1
|
Podraza ME, Moss JB, Fischer EK. Evidence for individual vocal recognition in a pair-bonding poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246753. [PMID: 38229576 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246753] [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: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Individually distinctive vocalizations are widespread in nature, although the ability of receivers to discriminate these signals has only been explored through limited taxonomic and social lenses. Here, we asked whether anuran advertisement calls, typically studied for their role in territory defense and mate attraction, facilitate recognition and preferential association with partners in a pair-bonding poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator). Combining no- and two-stimulus choice playback experiments, we evaluated behavioral responses of females to male acoustic stimuli. Virgin females oriented to and approached speakers broadcasting male calls independent of caller identity, implying that females are generally attracted to male acoustic stimuli outside the context of a pair bond. When pair-bonded females were presented with calls of a mate and a stranger, they showed significant preference for calls of their mate. Moreover, behavioral responses varied with breeding status: females with eggs were faster to approach stimuli than females that were pair bonded but did not currently have eggs. Our study suggests a potential role for individual vocal recognition in the formation and maintenance of pair bonds in a poison frog and raises new questions about how acoustic signals are perceived in the context of monogamy and biparental care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Podraza
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jeanette B Moss
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Eva K Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
de Araujo Miles M, Johnson MJ, Stuckert AMM, Summers K. A histological analysis of coloration in the Peruvian mimic poison frog ( Ranitomeya imitator). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15533. [PMID: 37404476 PMCID: PMC10317021 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aposematism continues to be a phenomenon of central interest in evolutionary biology. The life history of the mimic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator, relies heavily on aposematism. In order for aposematic signals to be effective, predators must be able to learn to avoid the associated phenotype. However, in R. imitator, aposematism is associated with four different color phenotypes that mimic a complex of congeneric species occurring across the mimic frog's geographic range. Investigations of the underlying mechanics of color production in these frogs can provide insights into how and why these different morphs evolved. We used histological samples to examine divergence in the color production mechanisms used by R. imitator to produce effective aposematic signals across its geographic range. We measured the coverage of melanophores and xanthophores (the area covered by chromatophores divided by total area of the skin section) in each color morph. We find that morphs that produce orange skin exhibit a higher coverage of xanthophores and lower coverage of melanophores than those that produce yellow skin. In turn, morphs that produce yellow skin exhibit a higher coverage of xanthophores and lower coverage of melanophores than those that produce green skin. Generally, across the morphs, a high ratio of xanthophores to melanophores is associated with colors of brighter spectral reflectance. Together, our results contribute to the understanding of color production in amphibians and document divergence in the histology of a species that is subject to divergent selection associated with aposematism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kyle Summers
- Biology Department, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dufresnes C, Crochet PA. Sex chromosomes as supergenes of speciation: why amphibians defy the rules? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210202. [PMID: 35694748 PMCID: PMC9189495 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As reflected by the two rules of speciation (Haldane's rule and the large X-/Z-effect), sex chromosomes are expected to behave like supergenes of speciation: they recombine only in one sex (XX females or ZZ males), supposedly recruit sexually antagonistic genes and evolve faster than autosomes, which can all contribute to pre-zygotic and post-zygotic isolation. While this has been mainly studied in organisms with conserved sex-determining systems and highly differentiated (heteromorphic) sex chromosomes like mammals, birds and some insects, these expectations are less clear in organismal groups where sex chromosomes repeatedly change and remain mostly homomorphic, like amphibians. In this article, we review the proposed roles of sex-linked genes in isolating nascent lineages throughout the speciation continuum and discuss their support in amphibians given current knowledge of sex chromosome evolution and speciation modes. Given their frequent recombination and lack of differentiation, we argue that amphibian sex chromosomes are not expected to become supergenes of speciation, which is reflected by the rarity of empirical studies consistent with a 'large sex chromosome effect' in frogs and toads. The diversity of sex chromosome systems in amphibians has a high potential to disentangle the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the emergence of sex-linked speciation genes in other organisms. This article is part of the theme issue 'Genomic architecture of supergenes: causes and evolutionary consequences'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- LASER, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, People's Republic of China
