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Míčková K, Tomášek O, Jelínek V, Šulc M, Pazdera L, Albrechtová J, Albrecht T. Age-related changes in sperm traits and evidence for aging costs of sperm production in a sexually promiscuous passerine. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1105596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In many animal species, organismal performance declines with age in a process known as aging or senescence. Senescence typically leads to a deterioration of physiological functionality and can impact the development of primary sexual phenotypes. Sperm production is a complex and costly process that is sensitive to changes in individual physiological state, yet remarkably little is known about age-related changes in sperm performance and aging costs of sperm production. Here we use a non-linear generalized additive mixed models (GAMM) modelling to evaluate age-related changes in postcopulatory sexual traits in the European barn swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica), a relatively short lived sexually promiscuous passerine species, where male extra-pair fertilization success has been shown to increase with age. We confirmed a positive relationship between sperm midpiece length and sperm velocity in this species. Within-male changes in sperm morphology and sperm velocity were in general absent, with only sperm length decreasing linearly with increasing age, although this change was negligible compared to the overall variation in sperm size among males. In contrast, the cloacal protuberance (CP) size changed nonlinearly with age, with an initial increase between the first and third year of life followed by a plateau. The results further indicate the existence of a trade-off between investments in sperm production and survival as males with large CP tended to have a reduced lifespan. This seems consistent with the idea of expensive sperm production and survival aging costs associated with investments in post-copulatory traits in this sexually promiscuous species.
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Vitt S, Bakowski CE, Thünken T. Sex-specific effects of inbreeding on body colouration and physiological colour change in the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:124. [PMID: 36316663 PMCID: PMC9623988 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colour expression is highly variable in animals. In fishes, rapid colour change, i.e. physiological colour change, can be observed in multiple contexts, e.g. in camouflage or communication, and is affected by various factors, such as stress. Pelvicachromis taeniatus is a cichlid fish from West Africa with sexual dichromatism and both sexes being brightly coloured and flexible in ornament expression. In the present study, inbred and outbred P. taeniatus were photographed before and after a stress situation to investigate the stress response regarding colour expression in both sexes. RESULTS The chromaticity and the colour patch size (relative coloured area at the abdomen) were determined at both timepoints and the changes were analysed. Additionally, the coefficients of variation within family groups for the chromaticity (CVchromaticity) and colour patch size (CVarea) were calculated. Chromaticity as well as the extent of colouration increased significantly following handling stress. The change in chromaticity was not significantly different between in- and outbred individuals in females and males. Inbred males showed more intense yellow colouration than outbred males. Independent from inbreeding, the CVchromaticity decreased following the handling stress. The change in CVarea of females and males differed between in- and outbred individuals. In females, the decrease was significantly stronger in inbred individuals and in males the decrease was stronger in the outbred group. CONCLUSION The results show that short-term stress can increase colouration, potentially advertising individual's stress tolerance. Furthermore, this study shows positive inbreeding effects on a sexually selected trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christina E. Bakowski
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Vega‐Trejo R, Boer RA, Fitzpatrick JL, Kotrschal A. Sex‐specific inbreeding depression: A meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1009-1026. [PMID: 35064612 PMCID: PMC9304238 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Vega‐Trejo
- Department of Zoology: Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Zoology Edward Grey Institute University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Raïssa A. Boer
- Department of Zoology: Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | | | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology: Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Behavioural Ecology Group Wageningen University & Research Wageningen The Netherlands
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Schons RF, Vitt S, Thünken T. Resource heterogeneity but not inbreeding affects growth and grouping behaviour in socially foraging juvenile cichlid fish. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rieke F. Schons
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Bonn Germany
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Lewandowski V, Sary C, Casetta J, De Souza FP, De Castro PL, Goes ESDR, De Oliveira CAL, Ribeiro RP, Vargas L. GENETIC VARIABILITY AND REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF ZEBRAFISH (Cyprinidae Danio rerio) STOCKS. ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA 2021. [DOI: 10.15446/abc.v27n2.87739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Specimens of cultured zebrafish acquired from different fish farms in Brazil may show genetic variability and alteration in allele frequency due to genetic drift and selective pressure in a captive environment, resulting in the differentiation of productive and reproductive characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability and reproductive characteristics of 180 zebrafish specimens from six Brazilian fish farms. A deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in all evaluated stocks. Differentiation among stocks was observed in the amount of genetic variability with respect to observed heterozygosity and the inbreeding coefficient (FIS). Genetic distance between stocks was determined through the Fst index, and the formation of four distinct groups was observed by plotting the dendrogram based on Nei’s genetic distance. Differences were observed among reproductive parameters, such as the average number of eggs per female and hatchability. This second parameter proved to be related to the level of inbreeding of the population, whereas this effect was not observed for spawning frequency. We conclude that zebrafish stocks from the 6 different Brazilian fish farms present significant genetic and phenotypic variability. The genetic structure affects fecundity and should be considered when carrying out work where reproductive rates are evaluated.
