1
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Hansson A, Wapstra E, While GM, Olsson M. Sex and early-life conditions shape telomere dynamics in an ectotherm. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246512. [PMID: 38230426 PMCID: PMC10912812 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246512] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Telomeres, the repetitive DNA regions that protect the ends of chromosomes, and their shortening have been linked to key life history trade-offs among growth, reproduction and lifespan. In contrast to most endotherms, many ectotherms can compensate for telomere shortening throughout life by upregulation of telomerase in somatic tissues. However, during development, marked by rapid growth and an increased sensitivity to extrinsic factors, the upregulation of telomerase may be overwhelmed, resulting in long-term impacts on telomere dynamics. In ectotherms, one extrinsic factor that may play a particularly important role in development is temperature. Here, we investigated the influence of developmental temperature and sex on early-life telomere dynamics in an oviparous ectotherm, Lacerta agilis. While there was no effect of developmental temperature on telomere length at hatching, there were subsequent effects on telomere maintenance capacity, with individuals incubated at warm temperatures exhibiting less telomere maintenance compared with cool-incubated individuals. Telomere dynamics were also sexually dimorphic, with females having longer telomeres and greater telomere maintenance compared with males. We suggest that selection drives this sexual dimorphism in telomere maintenance, in which females maximise their lifetime reproductive success by investing in traits promoting longevity such as maintenance, while males invest in short-term reproductive gains through a polygynous mating behaviour. These early-life effects, therefore, have the potential to mediate life-long changes to life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hansson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Geoffrey M. While
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
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2
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Salvi D. Climbing on the La Canna Volcanic Sea Stack to Obtain First-Hand Data on the Tiniest Population of the Critically Endangered Aeolian Wall Lizard Podarcis raffonei. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2289. [PMID: 37508066 PMCID: PMC10376861 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the extant populations of the critically endangered Aeolian wall lizard, the most vulnerable is the one surviving on La Canna, a columnar volcanic stack off the Filicudi Island. Here, I report the results of the first climbing expedition by a biologist on La Canna, that contributed direct observations and updated information on the size, morphology, and genetic variability of this population. Lizard density at the sampling site (a small terrace at 50 m of elevation) was 1.7 m-2, twice of a previous estimate. Standard methods for estimating population size are unsuitable for La Canna. An educated guess of about a hundred individuals can be drawn, considering the extent of habitat available on the stack and the number of observed lizards. Lizards on La Canna were not fearless, despite what was reported by alpinists, possibly because of aggressive intraspecific interactions or high environmental temperatures during sampling. Biometric data significantly extend the body size of La Canna's lizards and indicate that it is not smaller than other P. raffonei populations. A complete lack of genetic diversity was found at the mitochondrial nd4 gene, in line with previous allozyme data and with estimates on other microinsular Podarcis populations. The small size of the La Canna population implies severe genetic drift and an extremely high level of inbreeding, as supported by low heterozygosity found across the genome. Detrimental effects of inbreeding depression are evident as cephalic malformations observed in all captured lizards of La Canna and might represent the more immediate threat to the persistence of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Salvi
- Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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3
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Bererhi B, Duchesne P, Schwartz TS, Ujvari B, Wapstra E, Olsson M. Effect of MHC and inbreeding on disassortative reproduction: A data revisit, extension and inclusion of fertilization in sand lizards. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9934. [PMID: 36993149 PMCID: PMC10041550 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The harmful effects of close inbreeding have been recognized for centuries and, with the rise of Mendelian genetics, was realized to be an effect of homozygosis. This historical background led to great interest in ways to quantify inbreeding, its depression effects on the phenotype and flow‐on effects on mate choice and other aspects of behavioral ecology. The mechanisms and cues used to avoid inbreeding are varied and include major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and the peptides they transport as predictors of the degree of genetic relatedness. Here, we revisit and complement data from a Swedish population of sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) showing signs of inbreeding depression to assess the effects of genetic relatedness on pair formation in the wild. Parental pairs were less similar at the MHC than expected under random mating but mated at random with respect to microsatellite relatedness. MHC clustered in groups of RFLP bands but no partner preference was observed with respect to partner MHC cluster genotype. Male MHC band patterns were unrelated to their fertilization success in clutches selected for analysis on the basis of showing mixed paternity. Thus, our data suggest that MHC plays a role in pre‐copulatory, but not post‐copulatory partner association, suggesting that MHC is not the driver of fertilization bias and gamete recognition in sand lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Badreddine Bererhi
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | | | | | - Beata Ujvari
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative EcologyDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of WollongongWollongongNew South WalesAustralia
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4
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Najbar B, Najbar A, Sapikowski G, Kolenda K, Skawiński T. Developmental anomalies in the smooth snake, Coronella austriaca Laurenti, 1768 (Squamata, Colubridae) from Poland. HERPETOZOA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e85951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We present four cases of rare developmental anomalies in the smooth snake Coronella austriaca Laurenti, 1768 from western Poland. These include brachycephaly, lordosis, a supernumerary row of ‘ventral’ scales, and the third reported case of dicephalism in snakes from Poland. All the cases are supported by X-ray radiography. One of the possible explanations for these anomalies is a low genetic variation in populations from western Poland.