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Márquez R, Linderoth TP, Mejía-Vargas D, Nielsen R, Amézquita A, Kronforst MR. Divergence, gene flow, and the origin of leapfrog geographic distributions: The history of colour pattern variation in Phyllobates poison-dart frogs. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3702-3719. [PMID: 32814358 PMCID: PMC8164878 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The geographic distribution of phenotypic variation among closely related populations is a valuable source of information about the evolutionary processes that generate and maintain biodiversity. Leapfrog distributions, in which phenotypically similar populations are disjunctly distributed and separated by one or more phenotypically distinct populations, represent geographic replicates for the existence of a phenotype, and are therefore especially informative. These geographic patterns have mostly been studied from phylogenetic perspectives to understand how common ancestry and divergent evolution drive their formation. Other processes, such as gene flow between populations, have not received as much attention. Here, we investigate the roles of divergence and gene flow between populations in the origin and maintenance of a leapfrog distribution in Phyllobates poison frogs. We found evidence for high levels of gene flow between neighbouring populations but not over long distances, indicating that gene flow between populations exhibiting the central phenotype may have a homogenizing effect that maintains their similarity, and that introgression between 'leapfroging' taxa has not played a prominent role as a driver of phenotypic diversity in Phyllobates. Although phylogenetic analyses suggest that the leapfrog distribution was formed through independent evolution of the peripheral (i.e. leapfrogging) populations, the elevated levels of gene flow between geographically close populations poise alternative scenarios, such as the history of phenotypic change becoming decoupled from genome-averaged patterns of divergence, which we cannot rule out. These results highlight the importance of incorporating gene flow between populations into the study of geographic variation in phenotypes, both as a driver of phenotypic diversity and as a confounding factor of phylogeographic inferences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Márquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. 60637, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. A.A. 4976, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Tyler P. Linderoth
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. 94720, USA
| | - Daniel Mejía-Vargas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. A.A. 4976, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. 94720, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. 94720, USA
- Center for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1350, Denmark
| | - Adolfo Amézquita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. A.A. 4976, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Marcus R. Kronforst
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yeager J, Baquero R LE, Zarling A. Mediating ethical considerations in the conservation and sustainable biocommerce of the jewels of the rainforest. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
6
|
|
7
|
Preferences for and use of light microhabitats differ among and within populations of a polytypic poison frog. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Anti-predator strategies can influence trade-offs governing other activities important to fitness. Crypsis, for example, might make conspicuous sexual display especially costly, whereas aposematism might reduce or remove such costs. We tested for correlates of anti-predator strategy in Oophaga pumilio, a polytypic poison frog with morphs spanning the crypsis–aposematism continuum. In the wild, males of visually conspicuous morphs display from conspicuous perches and behave as if they perceive predation risk to be low. We thus predicted that, given a choice of ambient light microhabitats, these males would use high ambient light conditions the most and be most likely to perch in high-light conditions. We found no evidence that differently colored male O. pumilio preferentially used bright microhabitats or that ambient light influenced perching in a morph-specific manner. Independent of light conditions, males from the most conspicuous population perched the least, but the most conspicuous individuals from a polymorphic population perched the most. These patterns suggest that preferences do not necessarily underlie among-morph differences observed in the wild. This could be explained, and remain consistent with theory, if risk aversion is shaped, in part, by experience.
