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Fitschen-Brown M, Morris M. Genotype and growth rate influence female mate preference in Xiphophorus multilineatus: Potential selection to optimize mortality-growth rate tradeoff. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287843. [PMID: 37384757 PMCID: PMC10310027 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The extent to which mate preferences are adaptive requires a better understanding of the factors that influence variation in mate preferences. Xiphophorus multilineatus is a live-bearing fish with males that exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (courter/sneaker). We examined the influence of a female's genotype (courter vs sneaker lineage), growth rate, and social experience on mate preference for courter as compared to sneaker males. We found that females with a sneaker genotype and slower growth rates had stronger mate preferences for the faster growing courter males than females with a courter genotype, regardless of mating experience with one or both types of males. In addition, the relationship between strength of preference and growth rate depended on a females' genotype; females with sneaker genotypes decreased their preference as their growth rates increased, a pattern that trended in the opposite direction for females from the courter genotypes. Disassortative mating preferences are predicted to evolve when heterozygous offspring benefit from increased fitness. Given male tactical dimorphism in growth rates and a mortality-growth rate tradeoff previously detected in this species, the variation in mating preferences for the male tactics we detected may be under selection to optimize the mortality-growth rate tradeoff for offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Fitschen-Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States of America
- The Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens OH, United States of America
| | - Molly Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States of America
- The Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens OH, United States of America
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2
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Trigo S, Silva PA, Cardoso GC, Soares MC. Effects of mesotocin manipulation on the behavior of male and female common waxbills. Physiol Behav 2023; 267:114226. [PMID: 37150430 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The oxytocin family of neuropeptides is implicated in the regulation of sociality across vertebrates. Non-mammalian homologs of oxytocin, such as isotocin in fish and mesotocin in amphibians, reptiles and birds, all play crucial roles modulating social and reproductive behavior. In this study, we exogenously manipulated the mesotocinergic system in a highly social bird, the common waxbill Estrild astrild, and tested the effects on affiliative and aggressive behavior by performing tests of competition over food. Birds treated with mesotocin showed a sedative state, decreasing almost all the behaviors we studied (movement, feeding, allopreening), while birds treated with an oxytocin antagonist showed a decrease only in social behaviors (aggressions and allopreening). We also found two sex-specific effects: mesotocin reduced allopreening more in males than females, and the oxytocin antagonist reduced aggressiveness only in females. Our results suggest sex-specific effects in the modulation of affiliative and aggressive behaviors via mesotocinergic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Trigo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Paulo A Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Gonçalo C Cardoso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Institute for Research and Advanced Training (IIFA), University of Évora, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
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3
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, DʼAmelio PB, Martin K, Kempenaers B. Is female mate choice repeatable across males with nearly identical songs? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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4
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Daae E, Feragen KB, Waehre A, Nermoen I, Falhammar H. Sexual Orientation in Individuals With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:38. [PMID: 32231525 PMCID: PMC7082355 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic condition of the steroidogenic enzymes in the adrenal cortex normally leading to variable degrees of cortisol and aldosterone deficiency as well as androgen excess. Exposure to androgens prenatally might lead to ambiguous genitalia. The fetal brain develops in traditional male direction through a direct action of androgens on the developing nerve cells, or in the traditional female direction in the absence of androgens. This may indicate that sexual development, including sexual orientation, are programmed into our brain structures prenatally. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature, investigating sexual orientation in individuals with CAH. The study also aimed at identifying which measures are used to define sexual orientation across studies. The review is based on articles identified through a comprehensive search of the OVIDMedline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases published up to May 2019. All peer-reviewed articles investigating sexual orientation in people with CAH were included. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods were considered, as well as self-, parent-, and third-party reports, and no age or language restrictions were enforced on publications. The present review included 30 studies investigating sexual orientation in patients with CAH assigned female at birth (46, XX) (n = 927) or assigned male at birth (46, XY and 46, XX) (n = 274). Results indicate that assigned females at birth (46, XX) with CAH had a greater likelihood to not have an exclusively heterosexual orientation than females from the general population, whereas no assigned males at birth (46, XY or 46, XX) with CAH identified themselves as non-heterosexual. There was a wide diversity in measures used and a preference for unvalidated and self-constructed interviews. Hence, the results need to be interpreted with caution. Methodological weaknesses might have led to non-heterosexual orientation being overestimated or underestimated. The methodological challenges identified by this review should be further investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ingrid Nermoen
