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Ranke PS, Pepke ML, Søraker JS, David G, Araya‐Ajoy YG, Wright J, Nafstad ÅM, Rønning B, Pärn H, Ringsby TH, Jensen H, Sæther B. Long-distance dispersal in the short-distance dispersing house sparrow ( Passer domesticus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11356. [PMID: 38694748 PMCID: PMC11056847 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11356] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small passerine known to be highly sedentary. Throughout a 30-year capture-mark-recapture study, we have obtained occasional reports of recoveries far outside our main metapopulation study system, documenting unusually long dispersal distances. Our records constitute the highest occurrence of long-distance dispersal events recorded for this species in Scandinavia. Such long-distance dispersals radically change the predicted distribution of dispersal distances and connectedness for our study metapopulation. Moreover, it reveals a much greater potential for colonization than formerly recorded for the house sparrow, which is an invasive species across four continents. These rare and occasional long-distance dispersal events are challenging to document but may have important implications for the genetic composition of small and isolated populations and for our understanding of dispersal ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S. Ranke
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- BirdLife NorwayTrondheimNorway
| | - Michael L. Pepke
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jørgen S. Søraker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Gabriel David
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and GeneticsUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Yimen G. Araya‐Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Ådne M. Nafstad
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bernt Rønning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Teacher EducationNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Henrik Pärn
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua)Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesLysekilSweden
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- The Gjærevoll Centre, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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2
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Ray D, Sheldon EL, Zimmer C, Martin LB, Schrey AW. Screening H3 Histone Acetylation in a Wild Bird, the House Sparrow ( Passer Domesticus). Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae004. [PMID: 38516554 PMCID: PMC10956398 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are increasingly understood to have major impacts across ecology. However, one molecular epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation, currently dominates the literature. A second mechanism, histone modification, is likely important to ecologically relevant phenotypes and thus warrants investigation, especially because molecular interplay between methylation and histone acetylation can strongly affect gene expression. There are a limited number of histone acetylation studies on non-model organisms, yet those that exist show that it can impact gene expression and phenotypic plasticity. Wild birds provide an excellent system to investigate histone acetylation, as free-living individuals must rapidly adjust to environmental change. Here, we screen histone acetylation in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus); we studied this species because DNA methylation was important in the spread of this bird globally. This species has one of the broadest geographic distributions in the world, and part of this success is related to the way that it uses methylation to regulate its gene expression. Here, we verify that a commercially available assay that was developed for mammals can be used in house sparrows. We detected high variance in histone acetylation among individuals in both liver and spleen tissue. Further, house sparrows with higher epigenetic potential in the Toll Like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) promoter (i.e., CpG content) had higher histone acetylation in liver. Also, there was a negative correlation between histone acetylation in spleen and TLR-4 expression. In addition to validating a method for measuring histone acetylation in wild songbirds, this study also shows that histone acetylation is related to epigenetic potential and gene expression, adding a new study option for ecological epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ray
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA 31419, United States
| | - E L Sheldon
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - C Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - L B Martin
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - A W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA 31419, United States
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3
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Hanson HE, Wang C, Schrey AW, Liebl AL, Ravinet M, Jiang RH, Martin LB. Epigenetic Potential and DNA Methylation in an Ongoing House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Range Expansion. Am Nat 2022; 200:662-674. [DOI: 10.1086/720950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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4
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Stephan P, Bramon Mora B, Alexander JM. Positive species interactions shape species' range limits. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Stephan
- Dept of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Jake M. Alexander
- Dept of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
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5
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Hanson HE, Mathews NS, Hauber ME, Martin LB. The house sparrow in the service of basic and applied biology. eLife 2020; 9:e52803. [PMID: 32343224 PMCID: PMC7189751 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
From the northernmost tip of Scandinavia to the southernmost corner of Patagonia, and across six continents, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) inhabit most human-modified habitats of the globe. With over 7,000 articles published, the species has become a workhorse for not only the study of self-urbanized wildlife, but also for understanding life history and body size evolution, sexual selection and many other biological phenomena. Traditionally, house sparrows were studied for their adaptations to local biotic and climatic conditions, but more recently, the species has come to serve as a focus for studies seeking to reveal the genomic, epigenetic and physiological underpinnings of success among invasive vertebrate species. Here, we review the natural history of house sparrows, highlight what the study of these birds has meant to bioscience generally, and describe the many resources available for future work on this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley E Hanson
