1
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Stoehr AM, Glaenzer K, VanWanzeele D, Rumschlag S. Resource-based trade-offs and the adaptive significance of seasonal plasticity in butterfly wing melanism. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11309. [PMID: 38698928 PMCID: PMC11063730 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11309] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to alter its phenotype in response to environmental cues. This can be adaptive if the cues are reliable predictors of impending conditions and the alterations enhance the organism's ability to capitalize on those conditions. However, since traits do not exist in isolation but as part of larger interdependent systems of traits (phenotypic integration), trade-offs between correlated plastic traits can make phenotypic plasticity non- or maladaptive. We examine this problem in the seasonally plastic wing melanism of a pierid (Order Lepidoptera, Family Pieridae) butterfly, Pieris rapae L. Several wing pattern traits are more melanized in colder than in warmer seasons, resulting in effective thermoregulation through solar absorption. However, other wing pattern traits, the spots, are less melanized during colder seasons than in warmer seasons. Although spot plasticity may be adaptive, reduced melanism of these spots could also be explained by resource-based trade-offs. Theory predicts that traits involved in resource-based trade-offs will be positively correlated when variation among individuals in resource acquisition is greater than variation among individuals in resource allocation strategies, and negatively correlated when variation in allocation is greater than variation in acquisition. Using data from both field studies and laboratory studies that manipulate dietary tyrosine, a melanin precursor, we show that when allocation to thermoregulatory melanism (ventral hindwing, and basal dorsal fore- and hindwing "shading") varies substantially this trait is negatively correlated with spot melanism. However, when there is less variation in allocation to thermoregulatory melanism we find these traits to be positively correlated; these findings are consistent with the resource-based trade-off hypothesis, which may provide a non- or maladaptive hypothesis to explain spot plasticity. We also show that increased dietary tyrosine results in increased spot melanism under some conditions, supporting the more general idea that melanism may involve resource-based costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Stoehr
- Department of Biological SciencesButler UniversityIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - Katelyn Glaenzer
- Department of Biological SciencesButler UniversityIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - Devin VanWanzeele
- Department of Biological SciencesButler UniversityIndianapolisIndianaUSA
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2
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Crino OL, Head ML, Jennions MD, Noble DWA. Mitochondrial function and sexual selection: can physiology resolve the 'lek paradox'? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb245569. [PMID: 38206324 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245569] [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: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Across many taxa, males use elaborate ornaments or complex displays to attract potential mates. Such sexually selected traits are thought to signal important aspects of male 'quality'. Female mating preferences based on sexual traits are thought to have evolved because choosy females gain direct benefits that enhance their lifetime reproductive success (e.g. greater access to food) and/or indirect benefits because high-quality males contribute genes that increase offspring fitness. However, it is difficult to explain the persistence of female preferences when males only provide genetic benefits, because female preferences should erode the heritable genetic variation in fitness that sexually selected traits signal. This 'paradox of the lek' has puzzled evolutionary biologists for decades, and inspired many hypotheses to explain how heritable variation in sexually selected traits is maintained. Here, we discuss how factors that affect mitochondrial function can maintain variation in sexually selected traits despite strong female preferences. We discuss how mitochondrial function can influence the expression of sexually selected traits, and we describe empirical studies that link the expression of sexually selected traits to mitochondrial function. We explain how mothers can affect mitochondrial function in their offspring by (a) influencing their developmental environment through maternal effects and (b) choosing a mate to increase the compatibility of mitochondrial and nuclear genes (i.e. the 'mitonuclear compatibility model of sexual selection'). Finally, we discuss how incorporating mitochondrial function into models of sexual selection might help to resolve the paradox of the lek, and we suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondi L Crino
- School of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre, 10 Marais Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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3
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Hill GE, Weaver RJ, Powers MJ. Carotenoid ornaments and the spandrels of physiology: a critique of theory to explain condition dependency. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2320-2332. [PMID: 37563787 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13008] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Even as numerous studies have documented that the red and yellow coloration resulting from the deposition of carotenoids serves as an honest signal of condition, the evolution of condition dependency is contentious. The resource trade-off hypothesis proposes that condition-dependent honest signalling relies on a trade-off of resources between ornamental display and body maintenance. By this model, condition dependency can evolve through selection for a re-allocation of resources to promote ornament expression. By contrast, the index hypothesis proposes that selection focuses mate choice on carotenoid coloration that is inherently condition dependent because production of such coloration is inexorably tied to vital cellular processes. These hypotheses for the origins of condition dependency make strongly contrasting and testable predictions about ornamental traits. To assess these two models, we review the mechanisms of production of carotenoids, patterns of condition dependency involving different classes of carotenoids, and patterns of behavioural responses to carotenoid coloration. We review evidence that traits can be condition dependent without the influence of sexual selection and that novel traits can show condition-dependent expression as soon as they appear in a population, without the possibility of sexual selection. We conclude by highlighting new opportunities for studying condition-dependent signalling made possible by genetic manipulation and expression of ornamental traits in synthetic biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, 120 W. Samford Avenue, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborne Drive, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Integrative Biology, 4575 SW Research Way, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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4
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Stella D, Kleisner K. Visible beyond Violet: How Butterflies Manage Ultraviolet. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030242. [PMID: 35323542 PMCID: PMC8955501 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) means ‘beyond violet’ (from Latin ‘ultra’, meaning ‘beyond’), whereby violet is the colour with the highest frequencies in the ‘visible’ light spectrum. By ‘visible’ we mean human vision, but, in comparison to many other organisms, human visual perception is rather limited in terms of the wavelengths it can perceive. Still, this is why communication in the UV spectrum is often called hidden, although it most likely plays an important role in communicating various kinds of information among a wide variety of organisms. Since Silberglied’s revolutionary Communication in the Ultraviolet, comprehensive studies on UV signals in a wide list of genera are lacking. This review investigates the significance of UV reflectance (and UV absorption)—a feature often neglected in intra- and interspecific communication studies—mainly in Lepidoptera. Although the text focuses on various butterfly families, links and connections to other animal groups, such as birds, are also discussed in the context of ecology and the evolution of species. The basic mechanisms of UV colouration and factors shaping the characteristics of UV patterns are also discussed in a broad context of lepidopteran communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Stella
- Global Change Research Institute, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
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5
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Chiale MC, Rendón MA, Labaude S, Deville A, Garrido‐Fernández J, Pérez‐Gálvez A, Garrido A, Rendón‐Martos M, Béchet A, Amat JA. The color of greater flamingo feathers fades when no cosmetics are applied. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13773-13779. [PMID: 34707816 PMCID: PMC8525176 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Greater flamingos use cosmetic coloration by spreading uropygial secretions pigmented with carotenoids over their feathers, which makes the plumage redder. Because flamingos inhabit open environments that receive direct solar radiation during daytime, and carotenoids bleach when exposed to solar radiation, we expected that the plumage color would fade if there is no maintenance for cosmetic purposes. Here, we show that the concentrations of pigments inside feathers and on the surface of feathers were correlated, as well as that there was a correlation between the concentrations of pigments in the uropygial secretions and on the surface of feathers. There was fading in color (becoming less red) in feathers that received direct solar radiation when there was no plumage maintenance, but not so in others maintained in darkness. When we controlled for the initial color of feathers, the feathers of those individuals with higher concentration of pigments on the feather surfaces were those that lost less coloration after experimental exposure of feathers to sunny conditions. These results indicate that exposure to sunlight is correlated with the fading of feather color, which suggests that individuals need to regularly apply makeup to be more colorful. These results also reinforce the view that these birds use cosmetic coloration as a signal amplifier of plumage color. This may be important in species using highly variable habitats, such as wetlands, since the conditions experienced when molting may differ from those when the signal should be functional, usually months after molting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cecilia Chiale
- Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología DescriptivaExperimental y ComparadaFacultad de Ciencias VeterinariasUniversidad Nacional de La PlataLa PlataArgentina
- CONICETLa PlataArgentina
| | - Miguel A. Rendón
- Departamento de Ecología de HumedalesEstación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C.SevillaSpain
| | - Sophie Labaude
- Tour du ValatInstitut de Recherche pour la Conservation des Zones Humides MéditerranéennesLe SambucArlesFrance
| | - Anne‐Sophie Deville
- Tour du ValatInstitut de Recherche pour la Conservation des Zones Humides MéditerranéennesLe SambucArlesFrance
| | | | - Antonio Pérez‐Gálvez
- Departamento de Fitoquímica de AlimentosInstituto de la Grasa, C.S.I.C.SevillaSpain
| | - Araceli Garrido
- Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de AndalucíaConsejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo SostenibleMálagaSpain
| | - Manuel Rendón‐Martos
- Reserva Natural Laguna de Fuente de PiedraConsejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo SostenibleFuente de PiedraSpain
| | - Arnaud Béchet
- Tour du ValatInstitut de Recherche pour la Conservation des Zones Humides MéditerranéennesLe SambucArlesFrance
| | - Juan A. Amat
- Departamento de Ecología de HumedalesEstación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C.SevillaSpain
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6