- Oslo University, Oslo, Norway
- Akershus University Hospital, Lillestrøm, Norway
| | - Henrik Falhammar
- Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Adkins-Regan E. Sexual and pairing partner preference in birds and other animals. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104646. [PMID: 31778718 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Research on hormonal involvement in animals' preferences for mating or pairing with same- or other-sex partners has been among the topics featured in Hormones and Behavior over the years. In several species of non-pair-forming mammals, there is good evidence that the early sex steroid environment has an organizational effect on later sexual partner preference. Research with zebra finches, a pair-forming species, shows a likely early estrogenic organizational hormone effect on pairing partner preference, an effect that can also interact with the early social environment to determine adult pairing preference. Experiments with two amphibian and fish species suggest that activational hormone effects (effects of the hormone milieu in adulthood) may regulate sexual partner preference. As a complement to the research on hormonal involvement, a growing body of theoretical and empirical research addresses the possible adaptive functions of the same-sex sexual and pairing behavior observed in many wild animals. Such advances have important implications for conceptualizing neuroendocrine mechanisms of partner preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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6
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, Ihle M, Khadraoui M, Jerónimo S, Martin K, Kempenaers B. Irreproducible text-book "knowledge": The effects of color bands on zebra finch fitness. Evolution 2018; 72:961-976. [PMID: 29574894 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Many fields of science-including behavioral ecology-currently experience a heated debate about the extent to which publication bias against null findings results in a misrepresentative scientific literature. Here, we show a case of an extreme mismatch between strong positive support for an effect in the literature and a failure to detect this effect across multiple attempts at replication. For decades, researchers working with birds have individually marked their study species with colored leg bands. For the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, a model organism in behavioral ecology, many studies over the past 35 years have reported effects of bands of certain colors on male or female attractiveness and further on behavior, physiology, life history, and fitness. Only eight of 39 publications presented exclusively null findings. Here, we analyze the results of eight experiments in which we quantified the fitness of a total of 730 color-banded individuals from four captive populations (two domesticated and two recently wild derived). This sample size exceeds the combined sample size of all 23 publications that clearly support the "color-band effect" hypothesis. We found that band color explains no variance in either male or female fitness. We also found no heterogeneity in color-band effects, arguing against both context and population specificity. Analysis of unpublished data from three other laboratories strengthens the generality of our null finding. Finally, a meta-analysis of previously published results is indicative of selective reporting and suggests that the effect size approaches zero when sample size is large. We argue that our field-and science in general-would benefit from more effective means to counter confirmation bias and publication bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Malika Ihle
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.,Current Address: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr., Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Mehdi Khadraoui
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Sofia Jerónimo
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Katrin Martin
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Street 7, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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7
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Only two sex forms but multiple gender variants: How to explain? Commun Integr Biol 2018; 11:e1427399. [PMID: 29497472 PMCID: PMC5824932 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2018.1427399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Are sex and gender interchangeable terms? In classical biology, both are sometimes but not always used on an equal basis for some groups of animals. However, for our own species the Homo sapiens, they are not. A major question is why are there only two types of gametes (sperm- and egg cells), two types of sex steroids, (androgens and estrogens in vertebrates, and two types of ecdysteroids in insects), while the reproduction-related behaviour of the gamete producers displays a much greater variability than just two prominent forms, namely heterosexual males and heterosexual females? It indicates that in addition to a few sex-determining genes ( = the first pillar), other factors play a role. A second possible pillar is the still poorly understood cognitive memory system in which electrical phenomena and its association with the plasma membrane membrane-cytoskeletal complex of cells play a major role (learning, imitation and imprinting). This paper advances a third pillar, that hitherto has been almost completely ignored, namely the cellular Ca2+-homeostasis system, more specifically its sex-specific differences. Differential male-female genetics- and hormone-based Ca2+-homeostasis with effects on gender-related processes has been named Calcigender before. It will be argued that it follows from the principles of Ca2+- physiology and homeostasis that all individuals of a sexually reproducing animal population have a personalized gender behaviour. Thus, subdividing gender-behaviours in hetero-, homo-, bi-, trans- etc. which all result from a differential use of the very same basic physiological principles, is too primitive a system that may yield false sociological interpretations.
