1
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Thierry M, Cote J, Bestion E, Legrand D, Clobert J, Jacob S. The interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in dispersal decisions in metacommunities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230137. [PMID: 38913055 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Suitable conditions for species to survive and reproduce constitute their ecological niche, which is built by abiotic conditions and interactions with conspecifics and heterospecifics. Organisms should ideally assess and use information about all these environmental dimensions to adjust their dispersal decisions depending on their own internal conditions. Dispersal plasticity is often considered through its dependence on abiotic conditions or conspecific density and, to a lesser extent, with reference to the effects of interactions with heterospecifics, potentially leading to misinterpretation of dispersal drivers. Here, we first review the evidence for the effects of and the potential interplays between abiotic factors, biotic interactions with conspecifics and heterospecifics and phenotype on dispersal decisions. We then present an experimental test of these potential interplays, investigating the effects of density and interactions with conspecifics and heterospecifics on temperature-dependent dispersal in microcosms of Tetrahymena ciliates. We found significant differences in dispersal rates depending on the temperature, density and presence of another strain or species. However, the presence and density of conspecifics and heterospecifics had no effects on the thermal-dependency of dispersal. We discuss the causes and consequences of the (lack of) interplay between the different environmental dimensions and the phenotype for metacommunity assembly and dynamics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Thierry
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR 2029, CNRS , Moulis 09200, France
| | - Julien Cote
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), UMR 5300 CNRS-IRD-TINP-UT3 Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Bât. 4R1, 118 route de Narbonne , Toulouse Cedex 9 31062, France
| | - Elvire Bestion
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR 2029, CNRS , Moulis 09200, France
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR 2029, CNRS , Moulis 09200, France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR 2029, CNRS , Moulis 09200, France
| | - Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR 2029, CNRS , Moulis 09200, France
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2
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Charmouh AP, Reid JM, Bilde T, Bocedi G. Eco-evolutionary extinction and recolonization dynamics reduce genetic load and increase time to extinction in highly inbred populations. Evolution 2022; 76:2482-2497. [PMID: 36117269 PMCID: PMC9828521 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14620] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how genetic and ecological effects can interact to shape genetic loads within and across local populations is key to understanding ongoing persistence of systems that should otherwise be susceptible to extinction through mutational meltdown. Classic theory predicts short persistence times for metapopulations comprising small local populations with low connectivity, due to accumulation of deleterious mutations. Yet, some such systems have persisted over evolutionary time, implying the existence of mechanisms that allow metapopulations to avoid mutational meltdown. We first hypothesize a mechanism by which the combination of stochasticity in the numbers and types of mutations arising locally (genetic stochasticity), resulting local extinction, and recolonization through evolving dispersal facilitates metapopulation persistence. We then test this mechanism using a spatially and genetically explicit individual-based model. We show that genetic stochasticity in highly structured metapopulations can result in local extinctions, which can favor increased dispersal, thus allowing recolonization of empty habitat patches. This causes fluctuations in metapopulation size and transient gene flow, which reduces genetic load and increases metapopulation persistence over evolutionary time. Our suggested mechanism and simulation results provide an explanation for the conundrum presented by the continued persistence of highly structured populations with inbreeding mating systems that occur in diverse taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders P. Charmouh
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenAB24 2TZUnited Kingdom
| | - Jane M. Reid
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenAB24 2TZUnited Kingdom,Centre for Biodiversity DynamicsInstitutt for Biologi, NTNUTrondheim7491Norway
| | - Trine Bilde
- Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus C8000Denmark
| | - Greta Bocedi
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenAB24 2TZUnited Kingdom
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3
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Campana JLM, Raffard A, Chaine AS, Huet M, Legrand D, Jacob S. Dispersal plasticity driven by variation in fitness across species and environmental gradients. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2410-2421. [PMID: 36198081 PMCID: PMC9827879 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal plasticity, when organisms adjust their dispersal decisions depending on their environment, can play a major role in ecological and evolutionary dynamics, but how it relates to fitness remains scarcely explored. Theory predicts that high dispersal plasticity should evolve when environmental gradients have a strong impact on fitness. Using microcosms, we tested in five species of the genus Tetrahymena whether dispersal plasticity relates to differences in fitness sensitivity along three environmental gradients. Dispersal plasticity was species- and environment-dependent. As expected, dispersal plasticity was generally related to fitness sensitivity, with higher dispersal plasticity when fitness is more affected by environmental gradients. Individuals often preferentially disperse out of low fitness environments, but leaving environments that should yield high fitness was also commonly observed. We provide empirical support for a fundamental, but largely untested, assumption in dispersal theory: the extent of dispersal plasticity correlates with fitness sensitivity to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allan Raffard
