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Moore MP, Leith NT, Fowler-Finn KD, Medley KA. Human-modified habitats imperil ornamented dragonflies less than their non-ornamented counterparts at local, regional, and continental scales. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14455. [PMID: 38849293 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14455] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Biologists have long wondered how sexual ornamentation influences a species' risk of extinction. Because the evolution of condition-dependent ornamentation can reduce intersexual conflict and accelerate the fixation of advantageous alleles, some theory predicts that ornamented taxa can be buffered against extinction in novel and/or stressful environments. Nevertheless, evidence from the wild remains limited. Here, we show that ornamented dragonflies are less vulnerable to extinction across multiple spatial scales. Population-occupancy models across the Western United States reveal that ornamented species have become more common relative to non-ornamented species over >100 years. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that ornamented species exhibit lower continent-wide extinction risk than non-ornamented species. Finally, spatial analyses of local dragonfly assemblages suggest that ornamented species possess advantages over non-ornamented taxa at living in habitats that have been converted to farms and cities. Together, these findings suggest that ornamented taxa are buffered against contemporary extinction at local, regional, and continental scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Noah T Leith
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kasey D Fowler-Finn
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kim A Medley
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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2
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Moore MP, Nalley SE, Hamadah D. An evolutionary innovation for mating facilitates ecological niche expansion and buffers species against climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313371121. [PMID: 38408245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313371121] [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: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the drivers of life's diversification has been the emergence of "evolutionary innovations": The evolution of traits that grant access to underused ecological niches. Since ecological interactions can occur separately from mating, mating-related traits have not traditionally been considered factors in niche evolution. However, in order to persist in their environment, animals need to successfully mate just as much as they need to survive. Innovations that facilitate mating activity may therefore be an overlooked determinant of species' ecological limits. Here, we show that species' historical niches and responses to contemporary climate change are shaped by an innovation involved in mating-a waxy, ultra-violet-reflective pruinescence produced by male dragonflies. Physiological experiments in two species demonstrate that pruinescence reduces heating and water loss. Phylogenetic analyses show that pruinescence is gained after taxa begin adopting a thermohydrically stressful mating behavior. Further comparative analyses reveal that pruinose species are more likely to breed in exposed, open-canopy microhabitats. Biogeographic analyses uncover that pruinose species occupy warmer and drier regions in North America. Citizen-science observations of Pachydiplax longipennis suggest that the extent of pruinescence can be optimized to match the local conditions. Finally, temporal analyses indicate that pruinose species have been buffered against contemporary climate change. Overall, these historical and contemporary patterns show that successful mating can shape species' niche limits in the same way as growth and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Sarah E Nalley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217
| | - Dalal Hamadah
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217
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3
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Dinh KV, Albini D, Orr JA, Macaulay SJ, Rillig MC, Borgå K, Jackson MC. Winter is coming: Interactions of multiple stressors in winter and implications for the natural world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6834-6845. [PMID: 37776127 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Winter is a key driver of ecological processes in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in higher latitudes. Species have evolved various adaptive strategies to cope with food limitations and the cold and dark wintertime. However, human-induced climate change and other anthropogenic stressors are impacting organisms in winter in unpredictable ways. In this paper, we show that global change experiments investigating multiple stressors have predominantly been conducted during summer months. However, effects of anthropogenic stressors sometimes differ between winter and other seasons, necessitating comprehensive investigations. Here, we outline a framework for understanding the different effects of anthropogenic stressors in winter compared to other seasons and discuss the primary mechanisms that will alter ecological responses of organisms (microbes, animals and plants). For instance, while the magnitude of some anthropogenic stressors can be greater in winter than in other seasons (e.g. some pollutants), others may alleviate natural winter stress (e.g. warmer temperatures). These changes can have immediate, delayed or carry-over effects on organisms during winter or later seasons. Interactions between stressors may also vary with season. We call for a renewed research direction focusing on multiple stressor effects on winter ecology and evolution to fully understand, and predict, how ecosystems will fare under changing winters. We also argue the importance of incorporating the interactions of anthropogenic stressors with winter into ecological risk assessments, management and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuong V Dinh
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dania Albini