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csörgő T. Melanin-based ornament darkness positively correlates with across-season nutritional condition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13087-13094. [PMID: 33304519 PMCID: PMC7713921 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6898] [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: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic ornamental traits are widely regarded as indicators of nutritional condition. However, variation of nutritional condition outside the reproductive and the ornament production seasons has rarely been considered, although it affects the generality of information content, especially for ornaments that may be used across the year. We measured several indicators of migratory and molt condition in male and female blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) during their autumn migration, and quantified their crown reflectance. We detected robust correlations between migratory and molt condition indices, and the correlation structure was similar in the two sexes. Furthermore, the across-season measure of body condition was positively related to the darkness of the black crown in males, while being unrelated to reflectance traits of the reddish crown in females. Our results reinforce the possibility that some melanin-based ornaments may be year-round indicators of individual quality via their dependence on nutritional condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Tibor Csörgő
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental BiologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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7
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Breuner CW, Berk SA. Using the van Noordwijk and de Jong Resource Framework to Evaluate Glucocorticoid-Fitness Hypotheses. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:243-250. [PMID: 31268138 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ten years ago, two reviews clarified the need to tie glucocorticoid (GC) levels directly to survival and reproductive measures. Three primary hypotheses emerged from that work: the CORT-Fitness hypothesis, the CORT-Adaptation hypothesis, and the CORT-Tradeoff hypothesis. The two reviews have since been cited nearly 900 times, but no clear consensus has emerged supporting one hypothesis over another. We propose that resource availability may be a major confound across studies. Life-history investment is determined by both allocation and acquisition, but current literature testing among the three GC-fitness hypotheses rarely incorporate metrics of resource availability. In 1986, van Noordwijk and de Jong (vN and dJ) proposed the acquisition/allocation Y-model to explain positive versus negative correlations between reproduction and survival across individuals. Their model elevated resources as critical to evaluating individual allocation strategies (favoring reproduction vs. survival), and therefore provides the ideal framework for testing across the three CORT hypotheses. Here, we review the three hypotheses in light of the last 10 years of data, introduce the vN and dJ framework as a model for fitness/GC hypothesis testing, and discuss best practices for using this framework. We believe incorporation of resource availability will reduce unexplained variability in GC-fitness tests, clarify support among the three hypotheses, and allow for greater power in testing across other context dependencies (e.g., life-history strategy) that likely regulate differential allocation to reproduction versus survival as GCs increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Creagh W Breuner
- Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Sara A Berk
- Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
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8
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Macartney EL, Crean AJ, Nakagawa S, Bonduriansky R. Effects of nutrient limitation on sperm and seminal fluid: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1722-1739. [PMID: 31215758 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Theory predicts that costly sexual traits should be reduced when individuals are in poor condition (i.e. traits should exhibit condition-dependent expression). It is therefore widely expected that male ejaculate traits, such as sperm and seminal fluid, will exhibit reduced quantity and quality when dietary nutrients are limited. However, reported patterns of ejaculate condition dependence are highly variable, and there has been no comprehensive synthesis of underlying sources of such variation in condition-dependent responses. In particular, it remains unclear whether all ejaculate traits are equally sensitive to nutrient intake, and whether such traits are particularly sensitive to certain dietary nutrients, respond more strongly to nutrients during specific life stages, or respond more strongly in some taxonomic groups. We systematically reviewed these potential sources of variation through a meta-analysis across 50 species of arthropods and vertebrates (from 71 papers and 348 effect sizes). We found that overall, ejaculate traits are moderately reduced when dietary nutrients are limited, but we also detected substantial variation in responses. Seminal fluid quantity was strongly and consistently condition dependent, while sperm quantity was moderately condition dependent. By contrast, aspects of sperm quality (particularly sperm viability and morphology) were less consistently reduced under nutrient limitation. Ejaculate traits tended to respond in a condition-dependent manner to a wide range of dietary manipulations, especially to caloric and protein restriction. Finally, while all major taxa for which sufficient data exist (i.e. arthropods, mammals, fish) showed condition dependence of ejaculate traits, we detected some taxonomic differences in the life stage that is most sensitive to nutrient limitation, and in the degree of condition dependence of specific ejaculate traits. Together, these biologically relevant factors accounted for nearly 20% of the total variance in ejaculate responses to nutrient limitation. Interestingly, body size showed considerably stronger condition-dependent responses compared to ejaculate traits, suggesting that ejaculate trait expression may be strongly canalised to protect important reproductive functions, or that the cost of producing an ejaculate is relatively low. Taken together, our findings show that condition-dependence of ejaculate traits is taxonomically widespread, but there are also many interesting, biologically relevant sources of variation that require further investigation. In particular, further research is needed to understand the differences in selective pressures that result in differential patterns of ejaculate condition dependence across taxa and ejaculate traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Macartney