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South FloridaTampaUnited States
| | - Noreen S Mathews
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South FloridaTampaUnited States
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South FloridaTampaUnited States
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6
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Hanson HE, Koussayer B, Kilvitis HJ, Schrey AW, Maddox JD, Martin LB. Epigenetic Potential in Native and Introduced Populations of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:1458-1468. [PMID: 32497186 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic potential, defined as the capacity for epigenetically-mediated phenotypic plasticity, may play an important role during range expansions. During range expansions, populations may encounter relatively novel challenges while experiencing lower genetic diversity. Phenotypic plasticity via epigenetic potential might be selectively advantageous at the time of initial introduction or during spread into new areas, enabling introduced organisms to cope rapidly with novel challenges. Here, we asked whether one form of epigenetic potential (i.e., the abundance of CpG sites) in three microbial surveillance genes: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 1B (TLR1B), 2A (TLR2A), and 4 (TLR4) varied between native and introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Using an opportunistic approach based on samples collected from sparrow populations around the world, we found that introduced birds had more CpG sites in TLR2A and TLR4, but not TLR1B, than native ones. Introduced birds also lost more CpG sites in TLR1B, gained more CpG sites in TLR2A, and lost fewer CpG sites in TLR4 compared to native birds. These results were not driven by differences in genetic diversity or population genetic structure, and many CpG sites fell within predicted transcription factor binding sites (TFBS), with losses and gains of CpG sites altering predicted TFBS. Although we lacked statistical power to conduct the most rigorous possible analyses, these results suggest that epigenetic potential may play a role in house sparrow range expansions, but additional work will be critical to elucidating how epigenetic potential affects gene expression and hence phenotypic plasticity at the individual, population, and species levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley E Hanson
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Suite 304, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Bilal Koussayer
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Suite 304, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Holly J Kilvitis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, SCA110, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Aaron W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St, SC1010, Savannah, GA 31419, USA
| | - J Dylan Maddox
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA.,Laboratorio de Biotecnología y Bioenergética, Universidad Científica del Perú, Iquitos, Perú.,American Public University System, Environmental Sciences, Charles Town, WV 25414, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Suite 304, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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7
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Päckert M, Ait Belkacem A, Wolfgramm H, Gast O, Canal D, Giacalone G, Lo Valvo M, Vamberger M, Wink M, Martens J, Stuckas H. Genetic admixture despite ecological segregation in a North African sparrow hybrid zone (Aves, Passeriformes, Passer domesticus × Passer hispaniolensis). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12710-12726. [PMID: 31788209 PMCID: PMC6875665 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Under different environmental conditions, hybridization between the same species might result in different patterns of genetic admixture. Particularly, species pairs with large distribution ranges and long evolutionary history may have experienced several independent hybridization events over time in different zones of overlap. In birds, the diverse hybrid populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) provide a striking example. Throughout their range of sympatry, these two species do not regularly interbreed; however, a stabilized hybrid form (Passer italiae) exists on the Italian Peninsula and on several Mediterranean islands. The spatial distribution pattern on the Eurasian continent strongly contrasts the situation in North Africa, where house sparrows and Spanish sparrows occur in close vicinity of phenotypically intermediate populations across a broad mosaic hybrid zone. In this study, we investigate patterns of divergence and admixture among the two parental species, stabilized and nonstabilized hybrid populations in Italy and Algeria based on a mitochondrial marker, a sex chromosomal marker, and 12 microsatellite loci. In Algeria, despite strong spatial and temporal separation of urban early-breeding house sparrows and hybrids and rural late-breeding Spanish sparrows, we found strong genetic admixture of mitochondrial and nuclear markers across all study populations and phenotypes. That pattern of admixture in the North African hybrid zone is strikingly different from i) the Iberian area of sympatry where we observed only weak asymmetrical introgression of Spanish sparrow nuclear alleles into local house sparrow populations and ii) the very homogenous Italian sparrow population where the mitogenome of one parent (P. domesticus) and the Z-chromosomal marker of the other parent (P. hispaniolensis) are fixed. The North African sparrow hybrids provide a further example of enhanced hybridization along with recent urbanization and anthropogenic land-use changes in a mosaic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Päckert
- Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Senckenberg|Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System ResearchDresdenGermany
| | - Abdelkrim Ait Belkacem
- Laboratoire d'Exploration et de Valorisation des Écosystèmes SteppiquesFaculté des Sciences de la nature et de la vieUniversité de DjelfaDjelfaAlgeria
| | - Hannes Wolfgramm
- Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Senckenberg|Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System ResearchDresdenGermany
