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Dougherty LR, Rovenolt F, Luyet A, Jokela J, Stephenson JF. Ornaments indicate parasite load only if they are dynamic or parasites are contagious. Evol Lett 2023; 7:176-190. [PMID: 37251584 PMCID: PMC10210455 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Choosing to mate with an infected partner has several potential fitness costs, including disease transmission and infection-induced reductions in fecundity and parental care. By instead choosing a mate with no, or few, parasites, animals avoid these costs and may also obtain resistance genes for offspring. Within a population, then, the quality of sexually selected ornaments on which mate choice is based should correlate negatively with the number of parasites with which a host is infected ("parasite load"). However, the hundreds of tests of this prediction yield positive, negative, or no correlation between parasite load and ornament quality. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 424 correlations from 142 studies on a wide range of host and parasite taxa to evaluate explanations for this ambiguity. We found that ornament quality is weakly negatively correlated with parasite load overall, but the relationship is more strongly negative among ornaments that can dynamically change in quality, such as behavioral displays and skin pigmentation, and thus can accurately reflect current parasite load. The relationship was also more strongly negative among parasites that can transmit during sex. Thus, the direct benefit of avoiding parasite transmission may be a key driver of parasite-mediated sexual selection. No other moderators, including methodological details and whether males exhibit parental care, explained the substantial heterogeneity in our data set. We hope to stimulate research that more inclusively considers the many and varied ways in which parasites, sexual selection, and epidemiology intersect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Faith Rovenolt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexia Luyet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jukka Jokela
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica F Stephenson
- Corresponding author: University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences, Clapp Hall, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA.
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2
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Burris WM, Kinziger AP, Black JM, Brown RN. KNEMIDOKOPTES MITES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE GRIPPING POSITION OF THE FEET OF STELLER'S JAYS (CYANOCITTA STELLERI). J Wildl Dis 2022; 58:859-868. [PMID: 36288670 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) with swollen legs and feet resembling the signs of scaly leg have been commonly seen around Arcata, California, US. The clinical signs are thought to be caused by knemidokoptic mites, a group of parasites specialized on avian hosts. Between February 2019 and March 2020, we analyzed the long-term database of Steller's Jays collected by Humboldt State University for trends in the prevalence of signs of scaly leg, compared the gripping position in the feet of Steller's Jays with variable signs of this condition as an index of their ability to perch, identified the mites using a partial sequence of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, and examined genetic distances between mites collected from different host species both sequenced in this study and from GenBank. Overall, 27% of jays recorded in the long-term database had shown signs of scaly leg. Jays with signs captured in this study had greater variability in and a reduced degree of contraction in the gripping position of their feet compared to jays without signs, suggesting that infestation may have an impact on the host's ability to perch. The cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequence (578 base pairs) from mites collected from Steller's Jays was compared to sequences from Knemidokoptes jamaicensis, Knemidokoptes derooi, and to unidentified Knemidokoptes spp. collected from different hosts. The mites from Steller's Jays were most closely related to Knemidokoptes jamaicensis but had a relatively high sequence divergence, 7.8%, supporting the possibility that the form infesting these jays may be an undescribed species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wade M Burris
- Department of Wildlife, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, California 95521, USA
| | - Andrew P Kinziger
- Department of Fisheries Biology, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, California 95521, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Black
- Department of Wildlife, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, California 95521, USA
| | - Richard N Brown
- Department of Wildlife, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, California 95521, USA
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3
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Megía-Palma R, Barrientos R, Gallardo M, Martínez J, Merino S. Brighter is darker: the Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis revisited in lizards. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Several studies of lizards have made an erroneous interpretation of negative relationships between spectral brightness and parasite load, and thus provided misleading support for the Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis (HZH). The HZH predicts that infected hosts will produce poorer sexual ornamentation than uninfected individuals as a result of energetic trade-offs between immune and signalling functions. To test whether there is a negative relationship between spectral brightness and pigment content in the skin of lizards, we used spectrophotometry to quantify the changes in spectral brightness of colour patches of two species after chemically manipulating the contents of orange, yellow and black pigments in skin samples. Carotenoids were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, we compared the spectral brightness in the colour patches of live individuals with differential expression of nuptial coloration. Overall, the analyses demonstrated that the more pigmented the colour patch, the darker the spectrum. We provide a comprehensive interpretation of how variation in pigment content affects the spectral brightness of the colour patches of lizards. Furthermore, we review 18 studies of lizards presenting 24 intraspecific tests of the HZH and show that 14 (58%) of the tests do not support the hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Área de Parasitología, Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Facultad de Farmacia, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- CIBIO, InBIO – Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rafael Barrientos