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5
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Bateman PW, Benken R, Glowacki R, Davis RA. A most unusual tail: Scoliosis in a wild Australian skink, and reported incidences and suggested causes of similar malformations amongst squamates. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip W. Bateman
- Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Robyn Benken
- Conservation and Biodiversity Research Centre Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park and Botanic Gardens 1 Kattidj Close Kings Park Western Australia 6005 Australia
| | - Ryan Glowacki
- Conservation and Biodiversity Research Centre Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park and Botanic Gardens 1 Kattidj Close Kings Park Western Australia 6005 Australia
| | - Robert A. Davis
- School of Science Edith Cowan University 100 Joondalup Drive Joondalup Western Australia 6027 Australia
- Terrestrial Zoology Western Australian Museum 49 Kew Street Welshpool Western Australia 6106 Australia
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6
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COURTIS AZUL, CAJADE RODRIGO, PIÑEIRO JOSÉMIGUEL, HERNANDO ALEJANDRA, SANTORO SIMONE, MARANGONI FEDERICO. Population ecology of a critically endangered gecko, endemic to north-eastern of Argentina. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2022; 94:e20200388. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202220200388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- AZUL COURTIS
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (FaCENA-UNNE), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - RODRIGO CAJADE
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (FaCENA-UNNE), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Fundación Amado Bonpland, Argentina
| | - JOSÉ MIGUEL PIÑEIRO
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (FaCENA-UNNE), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Fundación Amado Bonpland, Argentina
| | - ALEJANDRA HERNANDO
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Fundación Amado Bonpland, Argentina
| | | | - FEDERICO MARANGONI
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (FaCENA-UNNE), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
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7
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Josimovich JM, Falk BG, Grajal-Puche A, Hanslowe EB, Bartoszek IA, Reed RN, Currylow AF. Clutch may predict growth of hatchling Burmese pythons better than food availability or sex. Biol Open 2021; 10:273482. [PMID: 34796905 PMCID: PMC8609237 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying which environmental and genetic factors affect growth pattern phenotypes can help biologists predict how organisms distribute finite energy resources in response to varying environmental conditions and physiological states. This information may be useful for monitoring and managing populations of cryptic, endangered, and invasive species. Consequently, we assessed the effects of food availability, clutch, and sex on the growth of invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus Kuhl) from the Greater Everglades Ecosystem in Florida, USA. Though little is known from the wild, Burmese pythons have been physiological model organisms for decades, with most experimental research sourcing individuals from the pet trade. Here, we used 60 hatchlings collected as eggs from the nests of two wild pythons, assigned them to High or Low feeding treatments, and monitored growth and meal consumption for 12 weeks, a period when pythons are thought to grow very rapidly. None of the 30 hatchlings that were offered food prior to their fourth week post-hatching consumed it, presumably because they were relying on internal yolk stores. Although only two clutches were used in the experiment, we found that nearly all phenotypic variation was explained by clutch rather than feeding treatment or sex. Hatchlings from clutch 1 (C1) grew faster and were longer, heavier, in better body condition, ate more frequently, and were bolder than hatchlings from clutch 2 (C2), regardless of food availability. On average, C1 and C2 hatchling snout-vent length (SVL) and weight grew 0.15 cm d−1 and 0.10 cm d−1, and 0.20 g d−1 and 0.03 g d−1, respectively. Additional research may be warranted to determine whether these effects remain with larger clutch sample sizes and to identify the underlying mechanisms and fitness implications of this variation to help inform risk assessments and management. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Hatchling pythons from an invasive population displayed substantial phenotypic variation in morphometrics, growth rates, and behaviors. This information may be useful for managing populations of cryptic, endangered, and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Josimovich
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center - South Florida Field Station, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
| | - Bryan G Falk
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center - South Florida Field Station, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
| | - Alejandro Grajal-Puche
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center - South Florida Field Station, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
| | - Emma B Hanslowe
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center - South Florida Field Station, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
| | | | - Robert N Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Andrea F Currylow
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center - South Florida Field Station, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
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8
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Consistent scaling of inbreeding depression in space and time in a house sparrow metapopulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:14584-14592. [PMID: 32513746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909599117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding may increase the extinction risk of small populations. Yet, studies using modern genomic tools to investigate inbreeding depression in nature have been limited to single populations, and little is known about the dynamics of inbreeding depression in subdivided populations over time. Natural populations often experience different environmental conditions and differ in demographic history and genetic composition, characteristics that can affect the severity of inbreeding depression. We utilized extensive long-term data on more than 3,100 individuals from eight islands in an insular house sparrow metapopulation to examine the generality of inbreeding effects. Using genomic estimates of realized inbreeding, we discovered that inbred individuals had lower survival probabilities and produced fewer recruiting offspring than noninbred individuals. Inbreeding depression, measured as the decline in fitness-related traits per unit inbreeding, did not vary appreciably among populations or with time. As a consequence, populations with more resident inbreeding (due to their demographic history) paid a higher total fitness cost, evidenced by a larger variance in fitness explained by inbreeding within these populations. Our results are in contrast to the idea that effects of inbreeding generally depend on ecological factors and genetic differences among populations, and expand the understanding of inbreeding depression in natural subdivided populations.
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9
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van den Burg MP, Meirmans PG, van Wagensveld TP, Kluskens B, Madden H, Welch ME, Breeuwer JAJ. The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius: Genetically Depauperate and Threatened by Ongoing Hybridization. J Hered 2019; 109:426-437. [PMID: 29471487 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is an endangered species threatened by habitat loss and hybridization with non-native Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana). Iguana delicatissima has been extirpated on several islands, and the Green Iguana has invaded most islands with extant populations. Information is essential to protect this species from extinction. We collected data on 293 iguanas including 17 juveniles from St. Eustasius, one of the few remaining I. delicatissima strongholds. Genetic data were leveraged to test for hybridization presence with the Green Iguana using both mitochondrial and nuclear genes, including 16 microsatellite loci. The microsatellites were also analyzed to estimate genetic diversity, population structure, and effective population size. Using molecular and morphological data, we identified 286 I. delicatissima individuals captured during our first fieldwork effort, and 7 non-native iguanas captured during a second effort, showing hybridization occurs within this population. Comparing homologous microsatellites used in studies on Dominica and Chancel, the I. delicatissima population on St. Eustatius has extremely low genetic diversity (HO = 0.051; HE = 0.057), suggesting this population is genetically depauperate. Furthermore, there is significant evidence for inbreeding (FIS = 0.12) and weak spatial genetic structure (FST = 0.021, P = 0.002) within this population. Besides immediate threats including hybridization, this population's low genetic diversity, presence of physiological abnormalities and low recruitment could indicate presence of inbreeding depression that threatens its long-term survival. We conclude there is a continued region-wide threat to I. delicatissima and highlight the need for immediate conservation action to stop the continuing spread of Green Iguanas and to eliminate hybridization from St. Eustatius.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthijs P van den Burg