| | - Oliver Gast
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Brno & Masaryk University BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - David Canal
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyEstación Biológica de Doñana—CSICSevilleSpain
- Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina (CECARA‐UNLPam) & Instituto de las Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP)Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)Santa RosaArgentina
| | | | - Mario Lo Valvo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e FarmaceuticheUniversità degli Studi di PalermoPalermoItaly
| | - Melita Vamberger
- Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Senckenberg|Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System ResearchDresdenGermany
| | - Michael Wink
- Department of BiologyInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Jochen Martens
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Heiko Stuckas
- Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Senckenberg|Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System ResearchDresdenGermany
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8
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Gallaher JA, Brown JS, Anderson ARA. The impact of proliferation-migration tradeoffs on phenotypic evolution in cancer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2425. [PMID: 30787363 PMCID: PMC6382810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors are not static masses of cells but dynamic ecosystems where cancer cells experience constant turnover and evolve fitness-enhancing phenotypes. Selection for different phenotypes may vary with (1) the tumor niche (edge or core), (2) cell turnover rates, (3) the nature of the tradeoff between traits, and (4) whether deaths occur in response to demographic or environmental stochasticity. Using a spatially-explicit agent-based model, we observe how two traits (proliferation rate and migration speed) evolve under different tradeoff conditions with different turnover rates. Migration rate is favored over proliferation at the tumor's edge and vice-versa for the interior. Increasing cell turnover rates slightly slows tumor growth but accelerates the rate of evolution for both proliferation and migration. The absence of a tradeoff favors ever higher values for proliferation and migration, while a convex tradeoff tends to favor proliferation, often promoting the coexistence of a generalist and specialist phenotype. A concave tradeoff favors migration at low death rates, but switches to proliferation at higher death rates. Mortality via demographic stochasticity favors proliferation, and environmental stochasticity favors migration. While all of these diverse factors contribute to the ecology, heterogeneity, and evolution of a tumor, their effects may be predictable and empirically accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill A Gallaher
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Alexander R A Anderson
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
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9
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Kilvitis HJ, Ardia DR, Thiam M, Martin LB. Corticosterone is correlated to mediators of neural plasticity and epigenetic potential in the hippocampus of Senegalese house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 269:177-183. [PMID: 30257180 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Our previous research on range-expanding house sparrows in Kenya revealed that (i) range-edge birds released more corticosterone (CORT) in response to a stressor than range-core birds, ii) that range-edge birds were more exploratory than range-core birds, and that (iii) all birds exhibited extensive variation in genome-wide DNA methylation among individuals, regardless of their position along the range expansion. Within the hippocampus, mediators of neural plasticity such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), can influence and be influenced by CORT, hippocampus-associated behaviors and regulatory epigenetic modification enzymes. Here, we investigated whether individuals and populations colonizing a new geographic range, Senegal, vary in the expression of BDNF and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) within the hippocampus and the release of CORT in response to a stressor. DNMT expression is an important mediator of epigenetic potential, the propensity of a genome to capacitate phenotypic variation via mechanisms such as DNA methylation. We surveyed three populations across Senegal, predicting that hippocampal BDNF and DNMT expression would be highest at the range-edge, and that BDNF and DNMT would be inversely related to one another, but would each positively covary with CORT within individuals. We found a nonlinear relationship between CORT and BDNF expression within individuals. Moreover, we found that CORT positively covaried with DNMT1 expression in a more recently established population, while the reverse was true in the oldest population (i.e. at the range-core). Our study is among the first to explore whether and how variation in CORT regulation contributes to variation in mediators of neural plasticity and epigenetic potential within the hippocampus of a range-expanding vertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly J Kilvitis
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, PA, USA
| | - Massamba Thiam
- Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Department of Biology, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Global Health, Tampa, FL, USA
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10
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Greig EI, Wood EM, Bonter DN. Winter range expansion of a hummingbird is associated with urbanization and supplementary feeding. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0256. [PMID: 28381617 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic changes to the landscape and climate cause novel ecological and evolutionary pressures, leading to potentially dramatic changes in the distribution of biodiversity. Warm winter temperatures can shift species' distributions to regions that were previously uninhabitable. Further, urbanization and supplementary feeding may facilitate range expansions and potentially reduce migration tendency. Here we explore how these factors interact to cause non-uniform effects across a species's range. Using 17 years of data from the citizen science programme Project FeederWatch, we examined the relationships between urbanization, winter temperatures and the availability of supplementary food (i.e. artificial nectar) on the winter range expansion (more than 700 km northward in the past two decades) of Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna). We found that Anna's hummingbirds have colonized colder locations over time, were more likely to colonize sites with higher housing density and were more likely to visit feeders in the expanded range compared to the historical range. Additionally, their range expansion mirrored a corresponding increase over time in the tendency of people to provide nectar feeders in the expanded range. This work illustrates how humans may alter the distribution and potentially the migratory behaviour of species through landscape and resource modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma I Greig