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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9
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Hegyi G, Jenni-Eiermann S, Boross N, Garamszegi LZ, Laczi M, Kötél D, Krenhardt K, Jablonszky M, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szász E, Török J. Ornaments and condition: plumage patch sizes, nutritional reserve state, reserve accumulation, and reserve depletion. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2701-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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Fox RJ, Fromhage L, Jennions MD. Sexual selection, phenotypic plasticity and female reproductive output. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180184. [PMID: 30966965 PMCID: PMC6365872 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In a rapidly changing environment, does sexual selection on males elevate a population's reproductive output? If so, does phenotypic plasticity enhance or diminish any such effect? We outline two routes by which sexual selection can influence the reproductive output of a population: a genetic correlation between male sexual competitiveness and female lifetime reproductive success; and direct effects of males on females' breeding success. We then discuss how phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits and/or female responses (e.g. plasticity in mate choice), as the environment changes, might influence how sexual selection affects a population's reproductive output. Two key points emerge. First, condition-dependent expression of male sexual traits makes it likely that sexual selection increases female fitness if reproductively successful males disproportionately transfer genes that are under natural selection in both sexes, such as genes for foraging efficiency. Condition-dependence is a form of phenotypic plasticity if some of the variation in net resource acquisition and assimilation is attributable to the environment rather than solely genetic in origin. Second, the optimal allocation of resources into different condition-dependent traits depends on their marginal fitness gains. As male condition improves, this can therefore increase or, though rarely highlighted, actually decrease the expression of sexually selected traits. It is therefore crucial to understand how condition determines male allocation of resources to different sexually selected traits that vary in their immediate effects on female reproductive output (e.g. ornaments versus coercive behaviour). In addition, changes in the distribution of condition among males as the environment shifts could reduce phenotypic variance in certain male traits, thereby reducing the strength of sexual selection imposed by females. Studies of adaptive evolution under rapid environmental change should consider the possibility that phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits, even if it elevates male fitness, could have a negative effect on female reproductive output, thereby increasing the risk of population extinction. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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11
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Giery ST, Layman CA. Ecological Consequences Of Sexually Selected Traits: An Eco-Evolutionary Perspective. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/702341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Sarpong K, Madliger CL, Harris CM, Love OP, Doucet SM, Bitton PP. Baseline corticosterone does not reflect iridescent plumage traits in female tree swallows. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 270:123-130. [PMID: 30392885 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The production of high quality secondary sexual traits can be constrained by trade-offs in the allocation of energy and nutrients with other metabolic activities, and is mediated by physiological processes. In birds, the factors influencing male plumage quality have been well studied; however, factors affecting female plumage quality are poorly understood. Furthermore, it remains uncertain which physiological traits mediate the relationship between body condition and ornaments. In this three-year study of after-second-year female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we investigated (1) the relationship between baseline corticosterone near the end of the brood-rearing period (CORTBR) and feather colour characteristics (hue, saturation, brightness) the following year, and (2) the relationship between baseline corticosterone measured during incubation (CORTI) and brood rearing (CORTBR), and feather colour in the same year. To control for reproductive effort, we included reproductive parameters as covariates in all analyses. In this first study between CORT and the plumage colour characteristics of a species bearing iridescent feathers, we did not find any relationship between CORTBR and the colour of subsequently-produced feathers, nor did we find any relationship between CORT and the colour of feathers displayed during that breeding season. If CORT levels at the end of breeding carry over to influence the immediately subsequent moult period as we expect, our results generally indicate that structural plumage quality may not be as sensitive to circulating CORT levels compared to carotenoid-based colouration. Future studies, particularly those employing experimental manipulations of CORT during moult in species with iridescent traits, are necessary to fully determine the role glucocorticoids play in mediating the quality of secondary sexual characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keneth Sarpong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Christopher M Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Stéphanie M Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Pierre-Paul Bitton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