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research CentreLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium,Present address:
Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, INRAE, CARRTELThonon‐les‐BainsFrance
| | - Alexis S. Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleUAR CNRS 2029MoulisFrance
| | - Michèle Huet
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleUAR CNRS 2029MoulisFrance
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleUAR CNRS 2029MoulisFrance
| | - Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleUAR CNRS 2029MoulisFrance
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4
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Diedericks G, Broeckhoven C, von der Heyden S, Weyl OLF, Hui C. The Role of Directed Dispersal in Driving Genetic and Morphological Structure in Invasive Smallmouth Bass. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.790829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is an essential life-history trait crucial to species persistence and diversification. This is particularly important in spatiotemporal fluctuating environments such as freshwater habitats, where species movement is confined to the dendritic network and wetted boundaries. To persist in such fluctuating environments, a species can modify, adaptively and plastically, its phenotypic variation to better match the environment or escape via directed dispersal to a more suitable habitat (i.e., matching habitat choice). We use the invasive smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, sampled at 10 km intervals, to assess the effect of directed dispersal on the fine scale genetic and phenotypic variation in populations of M. dolomieu along a river course. Gene flow was used as a proxy for dispersal. By comparing population genetic structure, morphological variation (of linear traits and geometric landmarks), and environmental heterogeneity, we discovered a clear correlation between environmental variation and morphological traits. Although isolation by distance seemed to have shaped the overall genetic pattern detected among the populations, the strong genetic structuring observed within the Ratel tributary appeared to be non-random. These results provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms promoting the spread and establishment of invasive species and the possible influence multiple introductions may have on fine scale genetic structuring.
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5
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Ponchon A, Scarpa A, Bocedi G, Palmer SCF, Travis JMJ. Prospecting and informed dispersal: Understanding and predicting their joint eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15289-15302. [PMID: 34765178 PMCID: PMC8571608 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of individuals to leave a current breeding area and select a future one is important, because such decisions can have multiple consequences for individual fitness, but also for metapopulation dynamics, structure, and long-term persistence through non-random dispersal patterns. In the wild, many colonial and territorial animal species display informed dispersal strategies, where individuals use information, such as conspecific breeding success gathered during prospecting, to decide whether and where to disperse. Understanding informed dispersal strategies is essential for relating individual behavior to subsequent movements and then determining how emigration and settlement decisions affect individual fitness and demography. Although numerous theoretical studies have explored the eco-evolutionary dynamics of dispersal, very few have integrated prospecting and public information use in both emigration and settlement phases. Here, we develop an individual-based model that fills this gap and use it to explore the eco-evolutionary dynamics of informed dispersal. In a first experiment, in which only prospecting evolves, we demonstrate that selection always favors informed dispersal based on a low number of prospected patches relative to random dispersal or fully informed dispersal, except when individuals fail to discriminate better patches from worse ones. In a second experiment, which allows the concomitant evolution of both emigration probability and prospecting, we show the same prospecting strategy evolving. However, a plastic emigration strategy evolves, where individuals that breed successfully are always philopatric, while failed breeders are more likely to emigrate, especially when conspecific breeding success is low. Embedding information use and prospecting behavior in eco-evolutionary models will provide new fundamental understanding of informed dispersal and its consequences for spatial population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Ponchon
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Alice Scarpa
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Greta Bocedi
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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6