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick G Meirmans
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bart Kluskens
- Reptile, Amphibian & Fish Conservation the Netherlands, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah Madden
- St. Eustatius National Park Foundation, Gallows Bay, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands.,Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
| | - Mark E Welch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Johannes A J Breeuwer
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Inconsistent inbreeding effects during lizard ontogeny. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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11
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Olsson M, Schwartz TS, Wapstra E, Shine R. How accurately do behavioural observations predict reproductive success in free-ranging lizards? Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190030. [PMID: 30958138 PMCID: PMC6405472 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural ecologists often use data on patterns of male-female association to infer reproductive success of free-ranging animals. For example, a male seen with several females during the mating season is predicted to father more offspring than a male not seen with any females. We explored the putative correlation between this behaviour and actual paternity (as revealed by microsatellite data) from a long-term study on sand lizards ( Lacerta agilis), including behavioural observations of 574 adult males and 289 adult females, and paternity assignment of more than 2500 offspring during 1998-2007. The number of males that contributed paternity to a female's clutch was correlated with the number of males seen accompanying her in the field, but not with the number of copulation scars on her body. The number of females that a male accompanied in the field predicted the number of females with whom he fathered offspring, and his annual reproductive success (number of progeny). Although behavioural data explained less than one-third of total variance in reproductive success, our analysis supports the utility of behavioural-ecology studies for predicting paternity in free-ranging reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, 413-90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tonia S. Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart 7001, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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12
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Olsson M, Loeb L, Lindsay W, Wapstra E, Fitzpatrick L, Shine R. Extreme plasticity in reproductive biology of an oviparous lizard. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6384-6389. [PMID: 30038742 PMCID: PMC6053574 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Most oviparous squamate reptiles lay their eggs when embryos have completed less than one-third of development, with the remaining two-thirds spent in an external nest. Even when females facultatively retain eggs in dry or cold conditions, such retention generally causes only a minor (<10%) decrease in subsequent incubation periods. In contrast, we found that female sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) from an experimentally founded field population (established ca. 20 years ago on the southwest coast of Sweden) exhibited wide variation in incubation periods even when the eggs were kept at standard (25°C) conditions. Females that retained eggs in utero for longer based on the delay between capture and oviposition produced eggs that hatched sooner. In the extreme case, eggs hatched after only 55% of the "normal" incubation period. Although the proximate mechanisms underlying this flexibility remain unclear, our results from this first full field season at the new study site show that females within a single cold-climate population of lizards can span a substantial proportion of the continuum from "normal" oviparity to viviparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- Division of Animal EcologyDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of WollongongWollongongNSWAustralia
| | - Lisa Loeb
- Division of Animal EcologyDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Willow Lindsay
- Division of Animal EcologyDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Luisa Fitzpatrick
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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13
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Šmíd J, Moravec J, Gvoždík V, Štundl J, Frynta D, Lymberakis P, Kapli P, Wilms T, Schmitz A, Shobrak M, Yousefkhani SH, Rastegar-Pouyani E, Castilla AM, Els J, Mayer W. Cutting the Gordian Knot: Phylogenetic and ecological diversification of theMesalina brevirostrisspecies complex (Squamata, Lacertidae). ZOOL SCR 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; Claremont Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jiří Moravec
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Václav Gvoždík
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Jan Štundl
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete - University of Crete; Herakleio Greece
| | - Paschalia Kapli
- The Exelixis Lab; Scientific Computing Group; Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies; Heidelberg Germany
| | | | - Andreas Schmitz
- Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology; Natural History Museum of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- Biology Department; Faculty of Science; Taif University; Taif Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Aurora M. Castilla
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute; Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation); Doha Qatar
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority; Sharjah United Arab Emirates
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14
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Olsson M, Shine R. ADVANTAGES OF MULTIPLE MATINGS TO FEMALES: A TEST OF THE INFERTILITY HYPOTHESIS USING LIZARDS. Evolution 2017; 51:1684-1688. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb01491.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/1996] [Accepted: 05/16/1997] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- University of Göteborg; Department of Zoology; Medicinaregatan 18, 413 90 Göteborg Sweden
- University of Sydney; School of Biological Sciences ∗∗∗AO8; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- University of Sydney; School of Biological Sciences ∗∗∗AO8; New South Wales 2006 Australia
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15
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Woodfine T, Wilkie M, Gardner R, Edgar P, Moulton N, Riordan P. Outcomes and lessons from a quarter of a century of Sand lizard Lacerta agilis
reintroductions in southern England. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/izy.12155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Woodfine
- Marwell Wildlife; Colden Common Winchester SO21 1JH United Kingdom
- Biological Sciences; Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences; University of Southampton; Life Sciences Building 85 Highfield Campus Southampton SO17 1BJ United Kingdom
| | - M. Wilkie
- Marwell Wildlife; Colden Common Winchester SO21 1JH United Kingdom
| | - R. Gardner
- Marwell Wildlife; Colden Common Winchester SO21 1JH United Kingdom
- Biological Sciences; Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences; University of Southampton; Life Sciences Building 85 Highfield Campus Southampton SO17 1BJ United Kingdom
| | - P. Edgar
- Natural England; 2nd Floor Cromwell House 15 Andover Road Winchester Hampshire SO23 7BT United Kingdom
| | - N. Moulton
- Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Trust; 665A Christchurch Road Boscombe Bournemouth Dorset BH1 4AP United Kingdom
| | - P. Riordan
- Marwell Wildlife; Colden Common Winchester SO21 1JH United Kingdom
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16
