss of function? Breeding plumage acquisition in a genetically monogamous bird. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1274-1285. [PMID: 29943467 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of conspicuous male traits is thought to be driven by female mate choice or male-male competition. These two mechanisms are often viewed as distinct processes, with most studies focusing on female choice. However, both mechanisms of sexual selection can act simultaneously on the same trait (i.e., dual function) and/or interact in a synergistic or conflicting way. Dual-function traits are commonly assumed to originate through male-male competition before being used in female choice; yet, most studies focusing on such traits could not determine the direction of change, lacking phylogenetic information. We investigated the role of conspicuous male seasonal plumage in male-male competitive interactions in the purple-crowned fairy-wren Malurus coronatus, a cooperatively breeding bird. Male breeding plumage in most Malurus species is selected by female choice through extra-pair mate choice, but unlike its congeners, M. coronatus is genetically monogamous, and females do not seem to choose males based on breeding plumage acquisition. Our study shows that, within groups, subordinate males that were older, and therefore higher-ranked in the queue for breeder position inheritance, produced a more complete breeding plumage. In line with this, subordinate males that were older and/or displayed a more complete breeding plumage were more successful in competitively acquiring a breeder position. A role as a signal of competitive ability was experimentally confirmed by presenting models of males: in breeding colours, these received more aggression from resident breeder males than in nonbreeding colours, but elicited limited response from females, consistent with competitors in breeding plumage being perceived as a bigger threat to the breeder male. The role of the conspicuous breeding plumage in mediating male-male interactions might account for its presence in this genetically monogamous species. As phylogenetic reconstructions suggest a past female choice function in M. coronatus, this could represent a sexual trait that shifted functions, or a dual-function trait that lost one function. These evolutionary scenarios imply that intra- and intersexual functions of ornaments may be gained or lost independently and offer new perspectives in understanding the complex dynamics of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Niki Teunissen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | | | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.,Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Roast
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
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29
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San-Jose LM, Roulin A. Toward Understanding the Repeated Occurrence of Associations between Melanin-Based Coloration and Multiple Phenotypes. Am Nat 2018; 192:111-130. [PMID: 30016163 DOI: 10.1086/698010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the most widespread pigment in organisms. Melanin-based coloration has been repeatedly observed to be associated with the same traits and in the same direction in different vertebrate and insect species. However, whether any factors that are common to different taxa account for the repeated evolution of melanin-phenotype associations remains unclear. We propose to approach this question from the perspective of convergent and parallel evolution to clarify to what extent different species have evolved the same associations owing to a shared genetic basis and being subjected to similar selective pressures. Our current understanding of the genetic basis of melanin-phenotype associations allows for both convergent and parallel evolution, but this understanding is still limited. Further research is needed to clarify the generality and interdependencies of the different proposed mechanisms (supergenes, pleiotropy based on hormones, or neural crest cells). The general ecological scenarios whereby melanin-based coloration is under selection-protection from ultraviolet radiation, thermoregulation in cold environments, or as a signal of social status-offer a good opportunity to study how melanin-phenotype associations evolve. Reviewing these scenarios shows that some traits associated with melanin-based coloration might be selected together with coloration by also favoring adaptation but that other associated traits might impede adaptation, which may be indicative of genetic constraints. We therefore encourage further research on the relative roles that selection and genetic constraints play in shaping multiple melanin-phenotype associations. Placed into a phylogenetic context, this will help clarify to what extent these associations result from convergent or parallel evolutionary processes and why melanin-phenotype associations are so common across the tree of life.
