1
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Gissi E, Goodman MC, Elahi R, McDevitt-Irwin JM, Arnoldi NS, Arafeh-Dalmau N, Knight CJ, Olguín-Jacobson C, Palmisciano M, Tillman CM, De Leo GA, Micheli F. Sex-specific variation in species interactions matters in ecological communities. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00171-X. [PMID: 39107207 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.07.006] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how natural communities and ecosystems are structured and respond to anthropogenic pressures in a rapidly changing world is key to successful management and conservation. A fundamental but often overlooked biological characteristic of organisms is sex. Sex-based responses are often considered when conducting studies at organismal and population levels, but are rarely investigated in community ecology. Focusing on kelp forests as a model system, and through a review of other marine and terrestrial ecosystems, we found evidence of widespread sex-based variation in species interactions. Sex-based variation in species interactions is expected to affect ecosystem structure and functioning via multiple trophic and nontrophic pathways. Understanding the drivers and consequences of sex-based variation in species interactions can inform more effective management and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gissi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; National Research Council, Institute of Marine Science, Venice, 30122, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy.
| | | | - Robin Elahi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Jamie M McDevitt-Irwin
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Natalie S Arnoldi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Nur Arafeh-Dalmau
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Department of Geography, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christopher J Knight
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | | | - Melissa Palmisciano
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Ceyenna M Tillman
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Giulio A De Leo
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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2
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Giery ST, Sloan RK, Watson J, Groesbeck A, Davenport JM. Ecosystem effects of intraspecific variation in a colour polymorphic amphibian. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240016. [PMID: 38565157 PMCID: PMC10987232 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0016] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
An emerging consensus suggests that evolved intraspecific variation can be ecologically important. However, evidence that evolved trait variation within vertebrates can influence fundamental ecosystem-level processes remains sparse. In this study, we sought to assess the potential for evolved variation in the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) to affect aquatic ecosystem properties. Spotted salamanders exhibit a conspicuous polymorphism in the colour of jelly encasing their eggs-some females produce clear jelly, while others produce white jelly. Although the functional significance of jelly colour variation remains largely speculative, evidence for differences in fecundity and the morphology of larvae suggests that the colour morphs might differ in the strength or identity of ecological effects. Here, we assessed the potential for frequency variation in spotted salamander colour morphs to influence fundamental physiochemical and ecosystem properties-dissolved organic carbon, conductivity, acidity and primary production-with a mesocosm experiment. By manipulating colour morph frequency across a range of larval densities, we were able to demonstrate that larva density and colour morph variation were ecologically relevant: population density reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased primary production while mesocosms stocked with white morph larvae tended to have higher dissolved organic carbon and conductivity. Thus, while an adaptive significance of jelly coloration remains hypothetical, our results show that colour morphs differentially influence key ecosystem properties-dissolved organic carbon and conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T. Giery
- Department of Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Reese K. Sloan
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
| | - James Watson
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
| | - Autumn Groesbeck
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
| | - Jon M. Davenport
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
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3
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Sharda S, Hollis B, Kawecki TJ. Sex ratio affects sexual selection against mutant alleles in a locus-specific way. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arad110. [PMID: 38162691 PMCID: PMC10756055 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Higher male:female operational sex ratio (OSR) is often assumed to lead to stronger sexual selection on males. Yet, this premise has been directly tested by very few studies, with mixed outcomes. We investigated how OSR affects the strength of sexual selection against two deleterious alleles, a natural ebony mutant and a transgenic GFP insertion, in Drosophila melanogaster. To this end, we estimated the relative paternity share of homozygous mutant males competing against wild-type males under different OSRs (1:2, 1:1, 2:1). We also manipulated the mating pool density (18, 36, or 54 individuals) and assessed paternity over three consecutive days, during which the nature of sexual interaction changed. The strength of sexual selection against the ebony mutant increased with OSR, became weaker after the first day, and was little affected by density. In contrast, sexual selection against the GFP transgene was markedly affected by density: at the highest density, it increased with OSR, but at lower densities, it was strongest at 1:1 OSR, remaining strong throughout the experiment. Thus, while OSR can strongly affect the strength of sexual selection against "bad genes," it does not necessarily increase monotonically with male:female OSR. Furthermore, the pattern of relationship between OSR and the strength of sexual selection can be locus-specific, likely reflecting the specific phenotypic effects of the mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakshi Sharda