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8
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Jerónimo S, Khadraoui M, Wang D, Martin K, Lesku JA, Robert KA, Schlicht E, Forstmeier W, Kempenaers B. Plumage color manipulation has no effect on social dominance or fitness in zebra finches. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Jerónimo
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - Mehdi Khadraoui
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - Katrin Martin
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - John A Lesku
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kylie A Robert
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emmi Schlicht
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
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9
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, Kempenaers B. No mutual mate choice for quality in zebra finches: Time to question a widely held assumption. Evolution 2017; 71:2661-2676. [PMID: 28857165 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studies of mate choice typically assume that individuals prefer high quality mates and select them based on condition-dependent indicator traits. In species with biparental care, mutual mate choice is expected to result in assortative mating for quality. When assortment is not perfect, the lower quality pair members are expected to compensate by increased parental investment to secure their partner (positive differential allocation). This framework has been assumed to hold for monogamous species like the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), but progress has been hampered by the difficulty to define individual quality. By combining multiple measures of causes (inbreeding, early nutrition) and consequences (ornaments, displays, fitness components) of variation in quality into a single principal component, we here show that quality variation can be quantified successfully. We further show that variation in quality indeed predicts individual pairing success, presumably because it reflects an individual's vigor or ability to invest in reproduction. However, despite high statistical power, we found no evidence for either assortative mating or for positive differential allocation. We suggest that zebra finch ornaments and displays are not sufficiently reliable for the benefits of choosiness to exceed the costs of competition for the putative best partner. To assess the generality of these findings unbiased quantification of signal honesty and preference strength is required, rather than selective reporting of significant results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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10
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Adkins-Regan E. A Bird's Eye View. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1593-1594. [PMID: 28493153 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-0998-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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11
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Diamond LM, Rosky CJ. Scrutinizing Immutability: Research on Sexual Orientation and U.S. Legal Advocacy for Sexual Minorities. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2016; 53:363-91. [PMID: 26986464 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1139665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We review scientific research and legal authorities to argue that the immutability of sexual orientation should no longer be invoked as a foundation for the rights of individuals with same-sex attractions and relationships (i.e., sexual minorities). On the basis of scientific research as well as U.S. legal rulings regarding lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) rights, we make three claims: First, arguments based on the immutability of sexual orientation are unscientific, given what we now know from longitudinal, population-based studies of naturally occurring changes in the same-sex attractions of some individuals over time. Second, arguments based on the immutability of sexual orientation are unnecessary, in light of U.S. legal decisions in which courts have used grounds other than immutability to protect the rights of sexual minorities. Third, arguments about the immutability of sexual orientation are unjust, because they imply that same-sex attractions are inferior to other-sex attractions, and because they privilege sexual minorities who experience their sexuality as fixed over those who experience their sexuality as fluid. We conclude that the legal rights of individuals with same-sex attractions and relationships should not be framed as if they depend on a certain pattern of scientific findings regarding sexual orientation.
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12
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Evolutionary themes in the neurobiology of social cognition. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 28:22-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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13
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Brennan PLR, Adkins-Regan E. Endocrine regulation and sexual differentiation of avian copulatory sexually selected characters. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 4:557-66. [PMID: 25179524 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive specializations in birds have provided intriguing model systems to better understand the role of endocrine mechanisms that regulate phenotype expression and the action of sexual selection. A comparative approach can elucidate how endocrine systems associated with control of sexual differentiation, sexual maturation, and reproductive physiology and behavior have diversified. Here we compare the copulatory sexually selected traits of two members of the galloanseriform superfamily: quail and ducks. Japanese quail have a non-intromittent penis, and they have evolved a unique foam gland that is known to be involved in post-copulatory sexual selection. In contrast, ducks have maintained a large intromittent penis that has evolved via copulatory male-male competition and has been elaborated in a sexually antagonistic race due to sexual conflict with females over mating. These adaptations function in concert with sex-specific and, in part, species-specific behaviors. Although the approaches to study these traits have been different, exploring the differences in neuroendocrine regulation of sexual behavior, development and seasonality of the foam gland and the penis side by side, allow us to suggest some areas where future research would be productive to better understand the evolution of novelty in sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L R Brennan
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and Departments of Psychology and of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Departments of Psychology and of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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14
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Nelson EE, Lau JYF, Jarcho JM. Growing pains and pleasures: how emotional learning guides development. Trends Cogn Sci 2014; 18:99-108. [PMID: 24405846 PMCID: PMC4219354 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system promotes adaptive responding to myriad environmental stimuli by ascribing emotion to specific stimulus domains. This affects the salience of different stimuli, facilitates learning, and likely involves the amygdala. Recent studies suggest a strong homology between adaptive responses that result from learning and those that emerge during development. As in motivated learning, developmental studies have found the salience of different classes of stimulus (e.g., peers) undergoes marked fluctuation across maturation and may involve differential amygdala engagement. In this review, by highlighting the importance of particular stimulus categories during sensitive periods of development, we suggest that variability in amygdala response to different stimulus domains has an active and functional role in shaping emerging cortical circuits across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Nelson
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA.
