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Jablonszky M, Canal D, Hegyi G, Herényi M, Laczi M, Lao O, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szász E, Török J, Zsebõk S, Garamszegi LZ. Estimating heritability of song considering within-individual variance in a wild songbird: The collared flycatcher. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.975687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable genetic variation is a prerequisite for adaptive evolution; however, our knowledge about the heritability of plastic traits, such as behaviors, is scarce, especially in wild populations. In this study, we investigated the heritability of song traits in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), a small oscine passerine with complex songs involved in sexual selection. We recorded the songs of 81 males in a natural population and obtained various measures describing the frequency, temporal organization, and complexity of each song. As we had multiple songs from each individual, we were able to statistically account for the first time for the effect of within-individual variance on the heritability of song. Heritability was calculated from the variance estimates of animal models relying on a genetic similarity matrix based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism screening. Overall, we found small additive genetic variance and heritability values in all song traits, highlighting the role of environmental factors in shaping bird song.
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Viitaniemi HM, Leder EH, Suhonen J. Influence of Interspecific Interference Competition on the Genetic Structure of Calopteryx splendens Populations. ANN ZOOL FENN 2021. [DOI: 10.5735/086.059.0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica H. Leder
- Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland
| | - Jukka Suhonen
- Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland
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Węgrzyn E, Leniowski K. Middle Spotted Woodpecker territory owners distinguish between stranger and familiar floaters based on their vocal characteristics. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1716088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- E. Węgrzyn
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - K. Leniowski
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
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Wells SJ, Safran RJ, Dale J. Piecing together female extra-pair mate choice: females really do prefer more ornamented males. Mol Ecol 2019; 25:3521-4. [PMID: 27463236 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary biologists have long been fascinated by extravagant male traits that abound across the animal kingdom and yet convey no apparent benefits to survival. From isopods to elephants, from armaments to ornaments, researchers have spent decades studying male-male competition and female mate choice in an effort to understand the significance of these secondary sexual characteristics. Among socially monogamous species, a frequently proposed explanation for the existence of male ornaments is that they are indicators of male genetic quality subject to female extra-pair mate choice. However, despite over two decades of extensive research into extra-pair paternity (EPP), the evidence that females actually choose more ornamented extra-pair sires is surprisingly scant. Consequently, whether EPP and female choice have contributed to the evolution of male ornaments in socially monogamous species, and what fitness benefits (if any) they signal to females, remains unclear. Progress in this field has been hampered by the challenge of dissociating clear female choice for ornamentation from confounding factors. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Whittingham & Dunn (2016) use an experimental approach in a bird species with very high rates of EPP to tease apart these correlative effects. In doing so, they demonstrate clearly that male ornamentation is subject to female extra-pair mate choice. Their findings further suggest that EPP can be adaptive for females, and represent an important step forward in validating the role of EPP as an evolutionary driver of ornamental elaboration in socially monogamous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Wells
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - James Dale
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
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Cornec C, Robert A, Rybak F, Hingrat Y. Male vocalizations convey information on kinship and inbreeding in a lekking bird. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4421-4430. [PMID: 31031916 PMCID: PMC6476769 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinship and inbreeding are two major components involved in sexual selection and mating system evolution. However, the mechanisms underlying recognition and discrimination of genetically related or inbred individuals remain unclear. We investigated whether kinship and inbreeding information is related to low-frequency vocalizations, "booms," produced by males during their courtship in the lekking houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata). Based on a captive breeding program where the pedigree of all males is known, we investigated the similarity of booms' acoustic parameters among captive males more or less individually inbred and therefore genetically related with each other. In the wild, we investigated the relationship between the spatial distribution of males within leks and the similarity of acoustic parameters of their booms. In the captive population, we found (a) a relationship between the individual inbreeding level of captive males and their vocalization parameters; (b) that kin share similar frequency and temporal characteristics of their vocalizations. In the wild, we found no evidence for spatial structuring of males based on their acoustic parameters, in agreement with previous genetic findings on the absence of kin association within houbara bustard leks. Overall, our results indicate that genetic information potentially related to both the identity and quality of males is contained in their vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Cornec