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Matthey-Doret R, Draghi JA, Whitlock MC. Plasticity via feedback reduces the cost of developmental instability. Evol Lett 2020; 4:570-580. [PMID: 33312691 PMCID: PMC7719546 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Costs of plasticity are thought to have important physiological and evolutionary consequences. A commonly predicted cost to plasticity is that plastic genotypes are likely to suffer from developmental instability. Adaptive plasticity requires that the developing organism can in some way sense what environment it is in or how well it is performing in that environment. These two information pathways—an “environmental signal” or a “performance signal” that indicates how well a developing phenotype matches the optimum in the current environment—can differ in their consequences for the organism and its evolution. Here, we consider how developmental instability might emerge as a side‐effect of these two distinct mechanisms. Because a performance cue allows a regulatory feedback loop connecting a trait to a feedback signal, we hypothesized that plastic genotypes using a performance signal would be more developmentally robust compared to those using a purely environmental signal. Using a numerical model of a network of gene interactions, we show that plasticity comes at a cost of developmental instability when the plastic response is mediated via an environmental signal, but not when it is mediated via a performance signal. We also show that a performance signal mechanism can evolve even in a constant environment, leading to genotypes preadapted for plasticity to novel environments even in populations without a history of environmental heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi Matthey-Doret
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Universität Bern Bern 3012 Switzerland.,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061
| | - Jeremy A Draghi
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061
| | - Michael C Whitlock
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
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7
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Mohammed S, Bhattacharya S, Gesing MA, Klupsch K, Theißen G, Mummenhoff K, Müller C. Morphologically and physiologically diverse fruits of two Lepidium species differ in allocation of glucosinolates into immature and mature seed and pericarp. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227528. [PMID: 32841235 PMCID: PMC7447065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphology and physiology of diaspores play crucial roles in determining the fate of seeds in unpredictable habitats. In some genera of the Brassicaceae different types of diaspores can be found. Lepidium appelianum produces non-dormant seeds within indehiscent fruits while in L. campestre dormant seeds are released from dehiscent fruits. We investigated whether the allocation of relevant defence compounds into different tissues in different Lepidium species may be related to the diverse dispersal strategy (indehiscent and dehiscent) and seed physiology (non-dormant and dormant). Total glucosinolate concentration and composition were analysed in immature and mature seeds and pericarps of L. appelianum and L. campestre using high-performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, for comparison, transgenic RNAi L. campestre lines were used that produce indehiscent fruits due to silencing of LcINDEHISCENCE, the INDEHISCENCE ortholog of L. campestre. Total glucosinolate concentrations were lower in immature compared to mature seeds in all studied Lepidium species and transgenic lines. In contrast, indehiscent fruits of L. appelianum maintained their total glucosinolate concentration in mature pericarps compared to immature ones, while in dehiscent L. campestre and in indehiscent RNAi-LcIND L. campestre a significant decrease in total glucosinolate concentrations from immature to mature pericarps could be detected. Indole glucosinolates were detected in lower abundance than the other glucosinolate classes (aliphatic and aromatic). Relatively high concentrations of 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethyl glucosinolate were found in mature seeds of L. appelianum compared to other tissues, while no indole glucosinolates were detected in mature diaspores of L. campestre. The diaspores of the latter species may rather depend on aliphatic and aromatic glucosinolates for long-term protection. The allocation patterns of glucosinolates correlate with the morpho-physiologically distinct fruits of L. appelianum and L. campestre and may be explained by the distinct dispersal strategies and the dormancy status of both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Said Mohammed
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Department of Biology, Debre Birhan University, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
| | - Samik Bhattacharya
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | - Katharina Klupsch
- Matthias Schleiden Institute/Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Günter Theißen
- Matthias Schleiden Institute/Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Klaus Mummenhoff
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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8
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Nichols BS, Leubner-Metzger G, Jansen VAA. Between a rock and a hard place: adaptive sensing and site-specific dispersal. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1370-1379. [PMID: 32602645 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Environmental variability can lead to dispersal: why stay put if it is better elsewhere? Without clues about local conditions, the optimal strategy is often to disperse a set fraction of offspring. Many habitats contain environmentally differing sub-habitats. Is it adaptive for individuals to sense in which sub-habitat they find themselves, using environmental clues, and respond plastically by altering the dispersal rates? This appears to be done by some plants which produce dimorphic seeds with differential dispersal properties in response to ambient temperature. Here we develop a mathematical model to show, that in highly variable environments, not only does sensing promote plasticity of dispersal morph ratio, individuals who can sense their sub-habitat and respond in this way have an adaptive advantage over those who cannot. With a rise in environmental variability due to climate change, our understanding of how natural populations persist and respond to changes has become crucially important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany S Nichols
