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Hill KAP, Pfennig KS, Pfennig DW. Assessment and the regulation of adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Development 2024; 151:dev203101. [PMID: 39417683 DOI: 10.1242/dev.203101] [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] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Organisms can react to environmental variation by altering their phenotype, and such phenotypic plasticity is often adaptive. This plasticity contributes to the diversity of phenotypes across the tree of life. Generally, the production of these phenotypes must be preceded by assessment, where the individual acquires information about its environment and phenotype relative to that environment, and then determines if and how to respond with an alternative phenotype. The role of assessment in adaptive plasticity is, therefore, crucial. In this Review, we (1) highlight the need for explicitly considering the role of assessment in plasticity; (2) present two different models for how assessment and the facultative production of phenotypes are related; and (3) describe an overarching framework for how assessment evolves. In doing so, we articulate avenues of future work and suggest that explicitly considering the role of assessment in the evolution of plasticity is key to explaining how and when plasticity occurs. Moreover, we emphasize the need to understand the role of assessment in adaptive versus maladaptive plasticity, which is an issue that will become increasingly important in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl A P Hill
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Karin S Pfennig
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - David W Pfennig
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
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2
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Moelling MH, Duckworth RA. Climate change reduces the tension of conflicting selection pressures on breeding date in a passerine bird. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240959. [PMID: 39379000 PMCID: PMC11461055 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0959] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Unpredictably fluctuating environments create complex selective landscapes that shape the distribution of key life history traits. Identifying the mechanisms behind dynamic patterns of selection is difficult, yet essential for predicting responses to climate change. We combine long-term measures with field manipulation of natural selection on breeding date in a wild bird to investigate whether highly variable spring cold snaps drive fluctuating selection. We show that variation in cold snap intensity leads to fluctuating selection on breeding date-in weak cold snap years, selection was consistently negative; however, in strong cold snap years, its direction reversed. These patterns were mirrored in a field experiment; nests that were food supplemented during cold snaps avoided cold snap mortality leading earlier breeders to have higher fitness. In contrast, in the non-supplemented group earlier breeders had higher cold snap nest mortality and selection was positive. Using nearly a century of climate data, we show that cold snaps are becoming less frequent and paradoxically occurring later which should allow earlier breeders to avoid them, potentially releasing conflicting selection pressures and facilitating a rapid phenological shift. Thus, rather than constraining a species' ability to adapt, climate change can enable a rapid shift to a new phenotypic optimum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Moelling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA
| | - Renée A. Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA
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3
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McNew SM, Taff CC, Vitousek MN. Manipulation of a social signal affects DNA methylation of a stress-related gene in a free-living bird. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246819. [PMID: 39022893 PMCID: PMC11418189 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Social status directly affects the health of humans and other animals. Low status individuals receive more antagonistic encounters, have fewer supportive relationships and have worse health outcomes. However, the physiological and cellular processes that mediate the relationship between the social environment and health are incompletely known. Epigenetic regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the neuroendocrine pathway that activates in response to stressors, may be one process that is sensitive to the social environment. Here, we experimentally manipulated plumage, a key social signal in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and quantified methylation of four genes in the HPA axis before and after treatment. We found that dulling the white breast plumage affected methylation in one gene, CRHR1; however, the effect depended on the original brightness of the bird. Methylation in this gene was correlated with baseline corticosterone levels, suggesting that DNA methylation of CRHR1 helps regulate glucocorticoid production in this species. Methylation in two other genes, FKBP5 and GR, changed over the course of the experiment, independent of treatment. These results show that methylation of these genes is labile into adulthood and suggest that epigenetic regulation of the HPA axis could help birds respond to current environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M. McNew
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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4