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13
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Sandre SL, Kaart T, Morehouse N, Tammaru T. Weak and inconsistent associations between melanic darkness and fitness-related traits in an insect. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1959-1968. [PMID: 30311708 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The idea that the fitness value of body coloration may be affected by biochemically mediated trade-offs has received much research attention. For example, melanization is believed to interact with other fitness-related traits via competition for substrates, costs associated with the synthesis of melanin or pleiotropic effects of the involved genes. However, genetic correlations between coloration and fitness-related traits remain poorly understood. Here, we present a quantitative-genetic study of a coloration trait correlated to melanin-based cuticular darkness ('darkness', hereafter) in a geometrid moth, Ematurga atomaria. This species has considerable variation in larval appearance. We focus on correlations between larval darkness and fitness-related growth performance traits. Both a half-sib analysis and an 'animal model' approach revealed moderately high heritabilities of larval darkness and indices of growth performance. Heritability estimates of darkness derived from the animal model were, however, considerably higher than those based on the half-sib model suggesting that the determination of coloration includes genetic interactions and epigenetic effects. Importantly, on the host plant with the largest sample size, we found no evidence for either genetic or environmental correlations between darkness and growth parameters. On an alternative host plant, there was some indication of positive genetic and negative environmental correlation between these traits. This shows that respective relationships are environment-specific. Nevertheless, the overall pattern of weak and inconsistent correlations between larval coloration and growth parameters does not support universal trade-offs between these traits and suggests that physiological costs of producing colour patterns do not necessarily interfere with adaptive evolution of coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siiri-Lii Sandre
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tanel Kaart
- Department of Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Nathan Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Toomas Tammaru
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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14
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Harris RL, Boulet M, Grogan KE, Drea CM. Costs of injury for scent signalling in a strepsirrhine primate. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9882. [PMID: 29959333 PMCID: PMC6026195 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27322-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Honesty is crucial in animal communication when signallers are conveying information about their condition. Condition dependence implies a cost to signal production; yet, evidence of such cost is scarce. We examined the effects of naturally occurring injury on the quality and salience of olfactory signals in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Over a decade, we collected genital secretions from 23 (13 male, 10 female) adults across 34 unique injuries, owing primarily to intra-group fights. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we tested for differences in the chemical composition of secretions across pre-injury, injury and recovery, in animals that did and did not receive antibiotics. Lemur genital secretions were significantly dampened and altered during injury, with patterns of change varying by sex, season and antibiotics. Using behavioural bioassays (excluding odorants from antibiotic-treated animals), we showed that male 'recipients' discriminated injury status based on scent alone, directing more competitive counter marking towards odorants from injured vs. uninjured male 'signallers.' That injured animals could not maintain their normal signatures provides rare evidence of the energetic cost to signal production. That conspecifics detected olfactory-encoded 'weakness' suggests added behavioural costs: By influencing the likelihood of intra- or inter-sexual conflict, condition-dependent signals could have important implications for socio-reproductive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Harris
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Marylène Boulet
- Department of Biology, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Grogan
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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15
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Moore MP, Martin RA. Trade-offs between larval survival and adult ornament development depend on predator regime in a territorial dragonfly. Oecologia 2018; 188:97-106. [PMID: 29808358 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4171-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Trade-offs between juvenile survival and the development of sexually selected traits can cause ontogenetic conflict between life stages that constrains adaptive evolution. However, the potential for ecological interactions to alter the presence or strength of these trade-offs remains largely unexplored. Antagonistic selection over the accumulation and storage of resources could be one common cause of environment-specific trade-offs between life stages: higher condition may simultaneously enhance adult ornament development and increase juvenile vulnerability to predators. We tested this hypothesis in an ornamented dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis). Higher larval body condition indeed enhanced the initial development of its intrasexually selected wing coloration, but was opposed by viability selection in the presence of large aeshnid predators. In contrast, viability selection did not oppose larval body condition in pools when aeshnids were absent, and was not affected when we manipulated cannibalism risk. Trade-offs between larval survival and ornament development, mediated through the conflicting effects of body condition, therefore occurred only under high predation risk. We additionally characterized how body condition influences several traits associated with predator avoidance. Although body condition did not affect burst distance, it did increase larval abdomen size, potentially making larvae easier targets for aeshnid predators. As high body condition similarly increases vulnerability to predators in many other animals, predator-mediated costs of juvenile resource accumulation could be a common, environment-specific limitation on the elaboration of sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Ryan A Martin