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - Brian Hollis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St., Columbia SC 29208, USA
| | - Tadeusz J Kawecki
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
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4
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Farnworth B, Purdie S, Wehi PM, Painting CJ. Exaggerated mandibles are correlated with enhanced foraging efficacy in male Auckland tree wētā. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230207. [PMID: 37964578 PMCID: PMC10646448 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0207] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection has driven the evolution of weaponry for males to fight rivals to gain access to females. Although weapons are predicted to increase males' reproductive success, they are also expected to incur costs and may impair functional activities, including foraging. Using feeding assays, we tested whether the enlarged mandibles of Auckland tree wētā (Hemideina thoracica) impact feeding activity (the total volume of biomass consumed, bite rate, and number of foraging visits) and foraging behaviour (time spent moving, feeding, or stationary). We predicted that increased head capsule size in male wētā would hinder their foraging efficacy. However, we found that wētā with longer heads fed at a faster rate and spent less time foraging than wētā with smaller heads, regardless of sex. Contrary to expectations that weapons impede functional activities, our results demonstrate that exaggerated traits can improve feeding performance and may offer benefits other than increased mating success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Christina J. Painting
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
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5
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Yamamichi M, Ellner SP, Hairston NG. Beyond simple adaptation: Incorporating other evolutionary processes and concepts into eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S16-S21. [PMID: 37840027 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Studies of eco-evolutionary dynamics have integrated evolution with ecological processes at multiple scales (populations, communities and ecosystems) and with multiple interspecific interactions (antagonistic, mutualistic and competitive). However, evolution has often been conceptualised as a simple process: short-term directional adaptation that increases population growth. Here we argue that diverse other evolutionary processes, well studied in population genetics and evolutionary ecology, should also be considered to explore the full spectrum of feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Relevant but underappreciated processes include (1) drift and mutation, (2) disruptive selection causing lineage diversification or speciation reversal and (3) evolution driven by relative fitness differences that may decrease population growth. Because eco-evolutionary dynamics have often been studied by population and community ecologists, it will be important to incorporate a variety of concepts in population genetics and evolutionary ecology to better understand and predict eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Stephen P Ellner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Nelson G Hairston
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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6
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Lerch BA, Servedio MR. Predation drives complex eco-evolutionary dynamics in sexually selected traits. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002059. [PMID: 37011094 PMCID: PMC10101644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Predation plays a role in preventing the evolution of ever more complicated sexual displays, because such displays often increase an individual's predation risk. Sexual selection theory, however, omits a key feature of predation in modeling costs to sexually selected traits: Predation is density dependent. As a result of this density dependence, predator-prey dynamics should feed back into the evolution of sexual displays, which, in turn, feeds back into predator-prey dynamics. Here, we develop both population and quantitative genetic models of sexual selection that explicitly link the evolution of sexual displays with predator-prey dynamics. Our primary result is that predation can drive eco-evolutionary cycles in sexually selected traits. We also show that mechanistically modeling the cost to sexual displays as predation leads to novel outcomes such as the maintenance of polymorphism in sexual displays and alters ecological dynamics by muting prey cycles. These results suggest predation as a potential mechanism to maintain variation in sexual displays and underscore that short-term studies of sexual display evolution may not accurately predict long-run dynamics. Further, they demonstrate that a common verbal model (that predation limits sexual displays) with widespread empirical support can result in unappreciated, complex dynamics due to the density-dependent nature of predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Lerch
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Maria R Servedio
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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7