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30
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González-García JM, Lara C, Quesada J, Chávez-Zichinelli CA, Serrano-Meneses MA. Superciliums in white-eared hummingbirds as badges of status signaling dominance. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:31. [PMID: 29616351 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1553-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of badges as indicators of contest ability has been previously described. In hummingbirds, the exhibition of a badge is expected to save energy expenditure in agonistic interactions and to favor energy intake. Here, we investigate whether variable supercilium size in the white-eared hummingbird has a role in dominance status signaling. Firstly, 45 hummingbird males were captured and their superciliums were photographed to investigate variation in size and any possible allometric relationships. Secondly, 42 male birds were used to analyze whether the supercilium has a role in dominance status signaling in a dyadic contest. We found that supercilium size varied continuously but that despite variability between individuals, there was no relationship between supercilium size and body size. However, our dyad experiment indicated that birds with larger badges were able to make more visits to the feeders than individuals with smaller badges. We suggest a status signaling function of the supercilium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel González-García
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Carretera Tlaxcala Km 1.5, 90070, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km 10.5 Autopista Tlaxcala-San Martín Texmelucan, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, 90120, Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - Javier Quesada
- Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Chordates Laboratory, Passeig Picasso s/n, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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31
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Funghi C, Trigo S, Gomes ACR, Soares MC, Cardoso GC. Release from ecological constraint erases sex difference in social ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2486-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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32
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San-Jose LM, Roulin A. Genomics of coloration in natural animal populations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0337. [PMID: 28533454 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal coloration has traditionally been the target of genetic and evolutionary studies. However, until very recently, the study of the genetic basis of animal coloration has been mainly restricted to model species, whereas research on non-model species has been either neglected or mainly based on candidate approaches, and thereby limited by the knowledge obtained in model species. Recent high-throughput sequencing technologies allow us to overcome previous limitations, and open new avenues to study the genetic basis of animal coloration in a broader number of species and colour traits, and to address the general relevance of different genetic structures and their implications for the evolution of colour. In this review, we highlight aspects where genome-wide studies could be of major utility to fill in the gaps in our understanding of the biology and evolution of animal coloration. The new genomic approaches have been promptly adopted to study animal coloration although substantial work is still needed to consider a larger range of species and colour traits, such as those exhibiting continuous variation or based on reflective structures. We argue that a robust advancement in the study of animal coloration will also require large efforts to validate the functional role of the genes and variants discovered using genome-wide tools.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M San-Jose
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Le Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Le Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Burley NT, Hamedani E, Symanski C. Mate choice decision rules: Trait synergisms and preference shifts. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2380-2394. [PMID: 29531661 PMCID: PMC5838072 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
An important and understudied question in sexual selection is how females evaluate information from multiple secondary sexual traits (SSTs), particularly when expression of traits is phenotypically uncorrelated. We performed mate choice experiments on zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis Gould) to evaluate two hypotheses: preference shifts (obstacles to choice using one trait increase chooser reliance on others) and trait synergisms (choice based on the sum/product of two or more independently varying traits). The first experiment, which employed males raised on diets that impact SST expression, supported the trait synergism hypothesis: overall, male pairing success was best predicted by synergisms involving beak color and cheek patch size. Results did not support the preference shift hypothesis. Results of a follow-up experiment that included males reared on a single diet, and in which male beak color and cheek patch size were manipulated, were also consistent with the trait synergism hypothesis. Results have implications for understanding the long-term persistence of multiple SSTs in populations and for the measurement of repeatability and heritability of mate preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Tyler Burley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCAUSA
| | - Elnaz Hamedani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCAUSA
| | - Cole Symanski
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCAUSA