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Rabier R, Lesobre L, Robert A. Reproductive performance in houbara bustard is affected by the combined effects of age, inbreeding and number of generations in captivity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7813. [PMID: 33837276 PMCID: PMC8035203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87436-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although captive breeding programs are valuable for conservation, they have been shown to be associated with genetic changes, such as adaptation to captivity or inbreeding. In addition, reproductive performance is strongly age-dependent in most animal species. These mechanisms that potentially impact reproduction have often been studied separately, while their interactions have rarely been addressed. In this study, using a large dataset of nine male and female reproductive parameters measured for 12,295 captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) over 24 years, we investigated the relative and interactive effects of age, inbreeding and number of generations in captivity on reproduction. We clearly identified (1) senescence patterns in all parameters studied; (2) negative effects of inbreeding on sperm characteristics, display behavior, egg weight, egg volume and hatching probability; and (3) changes in phenotypic values for seven parameters according to number of generations in captivity. However, the effect sizes associated with age were substantially greater than those associated with inbreeding and number of generations in captivity. Beyond the independent effects of these three factors on reproductive parameters, the results highlighted their interactive effects and thus the importance of integrating them in the design of genetic management plans for conservation breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Rabier
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultant LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 135, 75005, Paris, France.
- Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation, Missour, Morocco.
| | - Loïc Lesobre
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultant LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation, Missour, Morocco
| | - Alexandre Robert
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 135, 75005, Paris, France
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Langen K, Thünken T, Klemm J, Sandmann S, Bakker TCM. Sperm size is negatively related to relative testis size in West African riverine cichlid fishes. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:30. [PMID: 31147792 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1622-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fishes show a great diversity of mating systems and fertilization mechanisms. This diversity creates an enormous potential for sperm competition. Typically, monogamous species face a low risk of sperm competition and invest less into sperm, and thus show smaller relative testis mass compared to polygamous species with high sperm competition. In cichlids, sperm competition risk is very variable. In lacustrine East African cichlids, large sperm are interpreted as an adaptation to sperm competition, as in those species sperm length correlates with sperm swimming speed. The aim of the present study was to examine variation in sperm and testis traits of substrate breeding cichlids from West African river systems and its relationship to sperm competition. Therefore, sperm traits (total sperm size, flagellum-, midpiece-, and head size) and sperm number were related to the gonadosomatic index (GSI), an indicator of sperm competition, in eight species of two large informal tribes, the chromidotilapiines and the haplotilapiines. We found significant differences between species in all examined sperm traits, sperm number, and GSI with pronounced differences between chromidotilapiines and haplotilapiines. We used a generalized least-squares approach to control for non-independence of data. GSI was positively correlated with sperm number but negatively correlated with total sperm size (also negatively with the flagellum and head size but not significantly with midpiece size). Sperm number and sperm size were negatively correlated suggesting a trade-off between sperm size and quality. Our results suggest that large sperm can evolve in species with relatively low sperm expenditure and probably in absence of high sperm competition between males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Langen
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany. .,Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160/162, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Janine Klemm
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Sandmann
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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Durand S, Loiseau V, Prigot C, Braquart‐Varnier C, Beltran‐Bech S. Producing offspring inArmadillidium vulgare: Effects of genetic diversity and inbreeding. Evol Dev 2018; 20:65-77. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvine Durand
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, SymbioseUniversité de PoitiersUMR CNRS 7267PoitiersFrance
| | - Vincent Loiseau
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, SymbioseUniversité de PoitiersUMR CNRS 7267PoitiersFrance
| | - Cybèle Prigot
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, SymbioseUniversité de PoitiersUMR CNRS 7267PoitiersFrance
| | - Christine Braquart‐Varnier
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, SymbioseUniversité de PoitiersUMR CNRS 7267PoitiersFrance
| | - Sophie Beltran‐Bech
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, SymbioseUniversité de PoitiersUMR CNRS 7267PoitiersFrance
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