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Hellmann JK, Rogers MM. The transgenerational consequences of paternal social isolation and predation exposure in threespined sticklebacks. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39049666 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Parents routinely encounter stress in the ecological environment that can affect offspring development (transgenerational plasticity: TGP); however, parents' interactions with conspecifics may alter how parents respond to ecological stressors. During social buffering, the presence of conspecifics can reduce the response to or increase the speed of recovery from a stressor. This may have cascading effects on offspring if conspecifics can mitigate parental responses to ecological stress in ways that blunt the transmission of stress-induced transgenerational effects. Here, we simultaneously manipulated both paternal social isolation and experience with predation risk prior to fertilisation in threespined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We generated offspring via in-vitro fertilisation to allow us to isolate paternal effects mediated via sperm alone (i.e. in the absence of paternal care). If social buffering mitigates TGP induced by paternal exposure to predation risk, then we expect the transgenerational effects of predation exposure to be weaker when a conspecific is present compared to when the father is isolated. Offspring of predator-exposed fathers showed reduced anxiety-like behaviour and tended to be captured faster by the predator. Fathers who were socially isolated also had offspring that were captured faster by a live predator, suggesting that paternal social isolation may have maladaptive effects on how offspring respond to ecological stressors. Despite additive effects of paternal social isolation and paternal predation risk, we found no evidence of an interaction between these paternal treatments, suggesting that the presence of a conspecific did not buffer fathers and/or offspring from the effects of predation risk. Our results suggest that socially induced stress is an important, yet underappreciated, mediator of TGP and can elicit transgenerational effects even in species that do not form permanent social groups. Future studies should therefore consider how the parental social environment can affect both within and trans-generational responses to ecological stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Michaela M Rogers
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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5
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Metcalfe NB. How important is hidden phenotypic plasticity arising from alternative but converging developmental trajectories, and what limits it? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246010. [PMID: 38449324 PMCID: PMC10949067 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246010] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity -- the capacity for a genotype to develop into different phenotypes, depending on the environment - is typically viewed from the perspective of the resulting phenotype. Thus, if development is viewed as a trajectory towards a target, then developmental plasticity allows environmentally induced alterations to the target. However, there can also be variations in the trajectory. This is seen with compensatory responses, for instance where growth accelerates after an earlier period of food shortage, or where investment in sexual ornaments is maintained even when resources are limiting. If the compensation is complete, the adult phenotype can appear 'normal' (i.e. the different developmental trajectories converge on the same target). However, alternative trajectories to a common target can have multiple long-term consequences, including altered physiological programming and rates of senescence, possibly owing to trade-offs between allocating resources to the prioritized trait versus to body maintenance. This suggests that plasticity in developmental trajectories towards a common target leads to variation in the resilience and robustness of the adult body. This form of developmental plasticity is far more hidden than plasticity in final adult target, but it may be more common. Here, I discuss the causes, consequences and limitations of these different kinds of plasticity, with a special focus on whether they are likely to be adaptive. I emphasize the need to study plasticity in developmental trajectories, and conclude with suggestions for future research to tease apart the different forms of developmental plasticity and the factors that influence their evolution and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil B. Metcalfe
- School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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6
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Wright PA, Gilmour KM. Diversity drives discovery in developmental plasticity. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247492. [PMID: 38449322 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Wright
- JEB Deputy Editor-in-Chief at the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaN1G 2W1
| | - Kathleen M Gilmour
- JEB Monitoring Editor at the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaK1N 6T2
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7
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Tkaczynski PJ, Mafessoni F, Girard-Buttoz C, Samuni L, Ackermann CY, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Hobaiter C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PD, Wessling EG, Wittiger L, Zommers Z, Zuberbuehler K, Vigilant L, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Shared community effects and the non-genetic maternal environment shape cortisol levels in wild chimpanzees. Commun Biol 2023; 6:565. [PMID: 37237178 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04909-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of inheritance remain poorly defined for many fitness-mediating traits, especially in long-lived animals with protracted development. Using 6,123 urinary samples from 170 wild chimpanzees, we examined the contributions of genetics, non-genetic maternal effects, and shared community effects on variation in cortisol levels, an established predictor of survival in long-lived primates. Despite evidence for consistent individual variation in cortisol levels across years, between-group effects were more influential and made an overwhelming contribution to variation in this trait. Focusing on within-group variation, non-genetic maternal effects accounted for 8% of the individual differences in average cortisol levels, significantly more than that attributable to genetic factors, which was indistinguishable from zero. These maternal effects are consistent with a primary role of a shared environment in shaping physiology. For chimpanzees, and perhaps other species with long life histories, community and maternal effects appear more relevant than genetic inheritance in shaping key physiological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Tkaczynski
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Fabrizio Mafessoni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Liran Samuni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Corinne Y Ackermann