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Paredes U, Radersma R, Cannell N, While GM, Uller T. Low Incubation Temperature Induces DNA Hypomethylation in Lizard Brains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 325:390-5. [PMID: 27328739 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Developmental stress can have organizational effects on suites of physiological, morphological, and behavioral characteristics. In lizards, incubation temperature is perhaps the most significant environmental variable affecting embryonic development. Wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) recently introduced by humans from Italy to England experience stressfully cool incubation conditions, which we here show reduce growth and increase the incidence of scale malformations. Using a methylation-sensitive AFLP protocol optimized for vertebrates, we demonstrate that this low incubation temperature also causes hypomethylation of DNA in brain tissue. A consistent pattern across methylation-susceptible AFLP loci suggests that hypomethylation is a general response and not limited to certain CpG sites. The functional consequences of hypomethylation are unknown, but it could contribute to genome stability and regulation of gene expression. Further studies of the effects of incubation temperature on DNA methylation in ectotherm vertebrates may reveal mechanisms that explain why the embryonic thermal environment often has physiological and behavioral consequences for offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Paredes
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Reinder Radersma
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Naomi Cannell
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Geoffrey M While
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Tobias Uller
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Yordy J, Mossotti RH. Kinship, maternal effects, and management: Juvenile mortality and survival in captive African painted dogs, Lycaon pictus. Zoo Biol 2016; 35:367-377. [PMID: 27272949 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In 77 African painted dog (Lycaon pictus) litters born in North American zoos since 1998, pup mortality at 30 days was 53% (n = 478). More alarmingly, 52% of those 77 litters had zero pups surviving at 30 days. Many variables may have the potential to affect pup mortality in captivity, including kinship, maternal age, prior maternal breeding experience, and numerous social and husbandry factors. Data on these variables were obtained from the North American Regional Studbook, with supplemental information compiled from a survey sent to painted dog breeding facilities in North America. Survival curve analysis revealed significant effects for maternal age and kinship, with kinship being most significant (χ2 , df = 19.71, 1; P < 0.0001). Pups born to unrelated parents had a median age at death two orders of magnitude higher than pups born to parents who were related to each other. Pup mortality was also lower for experienced mothers and for females under 2.5 years or between 4.5 and 6.5 years old. Follow-up analyses of these findings indicated that among first-time mothers, the youngest females achieved the lowest juvenile mortality, while juvenile mortality for experienced mothers was relatively low in all age classes until 6.5 years old. Regression analysis indicated that chances of survival are improved for pups born to younger mothers, unrelated parents, and in packs of >2 individuals. Enclosure size and area per animal may also be important factors. Our findings indicate that specific characteristics can be used to predict and potentially reduce pup mortality in captive African painted dogs. Zoo Biol. 35:367-377, 2016. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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18
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Dudek K, Skórka P, Sajkowska ZA, Ekner-Grzyb A, Dudek M, Tryjanowski P. Distribution pattern and number of ticks on lizards. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:172-179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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19
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Jančúchová-Lásková J, Landová E, Frynta D. Experimental Crossing of Two Distinct Species of Leopard Geckos, Eublepharis angramainyu and E. macularius: Viability, Fertility and Phenotypic Variation of the Hybrids. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143630. [PMID: 26633648 PMCID: PMC4669172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization between distinct species of animals and subsequent genetic introgression plays a considerable role in the speciation process and the emergence of adaptive characters. Fitness of between-species hybrids usually sharply decreases with the divergence time of the concerned species and the divergence depth, which still allows for a successful crossing differs among principal clades of vertebrates. Recently, a review of hybridization events among distinct lizard species revealed that lizards belong to vertebrates with a highly developed ability to hybridize. In spite of this, reliable reports of experimental hybridizations between genetically fairly divergent species are only exceptional. Here, we show the results of the crossing of two distinct allopatric species of eyelid geckos possessing temperature sex determination and lacking sex chromosomes: Eublepharis macularius distributed in Pakistan/Afghanistan area and E. angramainyu, which inhabits Mesopotamia and adjacent areas. We demonstrated that F1 hybrids were viable and fertile, and the introgression of E. angramainyu genes into the E. macularius genome can be enabled via a backcrossing. The examined hybrids (except those of the F2 generation) displayed neither malformations nor a reduced survival. Analyses of morphometric and coloration traits confirmed phenotypic distinctness of both parental species and their F1 hybrids. These findings contrast with long-term geographic and an evolutionary separation of the studied species. Thus, the occurrence of fertile hybrids of comparably divergent species, such as E. angramainyu and E. macularius, may also be expected in other taxa of squamates. This would violate the current estimates of species diversity in lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva Landová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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20
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Ferchaud AL, Eudeline R, Arnal V, Cheylan M, Pottier G, Leblois R, Crochet PA. Congruent signals of population history but radically different patterns of genetic diversity between mitochondrial and nuclear markers in a mountain lizard. Mol Ecol 2014; 24:192-207. [PMID: 25410208 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Historical factors, current population size, population connectivity and selective processes at linked loci contribute to shaping contemporary patterns of neutral genetic diversity. It is now widely acknowledged that nuclear and mitochondrial markers react differently to current demography as well as to past history, so the use of both types of markers is often advocated to gain insight on both historical and contemporary processes. We used 12 microsatellite loci genotyped in 13 populations of a mountain lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali) to test whether the historical scenario favoured by a previous mitochondrial study was also supported by nuclear markers and thereby evaluated the consequences of postglacial range movements on nuclear diversity. Congruent signals of recent history were revealed by nuclear and mitochondrial markers using an Approximate Bayesian computation approach, but contemporary patterns of mtDNA and nuclear DNA diversity were radically different. Although dispersal in this species is probably highly restricted at all spatial scales, colonization abilities have been historically good, suggesting capability for reestablishment of locally extinct populations except in fully disconnected habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Ferchaud
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; EPHE-UMR5175 CEFE, Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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21
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Ala-Honkola O, Veltsos P, Anderson H, Ritchie MG. Copulation duration, but not paternity share, potentially mediates inbreeding avoidance in Drosophila montana. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1807-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Firman RC, Simmons LW. No evidence of conpopulation sperm precedence between allopatric populations of house mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107472. [PMID: 25295521 PMCID: PMC4189782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigations into the evolution of reproductive barriers have traditionally focused on closely related species, and the prevalence of conspecific sperm precedence. The effectiveness of conspecific sperm precedence at limiting gene exchange between species suggests that gametic isolation is an important component of reproductive isolation. However, there is a paucity of tests for evidence of sperm precedence during the earlier stages of divergence, for example among isolated populations. Here, we sourced individuals from two allopatric populations of house mice (Mus domesticus) and performed competitive in vitro fertilisation assays to test for conpopulation sperm precedence specifically at the gametic level. We found that ova population origin did not influence the outcome of the sperm competitions, and thus provide no evidence of conpopulation or heteropopulation sperm precedence. Instead, we found that males from a population that had evolved under a high level of postcopulatory sexual selection consistently outcompeted males from a population that had evolved under a relatively lower level of postcopulatory sexual selection. We standardised the number of motile sperm of each competitor across the replicate assays. Our data therefore show that competitive fertilizing success was directly attributable to differences in sperm fertilizing competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C. Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
