1
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Murray M, Wright J, Araya-Ajoy YG. Evolutionary rescue from climate change: male indirect genetic effects on lay-dates and their consequences for population persistence. Evol Lett 2024; 8:137-148. [PMID: 38487362 PMCID: PMC10939382 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes in avian breeding phenology are among the most apparent responses to climate change in free-ranging populations. A key question is whether populations will be able to keep up with the expected rates of environmental change. There is a large body of research on the mechanisms by which avian lay-dates track temperature change and the consequences of (mal)adaptation on population persistence. Often overlooked is the role of males, which can influence the lay-date of their mate through their effect on the prelaying environment. We explore how social plasticity causing male indirect genetic effects can help or hinder population persistence when female genes underpinning lay-date and male genes influencing female's timing of reproduction both respond to climate-mediated selection. We extend quantitative genetic moving optimum models to predict the consequences of social plasticity on the maximum sustainable rate of temperature change, and evaluate our model using a combination of simulated data and empirical estimates from the literature. Our results suggest that predictions for population persistence may be biased if indirect genetic effects and cross-sex genetic correlations are not considered and that the extent of this bias depends on sex differences in how environmental change affects the optimal timing of reproduction. Our model highlights that more empirical work is needed to understand sex-specific effects of environmental change on phenology and the fitness consequences for population dynamics. While we discuss our results exclusively in the context of avian breeding phenology, the approach we take here can be generalized to many different contexts and types of social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myranda Murray
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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2
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Tosto NM, Beasley ER, Wong BBM, Mank JE, Flanagan SP. The roles of sexual selection and sexual conflict in shaping patterns of genome and transcriptome variation. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:981-993. [PMID: 36959239 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is one of the most prevalent, and often the most extreme, examples of phenotypic variation within species, and arises primarily from genomic variation that is shared between females and males. Many sexual dimorphisms arise through sex differences in gene expression, and sex-biased expression is one way that a single, shared genome can generate multiple, distinct phenotypes. Although many sexual dimorphisms are expected to result from sexual selection, and many studies have invoked the possible role of sexual selection to explain sex-specific traits, the role of sexual selection in the evolution of sexually dimorphic gene expression remains difficult to differentiate from other forms of sex-specific selection. In this Review, we propose a holistic framework for the study of sex-specific selection and transcriptome evolution. We advocate for a comparative approach, across tissues, developmental stages and species, which incorporates an understanding of the molecular mechanisms, including genomic variation and structure, governing gene expression. Such an approach is expected to yield substantial insights into the evolution of genetic variation and have important applications in a variety of fields, including ecology, evolution and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Tosto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Emily R Beasley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah P Flanagan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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3
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Sloat S, Rockman M. Sexual antagonism evolves when autosomes influence offspring sex ratio. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.14.544982. [PMID: 37398423 PMCID: PMC10312671 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.14.544982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex allocation theory generally assumes maternal control of offspring sex and makes few predictions for populations evolving under paternal control. Using population genetic simulations, we show that maternal and paternal control of the sex ratio lead to different equilibrium sex ratios in structured populations. Sex ratios evolved under paternal control are more female biased. This effect is dependent on the population subdivision; fewer founding individuals leads to both more biased sex ratios and a greater difference between the paternal and maternal equilibria. In addition, sexual antagonism evolves in simulations with both maternally- and paternally-acting loci. Maternally-acting loci continuously accumulate ever more female-biasing effects as male-biasing effects accumulate at paternally-acting loci. The difference in evolved sex-ratio equilibria and the evolution of sexual antagonism can be largely explained by differences in the between-group variance of maternal and paternal effects in the founding generation. These theoretical results apply to any system with biparental autosomal influence over offspring sex, opening up an exciting new line of questioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Sloat
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Matthew Rockman
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
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4