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Eric M Wood
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - David N Bonter
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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11
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Phenotypic divergence despite low genetic differentiation in house sparrow populations. Sci Rep 2018; 8:394. [PMID: 29321524 PMCID: PMC5762629 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18718-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying patterns of phenotypic variation among populations can shed light on the drivers of evolutionary processes. The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the world's most ubiquitous bird species, as well as a successful invader. We investigated phenotypic variation in house sparrow populations across a climatic gradient and in relation to a possible scenario of an invasion. We measured variation in morphological, coloration, and behavioral traits (exploratory behavior and neophobia) and compared it to the neutral genetic variation. We found that sparrows were larger and darker in northern latitudes, in accordance with Bergmann's and Gloger's biogeographic rules. Morphology and behavior mostly differed between the southernmost populations and the other regions, supporting the possibility of an invasion. Genetic differentiation was low and diversity levels were similar across populations, indicating high gene flow. Nevertheless, the southernmost and northern populations differed genetically to some extent. Furthermore, genetic differentiation (F ST) was lower in comparison to phenotypic variation (P ST), indicating that the phenotypic variation is shaped by directional selection or by phenotypic plasticity. This study expands our knowledge on evolutionary mechanisms and biological invasions.
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12
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Andrew SC, Awasthy M, Bolton PE, Rollins LA, Nakagawa S, Griffith SC. The genetic structure of the introduced house sparrow populations in Australia and New Zealand is consistent with historical descriptions of multiple introductions to each country. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1643-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Riyahi S, Vilatersana R, Schrey AW, Ghorbani Node H, Aliabadian M, Senar JC. Natural epigenetic variation within and among six subspecies of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4016-4023. [PMID: 28877923 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.169268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications can respond rapidly to environmental changes and can shape phenotypic variation in accordance with environmental stimuli. One of the most studied epigenetic marks is DNA methylation. In the present study, we used the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique to investigate the natural variation in DNA methylation within and among subspecies of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus We focused on five subspecies from the Middle East because they show great variation in many ecological traits and because this region is the probable origin for the house sparrow's commensal relationship with humans. We analysed house sparrows from Spain as an outgroup. The level of variation in DNA methylation was similar among the five house sparrow subspecies from the Middle East despite high phenotypic and environmental variation, but the non-commensal subspecies was differentiated from the other four (commensal) Middle Eastern subspecies. Further, the European subspecies was differentiated from all other subspecies in DNA methylation. Our results indicate that variation in DNA methylation does not strictly follow subspecies designations. We detected a correlation between methylation level and some morphological traits, such as standardized bill length, and we suggest that part of the high morphological variation in the native populations of the house sparrow is influenced by differentially methylated regions in specific loci throughout the genome. We also detected 10 differentially methylated loci among subspecies and three loci that differentiated between commensal or non-commensal status. Therefore, the MSAP technique detected larger scale differences among the European and non-commensal subspecies, but did not detect finer scale differences among the other Middle Eastern subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepand Riyahi
- Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Unit, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Psg. Picasso s/n, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Vilatersana
- Botanic Institute of Barcelona (IBB-CSIC-ICUB), Passeig de Migdia s/n, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aaron W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Armstrong State University, Savannah, GA 31419, USA
| | - Hassan Ghorbani Node
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177 9489 74, Iran.,Research Department of Zoological Innovations, Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177 9489 74, Iran
| | - Mansour Aliabadian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177 9489 74, Iran.,Research Department of Zoological Innovations, Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177 9489 74, Iran
| | - Juan Carlos Senar
- Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Unit, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Psg. Picasso s/n, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Martin LB, Kilvitis HJ, Thiam M, Ardia DR. Corticosterone regulation in house sparrows invading Senegal. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 250:15-20. [PMID: 28559207 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