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De Lisle SP. Rapid evolution of ecological sexual dimorphism driven by resource competition. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:124-131. [PMID: 36366784 PMCID: PMC10099664 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in ecologically important traits are common in animals and plants, and prompted Darwin to first propose an ecological cause of sexual dimorphism. Despite theoretical plausibility and Darwin's original notion, a role for ecological resource competition in the evolution of sexual dimorphism has never been directly demonstrated and remains controversial. I used experimental evolution in Drosophila melanogaster to test the hypothesis that resource competition can drive the evolution of sex differences in diet. Following just three generations of adaptation, offspring from flies evolved in low-resource, high-competition environments show elevated sexual dimorphism in diet preference compared to both the ancestor and populations evolved on high-resource availability. This increased sexual dimorphism was the result of divergence in male sucrose intake and female yeast intake consistent with the differential nutritional requirements of the sexes. These results provide the first real-time direct evidence for evolution of sexual dimorphism driven by resource competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P De Lisle
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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8
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Siqueira LHC, Piantoni C, Marques OAV. Morphological variation in the common lancehead populations: Sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic patterns. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. H. C. Siqueira
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução Instituto Butantan São Paulo SP Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Exatas Universidade Estadual “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” São José do Rio Preto SP Brazil
| | - C. Piantoni
- Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - O. A. V. Marques
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução Instituto Butantan São Paulo SP Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Exatas Universidade Estadual “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” São José do Rio Preto SP Brazil
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9
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Ingram T, Giery ST, Losos JB. Hierarchical partitioning of multiple niche dimensions among ecomorphs, species and sexes in Puerto Rican anoles. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Ingram
- Department of Zoology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
| | - S. T. Giery
- Department of Biology The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - J. B. Losos
- Department of Biology and Living Earth Collaborative Washington University St. Louis Missouri USA
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10
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Lynsdale CL, Seltmann MW, Mon NO, Aung HH, Nyein UK, Htut W, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V. Investigating associations between nematode infection and three measures of sociality in Asian elephants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022; 76:87. [PMID: 35765658 PMCID: PMC9232411 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Frequent social interactions, proximity to conspecifics, and group density are main drivers of infections and parasite transmissions. However, recent theoretical and empirical studies suggest that the health benefits of sociality and group living can outweigh the costs of infection and help social individuals fight infections or increase their infection-related tolerance level. Here, we combine the advantage of studying artificially created social work groups with different demographic compositions with free-range feeding and social behaviours in semi-captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), employed in timber logging in Myanmar. We examine the link between gastro-intestinal nematode load (strongyles and Strongyloides spp.), estimated by faecal egg counts, and three different aspects of an elephant’s social world: individual solitary behaviour, work group size, and work group sex ratio. Controlling for sex, age, origin, time since last deworming treatment, year, human sampler bias, and individual identity, we found that infection by nematodes ranged from 0 to 2720 eggs/g between and within 26 male and 45 female elephants over the 4-year study period. However, such variation was not linked to any investigated measures of sociality in either males or females. Our findings highlight the need for finer-scale studies, establishing how sociality is limited by, mitigates, or protects against infection in different ecological contexts, to fully understand the mechanisms underlying these pathways. Significance statement Being social involves not only benefits, such as improved health, but also costs, including increased risk of parasitism and infectious disease. We studied the relationship between and three different sociality measures—solitary behaviour, group size, and the proportion of females to males within a group—and infection by gut nematodes (roundworms), using a unique study system of semi-captive working Asian elephants. Our system allows for observing how infection is linked to sociality measures across different social frameworks. We found that none of our social measures was associated with nematode infection in the studied elephants. Our results therefore suggest that here infection is not a large cost to group living, that it can be alleviated by the benefits of increased sociality, or that there are weak infection–sociality associations present which could not be captured and thus require finer-scale measures than those studied here. Overall, more studies are needed from a diverse range of systems that investigate specific aspects of social infection dynamics.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-022-03192-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly L. Lynsdale
- Natural Resources Institute, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Nay Oo Mon
- Department of Animal Science, University of Veterinary Science, Yezin, Myanmar
| | - Htoo Htoo Aung
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - UKyaw Nyein
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Mirkka Lahdenperä
- Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
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11