Collapse
|
8
|
Guillory WX, French CM, Twomey EM, Chávez G, Prates I, von May R, De la Riva I, Lötters S, Reichle S, Serrano-Rojas SJ, Whitworth A, Brown JL. Phylogenetic relationships and systematics of the Amazonian poison frog genus Ameerega using ultraconserved genomic elements. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 142:106638. [PMID: 31586688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Amazonian poison frog genus Ameerega is one of the largest yet most understudied of the brightly colored genera in the anuran family Dendrobatidae, with 30 described species ranging throughout tropical South America. Phylogenetic analyses of Ameerega are highly discordant, lacking consistency due to variation in data types and methods, and often with limited coverage of species diversity in the genus. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenomic reconstruction of Ameerega, utilizing state-of-the-art sequence capture techniques and phylogenetic methods. We sequenced thousands of ultraconserved elements from over 100 tissue samples, representing almost every described Ameerega species, as well as undescribed cryptic diversity. We generated topologies using maximum likelihood and coalescent methods and compared the use of maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods for estimating divergence times. Our phylogenetic inference diverged strongly from those of previous studies, and we recommend steps to bring Ameerega taxonomy in line with the new phylogeny. We place several species in a phylogeny for the first time, as well as provide evidence for six potential candidate species. We estimate that Ameerega experienced a rapid radiation approximately 7-11 million years ago and that the ancestor of all Ameerega was likely an aposematic, montane species. This study underscores the utility of phylogenomic data in improving our understanding of the phylogeny of understudied clades and making novel inferences about their evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wilson X Guillory
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Connor M French
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; Department of Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Evan M Twomey
- Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Germán Chávez
- División de Herpetología, Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), Santa Rita N°105 36 Of. 202, Urb. Huertos de San Antonio, Santiago de Surco, Lima, Peru
| | - Ivan Prates
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0162, USA
| | - Rudolf von May
- Biology Program, California State University Channel Islands, 1 University Drive, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Ignacio De la Riva
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefan Lötters
- Department of Biogeography, Universität Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany
| | | | - Shirley J Serrano-Rojas
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Whitworth
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jason L Brown
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Briolat ES, Burdfield‐Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency-dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator-prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once-paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S. Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
| | - Emily R. Burdfield‐Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
| | - Sarah C. Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
- Department of Chemical EcologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25, 33615, BielefeldGermany
| | - Katja H. Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki, 00014Finland
| | - Brett M. Seymoure
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCA 90840U.S.A.
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of BiologyEast Carolina University1000 E Fifth St, GreenvilleNC 27858U.S.A.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hood GR, Zhang L, Hu EG, Ott JR, Egan SP. Cascading reproductive isolation: Plant phenology drives temporal isolation among populations of a host‐specific herbivore. Evolution 2019; 73:554-568. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Glen R. Hood
- Department of BiosciencesAnderson Biological LaboratoriesRice University Houston Texas 77005
- Department of Biological SciencesWayne State University Detroit Michigan 48202
| | - Linyi Zhang
- Department of BiosciencesAnderson Biological LaboratoriesRice University Houston Texas 77005
| | - Elaine G. Hu
- Department of BiosciencesAnderson Biological LaboratoriesRice University Houston Texas 77005
| | - James R. Ott
- Population and Conservation Biology ProgramDepartment of BiologyTexas State University San Marcos Texas 78666
| | - Scott P. Egan
- Department of BiosciencesAnderson Biological LaboratoriesRice University Houston Texas 77005
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kristiansen EB, Finkbeiner SD, Hill RI, Prusa L, Mullen SP. Testing the adaptive hypothesis of Batesian mimicry among hybridizing North American admiral butterflies. Evolution 2018; 72:1436-1448. [PMID: 29851081 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Batesian mimicry is characterized by phenotypic convergence between an unpalatable model and a palatable mimic. However, because convergent evolution may arise via alternative evolutionary mechanisms, putative examples of Batesian mimicry must be rigorously tested. Here, we used artificial butterfly facsimiles (N = 4000) to test the prediction that (1) palatable Limenitis lorquini butterflies should experience reduced predation when in sympatry with their putative model, Adelpha californica, (2) protection from predation on L. lorquini should erode outside of the geographical range of the model, and (3) mimetic color pattern traits are more variable in allopatry, consistent with relaxed selection for mimicry. We find support for these predictions, implying that this convergence is the result of selection for Batesian mimicry. Additionally, we conducted mark-recapture studies to examine the effect of mimicry and found that mimics survive significantly longer at sites where the model is abundant. Finally, in contrast to theoretical predictions, we found evidence that the Batesian model (A. californica) is protected from predation outside of its geographic range. We discuss these results considering the ongoing hybridization between L. lorquini and its sister species, L. weidemeyerii, and growing evidence that selection for mimicry predictably leads to a reduction in gene flow between nascent species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan B Kristiansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| | - Susan D Finkbeiner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Ryan I Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, 95211