What traits help organisms expand their ranges? Several behavioral and life history traits have been identified, but physiological and especially endocrinological factors have been minimally considered. Here, we asked whether steroid hormonal responses to stressors might be important. Previously, we found that corticosterone (CORT) responses to a standard restraint stressor were stronger at a range edge than at the core of the recent house sparrow (Passer domesticus) invasion of Kenya. In related work in the same system, we found that various behaviors (exploratory activity, responses to novelty, etc.) that are affected by CORT in other systems varied among sparrow populations in a manner that would suggest that CORT regulation directly influenced colonization success; birds at the range edge were less averse to novelty and more exploratory than birds from the core. Here, we asked whether the pattern in CORT regulation we observed in Kenya was also detectable in the more recent (∼1970) and independent invasion of Senegal. We found, as in Kenya, that Senegalese range-edge birds mounted stronger CORT responses to restraint than core birds. We also found lower baseline CORT in range-edge than core Senegalese birds, but little evidence for effects of individual sex, body mass or body size on CORT. Follow-up work will be necessary to resolve whether CORT regulation in Senegal (and Kenya) actively facilitated colonization success, but our work implicates glucocorticoids as a mediator of range expansion success, making stress responses potentially useful biomarkers of invasion risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| | - Holly J Kilvitis
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | | | - Daniel R Ardia
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, PA, USA
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Microsatellite evidence of dispersal mechanism of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in the Pearl River basin and implications for its management. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8272. [PMID: 28811671 PMCID: PMC5557917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08552-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Discerning the dispersal patterns of invasive species is critically important for the design of effective management strategies and the development of appropriate theoretical models predicting the spatial expansion of introduced populations. Post-introduction dispersal may occur naturally or via human transport, but for many organisms, assessing the relative contribution of each of these factors is difficult using traditional methods. Here, we explored the genetic patterns associated with the spread of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) among 21 populations in the Pearl River basin and 2 peripheral populations in the Yangtze River basin. We found the genetic diversity of P. clarkii in the Pearl River basin was somewhat lower than in the Yangtze River basin. We also found (1) there was significant genetic differentiation between populations, (2) genetic differentiation was not related to geographic distance (i.e., isolation by distance), and (3) a Bayesian assignment analysis revealed three distinct genetic clusters and genetic admixture. Our results therefore provide evidence that human-mediated multiple introductions occurred in the Pearl River basin. Anthropogenic activities such as commercial transportation were likely responsible for the long-distance dispersal of P. clarkii. This study provides useful information for developing management strategies.
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16
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Martin LB, Kilvitis HJ, Brace AJ, Cooper L, Haussmann MF, Mutati A, Fasanello V, O'Brien S, Ardia DR. Costs of immunity and their role in the range expansion of the house sparrow in Kenya. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2228-2235. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.154716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
There are at least two reasons to study traits that mediate successful range expansions. First, dispersers will found new populations and thus impact the distribution and evolution of species. Second, organisms moving into new areas will influence the fate of resident communities, directly competing with or indirectly affecting residents by spreading non-native or spilling-back native parasites. The success of invaders in new areas is likely mediated by a counterbalancing of costly traits. In new areas where threats are comparatively rare, individuals that grow rapidly and breed prolifically should be at an advantage. High investment in defenses should thus be disfavored. In the present study, we compared the energetic, nutritional and collateral damage costs of an inflammatory response among Kenyan house sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations of different ages, asking whether costs were related to traits of individuals from three different capture sites. Kenya is among the world's most recent range expansions for this species, and we recently found that the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), leukocyte receptors that instigate inflammatory responses when bound to microbial elements, was related to the range expansion across the country. Here, we found (contrary to our expectations) that energetic and nutritional costs of inflammation were higher, but damage costs were lower, in range-edge compared to core birds. Moreover, at the individual level, TLR-4 expression was negatively related to commodity costs (energy and a critical amino acid) of inflammation. Our data thus suggest that costs of inflammation, perhaps mediated by TLR expression, might mitigate successful range expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B. Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa FL 33620, USA
| | - Holly J. Kilvitis
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa FL 33620, USA
| | - Amber J. Brace
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa FL 33620, USA
| | - Laken Cooper
- Radford University, Department of Biology, Radford, VA 24142, USA
| | | | - Alex Mutati
- National Museums of Kenya, Department of Ornithology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vincent Fasanello
- Bucknell University, Department of Biology, Lewisburg, PA, USA
- Washington University in Saint Louis, Department of Biology, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sara O'Brien
- Radford University, Department of Biology, Radford, VA 24142, USA
| | - Daniel R. Ardia
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, PA, USA
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17