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Romero-Haro AÁ, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Tschirren B. Increased male-induced harm in response to female-limited selection: interactive effects between intra- and interlocus sexual conflict? Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230140. [PMID: 37122249 PMCID: PMC10130724 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Interlocus sexual conflict (IRSC) occurs because of shared interactions that have opposite effects on male and female fitness. Typically, it is assumed that loci involved in IRSC have sex-limited expression and are thus not directly affected by selective pressures acting on the other sex. However, if loci involved in IRSC have pleiotropic effects in the other sex, intersexual selection can shape the evolutionary dynamics of conflict escalation and resolution, as well as the evolution of reproductive traits linked to IRSC loci, and vice versa. Here we used an artificial selection approach in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) to test if female-limited selection on reproductive investment affects the amount of harm caused by males during mating. We found that males originating from lines selected for high female reproductive investment caused more oxidative damage in the female reproductive tract than males originating from lines selected for low female reproductive investment. This male-induced damage was specific to the oviduct and not found in other female tissues, suggesting that it was ejaculate-mediated. Our results suggest that intersexual selection shapes the evolution of IRSC and that male-induced harm may contribute to the maintenance of variation in female reproductive investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ángela Romero-Haro
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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5
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Abstract
Sexual conflict can arise when males evolve traits that improve their mating success but in doing so harm females. By reducing female fitness, male harm can diminish offspring production in a population and even drive extinction. Current theory on harm is based on the assumption that an individual's phenotype is solely determined by its genotype. But the expression of most sexually selected traits is also influenced by variation in biological condition (condition-dependent expression), such that individuals in better condition can express more extreme phenotypes. Here, we developed demographically explicit models of sexual conflict evolution where individuals vary in their condition. Because condition-dependent expression readily evolves for traits underlying sexual conflict, we show that conflict is more intense in populations where individuals are in better condition. Such intensified conflict reduces mean fitness and can thus generate a negative association between condition and population size. The impact of condition on demography is especially likely to be detrimental when the genetic basis of condition coevolves with sexual conflict. This occurs because sexual selection favors alleles that improve condition (the so-called good genes effect), producing feedback between condition and sexual conflict that drives the evolution of intense male harm. Our results indicate that in presence of male harm, the good genes effect in fact easily becomes detrimental to populations.
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6
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Hausmann AE, Freire M, Alfthan SA, Kuo CY, Linares M, McMillan O, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C, Merrill RM. Does sexual conflict contribute to the evolution of novel warning patterns? J Evol Biol 2023; 36:563-578. [PMID: 36702779 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Why warning patterns are so diverse is an enduring evolutionary puzzle. Because predators associate particular patterns with unpleasant experiences, an individual's predation risk should decrease as the local density of its warning pattern increases, promoting pattern monomorphism. Distasteful Heliconius butterflies are known for their diversity of warning patterns. Here, we explore whether interlocus sexual conflict can contribute to their diversification. Male Heliconius use warning patterns as mating cues, but mated females may suffer costs if this leads to disturbance, favouring novel patterns. Using simulations, we show that under our model conditions drift alone is unlikely to cause pattern diversification, but that sexual conflict can assist such a process. We also find that genetic architecture influences the evolution of male preferences, which track changes in warning pattern due to sexual selection. When male attraction imposes costs on females, this affects the speed at which novel pattern alleles increase. In two experiments, females laid fewer eggs with males present. However, although males in one experiment showed less interest in females with manipulated patterns, we found no evidence that female colouration mitigates sex-specific costs. Overall, male attraction to conspecific warning patterns may impose an unrecognized cost on Heliconius females, but further work is required to determine this experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Hausmann
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Marília Freire
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Sara A Alfthan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Chi-Yun Kuo
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Carolina Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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7
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Geeta Arun M, Chechi TS, Meena R, Bhosle SD, Srishti, Prasad NG. Investigating the interaction between inter-locus and intra-locus sexual conflict using hemiclonal analysis in Drosophila melanogaster. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:38. [PMID: 35346023 PMCID: PMC8962633 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01992-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Divergence in the evolutionary interests of males and females leads to sexual conflict. Traditionally, sexual conflict has been classified into two types: inter-locus sexual conflict (IeSC) and intra-locus sexual conflict (IaSC). IeSC is modeled as a conflict over outcomes of intersexual reproductive interactions mediated by loci that are sex-limited in their effects. IaSC is thought to be a product of selection acting in opposite directions in males and females on traits with a common underlying genetic basis. While in their canonical formalisms IaSC and IeSC are mutually exclusive, there is growing support for the idea that the two may interact. Empirical evidence for such interactions, however, is limited. Results Here, we investigated the interaction between IeSC and IaSC in Drosophila melanogaster. Using hemiclonal analysis, we sampled 39 hemigenomes from a laboratory-adapted population of D. melanogaster. We measured the contribution of each hemigenome to adult male and female fitness at three different intensities of IeSC, obtained by varying the operational sex ratio. Subsequently, we estimated the intensity of IaSC at each sex ratio by calculating the intersexual genetic correlation (rw,g,mf) for fitness and the proportion of sexually antagonistic fitness-variation. We found that the intersexual genetic correlation for fitness was positive at all three sex ratios. Additionally, at male biased and equal sex ratios the rw,g,mf was higher, and the proportion of sexually antagonistic fitness variation lower, relative to the female biased sex ratio, although this trend was not statistically significant. Conclusion Our results indicate a statistically non-significant trend suggesting that increasing the strength of IeSC ameliorates IaSC in the population. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01992-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manas Geeta Arun
