1
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Nunley K, McGhee KE. Detection of relatedness in chemical alarm cues by a selfing vertebrate depends on population and the life stage producing the alarm cue. Behav Processes 2024; 219:105056. [PMID: 38782306 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105056] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic prey have impressive abilities to extract information from a variety of chemical cues. For example, they can use the alarm cues released by wounded individuals during a predator attack to learn about predation risk, and they can also distinguish kin from non-kin individuals during interactions. However, it remains unclear whether animals can combine this information on predation risk with kin recognition of the particular individuals under threat. To examine how the relatedness of the individuals in alarm cue affects behaviour we used the self-fertilizing hermaphroditic mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus), in which lineages produce genetically identical offspring through selfing. We explored this in two populations that differ in their level of outcrossing. We measured activity before and after exposure to alarm cue made from individuals (either adults or embryos) from their own lineage or an unrelated lineage from the same population. Fish responded weakly to embryo alarm cues, but tended to reduce their activity more when the alarm cues were from an unrelated lineage compared to alarm cues from their own lineage, particularly in fish from the outcrossing population. In contrast, there was no effect of cue relatedness on the response to adult alarm cues but there was a strong population effect. Specifically, individuals from the outcrossing population tended to react more strongly to alarm cues compared to individuals from the predominantly selfing population. We discuss the potential roles of the major histocompatibility complex in cue detection, differences between adult vs embryo alarm cues in terms of concentration and information, and underlying differences among populations and genetic lineages in their production and detection of chemical cues. Whether this kin recognition offers adaptive benefits or is simply a consequence of being able to detect relatedness in living individuals would be an exciting area for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Nunley
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA
| | - Katie E McGhee
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA.
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2
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Meuthen D, Salahinejad A, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Transgenerational plasticity of exploratory behavior and a hidden cost of mismatched risk environments between parental sexes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19737. [PMID: 37957198 PMCID: PMC10643415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46269-8] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We require a better understanding of the relative contribution of different modes of non-genetic inheritance in behavioral trait development. Thus, we investigate variation in exploratory behavior, which is ecologically relevant and a target of selection. The metabolic hypothesis predicts exploratory behavior to be size-dependent across taxa. This size-dependency is cancelled out under high perceived risk, allowing us to determine the transgenerationally integrated estimated level of risk. Using fathead minnows Pimephales promelas, we manipulated perceived risk in mothers, fathers, caring males and offspring through continuous exposure to either conspecific alarm cues or to a control water treatment. In 1000 four-month old offspring, we determined body sizes and exploratory behavior. Perceived high risk in mothers, followed by personal risk, was most effective in eliminating size-dependent behavior whereas effects of paternal risk on offspring behavioral development were substantially weaker. When maternal risk is high, environmental mismatches between parents prevented offspring from responding appropriately to personal high risk. The environment of the caring male also impacted offspring behavior to a greater extent than that of its genetic parents. Our study highlights the high relative importance of maternal, personal and caring male risk environments and showcases potential costs of an environmental mismatch between parental sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Arash Salahinejad
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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3
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Lawrence-Paul EH, Poethig RS, Lasky JR. Vegetative phase change causes age-dependent changes in phenotypic plasticity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:613-625. [PMID: 37571856 PMCID: PMC10551844 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to optimize traits for their environment. As organisms age, they experience diverse environments that benefit from varying degrees of phenotypic plasticity. Developmental transitions can control these age-dependent changes in plasticity, and as such, the timing of these transitions can determine when plasticity changes in an organism. Here, we investigate how the transition from juvenile-to adult-vegetative development known as vegetative phase change (VPC) contributes to age-dependent changes in phenotypic plasticity and how the timing of this transition responds to environment using both natural accessions and mutant lines in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the adult phase of vegetative development has greater plasticity in leaf morphology than the juvenile phase and confirmed that this difference in plasticity is caused by VPC using mutant lines. Furthermore, we found that the timing of VPC, and therefore the time when increased plasticity is acquired, varies significantly across genotypes and environments. The consistent age-dependent changes in plasticity caused by VPC suggest that VPC may be adaptive. This genetic and environmental variation in the timing of VPC indicates the potential for population-level adaptive evolution of VPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica H. Lawrence-Paul
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA 16802
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - R. Scott Poethig
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Jesse R. Lasky
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA 16802
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4
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Batabyal A. Predator-prey systems as models for integrative research in biology: the value of a non-consumptive effects framework. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245851. [PMID: 37772622 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are a cornerstone of many ecological and evolutionary processes that influence various levels of biological organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Predators play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems through the consumption of prey species and non-consumptive effects. Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) can induce changes in prey behavior, including altered foraging strategies, habitat selection, life history and anti-predator responses. These defensive strategies have physiological consequences for prey, affecting their growth, reproduction and immune function to name a few. Numerous experimental studies have incorporated NCEs in investigating predator-prey dynamics in the past decade. Interestingly, predator-prey systems can also be used as experimental models to answer physiology, cognition and adaptability questions. In this Commentary, I highlight research that uses NCEs in predator-prey systems to provide novel insights into cognition, adaptation, epigenetic inheritance and aging. I discuss the evolution of instinct, anxiety and other cognitive disorders, the shaping of brain connectomes, stress-induced aging and the development of behavioral coping styles. I outline how studies can integrate the investigation of NCEs with advanced behavioral, genomic and neurological tools to provide novel insights into physiological and cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME University, Pune 412115, India