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Geue JC, Vágási CI, Schweizer M, Pap PL, Thomassen HA. Environmental selection is a main driver of divergence in house sparrows ( Passer domesticus) in Romania and Bulgaria. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7954-7964. [PMID: 27891219 PMCID: PMC5108248 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Both neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes can cause population divergence, but their relative contributions remain unclear. We investigated the roles of these processes in population divergence in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from Romania and Bulgaria, regions characterized by high landscape heterogeneity compared to Western Europe. We asked whether morphological divergence, complemented with genetic data in this human commensal species, was best explained by environmental variation, geographic distance, or landscape resistance—the effort it takes for an individual to disperse from one location to the other—caused by either natural or anthropogenic barriers. Using generalized dissimilarity modeling, a matrix regression technique that fits biotic beta diversity to both environmental predictors and geographic distance, we found that a small set of climate and vegetation variables explained up to ~30% of the observed divergence, whereas geographic and resistance distances played much lesser roles. Our results are consistent with signals of selection on morphological traits and of isolation by adaptation in genetic markers, suggesting that selection by natural environmental conditions shapes population divergence in house sparrows. Our study thus contributes to a growing body of evidence that adaptive evolution may be a major driver of diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Geue
- Comparative Zoology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Csongor I Vágási
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary; Evolutionary Ecology Group Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj- Napoca Romania
| | - Mona Schweizer
- Animal Physiological Ecology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Péter L Pap
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary; Evolutionary Ecology Group Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj- Napoca Romania
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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Barros T, Ferreira E, Rocha RG, Gaubert P, Bandeira V, Souto L, Mira A, Fonseca C. Genetic signature of the northward expansion of the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon(Herpestidae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tânia Barros
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Eduardo Ferreira
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Rita Gomes Rocha
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas; Centro de Ciências Humanas e Naturais; Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; Av. Fernando Ferrari 514, Goiabeiras 29075-910 Vitória ES Brazil
| | - Philippe Gaubert
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UM-CNRS-IRD-CIRAD-EPHE; Université de Montpellier; Place Eugène Bataillon - CC 64; 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 05 France
| | - Victor Bandeira
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Luis Souto
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - António Mira
- Unidade de Biologia da Conservação; Universidade de Évora; 7002-554 Évora Portugal
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Departamento de Biologia & Centros de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
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Schrieber K, Lachmuth S. The Genetic Paradox of Invasions revisited: the potential role of inbreeding × environment interactions in invasion success. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:939-952. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schrieber
- Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Institute of Biology; Martin Luther University of Halle; 06108 Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Susanne Lachmuth
- Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Institute of Biology; Martin Luther University of Halle; 06108 Halle (Saale) Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; 04103 Leipzig Germany
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20
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Adrian-Kalchhauser I, Hirsch PE, Behrmann-Godel J, N'Guyen A, Watzlawczyk S, Gertzen S, Borcherding J, Burkhardt-Holm P. The invasive bighead goby Ponticola kessleri displays large-scale genetic similarities and small-scale genetic differentiation in relation to shipping patterns. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1925-43. [PMID: 26928748 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Colonization events, range expansions and species invasions leave genetic signatures in the genomes of invasive organisms and produce intricate special patterns. Predictions have been made as to how those patterns arise, but only very rarely, genetic processes can be monitored in real time during range expansions. In an attempt to change that, we track a very recently established invasive population of a fish species, the bighead goby Ponticola kessleri, with high temporal and spatial resolution through 2 years to identify patterns over time. We then compare Swiss and German samples of bighead goby along the river Rhine using microsatellites, mitochondrial D-loop sequences and geometric morphometrics to investigate geographic patterns. We detect weak temporal and strong geographic patterns in the data, which are inconsistent with isolation by distance and indicate long range transport. In search of an explanation for our observations, we analyse the vector properties and travel patterns of commercial vessels on the river Rhine. We present evidence that freshwater cargo ships and tankers are plausible vectors for larvae of invasive goby species. We also present indications that cargo ships and tankers act as differential vectors for this species. In summary, we present genetic data at unique temporal resolution from a vertebrate invasion front and substantiate the paramount role of commercial shipping in freshwater fish translocations.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Adrian-Kalchhauser
- Program Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - P E Hirsch
- Program Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland.,Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and Water Supply, University of Basel, Peter Merian Weg 6, CH-4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Behrmann-Godel
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustrasse 252, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - A N'Guyen