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23
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Tseng SP, Li SH, Hsieh CH, Wang HY, Lin SM. Influence of gene flow on divergence dating - implications for the speciation history of Takydromus grass lizards. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4770-84. [PMID: 25142551 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dating the time of divergence and understanding speciation processes are central to the study of the evolutionary history of organisms but are notoriously difficult. The difficulty is largely rooted in variations in the ancestral population size or in the genealogy variation across loci. To depict the speciation processes and divergence histories of three monophyletic Takydromus species endemic to Taiwan, we sequenced 20 nuclear loci and combined with one mitochondrial locus published in GenBank. They were analysed by a multispecies coalescent approach within a Bayesian framework. Divergence dating based on the gene tree approach showed high variation among loci, and the divergence was estimated at an earlier date than when derived by the species-tree approach. To test whether variations in the ancestral population size accounted for the majority of this variation, we conducted computer inferences using isolation-with-migration (IM) and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) frameworks. The results revealed that gene flow during the early stage of speciation was strongly favoured over the isolation model, and the initiation of the speciation process was far earlier than the dates estimated by gene- and species-based divergence dating. Due to their limited dispersal ability, it is suggested that geographical isolation may have played a major role in the divergence of these Takydromus species. Nevertheless, this study reveals a more complex situation and demonstrates that gene flow during the speciation process cannot be overlooked and may have a great impact on divergence dating. By using multilocus data and incorporating Bayesian coalescence approaches, we provide a more biologically realistic framework for delineating the divergence history of Takydromus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan; Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 100, Taiwan
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24
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Tolley KA, Daniels RJ, Feldheim KA. Characterisation of microsatellite markers in the Spotted Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata) shows low levels of inbreeding and moderate genetic diversity on a small spatial scale. AFR J HERPETOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2014.893927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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25
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Akimoto SI. Morphological abnormalities in gall-forming aphids in a radiation-contaminated area near Fukushima Daiichi: selective impact of fallout? Ecol Evol 2014; 4:355-69. [PMID: 24634721 PMCID: PMC3936383 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
To evaluate the impact of fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on organisms, this study compared the morphology and viability of gall-forming aphids between the Fukushima population and control populations from noncontaminated areas. This study, in particular, focused on the morphology of first-instar gall formers derived from the first sexual reproduction after the accident. Of 164 first instars from Tetraneura sorini galls collected 32 km from Fukushima Daiichi in spring 2012, 13.2% exhibited morphological abnormalities, including four conspicuously malformed individuals (2.4%). In contrast, in seven control areas, first instars with abnormal morphology accounted for 0.0-5.1% (on average, 3.8%). The proportions of abnormalities and mortality were significantly higher in Fukushima than in the control areas. Similarly, of 134 first instars from T. nigriabdominalis galls, 5.9% exhibited morphological abnormalities, with one highly malformed individual. However, of 543 second-generation larvae produced in T. sorini galls, only 0.37% had abnormalities, suggesting that abnormalities found in the first generation were not inherited by the next generation. Although investigation is limited to one study site, this result suggests that radioactive contamination had deleterious effects on embryogenesis in eggs deposited on the bark surface, but a negligible influence on the second generation produced in closed galls. Furthermore, analysis of both species samples collected in spring 2013 indicated that the viability and healthiness of the aphids were significantly improved compared to those in the 2012 samples. Thus, the results of this study suggest the possibility that a reduced level of radiation and/or selection for radiation tolerance may have led to the improved viability and healthiness of the Fukushima population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-ichi Akimoto
- Department of Ecology and Systematics, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido UniversityKita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan
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26
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Lange R, Gruber B, Henle K, Sarre SD, Hoehn M. Mating system and intrapatch mobility delay inbreeding in fragmented populations of a gecko. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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27
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Qi Y, Yang W, Lu B, Fu J. Genetic evidence for male-biased dispersal in the Qinghai toad-headed agamid Phrynocephalus vlangalii and its potential link to individual social interactions. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:1219-30. [PMID: 23762509 PMCID: PMC3678477 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Revised: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-biased dispersal has profound impacts on a species' biology and several factors have been attributed to its evolution, including mating system, inbreeding avoidance, and social complexity. Sex-biased dispersal and its potential link to individual social interactions were examined in the Qinghai toad-headed agamid (Phrynocephalus vlangalii). We first determined the pattern of sex-biased dispersal using population genetic methods. A total of 345 specimens from 32 sites in the Qaidam Basin were collected and genotyped for nine microsatellite DNA loci. Both individual-based assignment tests and allele frequency-based analyses were conducted. Females revealed much more genetic structure than males and all results were consistent with male-biased dispersal. First-generation migrants were also identified by genetic data. We then examined eight social interaction-related morphological traits and explored their potential link to sex-biased dispersal. Female residents had larger heads and longer tails than female migrants. The well-developed signal system among females, coupled with viviparity, might make remaining on natal sites beneficial, and hence promote female philopatry. Dominant females with larger heads were more likely to stay. Contrary to females, male migrants had larger heads and belly patches than residents, suggesting that dispersal might confer selective advantages for males. Such advantages may include opportunities for multiple mating and escaping from crowded sites. Large belly patches and several other morphological traits may assist their success in obtaining mates during dispersal. Furthermore, a relatively high relatedness (R = 0.06) among females suggested that this species might have rudimentary social structure. Case studies in "less" social species may provide important evidence for a better understanding of sex-biased dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Qi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
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28
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29
