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Chung MHJ, Mahmud-Al-Hasan M, Jennions MD, Head ML. Effects of inbreeding and elevated rearing temperatures on strategic sperm investment. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae044. [PMID: 38903732 PMCID: PMC11187721 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae044] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Males often strategically adjust the number of available sperm based on the social context (i.e. sperm priming response), but it remains unclear how environmental and genetic factors shape this adjustment. In freshwater ecosystems, high ambient temperatures often lead to isolated pools of hotter water in which inbreeding occurs. Higher water temperatures and inbreeding can impair fish development, potentially disrupting sperm production. We used guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to investigate how developmental temperature (26 °C, 30 °C) and male inbreeding status (inbred, outbred) influence their sperm priming response. We also tested if sperm priming was affected by whether the female was a relative (sister) and whether she was inbred or outbred. There was no effect of rearing temperature; male inbreeding status alone determined the number of available sperm in response to female presence, her inbreeding status, and her relatedness. Inbred males produced significantly more sperm in the presence of an unrelated, outbred female than when no female was present. Conversely, outbred males did not alter the number of sperm available in response to female presence or relatedness. Moreover, inbred males produced marginally more sperm when exposed to an unrelated female that was outbred rather than inbred, but there was no difference when exposed to an inbred female that was unrelated versus related. Together, a sperm priming response was only observed in inbred males when exposed to an outbred female. Outbred females in our study were larger than inbred females, suggesting that inbred males strategically allocated ejaculate resources toward females in better condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Han Joseph Chung
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Md Mahmud-Al-Hasan
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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Nunley K, McGhee KE. Detection of relatedness in chemical alarm cues by a selfing vertebrate depends on population and the life stage producing the alarm cue. Behav Processes 2024; 219:105056. [PMID: 38782306 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic prey have impressive abilities to extract information from a variety of chemical cues. For example, they can use the alarm cues released by wounded individuals during a predator attack to learn about predation risk, and they can also distinguish kin from non-kin individuals during interactions. However, it remains unclear whether animals can combine this information on predation risk with kin recognition of the particular individuals under threat. To examine how the relatedness of the individuals in alarm cue affects behaviour we used the self-fertilizing hermaphroditic mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus), in which lineages produce genetically identical offspring through selfing. We explored this in two populations that differ in their level of outcrossing. We measured activity before and after exposure to alarm cue made from individuals (either adults or embryos) from their own lineage or an unrelated lineage from the same population. Fish responded weakly to embryo alarm cues, but tended to reduce their activity more when the alarm cues were from an unrelated lineage compared to alarm cues from their own lineage, particularly in fish from the outcrossing population. In contrast, there was no effect of cue relatedness on the response to adult alarm cues but there was a strong population effect. Specifically, individuals from the outcrossing population tended to react more strongly to alarm cues compared to individuals from the predominantly selfing population. We discuss the potential roles of the major histocompatibility complex in cue detection, differences between adult vs embryo alarm cues in terms of concentration and information, and underlying differences among populations and genetic lineages in their production and detection of chemical cues. Whether this kin recognition offers adaptive benefits or is simply a consequence of being able to detect relatedness in living individuals would be an exciting area for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Nunley
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA
| | - Katie E McGhee
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA.
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Dorsey OC, Rosenthal GG. A taste for the familiar: explaining the inbreeding paradox. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:132-142. [PMID: 36241551 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The negative consequences of inbreeding have led animal biologists to assume that mate choice is generally biased against relatives. However, inbreeding avoidance is highly variable and by no means the rule across animal taxa. Even when inbreeding is costly, there are numerous examples of animals failing to avoid inbreeding or even preferring to mate with close kin. We argue that selective and mechanistic constraints interact to limit the evolution of inbreeding avoidance, notably when there is a risk of mating with heterospecifics and losing fitness through hybridization. Further, balancing inbreeding avoidance with conspecific mate preference may drive the evolution of multivariate sexual communication. Studying different social and sexual decisions within the same species can illuminate trade-offs among mate-choice mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen C Dorsey
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, TX, USA; Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas "Aguazarca", Calnali, Hidalgo, Mexico.
| | - Gil G Rosenthal
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas "Aguazarca", Calnali, Hidalgo, Mexico; Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Hehman JA, Burch RL, Salmon CA. Sibling Conflict and Closeness: The Effects of Sex, Number of Siblings, Relatedness, Parental Resemblance and Investment. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-022-00353-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Borges IL, Dangerfield JC, Angeloni LM, Funk WC, Fitzpatrick SW. Reproductive benefits associated with dispersal in headwater populations of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Ecol Lett 2021; 25:344-354. [PMID: 34825455 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13929] [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: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Theory suggests that the evolution of dispersal is balanced by its fitness costs and benefits, yet empirical evidence is sparse due to the difficulties of measuring dispersal and fitness in natural populations. Here, we use spatially explicit data from a multi-generational capture-mark-recapture study of two populations of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) along with pedigrees to test whether there are fitness benefits correlated with dispersal. Combining these ecological and molecular data sets allows us to directly measure the relationship between movement and reproduction. Individual dispersal was measured as the total distance moved by a fish during its lifetime. We analysed the effects of dispersal propensity and distance on a variety of reproductive metrics. We found that number of mates and number of offspring were positively correlated to dispersal, especially for males. Our results also reveal individual and environmental variation in dispersal, with sex, size, season, and stream acting as determining factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabela L Borges
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.,Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Jillian C Dangerfield
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lisa M Angeloni
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - W Chris Funk
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah W Fitzpatrick
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.,Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Hubená P, Horký P, Slavík O. Fish self-awareness: limits of current knowledge and theoretical expectations. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:447-461. [PMID: 34655023 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01566-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal self-awareness is divided into three levels: bodily, social, and introspective self-awareness. Research has focused mainly on the introspection of so-called higher organisms such as mammals. Herein, we turn our attention to fish and provide opinions on their self-awareness based on a review of the scientific literature. Our specific aims are to discuss whether fish (A) could have a neural substrate supporting self-awareness and whether they display signs of (B) social and (C) introspective self-awareness. The present knowledge does not exclude the possibility that fish could have a simple neocortex or other structures that support certain higher cognitive processes, as the function of the primate cerebral cortex can be replaced by other neurological structures. Fish are known to display winner, loser, and audience effects, which could be interpreted as signs of social self-awareness. The audience effect may be explained not only by ethological cost and benefit theory but also by the concept of public self-awareness, which comes from human studies. The behavioural and neural manifestations of depression may be induced in fish under social subordination and may be viewed as certain awareness of a social status. The current findings on fish introspective self-awareness have been debated in the scientific community and, therefore, demand replication to provide more evidence. Further research is needed to verify the outlined ideas; however, the current knowledge indicates that fish are capable of certain higher cognitive processes, which raises questions and implications regarding ethics and welfare in fish-related research and husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Hubená
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Horký
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Slavík
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic
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