| | - Jennifer Y F Lau
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Johanna M Jarcho
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA
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15
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Muraco JJ, Aspbury AS, Gabor CR. Does male behavioral type correlate with species recognition and stress? Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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16
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An eye for beauty: lateralized visual stimulation of courtship behavior and mate preferences in male zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. Behav Processes 2013; 102:33-9. [PMID: 24239504 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2013] [Revised: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Research on intersexual selection focuses on traits that have evolved for attracting mates and the consequences of mate choice. However, little is known about the cognitive and neural mechanisms that allow choosers to discriminate among potential mates and express an attraction to specific traits. Preferential use of the right eye during lateral displays in zebra finches, and lateralized expression of intermediate early genes in the left hemisphere during courtship led us to hypothesize that: (1) visual information from each eye differentially mediates courtship responses to potential mates; and (2) the ability to discriminate among mates and prefer certain mates over others is lateralized in the right eye/left hemisphere system of zebra finch brains. First, we exposed male zebra finches to females when using left, right or both eyes. Males courted more when the right eye was available than when only the left eye was used. Secondly, male preference for females - using beak color to indicate female quality - was tested. Right-eyed and binocular males associated with and courted orange-beaked more than gray-beaked females; whereas left-eyed males showed no preference. Lateral displays and eye use in male zebra finches increase their attractiveness and ability to assess female quality, potentially enhancing reproductive success. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: CO3 2013.
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17
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Tomaszycki ML, Dzubur E. 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type IV, a Z-linked gene, is higher in females than in males in visual and auditory regions of developing zebra finches. Brain Res 2013; 1520:95-106. [PMID: 23692956 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important decisions in a monogamous animal's life is the choice of a partner (partner preference), but the process by which this occurs remains poorly understood. The present study tests the hypothesis that hormones and genes play a role in sexual differentiation of partner preferences, as in the song system. We focused on a Z-linked gene, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type IV (HSD17B4), coding for a steroidogenic enzyme that converts estradiol (E2) into an inactive metabolite. HSD17B4 mRNA is expressed more in the song regions of males compared to females throughout development, suggesting that regulation of E2 is important for male-typical song development. Here, we focused on four regions associated with sexual partner preferences. Females had significantly higher levels of HSD17B4 mRNA in auditory (caudomedial nidopallium) and visual (hyperpallium apicale) regions than did males at day 25. HSD17B4 was expressed in the hippocampus and caudolateral nidopallium, but there were no sex differences. In a second experiment, animals of both sexes were treated with E2 and HSD17B4 and androgen receptor (AR) mRNA were measured, since masculinization of the song system is, in part, accomplished by AR. AR was low across the four regions and was not sexually differentiated. E2 treatments increased HSD17B4 mRNA in the auditory region of males, which is contrary to findings in the song system. Our research suggests that different behaviors may be guided by the same genes and hormones, but that the exact nature of the gene-hormone relationships may differ according to brain region and behavior.