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Tejinder Singh Chechi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Rakesh Meena
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Shradha Dattaraya Bhosle
- Department of Biochemistry, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, University Campus, Jaisigpura, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 431004, India
| | - Srishti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Nagaraj Guru Prasad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
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8
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9
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Harper JA, Janicke T, Morrow EH. Systematic review reveals multiple sexually antagonistic polymorphisms affecting human disease and complex traits. Evolution 2021; 75:3087-3097. [PMID: 34723381 PMCID: PMC9299215 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
An evolutionary model for sex differences in disease risk posits that alleles conferring higher risk in one sex may be protective in the other. These sexually antagonistic (SA) alleles are predicted to be maintained at frequencies higher than expected under purifying selection against unconditionally deleterious alleles, but there are apparently no examples in humans. Discipline-specific terminology, rather than a genuine lack of such alleles, could explain this disparity. We undertook a two-stage review of evidence for SA polymorphisms in humans using search terms from (i) evolutionary biology and (ii) biomedicine. Although the first stage returned no eligible studies, the second revealed 51 genes with sex-opposite effects; 22 increased disease risk or severity in one sex but protected the other. Those with net positive effects occurred at higher frequencies. None were referred to as SA. Our review reveals significant communication barriers to fields as a result of discipline-specific terminology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Alexander Harper
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Group, School of Life SciencesUniversity of SussexBrightonBN1 9QGUnited Kingdom
| | - Tim Janicke
- Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR 5175, CNRSUniversité de Montpellier, École Pratique des Hautes ÉtudesMontpellier34293France
- Applied ZoologyTechnical University DresdenDresden01062Germany
| | - Edward H. Morrow
- Department of Environmental and Life SciencesKarlstad UniversityKarlstadSE‐65188Sweden
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10
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Plesnar‐Bielak A, Łukasiewicz A. Sexual conflict in a changing environment. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1854-1867. [PMID: 33960630 PMCID: PMC8518779 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Sexual conflict has extremely important consequences for various evolutionary processes including its effect on local adaptation and extinction probability during environmental change. The awareness that the intensity and dynamics of sexual conflict is highly dependent on the ecological setting of a population has grown in recent years, but much work is yet to be done. Here, we review progress in our understanding of the ecology of sexual conflict and how the environmental sensitivity of such conflict feeds back into population adaptivity and demography, which, in turn, determine a population's chances of surviving a sudden environmental change. We link two possible forms of sexual conflict - intralocus and interlocus sexual conflict - in an environmental context and identify major gaps in our knowledge. These include sexual conflict responses to fluctuating and oscillating environmental changes and its influence on the interplay between interlocus and intralocus sexual conflict, among others. We also highlight the need to move our investigations into more natural settings and to investigate sexual conflict dynamics in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Plesnar‐Bielak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian Universityul. Gronostajowa 730‐387KrakówPoland
| | - Aleksandra Łukasiewicz
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandPO Box 11180101JoensuuFinland
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz Universityul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 661‐614PoznańPoland
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11
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Whittle CA, Kulkarni A, Extavour CG. Evolutionary dynamics of sex-biased genes expressed in cricket brains and gonads. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1188-1211. [PMID: 34114713 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sex-biased gene expression, particularly sex-biased expression in the gonad, has been linked to rates of protein sequence evolution (nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions, dN/dS) in animals. However, in insects, sex-biased expression studies remain centred on a few holometabolous species. Moreover, other major tissue types such as the brain remain underexplored. Here, we studied sex-biased gene expression and protein evolution in a hemimetabolous insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We generated novel male and female RNA-seq data for two sexual tissue types, the gonad and somatic reproductive system, and for two core components of the nervous system, the brain and ventral nerve cord. From a genome-wide analysis, we report several core findings. Firstly, testis-biased genes had accelerated evolution, as compared to