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Twyman H, Andersson S, Mundy NI. Evolution of CYP2J19, a gene involved in colour vision and red coloration in birds: positive selection in the face of conservation and pleiotropy. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:22. [PMID: 29439676 PMCID: PMC5812113 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1136-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exaggerated signals, such as brilliant colours, are usually assumed to evolve through antagonistic coevolution between senders and receivers, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are rarely known. Here we explore a recently identified "redness gene", CYP2J19, that is highly interesting in this context since it encodes a carotenoid-modifying enzyme (a C4 ketolase involved in both colour signalling and colour discrimination in the red (long wavelength) spectral region.) RESULTS: A single full-length CYP2J19 was retrieved from 43 species out of 70 avian genomes examined, representing all major avian clades. In addition, CYP2J19 sequences from 13 species of weaverbirds (Ploceidae), seven of which have red C4-ketocarotenoid coloration were analysed. Despite the conserved retinal function and pleiotropy of CYP2J19, analyses indicate that the gene has been positively selected throughout the radiation of birds, including sites within functional domains described in related CYP (cytochrome P450) loci. Analyses of eight further CYP loci across 25 species show that positive selection is common in this gene family in birds. There was no evidence for a change in selection pressure on CYP2J19 following co-option for red coloration in the weaverbirds. CONCLUSIONS The results presented here are consistent with an ancestral conserved function of CYP2J19 in the pigmentation of red retinal oil droplets used for colour vision, and its subsequent co-option for red integumentary coloration. The cause of positive selection on CYP2J19 is unclear, but may be partly related to compensatory mutations related to selection at the adjacent gene CYP2J40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlu Twyman
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I. Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
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Borras-Guevara ML, Batres C, Perrett DI. Domestic violence shapes Colombian women's partner choices. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017; 71:175. [PMID: 29200603 PMCID: PMC5694761 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2405-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Potential protection from violence has been suggested as an explanation for women’s preferences for more masculine partners. Previous studies, however, have not considered that violence may be multi-modal, and hence come from different sources. Therefore, we tested the effect of different fears of violence (i.e. vulnerability to public crime, likelihood of within-partnership violence) on masculinity preferences of women from Colombia, a country known for its high rates of violence. Eighty-three adult heterosexual women (mean age ± SD = 26.7 ± 6.01) answered a survey that included questions about health (e.g. frequency of illnesses during the last year and during childhood), access to media (e.g. time spent watching television, frequency of internet use), education (i.e. highest level achieved) and violence perceptions. Participants’ masculinity preferences for Salvadoran, European and Colombian male faces were recorded. Factor analysis revealed two different factors for the answers to questions related to violence. One factor loaded mostly on questions related to public violence and the second factor related to domestic violence. We found that women with higher scores on the domestic violence factor preferred significantly less masculine Colombian male faces. Even after controlling for participant age, education, access to media (TV and internet) and health-related factors, the domestic violence factor contributed significantly to explaining masculinity preferences. The results presented here suggest that women’s preferences for masculinity may be a strategy to avoid aggressive partners and that the source of violence matters in mate choice. Significance statement Women who perceive higher risks of domestic violence prefer less masculine looking partners. Using an experimental approach, we show that Colombian women who feel more in danger of violence within partnership prefer the faces of less masculine males. This was true even after controlling for women’s education level, health and access to media. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-017-2405-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Lucia Borras-Guevara
- Perception Lab, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, St Mary's Quad, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9JP UK
| | - Carlota Batres
- Present Address: Psychology Department, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 USA
| | - David I Perrett
- Perception Lab, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, St Mary's Quad, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9JP UK
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Kopena R, López P, Martín J. Immune challenged male Iberian green lizards may increase the expression of some sexual signals if they have supplementary vitamin E. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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37
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Huet des Aunay G, Grenna M, Slabbekoorn H, Nicolas P, Nagle L, Leboucher G, Malacarne G, Draganoiu TI. Negative impact of urban noise on sexual receptivity and clutch size in female domestic canaries. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Grenna
- Department of Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica; University of Piemonte Orientale; Alessandria Italy
| | - Hans Slabbekoorn
- Behavioural Biology; Institute of Biology (IBL); Leiden University; Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Pierre Nicolas
- INRA, Unité MaIAGE, Domaine de Vivert; Jouy-en-Josas France
| | - Laurent Nagle
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement; UPL, Université Paris Nanterre; Nanterre France
| | - Gérard Leboucher
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement; UPL, Université Paris Nanterre; Nanterre France
| | - Giorgio Malacarne
- Department of Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica; University of Piemonte Orientale; Alessandria Italy
| | - Tudor I. Draganoiu
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement; UPL, Université Paris Nanterre; Nanterre France
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San-Jose LM, Huyghe K, Schuerch J, Fitze PS. More melanized males bite stronger but run slower: potential performance trade-offs related to melanin-based coloration. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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39