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De Lisle SP, Schrieber SJ, Bolnick DI. Complex community-wide consequences of consumer sexual dimorphism. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:958-969. [PMID: 35262914 PMCID: PMC9314848 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is a ubiquitous source of within‐species variation, yet the community‐level consequences of sex differences remain poorly understood. Here, we analyse a bitrophic model of two competing resource species and a sexually reproducing consumer species. We show that consumer sex differences in resource acquisition can have striking consequences for consumer‐resource coexistence, abundance and dynamics. Under both direct interspecific competition and apparent competition between two resource species, sexual dimorphism in consumers' attack rates can mediate coexistence of the resource species, while in other cases can lead to exclusion when stable coexistence is typically expected. Slight sex differences in total resource acquisition also can reverse competitive outcomes and lead to density cycles. These effects are expected whenever both consumer sexes require different amounts or types of resources to reproduce. Our results suggest that consumer sexual dimorphism, which is common, has wide‐reaching implications for the assembly and dynamics of natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P De Lisle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269.,Present Address: Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sebastian J Schrieber
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
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12
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Siepielski AM, Gómez-Llano M, McPeek MA. Environmental Conditions during Development Affect Sexual Selection through Trait-Fitness Relationships. Am Nat 2022; 199:34-50. [DOI: 10.1086/717294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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13
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Morita K, Yamamichi M. How does the magnitude of genetic variation affect ecological and reproductive character displacement? POPUL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Morita
- Department of General Systems Studies The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Masato Yamamichi
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Nagasaki University Nagasaki Japan
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14
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Zimova M, Willard DE, Winger BM, Weeks BC. Widespread shifts in bird migration phenology are decoupled from parallel shifts in morphology. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2348-2361. [PMID: 34151433 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Advancements in phenology and changes in morphology, including body size reductions, are among the most commonly described responses to globally warming temperatures. Although these dynamics are routinely explored independently, the relationships among them and how their interactions facilitate or constrain adaptation to climate change are poorly understood. In migratory species, advancing phenology may impose selection on morphological traits to increase migration speed. Advancing spring phenology might also expose species to cooler temperatures during the breeding season, potentially mitigating the effect of a warming global environment on body size. We use a dataset of birds that died after colliding with buildings in Chicago, IL to test whether changes in migration phenology are related to documented declines in body size and increases in wing length in 52 North American migratory bird species between 1978 and 2016. For each species, we estimate temporal trends in morphology and changes in the timing of migration. We then test for associations between species-specific rates of phenological and morphological changes while assessing the potential effects of migratory distance and breeding latitude. We show that spring migration through Chicago has advanced while the timing of fall migration has broadened as a result of early fall migrants advancing their migrations and late migrants delaying their migrations. Within species, we found that longer wing length was linked to earlier spring migration within years. However, we found no evidence that rates of phenological change across years, or migratory distance and breeding latitude, are predictive of rates of concurrent changes in morphological traits. These findings suggest that biotic responses to climate change are highly multidimensional and the extent to which those responses interact and influence adaptation to climate change requires careful examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David E Willard
- Gantz Family Collection Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Benjamin M Winger
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brian C Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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15
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Orgeret F, Reisinger RR, Carpenter-Kling T, Keys DZ, Corbeau A, Bost CA, Weimerskirch H, Pistorius PA. Spatial segregation in a sexually dimorphic central place forager: Competitive exclusion or niche divergence? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2404-2420. [PMID: 34091891 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sexual competition is increasingly recognized as an important selective pressure driving species distributions. However, few studies have investigated the relative importance of interpopulation versus intrapopulation competition in relation to habitat availability and selection. To explain spatial segregation between sexes that often occurs in non-territorial and central place foragers, such as seabirds, two hypotheses are commonly used. The 'competitive exclusion' hypothesis states that dominant individuals should exclude subordinate individuals through direct competition, whereas the 'niche divergence' hypothesis states that segregation occurs due to past competition and habitat specialization. We tested these hypotheses in two populations of an extreme wide-ranging and sexually dimorphic seabird, investigating the relative role of intrapopulation and interpopulation competition in influencing sex-specific distribution and habitat preferences. Using GPS loggers, we tracked 192 wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans during four consecutive years (2016-2019), from two neighbouring populations in the Southern