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5
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Tetrault E, Swenson J, Aaronson B, Marcho C, Albertson RC. The transcriptional state and chromatin landscape of cichlid jaw shape variation across species and environments. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:3922-3941. [PMID: 37160741 PMCID: PMC10524807 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16975] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive phenotypes are shaped by a combination of genetic and environmental forces, but how they interact remains poorly understood. Here, we utilize the cichlid oral jaw apparatus to better understand these gene-by-environment effects. First, we employed RNA-seq in bony and ligamentous tissues important for jaw opening to identify differentially expressed genes between species and across foraging environments. We used two Lake Malawi species adapted to different foraging habitats along the pelagic-benthic ecomorphological axis. Our foraging treatments were designed to force animals to employ either suction or biting/scraping, which broadly mimic pelagic or benthic modes of feeding. We found a large number of differentially expressed genes between species, and while we identified relatively few differences between environments, species differences were far more pronounced when they were challenged with a pelagic versus benthic foraging mode. Expression data carried the signature of genetic assimilation, and implicated cell cycle regulation in shaping the jaw across species and environments. Next, we repeated the foraging experiment and performed ATAC-seq procedures on nuclei harvested from the same tissues. Cross-referencing results from both analyses revealed subsets of genes that were both differentially expressed and differentially accessible. This reduced dataset implicated notable candidate genes including the Hedgehog effector, KIAA0586 and the ETS transcription factor, etv4, which connects environmental stress and craniofacial morphogenesis. Taken together, these data provide novel insights into the epigenetic, genetic and cellular bases of species- and environment-specific bone shapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Tetrault
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003, U.S.A
| | - John Swenson
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003, U.S.A
| | - Ben Aaronson
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003, U.S.A
| | - Chelsea Marcho
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003, U.S.A
| | - R. Craig Albertson
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003, U.S.A
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6
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Gussone L, Hüllen A, Vitt S, Scherer U, Thünken T. Impact of genetic relatedness on reproductive behavior in Pelvicachromis pulcher, a biparental cichlid fish with mutual mate choice and ornamentation. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:17. [PMID: 37140644 PMCID: PMC10160185 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Inbreeding can result in inbreeding depression. Therefore, many species seek to avoid inbreeding. However, theory predicts that inbreeding can be beneficial. Accordingly, some species tolerate inbreeding or even prefer mating with close relatives. Evidence for active inbreeding, i.e., kin-mating preference was reported in the biparental African cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Related mating partners revealed better parental cooperation due to kin selection, a potential benefit of inbreeding. In this study, we investigated kin-mating preference in a genetically diverse, outbred F2-lab population of Pelvicachromis pulcher, a closely related species to P. taeniatus. Like P. taeniatus, this species shows mutual ornamentation and mate choice as well as intense biparental brood care. The F1 P. pulcher generation had revealed signs of inbreeding depression but no inbreeding avoidance. We studied mating behavior and aggression in trios consisting of a male P. pulcher, an unfamiliar sister, and an unfamiliar, unrelated female. Because the study focused on kin-mating patterns, female pairs were matched for body size and coloration. The results provide no evidence for inbreeding avoidance but rather suggest inbreeding preference. We also found no significant impact of inbreeding on offspring survival. The results suggest no inbreeding avoidance in P. pulcher; however, the strength of inbreeding preference and inbreeding depression seems to be variable. We discuss possible causes for this variation like context-dependent inbreeding depression. The number of eggs positively correlated with female body size and coloration. Furthermore, the female aggressiveness was positively correlated with female coloration indicating that coloration signal female dominance and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Gussone
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Anna Hüllen
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ulrike Scherer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
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7
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Salahinejad A, Meuthen D, Attaran A, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Effects of common antiepileptic drugs on teleost fishes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161324. [PMID: 36608821 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are globally prescribed to treat epilepsy and many other psychiatric disorders in humans. Their high consumption, low metabolic rate in the human body and low efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in eliminating these chemicals results in the frequent occurrence of these pharmaceutical drugs in aquatic systems. Therefore, aquatic organisms, including ecologically and economically important teleost fishes, may be inadvertently exposed to these chemicals. Due to their physiological similarity with humans, fishes may be particularly vulnerable to AEDs. Almost all AED drugs are detectable in natural aquatic ecosystems, but diazepam (DZP) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are among the most widely detected AEDs to date. Recent studies suggest that these drugs have a substantial capacity to induce neurotoxicity and behavioral abnormality in fishes. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding the potential mode of action of DZP and CBZ as well as that of some other AEDs on teleosts and put observable behavioral effects into a mechanistic context. We find that following their intended mode of action in humans, AEDs also disrupt the GABAergic, glutamatergic and serotonergic systems as well as parasympathetic neurotransmitters in fishes. Moreover, AEDs have non-specific modes of action in teleosts ranging from estrogenic activity to oxidative stress. These physiological changes are often accompanied by dose-dependent disruptions of anxiety, locomotor activity, social behaviors, food uptake, and learning and memory, but DZP and CBZ consistently induced anxiolytic effects. Thereby, AED exposure severely compromises individual fitness across teleost fish species, which may lead to population and ecosystem impairment. We also showcase promising avenues for future research by highlighting where we lack data when it comes to effects of certain AEDs, AED concentrations and behavioral endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Salahinejad
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada.