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James A Orr
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Matthias C Rillig
- Plant Ecology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg-Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Macchiano A, Miller E, Agali U, Ola-Ajose A, Fowler-Finn KD. Developmental temperature alters the thermal sensitivity of courtship activity and signal-preference relationships, but not mating rates. Oecologia 2023; 202:97-111. [PMID: 37166505 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05376-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mating behaviors are sensitive to novel or stressful thermal conditions, particularly for ectothermic organisms. An organism's sensitivity to temperature, which may manifest in altered mating outcomes, can be shaped in part by temperatures experienced during development. Here, we tested how developmental temperature shapes the expression of adult mating-related behaviors across different ambient conditions, with a focus on courtship behavior, mating rates, and mating signals and preferences. To do so, we reared treehoppers under two temperature regimes and then tested the expression of male and female mating behaviors across a range of ambient temperatures. We found that developmental temperature affects the thermal sensitivity of courtship behavior and mating signals for males. However, developmental temperature did not affect the thermal sensitivity of courtship or mate preferences in females. This sex-specific plasticity did not alter the likelihood of mating across ambient temperatures, but it did disrupt how closely mating signals and preferences matched each other at higher ambient temperatures. As a result, developmental temperature could alter sexual selection through signal-preference de-coupling. We further discuss how adult age may drive sex-specific results, and the potential for mismatches between developmental and mating thermal environments under future climate change predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Macchiano
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA.
| | - Em Miller
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA
| | | | | | - Kasey D Fowler-Finn
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA
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5
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Moore MP. Ornamented species incur higher male mortality in the larval stage. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230108. [PMID: 37194259 PMCID: PMC10189301 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0108] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Life-cycle stages are not always capable of evolving independently from each other, but it remains unclear if evolving to meet the demands of one stage actually imposes costs on other stages. Male ornamentation is a useful trait in which to test this potential evolutionary constraint because ornaments improve reproduction in the adult stage but can require the expression of risky traits in the juvenile stage. Here, I compared larval mortality between populations of ornamented and non-ornamented dragonfly species. Since males produce more exaggerated melanin wing ornaments than females, I tested if larval mortality of males is higher in populations of species that have evolved adult male wing ornamentation. My analyses uncover male-biased larval mortality in species that have evolved male ornamentation. These findings indicate that evolving to optimize mating for the adult stage imposes a cost to survival in the larval stage. Thus, this study reveals that evolution in one life-cycle stage can impose fitness costs on other stages that persist over macroevolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Moore
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80204, USA
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6
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Sasson D, Agali U, Brouk R, Hercules J, Kilmer J, Macchiano A, Ola-Ajose A, Fowler-Finn K. The potential for the evolution of thermally sensitive courtship behaviours in the treehopper, Enchenopa binotata. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1442-1454. [PMID: 36129909 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14090] [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: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability of animals to adapt to warming will depend on the evolutionary potential of thermally sensitive traits. The number of studies measuring the quantitative genetics of a wide variety of thermally sensitive traits has steadily increased; however, no study has yet investigated the quantitative genetics of thermal sensitivity for courtship traits. Since courtship often precedes mating, the ability of these traits to respond to warming may impact reproduction and therefore population persistence. Here, we use classic quantitative genetics breeding design to estimate heritability of various aspects of the thermal sensitivity of courtship behaviours in the treehopper Enchenopa binotata. We generated individual-level thermal courtship activity curves for males and females and measured levels of genetic variation in the thermal sensitivity of courtship activity. We found low heritability with 95% credible intervals that did not approach zero for most traits. Levels of genetic variation were highest in traits describing thermal tolerance. We also found some evidence for genetic correlations between traits within but not across sexes. Together, our results suggest that the range of temperatures over which these treehoppers actively court can evolve, although it remains unclear whether adaptation can happen quickly enough to match the speed of warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sasson
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Uchechukwu Agali
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Rachel Brouk
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jacob Hercules
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Joey Kilmer
- Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Anthony Macchiano
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Abisiola Ola-Ajose
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kasey Fowler-Finn