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Gerhard Leubner-Metzger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Vincent A A Jansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
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9
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Bhattacharya S, Sperber K, Özüdoğru B, Leubner-Metzger G, Mummenhoff K. Naturally-primed life strategy plasticity of dimorphic Aethionema arabicum facilitates optimal habitat colonization. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16108. [PMID: 31695083 PMCID: PMC6834856 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52520-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in plant dispersal traits can maximise the ability of a plant species to survive in stressful environments during colonization. Aethionema arabicum (Brassicaceae) is a dimorphic annual species that is hypothesized to survive stressful conditions during colonization due to adaptive plasticity in life-phase (vegetative vs sexual) and fruit morph (dehiscent [DEH] vs indehiscent fruits [IND]). We tested for adaptive plasticity in life-phase and fruit morphs along laboratory environmental stress gradients found in the natural habitats of Ae. arabicum. We considered optimal environmental conditions (750-2000 m above sea level) to be those that resulted in the following fitness parameters: higher biomass and a higher total number of fruits compared to stressful habitats. We found evidence of plasticity in life-phase and fruit-morph along a stressful environmental gradient. High hydrothermal stress proportionally increased the number of dehiscent morphs and non-dormant seeds germinating in autumn. This offsets natural phenology towards dry and cold winter (less hydrothermal stress), yielding fewer fruits that dehisce in the next generation. We conclude that the plastic responses of Ae. arabicum to natural stress gradients constitute a strategy of long-term adaptive benefits and favouring potential pathways of colonisation of the optimal habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samik Bhattacharya
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 11, D-49076, Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Katja Sperber
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 11, D-49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Barış Özüdoğru
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, 06800, Turkey
| | - Gerhard Leubner-Metzger
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Klaus Mummenhoff
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 11, D-49076, Osnabrück, Germany
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10
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Gelmi-Candusso TA, Hämäläinen AM. Seeds and the City: The Interdependence of Zoochory and Ecosystem Dynamics in Urban Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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11
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Mishra A, Tung S, Sruti VRS, Sadiq MA, Srivathsa S, Dey S. Pre-dispersal context and presence of opposite sex modulate density dependence and sex bias of dispersal. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Mishra
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
| | - Sudipta Tung
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
| | - V. R. Shree Sruti
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
| | - Mohammed Aamir Sadiq
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
| | - Sahana Srivathsa
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
| | - Sutirth Dey
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division; Indian Inst. of Science Education and Research-Pune; Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune IN-411008 Maharashtra India
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12
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Nicolaus M, Edelaar P. Comparing the consequences of natural selection, adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and matching habitat choice for phenotype-environment matching, population genetic structure, and reproductive isolation in meta-populations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3815-3827. [PMID: 29721259 PMCID: PMC5916293 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms commonly experience significant spatiotemporal variation in their environments. In response to such heterogeneity, different mechanisms may act that enhance ecological performance locally. However, depending on the nature of the mechanism involved, the consequences for populations may differ greatly. Building on a previous model that investigated the conditions under which different adaptive mechanisms (co)evolve, this study compares the ecological and evolutionary population consequences of three very different responses to environmental heterogeneity: matching habitat choice (directed gene flow), adaptive plasticity (associated with random gene flow), and divergent natural selection. Using individual‐based simulations, we show that matching habitat choice can have a greater adaptive potential than plasticity or natural selection: it allows for local adaptation while protecting genetic polymorphism despite global mating or strong environmental changes. Our simulations further reveal that increasing environmental fluctuations and unpredictability generally favor the emergence of specialist genotypes but that matching habitat choice is better at preventing local maladaptation by individuals. This confirms that matching habitat choice can speed up the genetic divergence among populations, cause indirect assortative mating via spatial clustering, and hence even facilitate sympatric speciation. This study highlights the potential importance of directed dispersal in local adaptation and speciation, stresses the difficulty of deriving its operation from nonexperimental observational data alone, and helps define a set of ecological conditions which should favor its emergence and subsequent detection in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Nicolaus