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Bedford T, Oliver CJ, Andrews C, Bateson M, Nettle D. Effects of early life adversity and sex on dominance in European starlings. Anim Behav 2017; 128:51-60. [PMID: 28669997 PMCID: PMC5478363 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Dominance in socially foraging animals may be related to sex and to variation in individual quality. Individual quality may in turn reflect conditions during early development. We studied dominance in a cohort of adult European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, that had been subject to experimental manipulations of food supply and begging effort when they were nestlings. We measured dominance in two different contexts, contests over a food resource and relative position on a sloping perch, over the course of 3 weeks. Dominance in food contests was extremely stable over the 3 weeks and relative perch position somewhat stable. Males were dominant over females in contests over food and perched in higher positions. These sex differences were not explained by males' greater size or body weight. Food dominance and perch position were uncorrelated. Neither early life food supply nor early life begging effort affected food dominance; nor did an alternative measure of developmental stress, developmental telomere attrition. Birds that had been made to beg more as nestlings perched in higher positions than those that had begged less. Our results did not support the hypothesis that early life adversity leads to lower adult dominance rank in the context of feeding, and we suggest that relative perch position may have measured individual preference rather than competitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Daniel Nettle
- Correspondence: D. Nettle, Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.Centre for Behaviour and EvolutionNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneNE2 4HHUK
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40
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Young CM, Cain KE, Svedin N, Backwell PRY, Pryke SR. Predictors of aggressive response towards simulated intruders depend on context and sex in Crimson Finches (Neochmia phaeton). Behav Processes 2017; 138:41-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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41
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Fan M, Hall ML, Kingma SA, Mandeltort LM, Hidalgo Aranzamendi N, Delhey K, Peters A. No fitness benefits of early molt in a fairy-wren: relaxed sexual selection under genetic monogamy? Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia,
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia,
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany, and
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany, and
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa M Mandeltort
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia,
| | - Nataly Hidalgo Aranzamendi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia,
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia,
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany, and
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia,
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany, and
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Jones JA, Tisdale AC, Bakermans MH, Larkin JL, Smalling CG, Siefferman L. Multiple Plumage Ornaments as Signals of Intrasexual Communication in Golden‐Winged Warblers. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Anthony Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans LA USA
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
| | - Anna C. Tisdale
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
| | - Marja H. Bakermans
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester MA USA
| | - Jeffery L. Larkin
- Department of Biology Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana PA USA
| | | | - Lynn Siefferman
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
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San-Jose LM, Ducrest AL, Ducret V, Simon C, Richter H, Wakamatsu K, Roulin A. MC1R variants affect the expression of melanocortin and melanogenic genes and the association between melanocortin genes and coloration. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:259-276. [PMID: 27664794 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene influences coloration by altering the expression of genes acting downstream in the melanin synthesis. MC1R belongs to the melanocortin system, a genetic network coding for the ligands that regulate MC1R and other melanocortin receptors controlling different physiological and behavioural traits. The impact of MC1R variants on these regulatory melanocortin genes was never considered, even though MC1R mutations could alter the influence of these genes on coloration (e.g. by decreasing MC1R response to melanocortin ligands). Using barn owl growing feathers, we investigated the differences between MC1R genotypes in the (co)expression of six melanocortin and nine melanogenic-related genes and in the association between melanocortin gene expression and phenotype (feather pheomelanin content). Compared to the MC1R rufous allele, responsible for reddish coloration, the white allele was not only associated with an expected lower expression of melanogenic-related genes (TYR, TYRP1, OCA2, SLC45A2, KIT, DCT) but also with a lower MC1R expression and a higher expression of ASIP, the MC1R antagonist. More importantly, the expression of PCSK2, responsible for the maturation of the MC1R agonist, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, was positively related to pheomelanin content in MC1R white homozygotes but not in individuals carrying the MC1R rufous allele. These findings indicate that MC1R mutations not only alter the expression of melanogenic-related genes but also the association between coloration and the expression of melanocortin genes upstream of MC1R. This suggests that MC1R mutations can modulate the regulation of coloration by the pleiotropic melanocortin genes, potentially decoupling the often-observed associations between coloration and other phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M San-Jose
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Lyse Ducrest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Ducret
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Richter