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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16
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Weaver RJ, Koch RE, Hill GE. What maintains signal honesty in animal colour displays used in mate choice? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0343. [PMID: 28533460 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the colour displays of animals are proposed to have evolved in response to female mate choice for honest signals of quality, but such honest signalling requires mechanisms to prevent cheating. The most widely accepted and cited mechanisms for ensuring signal honesty are based on the costly signalling hypothesis, which posits that costs associated with ornamentation prevent low-quality males from being highly ornamented. Alternatively, by the index hypothesis, honesty can be achieved via cost-free mechanisms if ornament production is causally linked to core physiological pathways. In this essay, we review how a costly signalling framework has shaped empirical research in mate choice for colourful male ornaments and emphasize that alternative interpretations are plausible under an index signalling framework. We discuss the challenges in both empirically testing and distinguishing between the two hypotheses, noting that they need not be mutually exclusive. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive approach to studies of colour signals that includes the explicit consideration of cost-free mechanisms for honesty.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rebecca E Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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17
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Geary DC. Evolution of Human Sex-Specific Cognitive Vulnerabilities. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1086/694934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Luoto S, Rantala MJ. Specificity of Women's Sexual Response: Proximate Mechanisms and Ultimate Causes. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1195-1198. [PMID: 28224312 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-0961-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, ARTS 1 - Bldg 206, Level 6, Room 616, 14A Symonds St, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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19
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Houslay TM, Houslay KF, Rapkin J, Hunt J, Bussière LF. Mating opportunities and energetic constraints drive variation in age‐dependent sexual signalling. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Houslay
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK
- Centre of Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn, CornwallTR10 9FE UK
| | - Kirsty F. Houslay
- Department of Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity MedImmune Ltd. Abington CB21 6GH UK
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre of Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn, CornwallTR10 9FE UK
| | - John Hunt
- Centre of Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn, CornwallTR10 9FE UK
- School of Science and Health Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797 Penrith New South Wales2751 Australia
| | - Luc F. Bussière
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK
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20
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Moore MP, Martin RA. Intrasexual selection favours an immune-correlated colour ornament in a dragonfly. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:2256-2265. [PMID: 27467980 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Sexual signalling is predicted to shape the evolution of sex-specific ornamentation, and establishing the costs and benefits of ornamentation and the information that ornamentation provides to receivers is necessary to evaluating this adaptive function. Here, we assessed the adaptive function of a common colour ornament in insects, melanin wing ornamentation, using the dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis. We hypothesized that greater ornamentation would improve territory-holding success by decreasing aggression that males receive from territorial rivals, but that more ornamented males may have shorter lifespans. Using mark-recapture field observations, we found that more ornamented males had greater territory-holding success and that viability selection did not act on wing melanization. We then compared the aggression of territorial rivals to decoy males before and after experimentally augmenting wing melanization, finding that males significantly reduced aggression following the manipulation. We next hypothesized that wing melanization would signal fighting ability to territorial rivals by reflecting condition via investment in the costly melanin synthesis pathway. We observed a positive relationship between ornamentation and the likelihood of winning territorial disputes, suggesting that wing melanization provides information about fighting ability to rivals. We also found a positive relationship between melanin-based immune defence and ornamentation, supporting a link between the signal and condition. We conclude that wing melanization is a condition-related signal of fighting ability and suggest that this may be a common mechanism promoting the evolution of melanin ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Moore
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - R A Martin