| | - Louis Prusa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, 95211
| | - Sean P Mullen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Casas-Cardona S, Márquez R, Vargas-Salinas F. Different colour morphs of the poison frogAndinobates bombetes(Dendrobatidae) are similarly effective visual predator deterrents. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Casas-Cardona
- Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO); Programa de Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Tecnologías; Universidad del Quindío; Armenia Colombia
| | - Roberto Márquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| | - Fernando Vargas-Salinas
- Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO); Programa de Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Tecnologías; Universidad del Quindío; Armenia Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Roland AB, Santos JC, Carriker BC, Caty SN, Tapia EE, Coloma LA, O'Connell LA. Radiation of the polymorphic Little Devil poison frog ( Oophaga sylvatica) in Ecuador. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9750-9762. [PMID: 29188006 PMCID: PMC5696431 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Some South American poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are chemically defended and use bright aposematic colors to warn potential predators of their unpalatability. Aposematic signals are often frequency-dependent where individuals deviating from a local model are at a higher risk of predation. However, extreme diversity in the aposematic signal has been documented in poison frogs, especially in Oophaga. Here, we explore the phylogeographic pattern among color-divergent populations of the Little Devil poison frog Oophaga sylvatica by analyzing population structure and genetic differentiation to evaluate which processes could account for color diversity within and among populations. With a combination of PCR amplicons (three mitochondrial and three nuclear markers) and genome-wide markers from a double-digested RAD (ddRAD) approach, we characterized the phylogenetic and genetic structure of 199 individuals from 13 populations (12 monomorphic and 1 polymorphic) across the O. sylvatica distribution. Individuals segregated into two main lineages by their northern or southern latitudinal distribution. A high level of genetic and phenotypic polymorphism within the northern lineage suggests ongoing gene flow. In contrast, low levels of genetic differentiation were detected among the southern lineage populations and support recent range expansions from populations in the northern lineage. We propose that a combination of climatic gradients and structured landscapes might be promoting gene flow and phylogenetic diversification. Alternatively, we cannot rule out that the observed phenotypic and genomic variations are the result of genetic drift on near or neutral alleles in a small number of genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan C. Santos
- Department of Biological SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNYUSA
| | | | | | - Elicio E. Tapia
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de AnfibiosFundación OtongaQuitoEcuador
| | - Luis A. Coloma
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de AnfibiosFundación OtongaQuitoEcuador
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Polymorphism at a mimicry supergene maintained by opposing frequency-dependent selection pressures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:8325-8329. [PMID: 28673971 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702482114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Explaining the maintenance of adaptive diversity within populations is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology, with important implications for conservation, medicine, and agriculture. Adaptation often leads to the fixation of beneficial alleles, and therefore it erodes local diversity so that understanding the coexistence of multiple adaptive phenotypes requires deciphering the ecological mechanisms that determine their respective benefits. Here, we show how antagonistic frequency-dependent selection (FDS), generated by natural and sexual selection acting on the same trait, maintains mimicry polymorphism in the toxic butterfly Heliconius numata Positive FDS imposed by predators on mimetic signals favors the fixation of the most abundant and best-protected wing-pattern morph, thereby limiting polymorphism. However, by using mate-choice experiments, we reveal disassortative mate preferences of the different wing-pattern morphs. The resulting negative FDS on wing-pattern alleles is consistent with the excess of heterozygote genotypes at the supergene locus controlling wing-pattern variation in natural populations of H. numata The combined effect of positive and negative FDS on visual signals is sufficient to maintain a diversity of morphs displaying accurate mimicry with other local prey, although some of the forms only provide moderate protection against predators. Our findings help understand how alternative adaptive phenotypes can be maintained within populations and emphasize the need to investigate interactions between selective pressures in other cases of puzzling adaptive polymorphism.