ovary-biased and unbiased genes, which was associated with positive selection events. Secondly, although sex-biased brain genes were much less common than for the gonad, they exhibited a striking tendency for rapid protein sequence evolution, an effect that was stronger for the female than male brain. Further, some sex-biased brain genes were linked to sexual functions and mating behaviours, which we suggest may have accelerated their evolution via sexual selection. Thirdly, a tendency for narrow cross-tissue expression breadth, suggesting low pleiotropy, was observed for sex-biased brain genes, suggesting relaxed purifying selection, which we speculate may allow enhanced freedom to evolve adaptive protein functional changes. The findings of rapid evolution of testis-biased genes and male and female-biased brain genes are discussed with respect to pleiotropy, positive selection and the mating biology of this cricket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie A Whittle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arpita Kulkarni
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3420. [PMID: 34103535 PMCID: PMC8187464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23804-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory shows how sexual selection can exaggerate male traits beyond naturally selected optima and also how natural selection can ultimately halt trait elaboration. Empirical evidence supports this theory, but to our knowledge, there have been no experimental evolution studies directly testing this logic, and little examination of possible associated effects on female fitness. Here we use experimental evolution of replicate populations of broad-horned flour beetles to test for effects of sex-specific predation on an exaggerated sexually selected male trait (the mandibles), while also testing for effects on female lifetime reproductive success. We find that populations subjected to male-specific predation evolve smaller sexually selected mandibles and this indirectly increases female fitness, seemingly through intersexual genetic correlations we document. Predation solely on females has no effects. Our findings support fundamental theory, but also reveal unforseen outcomes-the indirect effect on females-when natural selection targets sex-limited sexually selected characters.
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13
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Cai Z, Yang C, Liao J, Song H, Zhang S. Sex-biased genes and metabolites explain morphologically sexual dimorphism and reproductive costs in Salix paraplesia catkins. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:125. [PMID: 34059667 PMCID: PMC8166972 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Dioecious species evolved from species with monomorphic sex systems in order to achieve overall fitness gains by separating male and female functions. As reproductive organs, unisexual flowers have different reproductive roles and exhibit conspicuous sexual dimorphism. To date, little is known about the temporal variations in and molecular mechanisms underlying the morphology and reproductive costs of dioecious flowers. We investigated male and female flowers of Salix paraplesia in three flowering stages before pollination (the early, blooming and late stages) via transcriptional sequencing as well as metabolite content and phenotypic analysis. We found that a large number of sex-biased genes, rather than sex-limited genes, were responsible for sexual dimorphism in S. paraplesia flowers and that the variation in gene expression in male flowers intensified this situation throughout flower development. The temporal dynamics of sex-biased genes derived from changes in reproductive function during the different flowering stages. Sexually differentiated metabolites related to respiration and flavonoid biosynthesis exhibited the same bias directions as the sex-biased genes. These sex-biased genes were involved mainly in signal transduction, photosynthesis, respiration, cell proliferation, phytochrome biosynthesis, and phenol metabolism; therefore, they resulted in more biomass accumulation and higher energy consumption in male catkins. Our results indicated that sex-biased gene expression in S. paraplesia flowers is associated with different reproductive investments in unisexual flowers; male flowers require a greater reproductive investment to meet their higher biomass accumulation and energy consumption needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Cai
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Liao
- College of Geography and Tourism, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haifeng Song
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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14
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Manat Y, Lund-Hansen KK, Katsianis G, Abbott JK. Female-limited X-chromosome evolution effects on male pre- and post-copulatory success. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200915. [PMID: 33653095 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Intralocus sexual conflict arises when the expression of shared alleles at a single locus generates opposite fitness effects in each sex (i.e. sexually antagonistic alleles), preventing each sex from reaching its sex-specific optimum. Despite its importance to reproductive success, the relative contribution of intralocus sexual conflict to male pre- and post-copulatory success is not well-understood. Here, we used a female-limited X-chromosome (FLX) evolution experiment in Drosophila melanogaster to limit the inheritance of the X-chromosome to the matriline, eliminating possible counter-selection in males and allowing the X-chromosome to accumulate female-benefit alleles. After more than 100 generations of FLX evolution, we studied the effect of the evolved X-chromosome on male attractiveness and sperm competitiveness. We found a non-significant increase in attractiveness and decrease in sperm offence ability in males expressing the evolved X-chromosomes, but a significant increase in their ability to avoid displacement by other males' sperm. This is consistent with a trade-off between these traits, perhaps mediated by differences in body size, causing a small net reduction in overall male fitness in the FLX lines. These results indicate that the X-chromosome in D. melanogaster is subject to selection via intralocus sexual conflict in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesbol Manat