- Centre for Integrative Genomics, Genomic Technologies Facility, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Competition-related factors directly influence preferences for facial cues of dominance in allies. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:2071-2079. [PMID: 27881894 PMCID: PMC5102944 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2211-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Alliance formation is a critical dimension of social intelligence in political, social and biological systems. As some allies may provide greater “leverage” than others during social conflict, the cognitive architecture that supports alliance formation in humans may be shaped by recent experience, for example in light of the outcomes of violent or non-violent forms intrasexual competition. Here we used experimental priming techniques to explore this issue. Consistent with our predictions, while men’s preferences for dominant allies strengthened following losses (compared to victories) in violent intrasexual contests, women’s preferences for dominant allies weakened following losses (compared to victories) in violent intrasexual contests. Our findings suggest that while men may prefer dominant (i.e. masculine) allies following losses in violent confrontation in order to facilitate successful resource competition, women may “tend and befriend” following this scenario and seek support from prosocial (i.e. feminine) allies and/or avoid the potential costs of dominant allies as long-term social partners. Moreover, they demonstrate facultative responses to signals related to dominance in allies, which may shape sex differences in sociality in light of recent experience and suggest that intrasexual selection has shaped social intelligence in humans. Significance statement Although alliance formation is an important facet of social intelligence in political and biological systems, we know relatively little about the cognitive processes involved in social preferences for allies. As recent experience may alter the leverage provided by different social partners, here we tested whether preferences for facial cues to dominance-prosociality (masculinity-femininity) alter in light of recent experience of violent and economic contests for status. Our findings demonstrate sex-specific responses to these facial cues. While men’s preferences for facial cues related to dominance in allies strengthen following losses (compared to wins) in violent contests, women’s preferences for facial cues related to dominance in allies weaken following losses (compared to wins) in violent contests. These findings suggest that intrasexual selection, in part, has shaped the evolution of social intelligence in humans as revealed in flexibility in social preferences for allies.
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Ninnes CE, Webb SL, Andersson S. Are red bishops red enough? On the persistence of a generalized receiver bias inEuplectes. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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46
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Cline MH, Hatt JL, Conroy MJ, Cooper RJ. Experimental evidence for a phenotypic trait as an age-dependent intrasexual social signal between familiar individuals. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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47
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Moore FR, Shuker DM, Dougherty L. Stress and sexual signaling: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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48
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Ninnes CE, Adrion M, Edelaar P, Tella JL, Andersson S. A receiver bias for red predates the convergent evolution of red color in widowbirds and bishops. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Abstract
A focus on novel, confirmatory, and statistically significant results leads to substantial bias in the scientific literature. One type of bias, known as "p-hacking," occurs when researchers collect or select data or statistical analyses until nonsignificant results become significant. Here, we use text-mining to demonstrate that p-hacking is widespread throughout science. We then illustrate how one can test for p-hacking when performing a meta-analysis and show that, while p-hacking is probably common, its effect seems to be weak relative to the real effect sizes being measured. This result suggests that p-hacking probably does not drastically alter scientific consensuses drawn from meta-analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Head
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australia
| | - Luke Holman
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australia
| | - Rob Lanfear
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew T. Kahn
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australia
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50
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Roulin A. Condition-dependence, pleiotropy and the handicap principle of sexual selection in melanin-based colouration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:328-48. [PMID: 25631160 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The signalling function of melanin-based colouration is debated. Sexual selection theory states that ornaments should be costly to produce, maintain, wear or display to signal quality honestly to potential mates or competitors. An increasing number of studies supports the hypothesis that the degree of melanism covaries with aspects of body condition (e.g. body mass or immunity), which has contributed to change the initial perception that melanin-based colour ornaments entail no costs. Indeed, the expression of many (but not all) melanin-based colour traits is weakly sensitive to the environment but strongly heritable suggesting that these colour traits are relatively cheap to produce and maintain, thus raising the question of how such colour traits could signal quality honestly. Here I review the production, maintenance and wearing/displaying costs that can generate a correlation between melanin-based colouration and body condition, and consider other evolutionary mechanisms that can also lead to covariation between colour and body condition. Because genes controlling melanic traits can affect numerous phenotypic traits, pleiotropy could also explain a linkage between body condition and colouration. Pleiotropy may result in differently coloured individuals signalling different aspects of quality that are maintained by frequency-dependent selection or local adaptation. Colouration may therefore not signal absolute quality to potential mates or competitors (e.g. dark males may not achieve a higher fitness than pale males); otherwise genetic variation would be rapidly depleted by directional selection. As a consequence, selection on heritable melanin-based colouration may not always be directional, but mate choice may be conditional to environmental conditions (i.e. context-dependent sexual selection). Despite the interest of evolutionary biologists in the adaptive value of melanin-based colouration, its actual role in sexual selection is still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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