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Schwartz TS, Perrin C, Wapstra E, Uller T, Olsson M. Complex selection associated with Hox genes in a natural population of lizards. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:2520-4. [PMID: 21883611 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02368.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes are recognized for their explanatory power of bilateral development. However, relatively little is known about natural variation in, and the evolutionary dynamics of, Hox genes within wild populations. Utilizing a natural population of sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), we screened HoxA13 for genetic variation and an association with incidence of offspring malformations. We found significant effects of parental genetic similarity and offspring sex, and their interaction, on risk of hatching malformed as an offspring. We also found within population genetic variation in HoxA13, and identified a significant effect of a three-way interaction among Hox genotype, parental genetic similarity, and offspring sex on the risk of hatching malformation. Since malformed offspring in this population do not survive to maturity, this study reveals complex and ongoing selection associated with Hox genes in a wild reptile population. Importantly, this demonstrates the utility of natural populations in unveiling microevolutionary processes shaping variation in highly conserved genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Schwartz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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30
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Olsson M, Schwartz T, Wapstra E, Uller T, Ujvari B, Madsen T, Shine R. Climate change, multiple paternity and offspring survival in lizards. Evolution 2011; 65:3323-6. [PMID: 22023595 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01387.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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31
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Ala-Honkola O, Manier MK, Lüpold S, Pitnick S. No evidence for postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2011; 65:2699-705. [PMID: 21884066 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01317.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Selection to avoid inbreeding is predicted to vary across species due to differences in population structure and reproductive biology. Over the past decade, there have been numerous investigations of postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance, a phenomenon that first requires discrimination of mate (or sperm) relatedness and then requires mechanisms of male ejaculate tailoring and/or cryptic female choice to avoid kin. The number of studies that have found a negative association between male-female genetic relatedness and competitive fertilization success is roughly equal to the number of studies that have not found such a relationship. In the former case, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The present study was undertaken to verify and expand upon a previous report of postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance in D. melanogaster, as well as to resolve underlying mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance using transgenic flies that express a sperm head-specific fluorescent tag. However, siblings did not have a lower fertilization success as compared to unrelated males in either the first (P(1) ) or second (P(2) ) mate role in sperm competition with a standard unrelated competitor male in our study population of D. melanogaster. Analyses of mating latency, copulation duration, egg production rate, and remating interval further revealed no evidence for inbreeding avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outi Ala-Honkola
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244-1270, USA.
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32
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Olsson M, Pauliny A, Wapstra E, Uller T, Schwartz T, Blomqvist D. Sex differences in sand lizard telomere inheritance: paternal epigenetic effects increases telomere heritability and offspring survival. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17473. [PMID: 21526170 PMCID: PMC3081292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To date, the only estimate of the heritability of telomere length in wild
populations comes from humans. Thus, there is a need for analysis of natural
populations with respect to how telomeres evolve. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we show that telomere length is heritable in free-ranging sand lizards,
Lacerta agilis. More importantly, heritability
estimates analysed within, and contrasted between, the sexes are markedly
different; son-sire heritability is much higher relative to daughter-dam
heritability. We assess the effect of paternal age on Telomere Length (TL)
and show that in this species, paternal age at conception is the best
predictor of TL in sons. Neither paternal age per se at
blood sampling for telomere screening, nor corresponding age in sons impact
TL in sons. Processes maintaining telomere length are also associated with
negative fitness effects, most notably by increasing the risk of cancer and
show variation across different categories of individuals (e.g. males vs.
females). We therefore tested whether TL influences offspring survival in
their first year of life. Indeed such effects were present and independent
of sex-biased offspring mortality and offspring malformations. Conclusions/Significance TL show differences in sex-specific heritability with implications for
differences between the sexes with respect to ongoing telomere selection.
Paternal age influences the length of telomeres in sons and longer telomeres
enhance offspring survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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House CM, Bleakley BH, Walling CA, Price TAR, Stamper CE, Moore AJ. The influence of maternal effects on indirect benefits associated with polyandry. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:1177-82. [PMID: 20926439 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous and diverse theoretical models for the indirect benefits of polyandry, empirical support is mixed. One reason for the difficulty in detecting indirect benefits of polyandry may be that these are subtle and are mediated by environmental effects, such as maternal effects. Maternal effects may be especially important if females allocate resources to their offspring depending on the characteristics of their mating partners. We test this hypothesis in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, a species that provides extensive and direct parental care to offspring. We used a fully factorial design and mated females to one, two, three, four or five different males and manipulated conditions so that their offspring received reduced (12 h) or full (ca 72 h) maternal care. We found that average offspring fitness increased with full maternal care but there was no significant effect of polyandry or the interaction between the duration of maternal care and the level of polyandry on offspring fitness. Thus, although polyandry could provide a mechanism for biasing paternity towards high quality or compatible males, and variation in parental care matters, we found no evidence that female N. vespilloides gain indirect benefits by using parental care to bias the allocation of resources under different mating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa M House
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
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Olsson M, Pauliny A, Wapstra E, Uller T, Schwartz T, Miller E, Blomqvist D. Sexual differences in telomere selection in the wild. Mol Ecol 2011; 20:2085-99. [PMID: 21486373 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05085.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length is restored primarily through the action of the reverse transcriptase telomerase, which may contribute to a prolonged lifespan in some but not all species and may result in longer telomeres in one sex than the other. To what extent this is an effect of proximate mechanisms (e.g. higher stress in males, higher oestradiol/oestrogen levels in females), or is an evolved adaptation (stronger selection for telomere length in one sex), usually remains unknown. Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) females have longer telomeres than males and better maintain telomere length through life than males do. We also show that telomere length more strongly contributes to life span and lifetime reproductive success in females than males and that telomere length is under sexually diversifying selection in the wild. Finally, we performed a selection analysis with number of recruited offspring into the adult population as a response variable with telomere length, life span and body size as predictor variables. This showed significant differences in selection pressures between the sexes with strong ongoing selection in females, with these three predictors explaining 63% of the variation in recruitment. Thus, the sexually dimorphic telomere dynamics with longer telomeres in females is a result of past and ongoing selection in sand lizards. Finally, we compared the results from our selection analyses based on Telometric-derived data to the results based on data generated by the software ImageJ. ImageJ resulted in shorter average telomere length, but this difference had virtually no qualitative effect on the patterns of ongoing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, The Heydon-Laurence Building AO8, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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35