| | - Denis Meuthen
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anoosha Attaran
- Robart Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5K8, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
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8
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Meuthen D, Reinhold K. On the use of antibiotics in plasticity research: Gastropod shells unveil a tale of caution. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1055-1064. [PMID: 36869422 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13909] [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: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Through phenotypic plasticity, individual genotypes can produce multiple phenotypes dependent on the environment. In the modern world, anthropogenic influences such as man-made pharmaceuticals are increasingly prevalent. They might alter observable patterns of plasticity and distort our conclusions regarding the adaptive potential of natural populations. Antibiotics are nowadays nearly ubiquitous in aquatic environments and prophylactic antibiotic use is also becoming more common to optimize animal survival and reproductive output in artificial settings. In the well-studied plasticity model system Physella acuta, prophylactic erythromycin treatment acts against gram-positive bacteria and thereby reduces mortality. Here, we study its consequences for inducible defence formation in the same species. In a 2 × 2 split-clutch design, we reared 635 P. acuta in either the presence or absence of this antibiotic, followed by 28-day exposure to either high or low predation risk as perceived through conspecific alarm cues. Under antibiotic treatment, risk-induced increases in shell thickness, a well-known plastic response in this model system, were larger and consistently detectable. Antibiotic treatment reduced shell thickness in low-risk individuals, suggesting that in controls, undiscovered pathogen infection increased shell thickness under low risk. Family variation in risk-induced plasticity was low, but the large variation in responses to antibiotics among families suggests different pathogen susceptibility between genotypes. Lastly, individuals that developed thicker shells had reduced total mass, which highlights resource trade-offs. Antibiotics thus have the potential to uncover a larger extent of plasticity, but might counterintuitively distort plasticity estimates for natural populations where pathogens are a part of natural ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Klaus Reinhold
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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9
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Vitt S, Bakowski CE, Thünken T. Sex-specific effects of inbreeding on body colouration and physiological colour change in the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:124. [PMID: 36316663 PMCID: PMC9623988 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02074-x] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colour expression is highly variable in animals. In fishes, rapid colour change, i.e. physiological colour change, can be observed in multiple contexts, e.g. in camouflage or communication, and is affected by various factors, such as stress. Pelvicachromis taeniatus is a cichlid fish from West Africa with sexual dichromatism and both sexes being brightly coloured and flexible in ornament expression. In the present study, inbred and outbred P. taeniatus were photographed before and after a stress situation to investigate the stress response regarding colour expression in both sexes. Results The chromaticity and the colour patch size (relative coloured area at the abdomen) were determined at both timepoints and the changes were analysed. Additionally, the coefficients of variation within family groups for the chromaticity (CVchromaticity) and colour patch size (CVarea) were calculated. Chromaticity as well as the extent of colouration increased significantly following handling stress. The change in chromaticity was not significantly different between in- and outbred individuals in females and males. Inbred males showed more intense yellow colouration than outbred males. Independent from inbreeding, the CVchromaticity decreased following the handling stress. The change in CVarea of females and males differed between in- and outbred individuals. In females, the decrease was significantly stronger in inbred individuals and in males the decrease was stronger in the outbred group. Conclusion The results show that short-term stress can increase colouration, potentially advertising individual’s stress tolerance. Furthermore, this study shows positive inbreeding effects on a sexually selected trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christina E. Bakowski
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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10
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Axelrod CJ, Robinson BW, Laberge F. Evolutionary divergence in phenotypic plasticity shapes brain size variation between coexisting sunfish ecotypes. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1363-1377. [PMID: 36073994 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms that generate brain size variation and the consequences of such variation on ecological performance are poorly understood in most natural animal populations. We use a reciprocal-transplant common garden experiment and foraging performance trials to test for brain size plasticity and the functional consequences of brain size variation in Pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) ecotypes that have diverged between nearshore littoral and offshore pelagic lake habitats. Different age-classes of wild-caught juveniles from both habitats were exposed for 6 months to treatments that mimicked littoral and pelagic foraging. Plastic responses in oral jaw size suggested that treatments mimicked natural habitat-specific foraging conditions. Plastic brain size responses to foraging manipulations differed between ecotypes, as only pelagic sourced fish showed brain size plasticity. Only pelagic juveniles under 1 year-old expressed this plastic response, suggesting that plastic brain size responses decline with age and so may be irreversible. Finally, larger brain size was associated with enhanced foraging performance on live benthic but not pelagic prey, providing the first experimental evidence of a relationship between brain size and prey-specific foraging performance in fishes. The recent post-glacial origin of these ecotypes suggests that brain size plasticity can rapidly evolve and diverge in fish under contrasting ecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J Axelrod
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beren W Robinson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frédéric Laberge
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Stein LR, Hoke K. Parental and individual experience with predation risk interact in shaping phenotypes in a sex-specific manner. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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12
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Berkel C, Cacan E. Intersexual differences in the number of genes differentially expressed in wild mammals in response to predation risk. Physiol Behav 2022; 255:113920. [PMID: 35868539 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113920] [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: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Predation is a psychological stressor in prey animals. Besides direct killing and consumption by predators, the perception of predation risk indirectly influence prey population behavior, dynamics and physiology. Few studies identified the transcriptomic response associated with predator presence/abundance in natural populations and uncontrolled settings. However, to our knowledge, intersexual differences in the number of genes whose expression change in response to high predation risk have not been previously reported in wild mammals. Here, by using publicly available gene expression data in wild yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer), we found that the number of differentially expressed genes in response to predator stress is higher in female marmots (n = 516) than males (n = 387). Only a small percentage of these differentially expressed genes (n = 36) are shared between the sexes, and that the most of the differentially expressed genes are expressed in a sex-specific manner in response to predation stress. Overall, our results provide new insight into sex-specific variation in gene expression changes in wild mammals under high predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caglar Berkel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, 60250, Turkey.
| | - Ercan Cacan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, 60250, Turkey.