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18
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Iwata E, Manbo J. Territorial behaviour reflects sexual status in groups of false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) under laboratory conditions. Acta Ethol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-012-0142-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Schweitzer C, Goldstein MH, Place NJ, Adkins-Regan E. Long-lasting and sex-specific consequences of elevated egg yolk testosterone for social behavior in Japanese quail. Horm Behav 2013; 63:80-7. [PMID: 23123143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Revised: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In birds, early exposure to steroid hormones deposited in egg yolks is hypothesized to result in long-lasting effects on brain and behavior. However, the long-term effects of maternal androgens on the development of social behavior, and whether these could interfere with the effects of the endogenous gonadal hormones that mediate sexual differentiation, remain poorly known. To answer these questions, we enhanced yolk testosterone by injecting testosterone (T) in oil into Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs prior to incubation. Vehicle-injected (V) eggs served as controls. From age 3 weeks to 8 weeks, sexual development was measured using morphological and physiological traits, and social behavior was measured, including male-typical sexual behavior. In females, treatment with testosterone boosted growth. Males from T-injected eggs developed an affiliative preference for familiar females and differed from V-injected males in the acoustic features of their crows, whereas sexual interest (looking behavior) and copulatory behavior were not affected. These long-lasting and sex-specific yolk testosterone effects on the development of dimorphic traits, but without disrupting sexual differentiation of reproductive behavior suggest potential organizational effects of maternal testosterone, but acting through separate processes than the endocrine mechanisms previously shown to control sexual differentiation. Separate processes could reflect the action of androgens at different times or on multiple targets that are differentially sensitive to steroids or develop at different rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Schweitzer
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Wong RY, Ramsey ME, Cummings ME. Localizing brain regions associated with female mate preference behavior in a swordtail. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50355. [PMID: 23209722 PMCID: PMC3510203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Female mate choice behavior is a critical component of sexual selection, yet identifying the neural basis of this behavior is largely unresolved. Previous studies have implicated sensory processing and hypothalamic brain regions during female mate choice and there is a conserved network of brain regions (Social Behavior Network, SBN) that underlies sexual behaviors. However, we are only beginning to understand the role this network has in pre-copulatory female mate choice. Using in situ hybridization, we identify brain regions associated with mate preference in female Xiphophorus nigrensis, a swordtail species with a female choice mating system. We measure gene expression in 10 brain regions (linked to sexual behavior, reward, sensory integration or other processes) and find significant correlations between female preference behavior and gene expression in two telencephalic areas associated with reward, learning and multi-sensory processing (medial and lateral zones of the dorsal telencephalon) as well as an SBN region traditionally associated with sexual response (preoptic area). Network analysis shows that these brain regions may also be important in mate preference and that correlated patterns of neuroserpin expression between regions co-vary with differential compositions of the mate choice environment. Our results expand the emerging network for female preference from one that focused on sensory processing and midbrain sexual response centers to a more complex coordination involving forebrain areas that integrate primary sensory processing and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y Wong
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
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Stoesz BM, Hare JF, Snow WM. Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying affiliative social behavior: insights from comparative research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012. [PMID: 23182913 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans are intensely social animals, and healthy social relationships are vital for proper mental health (see Lim and Young, 2006). By using animal models, the behavior, mental, and physiological processes of humans can be understood at a level that cannot be attained by studying human behavior and the human brain alone. The goals of this review are threefold. First, we define affiliative social behavior and describe the primary relationship types in which affiliative relationships are most readily observed--the mother-infant bond and pair-bonding. Second, we summarize neurophysiological studies that have investigated the role of neurohypophyseal nanopeptides (oxytocin and vasopressin) and the catecholamine dopamine in regulating affiliative social behavior and the implications of said research for our understanding of human social behavior. Finally, we discuss the merits and limitations of the using a comparative approach to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying human affiliative social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda M Stoesz
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.
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Goodson JL, Kelly AM, Kingsbury MA. Evolving nonapeptide mechanisms of gregariousness and social diversity in birds. Horm Behav 2012; 61:239-50. [PMID: 22269661 PMCID: PMC3312996 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Revised: 01/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Of the major vertebrate taxa, Class Aves is the most extensively studied in relation to the evolution of social systems and behavior, largely because birds exhibit an incomparable balance of tractability, diversity, and cognitive complexity. In addition, like humans, most bird species are socially monogamous, exhibit biparental care, and conduct most of their social interactions through auditory and visual modalities. These qualities make birds attractive as research subjects, and also make them valuable for comparative studies of neuroendocrine mechanisms. This value has become increasingly apparent as more and more evidence shows that social behavior circuits of the basal forebrain and midbrain are deeply conserved (from an evolutionary perspective), and particularly similar in birds and mammals. Among the strongest similarities are the basic structures and functions of avian and mammalian nonapeptide systems, which include mesotocin (MT) and arginine vasotocin (VT) systems in birds, and the homologous oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) systems, respectively, in mammals. We here summarize these basic properties, and then describe a research program that has leveraged the social diversity of estrildid finches to gain insights into the nonapeptide mechanisms of grouping, a behavioral dimension that is not experimentally tractable in most other taxa. These studies have used five monogamous, biparental finch species that exhibit group sizes ranging from territorial male-female pairs to large flocks containing hundreds or thousands of birds. The results provide novel insights into the history of nonapeptide functions in amniote vertebrates, and yield remarkable clarity on the nonapeptide biology of dinosaurs and ancient mammals. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Elie JE, Mathevon N, Vignal C. Same-sex pair-bonds are equivalent to male–female bonds in a life-long socially monogamous songbird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1228-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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