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund 223 62, Sweden.,The Biomedical Research Center, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Katrine K Lund-Hansen
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Georgios Katsianis
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Jessica K Abbott
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund 223 62, Sweden
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15
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Stångberg J, Immonen E, Moreno PP, Bolund E. Experimentally induced intrasexual mating competition and sex-specific evolution in female and male nematodes. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1677-1688. [PMID: 32945028 PMCID: PMC7756511 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in life history traits and their trade-offs is widespread among sexually reproducing animals and is strongly influenced by the differences in reproductive strategies between the sexes. We investigated how intrasexual competition influenced specific life history traits, important to fitness and their trade-offs in the outcrossing nematode Caenorhabditis remanei. Here, we altered the strength of sex-specific selection through experimental evolution with increased potential for intrasexual competition by skewing the adult sex ratio towards either females or males (1:10 or 10:1) over 30 generations and subsequently measured the phenotypic response to selection in three traits related to fitness: body size, fecundity and tolerance to heat stress. We observed a greater evolutionary change in females than males for body size and peak fitness, suggesting that females may experience stronger net selection and potentially harbour higher amounts of standing genetic variance compared to males. Our study highlights the importance of investigating direct and indirect effects of intrasexual competition in both sexes in order to capture sex-specific responses and understand the evolution of sexual dimorphism in traits expressed by both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Stångberg
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elina Immonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pilar Puimedon Moreno
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Bolund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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16
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Rayner JG, Pascoal S, Bailey NW. Release from intralocus sexual conflict? Evolved loss of a male sexual trait demasculinizes female gene expression. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190497. [PMID: 31014218 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of sexual ornaments is observed across taxa, and pleiotropic effects of such losses provide an opportunity to gain insight into underlying dynamics of sex-biased gene expression and intralocus sexual conflict (IASC). We investigated this in a Hawaiian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, in which an X-linked genotype ( flatwing) feminizes males' wings and eliminates their ability to produce sexually selected songs. We profiled adult gene expression across somatic and reproductive tissues of both sexes. Despite the feminizing effect of flatwing on male wings, we found no evidence of feminized gene expression in males. Instead, female transcriptomes were more strongly affected by flatwing than males', and exhibited demasculinized gene expression. These findings are consistent with a relaxation of IASC constraining female gene expression through loss of a male sexual ornament. In a follow-up experiment, we found reduced testes mass in flatwing males, whereas female carriers showed no reduction in egg production. By contrast, female carriers exhibited greater measures of body condition. Our results suggest sex-limited phenotypic expression offers only partial resolution to IASC, owing to pleiotropic effects of the loci involved. Benefits conferred by release from intralocus conflict could help explain widespread loss of sexual ornaments across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack G Rayner
- 1 School of Biology, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH , UK
| | - Sonia Pascoal
- 2 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EJ , UK
| | - Nathan W Bailey
- 1 School of Biology, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH , UK
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17
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Svensson EI. Macroevolutionary Origin and Adaptive Function of a Polymorphic Female Signal Involved in Sexual Conflict. Am Nat 2019; 194:707-724. [DOI: 10.1086/705294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Li XY, Holman L. Evolution of female choice under intralocus sexual conflict and genotype-by-environment interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0425. [PMID: 30150223 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, females are hypothesized to obtain 'good genes' for their offspring by mating with males in good condition. However, female preferences might deplete genetic variance and make choice redundant. Additionally, high-condition males sometimes produce low-fitness offspring, for example because of environmental turnover and gene-by-environment interactions (GEIs) for fitness, or because fit males carry sexually antagonistic alleles causing them to produce unfit daughters. Here, we extend previous theory by investigating the evolution of female mate choice in a spatially explicit evolutionary simulation implementing both GEIs and intralocus sexual conflict (IASC), under sex-specific hard or soft selection. We show that IASC can weaken female preferences for high-condition males or even cause a preference for males in low condition, depending on the relative benefits of producing well-adapted sons versus daughters, which in turn depends on the relative hardness of selection on males and females. We discuss the relevance of our results to conservation genetics and empirical evolutionary biology.This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yi Li
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luke Holman
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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19
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Sztepanacz JL, Houle D. Cross‐sex genetic covariances limit the evolvability of wing‐shape within and among species of