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13
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Venney CJ, Wellband KW, Normandeau E, Houle C, Garant D, Audet C, Bernatchez L. Thermal regime during parental sexual maturation, but not during offspring rearing, modulates DNA methylation in brook charr ( Salvelinus fontinalis). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220670. [PMID: 35506232 PMCID: PMC9065957 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance can result in plastic responses to changing environments being faithfully transmitted to offspring. However, it remains unclear how epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation can contribute to multigenerational acclimation and adaptation to environmental stressors. Brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis), an economically important salmonid, is highly sensitive to thermal stress and is of conservation concern in the context of climate change. We studied the effects of temperature during parental sexual maturation and offspring rearing on whole-genome DNA methylation in brook charr juveniles (fry). Parents were split between warm and cold temperatures during sexual maturation, mated in controlled breeding designs, then offspring from each family were split between warm (8°C) and cold (5°C) rearing environments. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we found 188 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) due to parental maturation temperature after controlling for family structure. By contrast, offspring rearing temperature had a negligible effect on offspring methylation. Stable intergenerational inheritance of DNA methylation and minimal plasticity in progeny could result in the transmission of acclimatory epigenetic states to offspring, priming them for a warming environment. Our findings have implications pertaining to the role of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in response to ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J. Venney
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1 V 0A6
| | - Kyle W. Wellband
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1 V 0A6
| | - Eric Normandeau
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1 V 0A6
| | - Carolyne Houle
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1 K 2R1
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1 K 2R1
| | - Céline Audet
- Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER), Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Rimouski, QC, Canada G5 L 2Z9
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1 V 0A6
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14
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Castellano S, Seglie D, Gazzola A, Racca L, Ciaralli S, Friard O. The effects of intra- and interspecific competitions on personality and individual plasticity in two sympatric brown frogs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
We studied how individuals modify their behavior in response to inter- and intraspecific competitors and how these changes affected the pattern of variation between populations and species. As study models, we used tadpoles of two brown frogs, Rana latastei and R. dalmatina. Since R. latastei is always sympatric to R. dalmatina, whereas R. dalmatina is sympatric to R. latastei only in the periphery of its range, we predicted a stronger response to heterospecifics in R. latastei than in R. dalmatina and, within each species, in syntopic than in allotopic populations. To test these predictions, we raised tadpoles, from either syntopic or allotopic populations, in either syntopy or allotopy and repeatedly tested them in open field trials in the presence of a caged conspecific, a caged heterospecific, or an empty cage. As predicted, we found that, on average, R. latastei tadpoles modified their behavior across treatments more than R. dalmatina tadpoles and individuals from the syntopic population changed more than their conspecifics from the allotopic population. In both species, the pattern of variation at the individual level mirrored that at the population and species levels providing no evidence for an individual-by-environment interaction ($$I\times E$$
I
×
E
). Besides these differences, however, individuals of the two species also showed unpredicted and context-independent behavioral differences, suggesting that there might be more to interspecific behavioral variation than the effect of selection by heterospecific competitors.
Significance statement
Does the distribution range of a species influence the evolution of plastic behaviors to heterospecific competitors? And how do differences in plasticity affect animal personality? To answer these questions, we raised tadpoles of two brown frog species, Rana dalmatina and R. latastei, and studied how the amount and the type of their swimming varied with the presence of the other species. R. latastei, whose small distribution range fully overlaps with that of R. dalmatina, plastically responds to it, whereas R. dalmatina, which is sympatric to R. latastei only in the periphery of its broader range, does not. These interspecific differences mirrored those among individuals: tadpoles of both species show repeatable behaviors, but only those of R. latastei plastically changed their behavior with the presence of the other species; however, neither R. latastei nor R. dalmatina show among-individual variation in plasticity.
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15
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Achtymichuk GH, Crane AL, Simko OM, Stevens HE, Ferrari MC. The choice of euthanasia techniques can affect experimental results in aquatic behavioural studies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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17
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Schons RF, Vitt S, Thünken T. Resource heterogeneity but not inbreeding affects growth and grouping behaviour in socially foraging juvenile cichlid fish. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rieke F. Schons
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
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18
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Grenier G, Smalås A, Kjær R, Knudsen R. Environmentally Modulated Repeat Evolution of Polymorphic Arctic Charr Life History Traits. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.771309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sympatric Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L. 1758), morphs have flexible but repeated life history strategies tested across five Norwegian lakes. In several Scandinavian polymorphic Arctic charr populations differentiated by their diet and habitat use, a large littoral omnivorous (LO) morph commonly cooccurs with a smaller profundal spawning (PB/PZ) morph. A third, large piscivorous (PP) morph is also known to occur within a portion of Arctic charr populations in the profundal habitat along with the PB/PZ individuals. Life history traits, such as age at maturity, growth, and diet are known to differ among coexisting morphs. Notably, the PP morph was the longest morph with the oldest age at maturity while the PB/PZ morph showed the shortest lengths overall and youngest age with LO morph being intermediate in both traits. Growth parameters differed across all the morphs. When examining growth within morph groups, the LO morph was found to have different growth across all lakes, while similar reproductive investments and different energy acquisition patterns were seen within the PB/PZ and PP morphs. These results suggest repeat evolution in several life history strategies of reproductively isolated Arctic charr sympatric morphs, notably for the first time in the PP morph, while also highlighting the importance of the local environment in modulating life history traits.