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Velo-Antón G, Becker CG, Cordero-Rivera A. Turtle carapace anomalies: the roles of genetic diversity and environment. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18714. [PMID: 21533278 PMCID: PMC3075271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 03/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phenotypic anomalies are common in wild populations and multiple genetic, biotic and abiotic factors might contribute to their formation. Turtles are excellent models for the study of developmental instability because anomalies are easily detected in the form of malformations, additions, or reductions in the number of scutes or scales. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we integrated field observations, manipulative experiments, and climatic and genetic approaches to investigate the origin of carapace scute anomalies across Iberian populations of the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis. The proportion of anomalous individuals varied from 3% to 69% in local populations, with increasing frequency of anomalies in northern regions. We found no significant effect of climatic and soil moisture, or climatic temperature on the occurrence of anomalies. However, lower genetic diversity and inbreeding were good predictors of the prevalence of scute anomalies among populations. Both decreasing genetic diversity and increasing proportion of anomalous individuals in northern parts of the Iberian distribution may be linked to recolonization events from the Southern Pleistocene refugium. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Overall, our results suggest that developmental instability in turtle carapace formation might be caused, at least in part, by genetic factors, although the influence of environmental factors affecting the developmental stability of turtle carapace cannot be ruled out. Further studies of the effects of environmental factors, pollutants and heritability of anomalies would be useful to better understand the complex origin of anomalies in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
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36
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Olsson M, Wapstra E, Schwartz T, Madsen T, Ujvari B, Uller T. IN HOT PURSUIT: FLUCTUATING MATING SYSTEM AND SEXUAL SELECTION IN SAND LIZARDS. Evolution 2010; 65:574-83. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01152.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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37
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Olsson M, Pauliny A, Wapstra E, Blomqvist D. Proximate determinants of telomere length in sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). Biol Lett 2010; 6:651-3. [PMID: 20356883 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are repeat sequences of non-coding DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes and contribute to their stability and the genomic integrity of cells. In evolutionary ecology, the main research target regarding these genomic structures has been their role in ageing and as a potential index of age. However, research on humans shows that a number of traits contribute to among-individual differences in telomere length, in particular traits enhancing cell division and genetic erosion, such as levels of free radicals and stress. In lizards, tail loss owing to predation attempts results in a stress-induced shift to a more cryptic lifestyle. In sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) males, telomere length was compromised by tail regrowth in a body size-related manner, so that small males, which already exhibit more cryptic mating tactics, were less affected than larger males. Tail regrowth just fell short of having a significant relationship with telomere length in females, and so did age in males. In females, there was a significant positive relationship between age and telomere length. We conclude that the proximate effect of compromised antipredation and its associated stress seems to have a more pronounced effect in males than in females and that age-associated telomere dynamics differ between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
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Dubey S, Shine R. Restricted dispersal and genetic diversity in populations of an endangered montane lizard (Eulamprus leuraensis, Scincidae). Mol Ecol 2010; 19:886-97. [PMID: 20149087 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04539.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Many alpine species are under threat from global climate change, as their geographic ranges become increasingly fragmented and unsuitable. Understanding rates and determinants of gene flow among such fragmented populations, over historical as well as recent timescales, can help to identify populations under threat. It is also important to clarify the degree to which loss of local populations reduces overall genetic diversity within the taxon. The endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink (Eulamprus leuraensis) is restricted to <40 small swamps in montane south-eastern Australia. Our analyses of seven microsatellite loci of 241 animals from 13 populations show strong geographic structure, with major genetic divergence even between populations separated by <0.5 km. Dispersal between populations is scarce, and appears to involve mostly males. Our analyses suggest potential recent bottleneck events in all the identified populations, and lower genetic diversity and population size parameter at lower-elevation sites than at higher-elevation sites. Management of this endangered taxon thus needs to treat most populations separately, because of their genetic distinctiveness and low rates of genetic exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dubey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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Urquhart J, Wang Y, Fu J. Historical vicariance and male-mediated gene flow in the toad-headed lizards Phrynocephalus przewalskii. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:3714-29. [PMID: 19674299 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04310.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA data and a population genetic approach, we tested male-mediated gene flow in the toad-headed lizards Phrynocephalus przewalskii. The mitochondrial DNA (ND2 gene), on the one hand, revealed two major lineages and a strong population genetic structure (F(ST) = 0.692; F(ST)' = 0.995). The pairwise differences between the two lineages ranged from 2.1% to 6.4% and the geographical division of the two lineages coincided with a mountain chain consisting of the Helan and Yin Mountains, suggesting a historical vicariant pattern. On the other hand, the nuclear microsatellite DNA revealed a significant but small population genetic structure (F(ST) = 0.017; F(ST)' = 0.372). The pairwise F(ST) among the nine populations examined with seven microsatellite DNA loci ranged from 0.0062 to 0.0266; the assignment test failed to detect any naturally occurring population clusters. Furthermore, the populations demonstrated a weak isolation by distance and a northeast to southwest clinal variation, rather than a vicariant pattern. A historical vicariant event followed by male-mediated gene flow appears to be the best explanation for the data. Approximately 2-5 Ma, climatic change may have created an uninhabitable zone along the Helan-Yin mountain chain and initiated the divergence between the two mitochondrial lineages. With further climatic changes, males were able to disperse across the mountain chain, causing sufficient gene flow that eventually erased the vicariant pattern and drastically reduced the population genetic structure, while females remained philopatric and maintained the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence. Although polygyny mating system and female philopatry may partially contribute to the reduced movement of females, other hypotheses, such as female intrasexual aggression, should also be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Urquhart
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Richard M, Losdat S, Lecomte J, de Fraipont M, Clobert J. Optimal level of inbreeding in the common lizard. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:2779-86. [PMID: 19419985 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mate choice with regard to genetic similarity has been rarely considered as a dynamic process. We examined this possibility in breeding populations of the common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) kept for several years in semi-natural conditions. We investigated whether they displayed a pattern of mate choice according to the genetic similarity and whether it was context-dependent. Mate choice depended on genetic similarity with the partner and also on age and condition. There was no systematic avoidance of inbreeding. Females of intermediate ages, more monogamous, did not mate with genetically similar partners, whereas younger and older females, more polyandrous, did but highest clutch proportions were associated with intermediate values of pair-relatedness. These results indicate dynamic mate choice, suggesting that individuals of different phenotypes select their partners in different ways according to their genetic similarity. We consider our results in the light of diverse and apparently contradictory theories concerning genetic compatibility, and particularly, optimal inbreeding and inclusive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Richard