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Cristina Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, College of Arts, Science and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Therese Löhrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, BP 1053, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Berlin, Germany
| | - Virgile Manin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Anna Preis
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Prince D Valé
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Agroferesterie, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Zinta Zommers
- Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbuehler
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
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8
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Duckworth RA, Chenard KC, Meza L, Beiriz MC. Coping styles vary with species' sociality and life history: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105241. [PMID: 37216998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite a long history of animal studies investigating coping styles, the causal connections between behavior and stress physiology remain unclear. Consistency across taxa in effect sizes would support the idea of a direct causal link maintained by either functional or developmental dependencies. Alternatively, lack of consistency would suggest coping styles are evolutionarily labile. Here, we investigated correlations between personality traits and baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Most personality traits did not consistently vary with either baseline or stress-induced glucocorticoids. Only aggression and sociability showed a consistent negative correlation with baseline glucocorticoids. We found that life history variation affected the relationship between stress-induced glucocorticoid levels and personality traits, especially anxiety and aggression. The relationship between anxiety and baseline glucocorticoids depended on species' sociality with solitary species showing more positive effect sizes. Thus, integration between behavioral and physiological traits depends on species' sociality and life history and suggests high evolutionary lability of coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée A Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Kathryn C Chenard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Lexis Meza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Beiriz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE 60440-900, Brazil
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9
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Siefferman L, Bentz AB, Rosvall KA. Decoupling pioneering traits from latitudinal patterns in a north American bird experiencing a southward range shift. J Anim Ecol 2023. [PMID: 36815243 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Ecogeographic rules describe spatial patterns in biological trait variation and shed light on the drivers of such variation. In animals, a consensus is emerging that 'pioneering' traits may facilitate range shifts via a set of bold, aggressive and stress-resilient traits. Many of these same traits are associated with more northern latitudes, and most range shifts in the northern hemisphere indicate northward movement. As a consequence, it is unclear whether pioneering traits are simply corollaries of existing latitudinal variation, or whether they override other well-trodden latitudinal patterning as a unique ecogeographic rule of phenotypic variation. The tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor is a songbird undergoing a southward range shift in the eastern United States, in direct opposition of the poleward movement seen in most other native species' range shifts. Because this organic range shift countervails the typical direction of movement, this case study provides for unique ecological insights on organisms and their ability to thrive in our changing world. We sampled female birds across seven populations, quantifying behavioural, physiological and morphological traits. We also used GIS and field data to quantify a core set of ecological factors with strong ties to these traits as well as female performance. Females at more southern expansion sites displayed higher maternal aggression, higher baseline corticosterone and more pronounced elevation of corticosterone following a standardized stressor, contrary to otherwise largely conserved latitudinal patterning in these traits. Microhabitat variation explained some quantitative phenotypic variation, but the expansion and historic ranges did not differ in openness, distance to water or breeding density. This countervailing range shift therefore suggests that pioneering traits are not simply corollaries of existing latitudinal variation, but rather, they may override other well-trodden latitudinal patterning as a unique ecogeographic rule of phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Siefferman
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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10
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Hagadorn MA, Hunter FK, DeLory T, Johnson MM, Pitts-Singer TL, Kapheim KM. Maternal body condition and season influence RNA deposition in the oocytes of alfalfa leafcutting bees ( Megachile rotundata). Front Genet 2023; 13:1064332. [PMID: 36685934 PMCID: PMC9845908 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1064332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects are an important source of phenotypic variance, whereby females influence offspring developmental trajectory beyond direct genetic contributions, often in response to changing environmental conditions. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms by which maternal experience is translated into molecular signals that shape offspring development. One such signal may be maternal RNA transcripts (mRNAs and miRNAs) deposited into maturing oocytes. These regulate the earliest stages of development of all animals, but are understudied in most insects. Here we investigated the effects of female internal (body condition) and external (time of season) environmental conditions on maternal RNA in the maturing oocytes and 24-h-old eggs (24-h eggs) of alfalfa leafcutting bees. Using gene expression and WGCNA analysis, we found that females adjust the quantity of mRNAs related to protein phosphorylation, transcriptional regulation, and nuclease activity deposited into maturing oocytes in response to both poor body condition and shorter day lengths that accompany the late season. However, the magnitude of these changes was higher for time of season. Females also adjusted miRNA deposition in response to seasonal changes, but not body condition. We did not observe significant changes in maternal RNAs in response to either body condition or time of season in 24-h eggs, which were past the maternal-to-zygotic transition. Our results suggest that females adjust the RNA transcripts they provide for offspring to regulate development in response to both internal and external environmental cues. Variation in maternal RNAs may, therefore, be important for regulating offspring phenotype in response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory A. Hagadorn