- Road Ecology Laboratory, Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, José Antonio Novais, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuela Gallardo
- Laboratorio de Histología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Área de Parasitología, Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Facultad de Farmacia, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Abstract
Colourful ornaments often communicate salient information to mates, and theory predicts covariance between signal expression and individual quality. This has borne out among pigment-based signals, but the potential for 'honesty' in structural coloration is unresolved. Here, I synthesized the available evidence to test this prediction via meta-analysis and found that, overall, the expression of structurally coloured sexual signals is positively associated with individual quality. The effects varied by the measure of quality, however, with body condition and immune function reliably encoded across taxa, but not age nor parasite resistance. The relationship was apparent for both the colour and brightness of signals and was slightly stronger for iridescent ornaments. These results suggest diverse pathways to the encoding and exchange of information among structural colours while highlighting outstanding questions as to the development, visual ecology and evolution of this striking adornment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2106, Australia
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Gould GM, Carter GG, Augustine JK. Divergent color signals from homologous unfeathered ornaments in two congeneric grouse. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11833-11847. [PMID: 31695891 PMCID: PMC6822034 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Color-based visual signals are important aspects of communication throughout the animal kingdom. Individuals evaluate color to obtain information about age and condition and to behave accordingly. Birds display a variety of striking, conspicuous colors and make ideal subjects for the study of color signaling. While most studies of avian color focus on plumage, bare unfeathered body parts also display a wide range of color signals. Mate choice and intrasexual competitive interactions are easily observed in lekking grouse, which also signal with prominent unfeathered color patches. Most male grouse have one pair of colorful bare part ornaments (combs), and males of several species also have inflatable air sacs in their throat. Previous studies have mostly focused on comb color and size, but little is known about the signaling role of air sac color. We measured comb size and the color properties of combs and air sacs in the Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), and investigated whether these properties varied with age and mass. We found that mass predicted color properties of air sacs and that age predicted comb size in the Greater Prairie-Chicken, suggesting that these ornaments indicate condition dependence. No conclusive relationships between color and age or size were detected in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Color properties of both ornaments differed between the two species. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms that link condition to color and whether the information advertised by color signals from these ornaments is intended for males, females, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M. Gould
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Jacqueline K. Augustine
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State University at LimaLimaOHUSA
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Ruiz‐Rodríguez M, Tomás G, Martín‐Gálvez D, Ruiz‐Castellano C, Soler JJ. Bacteria and the evolution of honest signals. The case of ornamental throat feathers in spotless starlings. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ruiz‐Rodríguez
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) Almería 04120 Spain
| | - Gustavo Tomás
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) Almería 04120 Spain
| | - David Martín‐Gálvez
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) Almería 04120 Spain
| | - Cristina Ruiz‐Castellano
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) Almería 04120 Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) Almería 04120 Spain
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Steller sex: infidelity and sexual selection in a social Corvid (Cyanocitta stelleri). PLoS One 2014; 9:e105257. [PMID: 25148039 PMCID: PMC4141755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic analysis of avian mating systems has revealed that more than 70% of monogamous species show incidence of offspring parentage that does not match the social partner. Extra-pair parentage (EPP) has been linked to a variety of factors, including size and symmetry of ornamental traits, coloration, resource availability, and local conspecific density. We examined how ornamental plumage traits of individual Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) and territory characteristics influence genetic fidelity of socially monogamous pairs. We used seven highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to assign paternity to 79 offspring, and identified 12 (15.2%) as extra-pair young (EPY). Steller's jays with extra-pair young had significantly lower values of feather brightness and hue, indicating more ultraviolet-blue shifted coloration, and nested in closer proximity to the forest edge than Steller's jays with no detected EPY. Body size, crest height, asymmetry of ornamental crest stripes, as well as vegetative composition of territories and their proximity to supplemental feeders appeared to have little relationship to EPP. These results indicate that extra-pair parentage plays a role in the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics in both sexes, and suggest local density and availability of resources may influence Steller's jay mating dynamics.
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