- Laboratoire Fonctionnement et Evolution des Systèmes Ecologiques, CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
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Calsbeek R. Sex-specific adult dispersal and its selective consequences in the brown anole,Anolis sagrei. J Anim Ecol 2009; 78:617-24. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01527.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Ujvari B, Dowton M, Madsen T. Population genetic structure, gene flow and sex-biased dispersal in frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii). Mol Ecol 2009; 17:3557-64. [PMID: 19160482 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03849.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
By using both mitochondrial and nuclear multiloci markers, we explored population genetic structure, gene flow and sex-specific dispersal of frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii) sampled at three locations, separated by 10 to 50 km, in a homogenous savannah woodland in tropical Australia. Apart from a recombinant lizard, the mitochondrial analyses revealed two nonoverlapping haplotypes/populations, while the nuclear markers showed that the frillneck lizards represented three separate clusters/populations. Due to the small population size of the mtDNA, fixation may occur via founder effects and/or drift. We therefore suggest that either of these two processes, or a combination of the two, are the most likely causes of the discordant results obtained from the mitochondrial and the nuclear markers. In contrast to the nonoverlapping mitochondrial haplotypes, in 12 out of 74 lizards, mixed nuclear genotypes were observed, hence revealing a limited nuclear gene flow. Although gene flow should ultimately result in a blending of the populations, we propose that the distinct nuclear population structure is maintained by frequent fires resulting in local bottlenecks, and concomitant spatial separation of the frillneck lizard populations. Limited mark-recapture data and the difference in distribution of the mitochondrial and nuclear markers suggest that the mixed nuclear genotypes were caused by juvenile male-biased dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Ujvari
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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Williams RN, Bos DH, Gopurenko D, Dewoody JA. Amphibian malformations and inbreeding. Biol Lett 2008; 4:549-52. [PMID: 18593670 PMCID: PMC2610075 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2008] [Revised: 06/03/2008] [Accepted: 06/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding may lead to morphological malformations in a wide variety of taxa. We used genetic markers to evaluate whether malformed urodeles were more inbred and/or had less genetic diversity than normal salamanders. We captured 687 adult and 1,259 larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum), assessed each individual for gross malformations, and surveyed genetic variation among malformed and normal individuals using both cytoplasmic and nuclear markers. The most common malformations in both adults and larvae were brachydactyly, ectrodactyly and polyphalangy. The overall frequency of adults with malformations was 0.078 compared to 0.081 in larval samples. Genetic diversity was high in both normal and malformed salamanders, and there were no significant difference in measures of inbreeding (f and F), allele frequencies, mean individual heterozygosity or mean internal relatedness. Environmental contaminants or other extrinsic factors may lead to genome alternations that ultimately cause malformations, but our data indicate that inbreeding is not a causal mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rod N Williams
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Johansson H, Surget-Groba Y, Thorpe RS. Microsatellite data show evidence for male-biased dispersal in the Caribbean lizard Anolis roquet. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:4425-32. [PMID: 18803592 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03923.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key component of an organism's life history and differences in dispersal between sexes appear to be widespread in vertebrates. However, most predictions of sex-biased dispersal have been based on observations of social structure in birds and mammals and more data are needed on other taxa to test whether these predictions apply in other organisms. Caribbean anole lizards are important model organisms in various biological disciplines, including evolutionary biology. However, very little is known about their dispersal strategies despite the importance of dispersal for population structure and dynamics. Here we use nine microsatellite markers to assess signatures of sex-biased dispersal on two spatial sampling scales in Anolis roquet, an anole endemic to the island of Martinique. Significantly higher gene diversity (H(S)) and lower mean assignment value (mAIC) was found in males on the larger spatial sampling scale. Significant heterozygote deficit (F(IS)), lower population differentiation (F(ST)), mAIC and variance of assignment index (vAIC) was found in males on the smaller spatial scale. The observation of male biased dispersal conform with expectations based on the polygynous mating system of Anolis roquet, and contributes to an explanation of the contrasting patterns of genetic structure between maternal and biparental markers that have been reported previously in this, and other anoline, species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Johansson
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
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Gullberg, Olsson, Tegelström. Evolution in populations of Swedish sand lizards: genetic differentiation and loss of variability revealed by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. J Evol Biol 2008. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1999.00003.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gullberg
- Department of Genetics, Uppsala University, Box 7003, S‐750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Zoology Building A08, NSW, Australia
| | - Tegelström
- Department of Genetics, Uppsala University, Box 7003, S‐750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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LaDage LD, Gutzke WHN, Simmons RA, Ferkin MH. Multiple Mating Increases Fecundity, Fertility and Relative Clutch Mass in the Female Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Ethology 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01495.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Olsson M, Gullberg A, Tegelström H. Determinants of breeding dispersal in the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, (Reptilia, Squamata). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1997.tb01494.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gullberg A, Olsson M, Tegelström H. Colonization, genetic diversity, and evolution in the Swedish sand lizard, Lacerta agilis (Reptilia, Squamata). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1998.tb01142.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
The avoidance of genetic incompatibilities between parental genotypes has been proposed to account for the evolution of polyandry. An extension of this hypothesis suggests polyandry may provide an opportunity for females to avoid the cost of inbreeding by exploiting postcopulatory mechanisms that bias paternity toward unrelated male genotypes. Here we test the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis in house mice by experimentally manipulating genetic compatibility via matings between siblings and nonsiblings. We observed little difference in reproductive success between females mated to two siblings or females mated to two nonsiblings. Females mated to both a sibling and a nonsibling tended to have a lower litter survival, but only when the first male to mate was a sibling. Microsatellite data revealed that paternity was biased toward nonsiblings when a female mated with both a sibling and a nonsibling. Unlike previous studies of invertebrates, paternity bias toward the sibling male was independent of mating sequence. We provide one of the first empirical demonstrations that polyandry facilitates postcopulatory sexual selection in a vertebrate. We discuss this result in relation to the possibility of selective fertilization of ova based on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haploid expression of sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
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