- Department of Biology, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Frances K. Hunter
- Department of Biology, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Tim DeLory
- Department of Biology, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Makenna M. Johnson
- Department of Biology, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States,United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Theresa L. Pitts-Singer
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Karen M. Kapheim
- Department of Biology, Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States,*Correspondence: Karen M. Kapheim ,
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11
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Petrullo L, Delaney D, Boutin S, McAdam AG, Lane JE, Boonstra R, Palme R, Dantzer B. The glucocorticoid response to environmental change is not specific to agents of natural selection in wild red squirrels. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105262. [PMID: 36191397 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary endocrinology aims to understand how natural selection shapes endocrine systems and the degree to which endocrine systems themselves can induce phenotypic responses to environmental changes. Such responses may be specialized in that they reflect past selection for responsiveness only to those ecological factors that ultimately influence natural selection. Alternatively, endocrine responses may be broad and generalized, allowing organisms to cope with a variety of environmental changes simultaneously. Here, we empirically tested whether the endocrine response of female North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) was specialized or generalized. We first quantified the direction and magnitude of natural selection acting on three female life history traits (parturition date, litter size, offspring postnatal growth rate) during 32 years of fluctuations in four potential ecological agents of selection (food availability, conspecific density, predator abundance, and temperature). Only three of the four variables (food, density, and predators) affected patterns of natural selection on female life history traits. We then quantified fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) across 7 years and found that all four environmental variables, regardless of their effects on patterns of selection, were associated with glucocorticoid production. Our results provide support for a generalized, rather than specific, glucocorticoid response to environmental change that can integrate across multiple co-occurring environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA.
| | - David Delaney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A6, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterina ̈rplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA
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12
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Bentz AB, Empson TA, George EM, Rusch DB, Buechlein A, Rosvall KA. How experimental competition changes ovarian gene activity in free-living birds: Implications for steroidogenesis, maternal effects, and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105171. [PMID: 35381449 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The ovary plays an important role in mediating both a female's response to her social environment and communicating it to her developing offspring via maternal effects. Past work has focused on how ovarian hormones respond to competition, but we know little about how the broader ovarian transcriptomic landscape changes, either during or after competition, giving us a narrow perspective on how socially induced phenotypes arise. Here, we experimentally generated social competition among wild, cavity-nesting female birds (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor), a species in which females lack a socially induced rise in circulating testosterone but they nevertheless increase allocation to eggs. After territory settlement, we reduced availability of nesting cavities, generating heightened competition; within 24 h we reversed the manipulation, causing aggressive interactions to subside. We measured ovarian transcriptomic responses at the peak of competition and 48 h later, along with date-matched controls. Network analyses indicated that competing females experienced an immediate and temporary decrease in the expression of genes involved in the early stages of steroidogenesis, and this was moderately correlated with plasma testosterone; however, two days after competition had ended, there was a marked increase in the expression of genes involved in the final stages of steroidogenesis, including HSD17B1. Gene networks related to the cell cycle, muscle performance, and extracellular matrix organization also displayed altered activity. Although the functional consequences of these findings are unclear, they shed light on socially responsive ovarian genomic mechanisms that could potentially exert lasting effects on behavior, reproduction, and maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
| | - Tara A Empson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth M George