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Engineering University Pablo de Olavide Sevilla Spain.,Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Pim Edelaar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Engineering University Pablo de Olavide Sevilla Spain
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13
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Saastamoinen M, Bocedi G, Cote J, Legrand D, Guillaume F, Wheat CW, Fronhofer EA, Garcia C, Henry R, Husby A, Baguette M, Bonte D, Coulon A, Kokko H, Matthysen E, Niitepõld K, Nonaka E, Stevens VM, Travis JMJ, Donohue K, Bullock JM, Del Mar Delgado M. Genetics of dispersal. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:574-599. [PMID: 28776950 PMCID: PMC5811798 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a process of central importance for the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations and communities, because of its diverse consequences for gene flow and demography. It is subject to evolutionary change, which begs the question, what is the genetic basis of this potentially complex trait? To address this question, we (i) review the empirical literature on the genetic basis of dispersal, (ii) explore how theoretical investigations of the evolution of dispersal have represented the genetics of dispersal, and (iii) discuss how the genetic basis of dispersal influences theoretical predictions of the evolution of dispersal and potential consequences. Dispersal has a detectable genetic basis in many organisms, from bacteria to plants and animals. Generally, there is evidence for significant genetic variation for dispersal or dispersal‐related phenotypes or evidence for the micro‐evolution of dispersal in natural populations. Dispersal is typically the outcome of several interacting traits, and this complexity is reflected in its genetic architecture: while some genes of moderate to large effect can influence certain aspects of dispersal, dispersal traits are typically polygenic. Correlations among dispersal traits as well as between dispersal traits and other traits under selection are common, and the genetic basis of dispersal can be highly environment‐dependent. By contrast, models have historically considered a highly simplified genetic architecture of dispersal. It is only recently that models have started to consider multiple loci influencing dispersal, as well as non‐additive effects such as dominance and epistasis, showing that the genetic basis of dispersal can influence evolutionary rates and outcomes, especially under non‐equilibrium conditions. For example, the number of loci controlling dispersal can influence projected rates of dispersal evolution during range shifts and corresponding demographic impacts. Incorporating more realism in the genetic architecture of dispersal is thus necessary to enable models to move beyond the purely theoretical towards making more useful predictions of evolutionary and ecological dynamics under current and future environmental conditions. To inform these advances, empirical studies need to answer outstanding questions concerning whether specific genes underlie dispersal variation, the genetic architecture of context‐dependent dispersal phenotypes and behaviours, and correlations among dispersal and other traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjo Saastamoinen
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Greta Bocedi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, U.K
| | - Julien Cote
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique UMR5174, CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, SETE Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UMR 5321, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Frédéric Guillaume
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher W Wheat
- Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emanuel A Fronhofer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Garcia
- CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Roslyn Henry
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, U.K.,School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH89XP, U.K
| | - Arild Husby
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michel Baguette
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, SETE Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UMR 5321, 09200 Moulis, France.,Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Dries Bonte
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aurélie Coulon
- PSL Research University, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, 34293 Montpellier, France.,CESCO UMR 7204, Bases écologiques de la conservation, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Kristjan Niitepõld
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Etsuko Nonaka
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Virginie M Stevens
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, SETE Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UMR 5321, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Justin M J Travis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, U.K
| | | | - James M Bullock
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, U.K
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14