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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21
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Koch RE, Josefson CC, Hill GE. Mitochondrial function, ornamentation, and immunocompetence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1459-1474. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E. Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
| | - Chloe C. Josefson
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
| | - Geoffrey E. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
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22
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Glazier DS, Clusella-Trullas S, Terblanche JS. Sexual dimorphism and physiological correlates of horn length in a South African isopod crustacean. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. S. Glazier
- Department of Biology; Juniata College; Huntingdon PA USA
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology; Centre for Invasion Biology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - S. Clusella-Trullas
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Centre for Invasion Biology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - J. S. Terblanche
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology; Centre for Invasion Biology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
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23
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Janicke T, Chapuis E. Condition dependence of male and female reproductive success: insights from a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:830-41. [PMID: 26865970 PMCID: PMC4739575 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually selected traits are predicted to show condition dependence by capturing the genetic quality of its bearer. In separate‐sexed organisms, this will ultimately translate into condition dependence of reproductive success of the sex that experiences sexual selection, which is typically the male. Such condition dependence of reproductive success is predicted to be higher in males than females under conditions promoting intense sexual selection. For simultaneous hermaphrodites, however, sex allocation theory predicts that individuals in poor condition channel relatively more resources into the male sex function at the expense of the female function. Thus, male reproductive success is expected to be less condition dependent than female reproductive success. We subjected individuals of the simultaneously hermaphroditic snail Physa acuta to two feeding treatments to test for condition dependence of male and female reproductive success under varying levels of male–male competition. Condition dependence was found for female, but not for male, reproductive success, meaning that selection on condition is relatively stronger through the female sex function. This effect was consistent over both male–male competition treatments. Decomposition of male and female reproductive performance revealed that individuals in poor condition copulated more in their male role, indicating an increased male allocation to mate acquisition. These findings suggest that sex‐specific condition dependence of reproductive success is at least partially driven by condition‐dependent sex allocation. We discuss the implications of condition‐dependent sex allocation for the evolution of sexually selected traits in simultaneous hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Janicke
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS Université de Montpellier Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes Montpellier Cedex 05 France
| | - Elodie Chapuis
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS Université de Montpellier Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes Montpellier Cedex 05 France; Institut de recherche pour le développement UMR IPME (IRD, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD) 911 avenue Agropolis BP 6450134394 Montpellier Cedex 5 France; UMR "Peuplements Végétaux et Bio-agresseurs en Milieu Tropical "CIRAD-3P7 Chemin de l'IRAT Ligne Paradis 97410 Saint Pierre La Réunion France
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Snell-Rood E, Cothran R, Espeset A, Jeyasingh P, Hobbie S, Morehouse NI. Life-history evolution in the anthropocene: effects of increasing nutrients on traits and trade-offs. Evol Appl 2015; 8:635-49. [PMID: 26240602 PMCID: PMC4516417 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in life-history traits can have major impacts on the ecological and evolutionary responses of populations to environmental change. Life-history variation often results from trade-offs that arise because individuals have a limited pool of resources to allocate among traits. However, human activities are increasing the availability of many once-limited resources, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, with potentially major implications for the expression and evolution of life-history trade-offs. In this review, we synthesize contemporary life history and sexual selection literature with current research on ecosystem nutrient cycling to highlight novel opportunities presented by anthropogenic environmental change for investigating life-history trait development and evolution. Specifically, we review four areas where nutrition plays a pivotal role in life-history evolution and explore possible implications in the face of rapid, human-induced change in nutrient availability. For example, increases in the availability of nutrients may relax historical life-history trade-offs and reduce the honesty of signaling systems. We argue that ecosystems experiencing anthropogenic nutrient inputs present a powerful yet underexplored arena for testing novel and longstanding questions in organismal life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, MN, USA
| | - Rickey Cothran
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityWeatherford, OK, USA
| | - Anne Espeset
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, MN, USA
- Department of Biology, University of NevadaReno, NV, USA
| | | | - Sarah Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, MN, USA
| | - Nathan I Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, USA
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