Ocean (Prince Edward and Crozet archipelagos). We simulated pseudo-tracks to create a null spatial distribution and used Kernel Density Estimates (KDE) and Resource Selection Functions (RSF) to distinguish the relative importance of within- versus between-population competition. Kernel Density Estimates showed that only intrapopulation sexual segregation was significant for each monitoring year, and that tracks between the two colonies resulted in greater overlap than expected from the null distribution, especially for the females. RSF confirmed these results and highlighted key at-sea foraging areas, even if the estimated of at-sea densities were extremely low. These differences in selected areas between sites and sexes were, however, associated with high interannual variability in habitat preferences, with no clear specific preferences per site and sex. Our results suggest that even with low at-sea population densities, historic intrapopulation competition in wide-ranging seabirds may have led to sexual dimorphism and niche specialization, favouring the 'niche divergence' hypothesis. In this study, we provide a protocol to study competition within as well as between populations of central place foragers. This is relevant for understanding their distribution patterns and population regulation, which could potentially improve management of threatened populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Tegan Carpenter-Kling
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick, Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Danielle Z Keys
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Alexandre Corbeau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Pierre A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.,DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick, Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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16
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Shogren EH, Jones MA, Boyle WA. Dancing in the rain: how do abiotic conditions influence sexually selected behaviors in the White-ruffed Manakin? Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1329-1342. [PMID: 34015118 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical animals respond to rainfall in population-specific ways. In extremely wet regions, endotherms experience heavy rains as stressors with consequences for behavior and demography. Ultimately, such stressors can affect the relative strength of abiotic selection, reducing the scope for sexual selection and other biotic sources of selection. We studied population-level differences in the response to rainfall in White-ruffed Manakins (Corapipo altera) on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica, a species having a lek mating system subject to strong sexual selection. Between 2008 and 2013, we studied reproductive behavior in a population inhabiting an extremely wet site; estimates of apparent survival were low, and the turnover of display courts and dominant males was high. Males also engaged in coordinated display, and sub-adult males practiced in the presence of adults. Over three breeding seasons (2017-2019), we studied a population of the same species at a site only 110 km away, but in a location receiving roughly half as much rain. We tested behavioral predictions of three alternative mechanisms-indirect abiotic effects, direct mortality effects, and direct behavioral effects-linking rainfall to sexual selection in these two populations. Data derived from over 4300 hr of observations at 105 display sites revealed high interannual variation in nearly all response variables, including turnover of display sites, retention of alpha status, male display behavior, and time females spent assessing male display. Additionally, we detected spatial differences in drivers of display site turnover. Notably, age distribution of males was skewed toward older individuals at the drier location. Based on these findings we infer that indirect abiotic effects on forest structure leading to display site transience and direct effects of mortality increasing turnover in the male population likely underlie links between rain and the spatial and temporal differences we documented. Our results are consistent with rain constituting an important source of abiotic selection for tropical endotherms and modulating the scope for sexual selection near the extremes of a species' hygric niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie H Shogren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | | | - W Alice Boyle
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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17
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Flintham EO, Savolainen V, Mullon C. Dispersal Alters the Nature and Scope of Sexually Antagonistic Variation. Am Nat 2021; 197:543-559. [PMID: 33908829 DOI: 10.1086/713739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIntralocus sexual conflict, or sexual antagonism, occurs when alleles have opposing fitness effects in the two sexes. Previous theory suggests that sexual antagonism is a driver of genetic variation by generating balancing selection. However, most of these studies assume that populations are well mixed, neglecting the effects of spatial subdivision. Here, we use mathematical modeling to show that limited dispersal changes evolution at sexually antagonistic autosomal and X-linked loci as a result of inbreeding and sex-specific kin competition. We find that if the sexes disperse at different rates, kin competition within the philopatric sex biases intralocus conflict in favor of the more dispersive sex. Furthermore, kin competition diminishes the strength of balancing selection relative to genetic drift, reducing genetic variation in small subdivided populations. Meanwhile, by decreasing heterozygosity, inbreeding reduces the scope for sexually antagonistic polymorphism due to nonadditive allelic effects, and this occurs to a greater extent on the X chromosome than autosomes. Overall, our results indicate that spatial structure is a relevant factor in predicting where sexually antagonistic alleles might be observed. We suggest that sex-specific dispersal ecology and demography can contribute to interspecific and intragenomic variation in sexual antagonism.