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19
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Frommen JG, Thünken T, Santostefano F, Balzarini V, Hettyey A. Effects of chronic and acute predation risk on sexual ornamentation and mating preferences. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in animals. Still, how plastic responses to predator presence affect traits under sexual selection and influence mating preferences is not well understood. Here, we examined how simulated chronic predator presence during development and acute predator presence during mate choice affect the expression of male secondary sexual traits and female mating preference in the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Males reared under chronic predator presence developed less intense red breeding coloration but showed higher courtship activity than males that grew up in a predator-free environment. Acute predator presence during mate choice trials did not influence male behavior or ornamentation. Predator presence experienced during development did not affect female mating preferences, whereas acute predator presence altered preferences for male courtship activity. Male body size and eye coloration influenced the intensity of female mating preferences, while the trait changing most in response to predator presence during development (red coloration) had no significant impact. The observed interplay between developmental plasticity in male ornamental traits and environment-dependent female mating preferences may lead to dynamic processes altering the strength and direction of sexual selection depending on both the chronic and acute risk of predation. These processes may contribute to the maintenance of within- and among-population variation in secondary sexual traits, and may, ultimately, facilitate speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim G Frommen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstr. 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group, Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Timo Thünken
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstr. 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Santostefano
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Valentina Balzarini
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstr. 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest 1022, Hungary
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20
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Living in mixed species groups promotes predator learning in degraded habitats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19335. [PMID: 34588494 PMCID: PMC8481234 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98224-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in mix-species aggregations provides animals with substantive anti-predator, foraging and locomotory advantages while simultaneously exposing them to costs, including increased competition and pathogen exposure. Given each species possess unique morphology, competitive ability, parasite vulnerability and predator defences, we can surmise that each species in mixed groups will experience a unique set of trade-offs. In addition to this unique balance, each species must also contend with anthropogenic changes, a relatively new, and rapidly increasing phenomenon, that adds further complexity to any system. This complex balance of biotic and abiotic factors is on full display in the exceptionally diverse, yet anthropogenically degraded, Great Barrier Reef of Australia. One such example within this intricate ecosystem is the inability of some damselfish to utilize their own chemical alarm cues within degraded habitats, leaving them exposed to increased predation risk. These cues, which are released when the skin is damaged, warn nearby individuals of increased predation risk and act as a crucial associative learning tool. Normally, a single exposure of alarm cues paired with an unknown predator odour facilitates learning of that new odour as dangerous. Here, we show that Ambon damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, a species with impaired alarm responses in degraded habitats, failed to learn a novel predator odour as risky when associated with chemical alarm cues. However, in the same degraded habitats, the same species learned to recognize a novel predator as risky when the predator odour was paired with alarm cues of the closely related, and co-occurring, whitetail damselfish, Pomacentrus chrysurus. The importance of this learning opportunity was underscored in a survival experiment which demonstrated that fish in degraded habitats trained with heterospecific alarm cues, had higher survival than those we tried to train with conspecific alarm cues. From these data, we conclude that redundancy in learning mechanisms among prey guild members may lead to increased stability in rapidly changing environments.
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Freudiger A, Josi D, Thünken T, Herder F, Flury JM, Marques DA, Taborsky M, Frommen JG. Ecological variation drives morphological differentiation in a highly social vertebrate. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Freudiger
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Conservation Ecology Evolution and Behaviour Research Group Ecology and Environment Research Centre Department for Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
| | - Dario Josi
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Conservation Ecology Evolution and Behaviour Research Group Ecology and Environment Research Centre Department for Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
| | - Timo Thünken
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Fabian Herder
- Sektion Ichthyologie Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Jana M. Flury
- Sektion Ichthyologie Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - David A. Marques
- Division of Aquatic Ecology and Evolution Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution Centre for Ecology and Evolution, and Biochemistry Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Conservation Ecology Evolution and Behaviour Research Group Ecology and Environment Research Centre Department for Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
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22
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John L, Rick IP, Vitt S, Thünken T. Body coloration as a dynamic signal during intrasexual communication in a cichlid fish. BMC ZOOL 2021; 6:9. [PMID: 37170176 PMCID: PMC10127425 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-021-00075-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Intrasexual competition over access to resources can lead to aggression between individuals. Because overt aggression, i.e. fights, can be costly for contestants, the communication of aggressive motivation prior to engagement in a physical fight is often mediated by conventional signals. Animals of various taxa, including fishes, display visual signals such as body coloration that can dynamically be adjusted depending on the individual’s motivation. Male individuals of the West African cichlid Pelvicachromis taeniatus express a yellow body coloration displayed during courtship but also in an intrasexual competition context.
Results
Within-individual variation in male yellow body coloration, as quantified with standardized digital photography and representation in a CIELab color space, was examined in a mating context by exposing males to a female and in a competitive intrasexual context, i.e. in a dyadic contest. Additionally, spectrometric reflectance measurements were taken to obtain color representations in a physiological color space based on spectral sensitivities of our model species. Exposure to females did not significantly affect male color expression. However, analysis of body coloration revealed a change in within-individual color intensity and colored area after interaction with a male competitor. In dominant males, extension of coloration was positively correlated with restrained aggression, i.e. displays, which in turn explained dominance established between the two contestants.
Conclusion
Body coloration in male P. taeniatus is a dynamic signal that is used in concert with display behavior in communication during intrasexual competition.