Collapse
|
15
|
Amézquita A, Ramos Ó, González MC, Rodríguez C, Medina I, Simões PI, Lima AP. Conspicuousness, color resemblance, and toxicity in geographically diverging mimicry: The pan-Amazonian frogAllobates femoralis. Evolution 2017; 71:1039-1050. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Amézquita
- Department of Biological Sciences; Universidad de los Andes; Cra 1 #18A-10 Bogotá 111711 Colombia
| | - Óscar Ramos
- Department of Biological Sciences; Universidad de los Andes; Cra 1 #18A-10 Bogotá 111711 Colombia
| | - Mabel Cristina González
- Department of Biological Sciences; Universidad de los Andes; Cra 1 #18A-10 Bogotá 111711 Colombia
| | - Camilo Rodríguez
- Department of Biological Sciences; Universidad de los Andes; Cra 1 #18A-10 Bogotá 111711 Colombia
| | - Iliana Medina
- Department of Biological Sciences; Universidad de los Andes; Cra 1 #18A-10 Bogotá 111711 Colombia
| | - Pedro Ivo Simões
- Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados; Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 40, sala 110 Porto Alegre CEP 90619-900 Brasil
- Coordenação de Pesquisas en Biodiversidade; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA); Av. André Araujo 2936 Manaus CEP 69011-970 Brasil
| | - Albertina Pimentel Lima
- Coordenação de Pesquisas en Biodiversidade; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA); Av. André Araujo 2936 Manaus CEP 69011-970 Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Yang Y, Richards-Zawacki CL, Devar A, Dugas MB. Poison frog color morphs express assortative mate preferences in allopatry but not sympatry. Evolution 2016; 70:2778-2788. [PMID: 27704539 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The concurrent divergence of mating traits and preferences is necessary for the evolution of reproductive isolation via sexual selection, and such coevolution has been demonstrated in diverse lineages. However, the extent to which assortative mate preferences are sufficient to drive reproductive isolation in nature is less clear. Natural contact zones between lineages divergent in traits and preferences provide exceptional opportunities for testing the predicted evolutionary consequences of such divergence. The strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) displays extreme color polymorphism in and around the young Bocas del Toro archipelago. In a transition zone between red and blue allopatric lineages, we asked whether female preferences diverged along with coloration, and whether any divergent preferences persist in a zone of sympatry. When choosing among red, blue and phenotypically intermediate males, females from monomorphic red and monomorphic blue populations both expressed assortative preferences. However, red, blue, and intermediate females from the contact zone all preferred red males, suggesting that divergent preferences may be insufficient to effect behavioral isolation. Our results highlight the complexity of behavioral isolation, and the need for studies that can reveal the circumstances under which divergent preferences do and do not contribute to speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusan Yang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, 70118.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260.,Current Address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 2429 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260
| | - Corinne L Richards-Zawacki
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, 70118.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republica de Panama
| | - Anisha Devar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, 70118
| | - Matthew B Dugas
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rojas B. Behavioural, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of diversity in frog colour patterns. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1059-1080. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyvaskyla; PO Box 35 Jyväskylä FI 40001 Finland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Twomey E, Vestergaard JS, Venegas PJ, Summers K. Mimetic Divergence and the Speciation Continuum in the Mimic Poison Frog Ranitomeya imitator. Am Nat 2015; 187:205-24. [PMID: 26807748 DOI: 10.1086/684439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
While divergent ecological adaptation can drive speciation, understanding the factors that facilitate or constrain this process remains a major goal in speciation research. Here, we study two mimetic transition zones in the poison frog Ranitomeya imitator, a species that has undergone a Müllerian mimetic radiation to establish four morphs in Peru. We find that mimetic morphs are strongly phenotypically differentiated, producing geographic clines with varying widths. However, distinct morphs show little neutral genetic divergence, and landscape genetic analyses implicate isolation by distance as the primary determinant of among-population genetic differentiation. Mate choice experiments suggest random mating at the transition zones, although certain allopatric populations show a preference for their own morph. We present evidence that this preference may be mediated by color pattern specifically. These results contrast with an earlier study of a third transition zone, in which a mimetic shift was associated with reproductive isolation. Overall, our results suggest that the three known mimetic transition zones in R. imitator reflect a speciation continuum, which we have characterized at the geographic, phenotypic, behavioral, and genetic levels. We discuss possible explanations for variable progress toward speciation, suggesting that multifarious selection on both mimetic color pattern and body size may be responsible for generating reproductive isolation.