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18
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Giery ST, Zimova M, Drake DL, Urban MC. Balancing selection and drift in a polymorphic salamander metapopulation. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200901. [PMID: 33849348 PMCID: PMC8086932 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genetic variation is maintained in a metapopulation is a longstanding problem in evolutionary biology. Historical resurveys of polymorphisms have offered efficient insights about evolutionary mechanisms, but are often conducted on single, large populations, neglecting the more comprehensive view afforded by considering all populations in a metapopulation. Here, we resurveyed a metapopulation of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) to understand the evolutionary drivers of frequency variation in an egg mass colour polymorphism. We found that this metapopulation was demographically, phenotypically and environmentally stable over the last three decades. However, further analysis revealed evidence for two modes of evolution in this metapopulation-genetic drift and balancing selection. Although we cannot identify the balancing mechanism from these data, our findings present a clear view of contemporary evolution in colour morph frequency and demonstrate the importance of metapopulation-scale studies for capturing a broad range of evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T. Giery
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dana L. Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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19
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Hasegawa M, Arai E. Opposing population trends of fork-tailed swallows and reddish-coloured swallows in our changing world. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:331-338. [PMID: 33164309 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection can in theory lead to positive and negative effect on population-level fitness and hence population increase/decline in our changing world, but the empirical evidence is scarce. Using a phylogenetic comparative approach, we examined whether and how different sexually selected ornaments affect recent population trends and extinction risk in swallows (Aves: Hirundininae). We found that population trends decreased with increasing depth of male tails, that is a well-known sexually selected trait, and increased with increasing score of reddish plumage coloration, another sexually selected ornament. Similar contrasting patterns were observed for extinction risk. These findings indicate ornament-specific population trends and extinction risk, perhaps due to the differential costs and benefits of ornamentation. Previous studies have mostly focused on the overall effects of sexual selection by combining different kinds of traits, presumed to be sexually selected. However, as predicted by theory, sexual selection would not be a process with the same universal effect on population dynamics as we found here. Divergent ecological consequences would occur through minor differences in sexual selection, which should not be dismissed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Environmental Science, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Takefumi Nakazawa
- Department of Life Sciences National Cheng Kung University Tainan City Taiwan
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21
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Yamamichi M, Kyogoku D, Iritani R, Kobayashi K, Takahashi Y, Tsurui-Sato K, Yamawo A, Dobata S, Tsuji K, Kondoh M. Intraspecific Adaptation Load: A Mechanism for Species Coexistence. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:897-907. [PMID: 32674869 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary ecological theory suggests that selection arising from interactions with conspecifics, such as sexual and kin selection, may result in evolution of intraspecific conflicts and evolutionary 'tragedy of the commons'. Here, we propose that such an evolution of conspecific conflicts may affect population dynamics in a way that enhances species coexistence. Empirical evidence and theoretical models suggest that more abundant species is more susceptible to invasion of 'selfish' individuals that increase their own reproductive success at the expense of population growth (intraspecific adaptation load). The density-dependent intraspecific adaptation load gives rise to a self-regulation mechanism at the population level, and stabilizes species coexistence at the community level by negative frequency-dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- Department of General Systems Studies, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Kyogoku
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, 1-5 Yokotani, Seta Oe-cho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2194, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Iritani
- RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, 553 Tawa, Shibecha-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido 088-2339, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Kaori Tsurui-Sato
- Center for Strategic Research Project, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Akira Yamawo
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 1 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki 036-8560, Japan
| | - Shigeto Dobata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tsuji
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Michio Kondoh
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
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22
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Yamamichi M, Koizumi I. Toxic males: Density‐dependent male mating harassment can explain geographic parthenogenesis. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Ichiro Koizumi
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
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23
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De Lisle SP. Understanding the evolution of ecological sex differences: Integrating character displacement and the Darwin-Bateman paradigm. Evol Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/evl3.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. De Lisle
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund 22362 Sweden
- Current address: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut; Storrs Connecticut 06269
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24
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Alpedrinha J, R. Rodrigues L, Magalhães S, Abbott J. The virtues and limitations of exploring the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of sexually selected traits. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- João Alpedrinha
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Edifício C2 PT‐1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Leonor R. Rodrigues
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Edifício C2 PT‐1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
- Stockholm Univ Stockholm Sweden
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, Univ. of Lisbon Edifício C2 PT‐1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Jessica Abbott
- Biology Dept, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund Univ Lund Sweden
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25
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Fryxell DC, Weiler DE, Kinnison MT, Palkovacs EP. Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Sexual Dimorphism. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:591-594. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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