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24
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Fraker ME, Ludsin SA, Luttbeg B, Denver RJ. Stress hormone-mediated antipredator morphology improves escape performance in amphibian tadpoles. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4427. [PMID: 33627747 PMCID: PMC7904905 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84052-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Complete functional descriptions of the induction sequences of phenotypically plastic traits (perception to physiological regulation to response to outcome) should help us to clarify how plastic responses develop and operate. Ranid tadpoles express several plastic antipredator traits mediated by the stress hormone corticosterone, but how they influence outcomes remains uncertain. We investigated how predator-induced changes in the tail morphology of wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles influenced their escape performance over a sequence of time points when attacked by larval dragonflies (Anax junius). Tadpoles were raised with no predator exposure, chemical cues of dragonflies added once per day, or constant exposure to caged dragonflies crossed with no exogenous hormone added (vehicle control only), exogenous corticosterone, or metyrapone (a corticosteroid synthesis inhibitor). During predation trials, we detected no differences after four days, but after eight days, tadpoles exposed to larval dragonflies and exogenous corticosterone had developed deeper tail muscles and exhibited improved escape performance compared to controls. Treatment with metyrapone blocked the development of a deeper tail muscle and resulted in no difference in escape success. Our findings further link the predator-induced physiological stress response of ranid tadpoles to the development of an antipredator tail morphology that confers performance benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Fraker
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370Present Address: Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, School for the Environment and Sustainability, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Stuart A. Ludsin
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- grid.65519.3e0000 0001 0721 7331Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 USA
| | - Robert J. Denver
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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25
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Höök TO, Svanbäck R, Eklöv P. Sex-specific plasticity in a trophic polymorphic aquatic predator: a modeling approach. Oecologia 2021; 195:341-354. [PMID: 33420521 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04843-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is common among animal taxa. While there are clearly limits and likely costs to plasticity, these costs are unknown for most organisms. Further, as plasticity is partially genetically determined, the potential magnitude of exhibited plasticity may vary among individuals. In addition to phenotypic plasticity, various animal taxa also display sexual size dimorphism, a feature ultimately thought to arise due to differential size-dependent fitness costs and benefits between sexes. We hypothesized that differential selection acting on males and females can indirectly select for unequal genetically defined plasticity potential between the sexes. We evaluate this possibility for Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), a species that displays modest sexual size dimorphism and habitat-related morphological plasticity. Using 500-year simulations of an ecogenetic agent-based model, we demonstrate that genetically determined morphological plasticity potential may evolve differently for males and females, leading to greater realized morphological variation between habitats for one sex over the other. Genetically determined potential for plasticity evolved differently between sexes across (a) various sex-specific life-history differences and (b) a variety of assumed costs of plasticity acting on both growth and survival. Morphological analyses of Eurasian perch collected in situ were consistent with model predictions: realized morphological variation between habitats was greater for females than males. We suggest that due to sex-specific selective pressures, differences in male and female genetically defined potential for plasticity may be a common feature across organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas O Höök
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA.
| | - Richard Svanbäck
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18 D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Eklöv
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18 D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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26
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Salahinejad A, Attaran A, Naderi M, Meuthen D, Niyogi S, Chivers DP. Chronic exposure to bisphenol S induces oxidative stress, abnormal anxiety, and fear responses in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141633. [PMID: 32882496 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol S (BPS) is increasingly used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products, resulting in its ubiquitous distribution across the environment, including aquatic ecosystems. Although it is commonly known as a weak/moderate estrogenic compound, there has been a growing acknowledgment of the potential of BPS to cause toxicity by inducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a major participant in the development of anxiety-like behaviors in humans and animals. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the impact of BPS on anxiety-like behavior and fear responses in adult zebrafish and also to elucidate the possible linkage between the BPS neurotoxicity and oxidative status of the brain. To this end, adult male and female zebrafish were exposed to 0 (control), 1, 10, and 30 μg/L of BPS and 1 μg/L of 17-β-estradiol (E2) for 75 days. Following exposure, changes in anxiety and fear-related responses were evaluated by applying a novel tank test and by exposing focal fish to chemical alarm cues. Additionally, we evaluated the expression of multiple antioxidant genes in the zebrafish brain. Our results indicate that BPS, irrespective of exposure concentration, and E2 significantly decreased bottom-dwelling behavior and the latency to enter the upper water column. Furthermore, exposure to the highest concentration of BPS and E2 induced a significant decrease in fear-related responses. The impaired anxiety and reduced fear-related responses were associated with a down-regulation in the transcription of genes involved in enzymatic antioxidant defense. Taken together, our results suggest that chronic exposure to BPS impairs anxiety and fear responses in adult zebrafish, possibly by inducing oxidative stress in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Salahinejad
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Anoosha Attaran
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Mohammad Naderi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Denis Meuthen
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Som Niyogi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
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27
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Fabre N, Vila-Gispert A, Galobart C, Vinyoles D. Effect of environmental enrichment on the body shape of the pumpkinseed. Curr Zool 2020; 66:597-599. [PMID: 33293938 PMCID: PMC7705513 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Noëlle Fabre
- Linguistic Education and Experimental/Mathematics Sciences Didactics Department, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Dolors Vinyoles
- Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain
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28