- Program Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Watzlawczyk
- Zoological Institute of the University of Cologne, Department of General Ecology & Limnology, Ecological Field Station Grietherbusch, D-50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - S Gertzen
- Zoological Institute of the University of Cologne, Department of General Ecology & Limnology, Ecological Field Station Grietherbusch, D-50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - J Borcherding
- Zoological Institute of the University of Cologne, Department of General Ecology & Limnology, Ecological Field Station Grietherbusch, D-50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - P Burkhardt-Holm
- Program Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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21
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Tang GSY, Sadanandan KR, Rheindt FE. Population genetics of the olive-winged bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus) in a tropical urban-fragmented landscape. Ecol Evol 2015; 6:78-90. [PMID: 26811776 PMCID: PMC4716506 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
With increasing urbanization, urban‐fragmented landscapes are becoming more and more prevalent worldwide. Such fragmentation may lead to small, isolated populations that face great threats from genetic factors that affect even avian species with high dispersal propensities. Yet few studies have investigated the population genetics of species living within urban‐fragmented landscapes in the Old World tropics, in spite of the high levels of deforestation and fragmentation within this region. We investigated the evolutionary history and population genetics of the olive‐winged bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus) in Singapore, a highly urbanized island which retains <5% of its original forest cover in fragments. Combining our own collected and sequenced samples with those from the literature, we conducted phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. We revealed high genetic diversity, evidence for population expansion, and potential presence of pronounced gene flow across the population in Singapore. This suggests increased chances of long‐term persistence for the olive‐winged bulbul and the ecosystem services it provides within this landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S Y Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Keren R Sadanandan
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Frank E Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
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22
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Commensalism facilitates gene flow in mountains: a comparison between two Rattus species. Heredity (Edinb) 2015; 115:253-61. [PMID: 25944468 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2015.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Small mammal dispersal is strongly affected by geographical barriers. However, commensal small mammals may be passively transported over large distances and strong barriers by humans (often with agricultural products). This pattern should be especially apparent in topographically complex landscapes, such as mountain ranges, where valleys and/or peaks can limit dispersal of less vagile species. We predict that commensal species would have lower genetic differentiation and higher migration rates than related non-commensals in such landscapes. We contrasted population genetic differentiation in two sympatric Rattus species (R. satarae and R. rattus) in the Western Ghats mountains in southern India. We sampled rats from villages and adjacent forests in seven locations (20-640 km apart). Capture-based statistics confirmed that R. rattus is abundant in human settlements in this region, whereas R. satarae is non-commensal and found mostly in forests. Population structure analyses using ~970-bp mitochondrial control region and 17 microsatellite loci revealed higher differentiation for the non-commensal species (R. satarae F-statistics=0.420, 0.065, R. rattus F-statistics=0.195, 0.034; mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites, respectively). Genetic clustering analyses confirm that clusters in R. satarae are more distinct and less admixed than those in R. rattus. R. satarae shows higher slope for isolation-by-distance compared with R. rattus. Although mode of migration estimates do not strongly suggest higher rates in R. rattus than in R. satarae, they indicate that migration over long distances could still be higher in R. rattus. We suggest that association with humans could drive the observed pattern of differentiation in the commensal R. rattus, consequently impacting not only their dispersal abilities, but also their evolutionary trajectories.
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Martin LB, Liebl AL, Kilvitis HJ. Covariation in stress and immune gene expression in a range expanding bird. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 211:14-9. [PMID: 25448257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) posits that hosts encounter fewer infectious parasites when they arrive in new areas, so individuals that adjust their immune defenses most effectively should thrive and even expand the range of that species. An important aspect of vertebrate immune defense is inflammation, as it provides rapid defense against diverse parasites. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are integral to the regulation of inflammation, so here we investigated whether and how covariation in the expression of genes affecting the regulation of inflammation and GCs might have impacted the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) invasion of Kenya. Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLRs) detect microbial threats and instigate inflammatory responses, whereas the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is integral to resolving inflammation via both local and systemic pathways. As with a previous study on circulating leukocytes, we found that splenic TLR-4 and TLR-2 (the latter marginally non-significant) expression was higher in younger than older populations but only when differences in spleen size were considered; birds at the range edge had larger spleens. In regards to covariation, we found that TLR-2, TLR-4 and GR expression were closely inter-related within individuals, but covariation did not differ among populations. Subsequently, our data suggest that house sparrows are using variants of a common stress-immune regulatory mechanism to expand their Kenyan range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States.