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D'Urban Jackson J, Dos Remedios N, Maher KH, Zefania S, Haig S, Oyler-McCance S, Blomqvist D, Burke T, Bruford MW, Székely T, Küpper C. Polygamy slows down population divergence in shorebirds. Evolution 2017; 71:1313-1326. [PMID: 28233288 PMCID: PMC5484996 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection may act as a promotor of speciation since divergent mate choice and competition for mates can rapidly lead to reproductive isolation. Alternatively, sexual selection may also retard speciation since polygamous individuals can access additional mates by increased breeding dispersal. High breeding dispersal should hence increase gene flow and reduce diversification in polygamous species. Here, we test how polygamy predicts diversification in shorebirds using genetic differentiation and subspecies richness as proxies for population divergence. Examining microsatellite data from 79 populations in 10 plover species (Genus: Charadrius) we found that polygamous species display significantly less genetic structure and weaker isolation-by-distance effects than monogamous species. Consistent with this result, a comparative analysis including 136 shorebird species showed significantly fewer subspecies for polygamous than for monogamous species. By contrast, migratory behavior neither predicted genetic differentiation nor subspecies richness. Taken together, our results suggest that dispersal associated with polygamy may facilitate gene flow and limit population divergence. Therefore, intense sexual selection, as occurs in polygamous species, may act as a brake rather than an engine of speciation in shorebirds. We discuss alternative explanations for these results and call for further studies to understand the relationships between sexual selection, dispersal, and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine D'Urban Jackson
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.,Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Dos Remedios
- NERC-Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Sama Zefania
- Institut Supérieur de technologie de Menabe Morondava, Faculty of Sciences, University of Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Susan Haig
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Sara Oyler-McCance
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Donald Blomqvist
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC-Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Michael W Bruford
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens Küpper
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
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15
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Johnson JS, Gaddis KD, Cairns DM, Krutovsky KV. Seed dispersal at alpine treeline: an assessment of seed movement within the alpine treeline ecotone. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S. Johnson
- Department of Geography Texas A&M University 810 Eller O&M Building, MS 3147 TAMU College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Keith D. Gaddis
- Department of Geography Texas A&M University 810 Eller O&M Building, MS 3147 TAMU College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - David M. Cairns
- Department of Geography Texas A&M University 810 Eller O&M Building, MS 3147 TAMU College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Konstantin V. Krutovsky
- Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Georg‐August University of Göttingen Büsgenweg 2 D‐37077 Göttingen Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Science & Management Texas A&M University 305 Horticulture and Forest Science Building, MS 2138 TAMU College Station Texas 77843 USA
- N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences 3 Gubkina Street Moscow 119333 Russia
- Genome Research and Education Center Siberian Federal University 50a/2 Akademgorodok Krasnoyarsk 660036 Russia
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16
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Scheiner SM. Habitat Choice and Temporal Variation Alter the Balance between Adaptation by Genetic Differentiation, a Jack-of-All-Trades Strategy, and Phenotypic Plasticity. Am Nat 2016; 187:633-46. [PMID: 27104995 DOI: 10.1086/685812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Confronted with variable environments, species adapt in several ways, including genetic differentiation, a jack-of-all-trades strategy, or phenotypic plasticity. Adaptive habitat choice favors genetic differentiation and local adaptation over a generalist, jack-of-all-trades strategy. Models predict that, absent plasticity costs, variable environments generally favor phenotypic plasticity over genetic differentiation and being a jack-of-all-trades generalist. It is unknown how habitat choice might affect the evolution of plasticity. Using an individual-based simulation model, I explored the interaction of choice and plasticity. With only spatial variation, habitat choice promotes genetic differentiation over a jack-of-all-trades strategy or phenotypic plasticity. In the absence of plasticity, temporal variation favors a jack-of-all-trades strategy over choice-mediated genetic differentiation; when plasticity is an option, it is favored. This occurs because habitat choice creates a feedback between genetic differentiation and dispersal rates. As demes become better adapted to their local environments, the effective dispersal rate decreases, because more individuals have very high fitness and so choose not to disperse, reinforcing local stabilizing selection and negating selection for plasticity. Temporal variation breaks that feedback. These results point to a potential data paradox: systems with habitat choice may have the lowest actual movement rates. The potential for adaptive habitat choice may be very common, but its existence may reduce observed dispersal rates enough that we do not recognize systems where it may be present, warranting further exploration of likely systems.
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