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Hellmann JK, Bukhari SA, Deno J, Bell AM. Sex-specific plasticity across generations I: Maternal and paternal effects on sons and daughters. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2788-2799. [PMID: 33191518 PMCID: PMC7902357 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Intergenerational plasticity or parental effects-when parental environments alter the phenotype of future generations-can influence how organisms cope with environmental change. An intriguing, underexplored possibility is that sex-of both the parent and the offspring-plays an important role in driving the evolution of intergenerational plasticity in both adaptive and non-adaptive ways. Here, we evaluate the potential for sex-specific parental effects in a freshwater population of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus by independently and jointly manipulating maternal and paternal experiences and separately evaluating their phenotypic effects in sons versus daughters. We tested the adaptive hypothesis that daughters are more responsive to cues from their mother, whereas sons are more responsive to cues from their father. We exposed mothers, fathers or both parents to visual cues of predation risk and measured offspring antipredator traits and brain gene expression. Predator-exposed fathers produced sons that were more risk-prone, whereas predator-exposed mothers produced more anxious sons and daughters. Furthermore, maternal and paternal effects on offspring survival were non-additive: offspring with a predator-exposed father, but not two predator-exposed parents, had lower survival against live predators. There were also strong sex-specific effects on brain gene expression: exposing mothers versus fathers to predation risk activated different transcriptional profiles in their offspring, and sons and daughters strongly differed in the ways in which their brain gene expression profiles were influenced by parental experience. We found little evidence to support the hypothesis that offspring prioritize their same-sex parent's experience. Parental effects varied with both the sex of the parent and the offspring in complicated and non-additive ways. Failing to account for these sex-specific patterns (e.g. by pooling sons and daughters) would have underestimated the magnitude of parental effects. Altogether, these results draw attention to the potential for sex to influence patterns of intergenerational plasticity and raise new questions about the interface between intergenerational plasticity and sex-specific selective pressures, sexual conflict and sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| | - Syed Abbas Bukhari
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| | - Jack Deno
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
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29
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Anticipatory plastic response of the cellular immune system in the face of future injury: chronic high perceived predation risk induces lymphocytosis in a cichlid fish. Oecologia 2020; 194:597-607. [PMID: 33095316 PMCID: PMC7683483 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04781-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate cellular immunity displays substantial variation among taxa and environments. Hematological parameters such as white blood-cell counts have emerged as a valuable tool to understand this variation by assessing the immunological status of individuals. These tools have long revealed that vertebrate cellular immune systems are highly plastic and respond to injury and infection. However, cellular immune systems may also be able to anticipate a high risk of injury from environmental cues (e.g., predation-related cues) and respond plastically ahead of time. We studied white blood-cell (leukocyte) profiles in African cichlids Pelvicachromis taeniatus that were raised for 4 years under different levels of perceived predation risk. In a split-clutch design, we raised fish from hatching onwards under chronic exposure to either conspecific alarm cues (communicating high predation risk) or a distilled water control treatment. Differential blood analysis revealed that alarm cue-exposed fish had twice as many lymphocytes in peripheral blood as did controls, a condition called lymphocytosis. The presence of a higher number of lymphocytes makes the cellular immune response more potent, which accelerates the removal of invading foreign antigens from the bloodstream, and, therefore, may be putatively beneficial in the face of injury. This observed lymphocytosis after long-term exposure to conspecific alarm cues constitutes first evidence for an anticipatory and adaptive plastic response of the cellular immune system to future immunological challenges.
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Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Fakan E, Barry R, Chivers DP. The fading of fear effects due to coral degradation is modulated by community composition. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maud C. O. Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences WCVMUniversity of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Mark I. McCormick
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Eric Fakan
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Randall Barry
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
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31
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Tariel J, Plénet S, Luquet É. Transgenerational Plasticity in the Context of Predator-Prey Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.548660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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Vinterstare J, Hulthén K, Nilsson DE, Nilsson PA, Brönmark C. More than meets the eye: Predator-induced pupil size plasticity in a teleost fish. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2258-2267. [PMID: 33460050 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Most animals are visually oriented, and their eyes provide their 'window to the world'. Eye size correlates positively with visual performance, because larger eyes can house larger pupils that increase photon catch and contrast discrimination, particularly under dim light, which have positive effects on behaviours that enhance fitness, including predator avoidance and foraging. Recent studies have linked predation risk to selection for larger eyes and pupils, and such changes should be of importance for the majority of teleost fishes as they have a pupil that is fixed in size (eyes lack a pupillary sphincter muscle) and, hence, do not respond to changes in light conditions. Here, we quantify eye and pupil size of individual crucian carp, a common freshwater fish, following controlled manipulations of perceived predation risk (presence/absence). We also tested if crucian carp responded to increased predation risk by shifts in diel activity patterns. We found that crucian carp show phenotypic plasticity with regards to pupil size, but not eye size, as pupil size increased when exposed to predators (pike). Predator-exposed crucian carp also shifted from diurnal to nocturnal activity. Using a modelling exercise, we moreover show that the plastically enlarged pupils significantly increase visual range, especially for small objects under dim light conditions. Overall, our results provide compelling evidence for predator-induced pupil enlargement resulting in enhanced visual capabilities in a teleost fish. Pupil size plasticity in combination with the observed shift towards nocturnal activity may allow for efficient foraging also under dark conditions when predation risk from diurnal and visually oriented predators is reduced. The data highlight the powerful role of predation risk for eye development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerker Vinterstare
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dan E Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Biology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Per Anders Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Christer Brönmark
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Kenthao A, Jearranaiprepame P. Ecomorphological diversification of some barbs and carps (Cyprininae, Cyprinidae) in the Lower Mekong Basin of Thailand. ZOOLOGY 2020; 143:125830. [PMID: 32916444 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Morphological variation is fundamentally related to various aspects of fish ecology, including foraging, locomotion, and habitat utilisation. Twenty-six species of closely related cyprinid fish (n = 502) were analysed for patterns of morphological variations by using geometric morphometric methods. Ecological data of feeding and habitat preferences were determined by the observations in fields and laboratory together with the gathering of bibliographic information. The findings of major variation displayed in all parts of the fish body and correlated with ecological parameters. Variations of head shape especially form and position of mouthpart involved with feeding behaviours, whereas the variations of body depth and length which affected swimming patterns reflected responsiveness of water currents and habitat uses. Adaptation of head shape and body elongation was remarkably related to the feeding regime, swimming manoeuvrability and habitat utilisation of the species. Some convergent variation was observed between the tribes Smiliogastrini and Poropuntiini. Therefore, we propose that the morphological diversity of cyprinine fish is mainly affected by ecological gradients, while phylogenetic effects on morphology are minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anan Kenthao
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Mueang, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand.