Collapse
|
19
|
Roland AB, O’Connell LA. Poison frogs as a model system for studying the neurobiology of parental care. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
20
|
Twomey E, Mayer M, Summers K. Intraspecific Call Variation in the Mimic Poison Frog Ranitomeya imitator. HERPETOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
21
|
Poelstra JW, Vijay N, Hoeppner MP, Wolf JBW. Transcriptomics of colour patterning and coloration shifts in crows. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:4617-28. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J. W. Poelstra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D 752 36 Uppsala Sweden
| | - N. Vijay
- Department of Evolutionary Biology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D 752 36 Uppsala Sweden
| | - M. P. Hoeppner
- Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Life Sciences (BILS); Linköpings Universitet Victoria Westling; Hus Galaxen 58183 Linköping Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology; Uppsala University; Box 582 75123 Uppsala Sweden
| | - J. B. W. Wolf
- Department of Evolutionary Biology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D 752 36 Uppsala Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory; Box 1031 17121 Solna Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Vestergaard JS, Twomey E, Larsen R, Summers K, Nielsen R. Number of genes controlling a quantitative trait in a hybrid zone of the aposematic frog Ranitomeya imitator. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20141950. [PMID: 25925096 PMCID: PMC4424634 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of genes controlling mimetic traits has been a topic of much research and discussion. In this paper, we examine a mimetic, dendrobatid frog Ranitomeya imitator, which harbours extensive phenotypic variation with multiple mimetic morphs, not unlike the celebrated Heliconius system. However, the genetic basis for this polymorphism is unknown, and not easy to determine using standard experimental approaches, for this hard-to-breed species. To circumvent this problem, we first develop a new protocol for automatic quantification of complex colour pattern phenotypes from images. Using this method, which has the potential to be applied in many other systems, we define a phenotype associated with differences in colour pattern between different mimetic morphs. We then proceed to develop a maximum-likelihood method for estimating the number of genes affecting a quantitative trait segregating in a hybrid zone. This method takes advantage of estimates of admixture proportions obtained using genetic data, such as microsatellite markers, and is applicable to any other system where a phenotype has been quantified in an admixture/introgression zone. We evaluate the method using extensive simulations and apply it to the R. imitator system. We show that probably one or two, or at most three genes, control the mimetic phenotype segregating in a R. imitator hybrid zone identified using image analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Vestergaard
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Building 324/130, Matematiktorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Evan Twomey
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex N314, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Rasmus Larsen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Building 324/130, Matematiktorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex N314, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, 4098 VLSB, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pfennig DW, Akcali CK, Kikuchi DW. Batesian mimicry promotes pre- and postmating isolation in a snake mimicry complex. Evolution 2015; 69:1085-90. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David W. Pfennig
- Department of Biology; University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - Christopher K. Akcali
- Department of Biology; University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - David W. Kikuchi
- Department of Biology; University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
- Department of Biology; Carleton University, Ottawa; ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Mallet J. Speciation: Frog Mimics Prefer Their Own. Curr Biol 2014; 24:R1094-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|