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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7
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Lopez-Idiaquez D, Teplitsky C, Grégoire A, Fargevieille A, Rey MD, Franceschi CD, Charmantier A, Doutrelant C. Long-term decrease in coloration: a consequence of climate change? Am Nat 2022; 200:32-47. [DOI: 10.1086/719655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Mader S, Goldenberg J, Massetti F, Bisschop K, D’Alba L, Etienne RS, Clusella‐Trullas S, Shawkey MD. How melanism affects the sensitivity of lizards to climate change. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Mader
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Goldenberg
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Federico Massetti
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Karen Bisschop
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Liliana D’Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Rampal S. Etienne
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Susana Clusella‐Trullas
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Matthew D. Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
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9
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Chevin L, Gompert Z, Nosil P. Frequency dependence and the predictability of evolution in a changing environment. Evol Lett 2021; 6:21-33. [PMID: 35127135 PMCID: PMC8802243 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency‐dependent (FD) selection, whereby fitness and selection depend on the genetic or phenotypic composition of the population, arises in numerous ecological contexts (competition, mate choice, crypsis, mimicry, etc.) and can strongly impact evolutionary dynamics. In particular, negative frequency‐dependent selection (NFDS) is well known for its ability to potentially maintain stable polymorphisms, but it has also been invoked as a source of persistent, predictable frequency fluctuations. However, the conditions under which such fluctuations persist are not entirely clear. In particular, previous work rarely considered that FD is unlikely to be the sole driver of evolutionary dynamics when it occurs, because most environments are not static but instead change dynamically over time. Here, we investigate how FD interacts with a temporally fluctuating environment to shape the dynamics of population genetic change. We show that a simple metric introduced by Lewontin, the slope of frequency change against frequency near equilibrium, works as a key criterion for distinguishing microevolutionary outcomes, even in a changing environment. When this slope D is between 0 and –2 (consistent with the empirical examples we review), substantial fluctuations would not persist on their own in a large population occupying a constant environment, but they can still be maintained indefinitely as quasi‐cycles fueled by environmental noise or genetic drift. However, such moderate NFDS buffers and temporally shifts evolutionary responses to periodic environments (e.g., seasonality). Stronger FD, with slope D < –2, can produce self‐sustained cycles that may overwhelm responses to a changing environment, or even chaos that fundamentally limits predictability. This diversity of expected outcomes, together with the empirical evidence for both FD and environment‐dependent selection, suggests that the interplay of internal dynamics with external forcing should be investigated more systematically to reach a better understanding and prediction of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrik Nosil
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier 34090 France
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
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Moore MP, Hersch K, Sricharoen C, Lee S, Reice C, Rice P, Kronick S, Medley KA, Fowler-Finn KD. Sex-specific ornament evolution is a consistent feature of climatic adaptation across space and time in dragonflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2101458118. [PMID: 34260398 PMCID: PMC8285952 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101458118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to different climates fuels the origins and maintenance of biodiversity. Detailing how organisms optimize fitness for their local climates is therefore an essential goal in biology. Although we increasingly understand how survival-related traits evolve as organisms adapt to climatic conditions, it is unclear whether organisms also optimize traits that coordinate mating between the sexes. Here, we show that dragonflies consistently adapt to warmer climates across space and time by evolving less male melanin ornamentation-a mating-related trait that also absorbs solar radiation and heats individuals above ambient temperatures. Continent-wide macroevolutionary analyses reveal that species inhabiting warmer climates evolve less male ornamentation. Community-science observations across 10 species indicate that populations adapt to warmer parts of species' ranges through microevolution of smaller male ornaments. Observations from 2005 to 2019 detail that contemporary selective pressures oppose male ornaments in warmer years; and our climate-warming projections predict further decreases by 2070. Conversely, our analyses show that female ornamentation responds idiosyncratically to temperature across space and time, indicating the sexes evolve in different ways to meet the demands of the local climate. Overall, these macro- and microevolutionary findings demonstrate that organisms predictably optimize their mating-related traits for the climate just as they do their survival-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130;
| | - Kaitlyn Hersch
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | | | - Sarah Lee
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Caitlin Reice
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Paul Rice
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Sophie Kronick
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Kim A Medley
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University, Eureka, MO 63025
| | - Kasey D Fowler-Finn
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103
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