| | - Andrea L Liebl
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Holly J Kilvitis
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
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24
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Martin LB, Liebl AL. Physiological flexibility in an avian range expansion. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 206:227-34. [PMID: 25125084 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms that enable animals to colonize new areas are little known, but growing evidence indicates that the regulation of stress hormones is important. Stress hormones probably influence invasions because they enable organisms to adjust their phenotypes depending on environmental context. Often, studies of stress hormones are based on single or a few samples from individuals even though the flexibility in the regulation of such hormones is what enables them to achieve homeostasis and facilitate performance. Here, we asked whether flexibility in the regulation of one stress hormone, corticosterone, was related to colonization success in one of the world's most successful avian invaders, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We studied Kenyan house sparrows, as the species was recently introduced there (around 1950) and has since expanded northwestward. Previous work in this system revealed that younger populations released more corticosterone during a restraint stressor than older populations. Our first goal was to discern whether such population differences were fixed or flexible in adulthood; our second goal was to determine whether individual identity explained any variation in corticosterone regulation. As before, we found that corticosterone responses to short-term restraint (i.e., stress responses), but not baseline corticosterone, were larger in younger populations. We also found that both baseline and stress-induced corticosterone measures were flexible; both metrics became similar among sites after one week of captivity. For stress responses, we also found that individual identity was important. Altogether, the present data suggest that the colonization of Kenya by house sparrows might have been facilitated by stress hormone regulatory flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States.
| | - Andrea L Liebl
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States; University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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25
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Liebl AL, Martin LB. Living on the edge: range edge birds consume novel foods sooner than established ones. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Martin LB, Coon CAC, Liebl AL, Schrey AW. Surveillance for microbes and range expansion in house sparrows. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 281:20132690. [PMID: 24258722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between hosts and parasites influence the success of host introductions and range expansions post-introduction. However, the physiological mechanisms mediating these outcomes are little known. In some vertebrates, variation in the regulation of inflammation has been implicated, perhaps because inflammation imparts excessive costs, including high resource demands and collateral damage upon encounter with novel parasites. Here, we tested the hypothesis that variation in the regulation of inflammation contributed to the spread of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) across Kenya, one of the world's most recent invasions of this species. Specifically, we asked whether inflammatory gene expression declines with population age (i.e. distance from Mombasa (dfM), the site of introduction around 1950). We compared expression of two microbe surveillance molecules (Toll-like receptors, TLRs-2 and 4) and a proinflammatory cytokine (interleukin-6, IL-6) before and after an injection of an immunogenic component of Gram-negative bacteria (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) among six sparrow populations. We then used a best-subset model selection approach to determine whether population age (dfM) or other factors (e.g. malaria or coccidian infection, sparrow density or genetic group membership) best-explained gene expression. For baseline expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4, population age tended to be the best predictor with expression decreasing with population age, although other factors were also important. Induced expression of TLRs was affected by LPS treatment alone. For induced IL-6, only LPS treatment reliably predicted expression; baseline expression was not explained by any factor. These data suggest that changes in microbe surveillance, more so than downstream control of inflammation via cytokines, might have been important to the house sparrow invasion of Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, , SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620, USA, Department of Biology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, , Savannah, GA 31419, USA
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Liebl AL, Martin LB. Exploratory behaviour and stressor hyper-responsiveness facilitate range expansion of an introduced songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4375-81. [PMID: 22951742 PMCID: PMC3479806 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Global anthropogenic changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate; one change, human-facilitated introduction of species outside their native range, has had significant ecological and economic impacts. Surprisingly, what traits facilitate range expansions post-introduction is relatively unknown. This information could help predict future expansions of introduced species as well as native species shifting their ranges as climate conditions change. Here, we asked whether specific behavioural and physiological traits were important in the ongoing expansion of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) across Kenya. We predicted that birds at the site of initial introduction (Mombasa, introduced approx. 1950) would behave and regulate corticosterone, a stress hormone, differently than birds at the range edge (Kakamega, approx. 885 km from Mombasa; colonized within the last 5 years). Specifically, we predicted greater exploratory behaviour and stronger corticosterone response to stressors in birds at the range edge, which may facilitate the identification, resolution and memory of stressors. Indeed, we found that distance from Mombasa (a proxy for population age) was a strong predictor of both exploratory behaviour and corticosterone release in response to restraint (but only while birds were breeding). These results suggest that certain behavioural and neuroendocrine traits may influence the ability of species to colonize novel habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Liebl
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
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