Drosophila. Evolution 2019; 73:1617-1633. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Houle
- Department of Biology Florida State University Tallahassee Florida 32306
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20
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Hill MS, Reuter M, Stewart AJ. Sexual antagonism drives the displacement of polymorphism across gene regulatory cascades. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190660. [PMID: 31161912 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females have different reproductive roles and are often subject to contrasting selection pressures. This sexual antagonism can lead, at a given locus, to different alleles being favoured in each sex and, consequently, to genetic variation being maintained in a population. Although the presence of sexually antagonistic (SA) polymorphisms has been documented across a range of species, their evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we study SA selection on gene expression, which is fundamental to sexual dimorphism, via the evolution of regulatory binding sites. We show that for sites longer than 1 nucleotide, expression polymorphism is maintained only when intermediate expression levels are deleterious to both sexes. We then show that, in a regulatory cascade, expression polymorphism tends to become displaced over evolutionary time from the target of SA selection to upstream regulators. Our results have consequences for understanding the evolution of sexual dimorphism, and provide specific empirical predictions for the regulatory architecture of genes under SA selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Hill
- 1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI , USA.,2 Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London , London , UK
| | - Max Reuter
- 2 Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London , London , UK
| | - Alexander J Stewart
- 3 Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, TX , USA
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21
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Malek HL, Long TAF. Spatial environmental complexity mediates sexual conflict and sexual selection in Drosophila melanogaster. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2651-2663. [PMID: 30891206 PMCID: PMC6405486 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is an important agent of evolutionary change, but the strength and direction of selection often vary over space and time. One potential source of heterogeneity may lie in the opportunity for male-male and/or male-female interactions imposed by the spatial environment. It has been suggested that increased spatial complexity permits sexual selection to act in a complementary fashion with natural selection (hastening the loss of deleterious alleles and/or promoting the spread of beneficial alleles) via two (not mutually exclusive) pathways. In the first scenario, sexual selection potentially acts more strongly on males in complex environments, allowing males of greater genetic "quality" a greater chance of outcompeting rivals, with benefits manifested indirectly in offspring. In the second scenario, increased spatial complexity reduces opportunities for males to antagonistically harm females, allowing females (especially those of greater potential fecundities) to achieve greater reproductive success (direct fitness benefits). Here, using Drosophila melanogaster, we explore the importance of these mechanisms by measuring direct and indirect fitness of females housed in simple vial environments or in vials in which spatial complexity has been increased. We find strong evidence in favor of the female conflict-mediated pathway as individuals in complex environments remated less frequently and produced more offspring than those housed in a simpler spatial environment, but no difference in the fitness of sons or daughters. We discuss these results in the context of other recent studies and what they mean for our understanding of how sexual selection operates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Malek
- Department of BiologyWilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterlooOntarioCanada
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22
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Schenkel MA, Pen I, Beukeboom LW, Billeter J. Making sense of intralocus and interlocus sexual conflict. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:13035-13050. [PMID: 30619603 PMCID: PMC6309128 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict occurs because males and females are exposed to different selection pressures. This can affect many aspects of female and male biology, such as physiology, behavior, genetics, and even population ecology. Its broad impact has caused widespread interest in sexual conflict. However, a key aspect of sexual conflict is often confused; it comprises two distinct forms: intralocus and interlocus sexual conflict (IASC and IRSC). Although both are caused by sex differences in selection, they operate via different proximate and ultimate mechanisms. Intralocus sexual conflict and IRSC are often not clearly defined as separate processes in the scientific literature, which impedes a proper understanding of each form as well as of their relative impact on sexual conflict. Furthermore, our current knowledge of the genetics of these phenomena is severely limited. This prevents us from empirically testing numerous theories regarding the role of these two forms of sexual conflict in evolution. Here, we clarify the distinction between IASC and IRSC, by discussing how male and female interests differ, how and when sex-specific adaptation occurs, and how this may lead to evolutionary change. We then describe a framework for their study, focusing on how future experiments may help identify the genetics underlying these phenomena. Through this, we hope to promote a more critical reflection on IASC and IRSC as well as underline the necessity of genetic and mechanistic studies of these two phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn A. Schenkel
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Ido Pen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Leo W. Beukeboom
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jean‐Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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23