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Crino OL, Falk S, Katsis AC, Kraft FLOH, Buchanan KL. Mitochondria as the powerhouses of sexual selection: Testing mechanistic links between development, cellular respiration, and bird song. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105184. [PMID: 35596967 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The developmental environment can affect the expression of sexually selected traits in adulthood. The physiological mechanisms that modulate such effects remain a matter of intense debate. Here, we test the role of the developmental environment in shaping adult mitochondrial function and link mitochondrial function to expression of a sexually selected trait in males (bird song). We exposed male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to corticosterone (CORT) treatment during development. After males reached adulthood, we quantified mitochondrial function from whole red blood cells and measured baseline CORT and testosterone levels, body condition/composition, and song structure. CORT-treated males had mitochondria that were less efficient (FCRL/R) and used a lower proportion of maximum capacity (FCRR/ETS) than control males. Additionally, CORT-treated males had higher baseline levels of CORT as adults compared to control males. Using structural equation modelling, we found that the effects of CORT treatment during development on adult mitochondrial function were indirect and modulated by baseline CORT levels, which are programmed by CORT treatment during development. Developmental treatment also had an indirect effect on song peak frequency. Males treated with CORT during development sang songs with higher peak frequency than control males, but this effect was modulated through increased CORT levels and by a decrease in FCRR/ETS. CORT-treated males had smaller tarsi compared to control males; however, there were no associations between body size and measures of song frequency. Here, we provide the first evidence supporting links between the developmental environment, mitochondrial function, and the expression of a sexually selected trait (bird song).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondi L Crino
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Steph Falk
- School of Biological Science Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Institute of Immunology and Epigenetics, Max Planck Institute, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Andrew C Katsis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Fanny-Linn O H Kraft
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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14
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Stahlschmidt Z, Vo C. Spatial bet hedging, thermal trade-offs and glyphosate: crickets integrate multivariate information during oviposition. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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15
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Helle S, Tanskanen AO, Coall DA, Danielsbacka M. Matrilateral bias of grandparental investment in grandchildren persists despite the grandchildren's adverse early life experiences. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212574. [PMID: 35168400 PMCID: PMC8848246 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theory predicts a downward flow of investment from older to younger generations, representing individual efforts to maximize inclusive fitness. Maternal grandparents and maternal grandmothers (MGMs) in particular consistently show the highest levels of investment (e.g. time, care and resources) in their grandchildren. Grandparental investment overall may depend on social and environmental conditions that affect the development of children and modify the benefits and costs of investment. Currently, the responses of grandparents to adverse early life experiences (AELEs) in their grandchildren are assessed from a perspective of increased investment to meet increased need. Here, we formulate an alternative prediction that AELEs may be associated with reduced grandparental investment, as they can reduce the reproductive value of the grandchildren. Moreover, we predicted that paternal grandparents react more strongly to AELEs compared to maternal grandparents because maternal kin should expend extra effort to invest in their descendants. Using population-based survey data for English and Welsh adolescents, we found evidence that the investment of maternal grandparents (MGMs in particular) in their grandchildren was unrelated to the grandchildren's AELEs, while paternal grandparents invested less in grandchildren who had experienced more AELEs. These findings seemed robust to measurement errors in AELEs and confounding due to omitted shared causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuli Helle
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Antti O Tanskanen
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland.,Population Research Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - David A Coall
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia
| | - Mirkka Danielsbacka
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland.,Population Research Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
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17
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Van Allen B, Jones N, Gilbert B, Carscadden K, Germain R. Maternal effects and the outcome of interspecific competition. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7544-7556. [PMID: 34188833 PMCID: PMC8216948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal environmental effects create lagged population responses to past environments. Although they are ubiquitous and vary in expression across taxa, it remains unclear if and how their presence alters competitive interactions in ecological communities.Here, we use a discrete-time competition model to simulate how maternal effects alter competitive dynamics in fluctuating and constant environments. Further, we explore how omitting maternal effects alter estimates of known model parameters from observational time series data.Our simulations demonstrate that (i) maternal effects change competitive outcomes, regardless of whether competitors otherwise interact neutrally or exhibit non-neutral competitive differences, (ii) the consequences of maternal effects for competitive outcomes are mediated by the temporal structure of environmental variation, (iii) even in constant conditions, competitive outcomes are influenced by species' maternal effects strategies, and (iv) in observational time series data, omitting maternal effects reduces variation explained by models and biases parameter estimates, including competition coefficients.Our findings demonstrate that the ecological consequences of maternal effects hinge on the competitive environment. Evolutionary biologists have long recognized that maternal effects can be an important but often overlooked strategy buffering populations from environmental change. We suggest that maternal effects are similarly critical to ecology and call for research into maternal effects as drivers of dynamics in populations and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Van Allen