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Donelan SC, Trussell GC. Sex‐specific differences in the response of prey to predation risk. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Donelan
- Marine Science Center and the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences Northeastern University Nahant MA USA
| | - Geoffrey C. Trussell
- Marine Science Center and the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences Northeastern University Nahant MA USA
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Luttbeg B, Ferrari MCO, Blumstein DT, Chivers DP. Safety Cues Can Give Prey More Valuable Information Than Danger Cues. Am Nat 2020; 195:636-648. [DOI: 10.1086/707544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Predation risk induces age- and sex-specific morphological plastic responses in the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15378. [PMID: 31653876 PMCID: PMC6814781 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51591-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although comprehending the significance of phenotypic plasticity for evolution is of major interest in biology, the pre-requirement for that, the understanding of variance in plasticity, is still in its infancy. Most researchers assess plastic traits at single developmental stages and pool results between sexes. Here, we study variation among sexes and developmental stages in inducible morphological defences, a well-known instance of plasticity. We raised fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, under different levels of background predation risk (conspecific alarm cues or distilled water) in a split-clutch design and studied morphology in both juveniles and adults. In accordance with the theory that plasticity varies across ontogeny and sexes, geometric morphometry analyses revealed significant shape differences between treatments that varied across developmental stages and sexes. Alarm cue-exposed juveniles and adult males developed deeper heads, deeper bodies, longer dorsal fin bases, shorter caudal peduncles and shorter caudal fins. Adult alarm cue-exposed males additionally developed a larger relative eye size. These responses represent putative adaptive plasticity as they are linked to reduced predation risk. Perhaps most surprisingly, we found no evidence for inducible morphological defences in females. Understanding whether similar variation occurs in other taxa and their environments is crucial for modelling evolution.
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Meuthen D, Ferrari MCO, Lane T, Chivers DP. High background risk induces risk allocation rather than generalized neophobia in the fathead minnow. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
To cope with the heterogeneous nature of predation and the trade-off between predator avoidance and foraging, prey animals have evolved several cognitive rules. One of these is the risk allocation hypothesis, which predicts that in environments with long periods of sustained high risk, individuals should decrease their antipredator effort to satisfy their metabolic requirements. The neophobia hypothesis, in turn, predicts increased avoidance of novel cues in high-risk habitats. Despite the recent interest in predator-induced neophobia across different sensory channels, tests of such generalized neophobia are restricted to a single fish taxon, the Cichlidae. Hence, we retested the generalized neophobia hypothesis in fathead minnows Pimephales promelas, a small schooling North American cyprinid fish. From hatching onward, minnows were exposed to conspecific alarm cues, which indicate predation risk, or distilled water in a split-clutch design. After 1 month, shoaling behavior was examined prior and subsequent to a mechanical predator disturbance. Fish previously exposed to elevated background risk formed compact shoals for a shorter time interval after the stimulus compared with controls. These results contrast previous studies of generalized neophobia but match the risk allocation hypothesis. Consequently, risk allocation and generalized neophobia are not ubiquitous cognitive rules but instead evolved adaptations of different taxa to their respective environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Taylor Lane
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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Regan JC, Froy H, Walling CA, Moatt JP, Nussey DH. Dietary restriction and insulin‐like signalling pathways as adaptive plasticity: A synthesis and re‐evaluation. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C. Regan
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Craig A. Walling
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Joshua P. Moatt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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Svanbäck R, Johansson F. Predation selects for smaller eye size in a vertebrate: effects of environmental conditions and sex. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182625. [PMID: 30963847 PMCID: PMC6408888 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased eye size in animals results in a larger retinal image and thus improves visual acuity. Thus, larger eyes should aid both in finding food as well as detecting predators. On the other hand, eyes are usually very conspicuous and several studies have suggested that eye size is associated with predation risk. However, experimental evidence is scant. In this study, we address how predation affects variation in eye size by performing two experiments using Eurasian perch juveniles as prey and either larger perch or pike as predators. First, we used large outdoor tanks to compare selection due to predators on relative eye size in open and artificial vegetated habitats. Second, we studied the effects of both predation risk and resource levels on phenotypic plasticity in relative eye size in indoor aquaria experiments. In the first experiment, we found that habitat altered selection due to predators, since predators selected for smaller eye size in a non-vegetated habitat, but not in a vegetated habitat. In the plasticity experiment, we found that fish predators induced smaller eye size in males, but not in females, while resource levels had no effect on eye size plasticity. Our experiments provide evidence that predation risk could be one of the driving factors behind variation in eye size within species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frank Johansson
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Abstract
Reversible phenotypic plasticity, the ability to change one's phenotype repeatedly throughout life, can be selected for in environments that do not stay constant throughout an individual's lifetime. It might also mitigate senescence, as the mismatch between the environment and a non-plastic individual's traits is likely to increase as time passes. To understand why reversible plasticity may covary with lifespan, studies tend to assume unidirectional causality: plasticity evolves under suitable rates of environmental variation with respect to life history. Here we show that if lifespan also evolves in response to plasticity, then long life is not merely a context that sets the stage for lifelong plasticity. Instead, the causality is bidirectional because plasticity itself can select for longevity. Highly autocorrelated environmental fluctuations predict low investment in reversible plasticity and a phenotype that is poorly matched to the environment at older ages. Such environments select for high reproductive effort and short lifespans.
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Plasticity of boldness: high perceived risk eliminates a relationship between boldness and body size in fathead minnows. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Meuthen D, Bakker TC, Thünken T. Predatory developmental environments shape loser behaviour in animal contests. BEHAVIOUR 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
High predation risk during development induces phenotypic changes in animals. However, little is known about how these plastic responses affect signalling and competitiveness during contests. Herein, we have studied the consequences of anti-predator plasticity during the intra-sexual competition of Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice. We staged contests between adult size-matched siblings of the same sex derived from different environments: one fish was regularly exposed to conspecific alarm cues since the larval stage (simulating predator presence), the other fish to control conditions. Rearing environment did not affect the winner of contests or total aggression within a fight. However, contest behaviour differed between treatments. The effects were especially pronounced in alarm cue-exposed fish that lost a contest: they generally displayed lower aggression than winners but also lower aggression than losers of the control treatment. Thus, perceived predator presence modulates intra-sexual competition behaviour by increasing the costs associated with fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- bDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Theo C.M. Bakker
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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