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Pennell TM, Holman L, Morrow EH, Field J. Building a new research framework for social evolution: intralocus caste antagonism. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1251-1268. [PMID: 29341390 PMCID: PMC5896731 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The breeding and non‐breeding ‘castes’ of eusocial insects provide a striking example of role‐specific selection, where each caste maximises fitness through different morphological, behavioural and physiological trait values. Typically, queens are long‐lived egg‐layers, while workers are short‐lived, largely sterile foragers. Remarkably, the two castes are nevertheless produced by the same genome. The existence of inter‐caste genetic correlations is a neglected consequence of this shared genome, potentially hindering the evolution of caste dimorphism: alleles that increase the productivity of queens may decrease the productivity of workers and vice versa, such that each caste is prevented from reaching optimal trait values. A likely consequence of this ‘intralocus caste antagonism’ should be the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness and maladaptation within castes (termed ‘caste load’), analogous to the result of intralocus sexual antagonism. The aim of this review is to create a research framework for understanding caste antagonism, drawing in part upon conceptual similarities with sexual antagonism. By reviewing both the social insect and sexual antagonism literature, we highlight the current empirical evidence for caste antagonism, discuss social systems of interest, how antagonism might be resolved, and challenges for future research. We also introduce the idea that sexual and caste antagonism could interact, creating a three‐way antagonism over gene expression. This includes unpacking the implications of haplodiploidy for the outcome of this complex interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Pennell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Luke Holman
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Edward H Morrow
- Evolution Behaviour and Environment Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jeremy Field
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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24
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Kasimatis KR, Nelson TC, Phillips PC. Genomic Signatures of Sexual Conflict. J Hered 2017; 108:780-790. [PMID: 29036624 PMCID: PMC5892400 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict is a specific class of intergenomic conflict that describes the reciprocal sex-specific fitness costs generated by antagonistic reproductive interactions. The potential for sexual conflict is an inherent property of having a shared genome between the sexes and, therefore, is an extreme form of an environment-dependent fitness effect. In this way, many of the predictions from environment-dependent selection can be used to formulate expected patterns of genome evolution under sexual conflict. However, the pleiotropic and transmission constraints inherent to having alleles move across sex-specific backgrounds from generation to generation further modulate the anticipated signatures of selection. We outline methods for detecting candidate sexual conflict loci both across and within populations. Additionally, we consider the ability of genome scans to identify sexually antagonistic loci by modeling allele frequency changes within males and females due to a single generation of selection. In particular, we highlight the need to integrate genotype, phenotype, and functional information to truly distinguish sexual conflict from other forms of sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja R Kasimatis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Thomas C Nelson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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25
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Abstract
Recent calls for a revision of standard evolutionary theory (SET) are based partly on arguments about the reciprocal causation. Reciprocal causation means that cause-effect relationships are bi-directional, as a cause could later become an effect and vice versa. Such dynamic cause-effect relationships raise questions about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes, as originally formulated by Ernst Mayr. They have also motivated some biologists and philosophers to argue for an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). The EES will supposedly expand the scope of the Modern Synthesis (MS) and SET, which has been characterized as gene-centred, relying primarily on natural selection and largely neglecting reciprocal causation. Here, I critically examine these claims, with a special focus on the last conjecture. I conclude that reciprocal causation has long been recognized as important by naturalists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists working in the in the MS tradition, although it it could be explored even further. Numerous empirical examples of reciprocal causation in the form of positive and negative feedback are now well known from both natural and laboratory systems. Reciprocal causation have also been explicitly incorporated in mathematical models of coevolutionary arms races, frequency-dependent selection, eco-evolutionary dynamics and sexual selection. Such dynamic feedback were already recognized by Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin in their bok The Dialectical Biologist. Reciprocal causation and dynamic feedback might also be one of the few contributions of dialectical thinking and Marxist philosophy in evolutionary theory. I discuss some promising empirical and analytical tools to study reciprocal causation and the implications for the EES. Finally, I briefly discuss how quantitative genetics can be adapated to studies of reciprocal causation, constructive inheritance and phenotypic plasticity and suggest that the flexibility of this approach might have been underestimated by critics of contemporary evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik I Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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26
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Connallon T, Hall MD. Genetic correlations and sex‐specific adaptation in changing environments. Evolution 2016; 70:2186-2198. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Connallon
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
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