- Ecology, Behavior, and EvolutionUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Natalie Jones
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Kelly Carscadden
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Rachel Germain
- Zoology & Biodiversity Research CentreThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
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18
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Chen E, Zielinski C, Deno J, Singh R, Bell AM, Hellmann JK. The specificity of sperm-mediated paternal effects in threespine sticklebacks. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:68. [PMID: 37283951 PMCID: PMC10241442 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Parental effects may help offspring respond to challenging environments, but whether parental exposure to different environmental challenges induces similar responses in offspring is largely unknown. We compared the offspring of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fathers who had been exposed to a potentially threatening stimulus (net), a native predator (sculpin), or who had been left unexposed (control). Relative to offspring of control fathers, offspring of sculpin-exposed fathers were more responsive (greater change in activity) to a simulated sculpin predator attack, while offspring of net-exposed fathers were less responsive (fewer antipredator behaviors) and showed altered stress responses compared to the control. To evaluate whether parental exposure primes offspring to respond to specific stimuli (e.g., offspring of net-exposed fathers respond most strongly to a net), we then exposed offspring of each paternal treatment to nets, native sculpin models, or non-native trout models. Paternal treatment did not influence offspring response to different stimuli; instead, offspring were generally more responsive to the native sculpin predator compared to nets or non-native trout predator, suggesting that sticklebacks have innate predator recognition of native predators. Collectively, these results underscore that, while parental exposure to non-ecologically relevant stressors elicits effects in intergenerational studies, these findings may not mirror those produced when parents encounter ecologically relevant stressors. Knowing that parental effects can be predator-specific furthers our understanding of the ways in which parental effects may evolve to be adaptive and suggests the potential for transgenerational plasticity to affect how animals respond to human induced environmental change, including non-native predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice Chen
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Christian Zielinski
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jack Deno
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Raiza Singh
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alison M. Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
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19
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Winandy L, Di Gesu L, Lemoine M, Jacob S, Martin J, Ducamp C, Huet M, Legrand D, Cote J. Maternal and personal information mediates the use of social cues about predation risk. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Organisms can gain information about predation risks from their parents, their own personal experience, and their conspecifics and adjust their behavior to alleviate these risks. These different sources of information can, however, provide conflicting information due to spatial and temporal variation of the environment. This raises the question of how these cues are integrated to produce adaptive antipredator behavior. We investigated how common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) adjust the use of conspecific cues about predation risk depending on whether the information is maternally or personally acquired. We experimentally manipulated the presence of predator scent in gestating mothers and their offspring in a full-crossed design. We then tested the consequences for social information use by monitoring offspring social response to conspecifics previously exposed to predator cues or not. Lizards were more attracted to the scent of conspecifics having experienced predation cues when they had themselves no personal information about predation risk. In contrast, they were more repulsed by conspecific scent when they had personally obtained information about predation risk. However, the addition of maternal information about predation risk canceled out this interactive effect between personal and social information: lizards were slightly more attracted to conspecific scent when these two sources of information about predation risk were in agreement. A chemical analysis of lizard scent revealed that exposure to predator cues modified the chemical composition of lizard scents, a change that might underlie lizards’ use of social information. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple sources of information while studying antipredator defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurane Winandy
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France
- CNRS, UMR5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, 2 route du cnrs, Moulis, France
| | - Lucie Di Gesu
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France
| | - Marion Lemoine
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France
| | - Staffan Jacob
- CNRS, UMR5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, 2 route du cnrs, Moulis, France
| | - José Martin
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Ducamp
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France
| | - Michèle Huet
- CNRS, UMR5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, 2 route du cnrs, Moulis, France
| | - Delphine Legrand
- CNRS, UMR5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, 2 route du cnrs, Moulis, France
| | - Julien Cote
- CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique), 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France
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