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris‐SaclayUniversité Paris‐Sud, CNRS (UMR 9197)OrsayFrance
- Emirates Center for Wildlife PropagationMissourMorocco
| | - Alexandre Robert
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueSorbonne‐UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Fanny Rybak
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris‐SaclayUniversité Paris‐Sud, CNRS (UMR 9197)OrsayFrance
| | - Yves Hingrat
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLCAbu DhabiUAE
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Hartnett CM, Parrott ML, Mulder RA, Coulson G, Magrath MJ. Opportunity for female mate choice improves reproductive outcomes in the conservation breeding program of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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7
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Zsebők S, Herczeg G, Blázi G, Laczi M, Nagy G, Szász E, Markó G, Török J, Garamszegi LZ. Short- and long-term repeatability and pseudo-repeatability of bird song: sensitivity of signals to varying environments. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Sexual and non-sexual social preferences in male and female white-eyed bulbuls. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5847. [PMID: 28724892 PMCID: PMC5517633 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06239-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
While the function of ornaments shaped by sexual selection is to attract mates or drive off rivals, these signals may also evolve through social selection, in which the social context affects the fitness of signallers and receivers. Classical ‘mate choice’ experiments often reveal preferences for ornaments, but few studies have considered whether these are strictly sexual or reflect general social preferences. Indeed, an alternative possibility is that ornaments evolve through ‘non-sexual social selection’ (hereafter ‘social selection’). We examined the role of ornamentation (yellow ventral patch) and familiarity (individuals recognize group mates with which they have had previous interactions) on mate choice (opposite-sex stimuli preference) and social choice (same-sex stimuli preference) in both male and female white-eyed bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthopygos). In the mate choice test, females preferred unfamiliar males with increased yellow. There were no biologically important differences in male preferences based on familiarity or intensity of patch colour. In the social choice test, females preferred to associate with familiar females. Males preferred to associate with familiar males but also preferred to associate with less ornamented males. Our results suggest that ornamentation and familiarity are important features, playing different roles in males and females, in both social and sexual selection processes.
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Different or alike? Female rainbow kribs choose males of similar consistency and dissimilar level of boldness. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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10
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Brock PM, Goodman SJ, Hall AJ, Cruz M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Context-dependent associations between heterozygosity and immune variation in a wild carnivore. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:242. [PMID: 26537228 PMCID: PMC4634738 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0519-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A multitude of correlations between heterozygosity and fitness proxies associated with disease have been reported from wild populations, but the genetic basis of these associations is unresolved. We used a longitudinal dataset on wild Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) to develop a relatively new perspective on this problem, by testing for associations between heterozygosity and immune variation across age classes and between ecological contexts. Results Homozygosity by locus was negatively correlated with serum immunoglobulin G production in pups (0–3 months of age), suggesting that reduced genetic diversity has a detrimental influence on the early development of immune defence in the Galapagos sea lion. In addition, homozygosity by locus was positively correlated with total circulating leukocyte concentration in juveniles (6–24 months of age), but only in a colony subject to the anthropogenic environmental impacts of development, pollution and introduced species, which suggests that reduced genetic diversity influences mature immune system activity in circumstances of high antigen exposure. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the environmental context-dependency of the phenotypic expression of immune variation, which is implicit in the theory of ecoimmunology, but which has been rarely demonstrated in the wild. They also indicate that heterozygosity may be linked to the maintenance of heterogeneity in mammalian immune system development and response to infection, adding to the body of evidence on the nature of the mechanistic link between heterozygosity and fitness. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0519-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Brock
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. .,Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK. .,School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | | | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Ocean Institute, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | - Marilyn Cruz
- Galapagos Genetics, Epidemiology and Pathology Laboratory, Galapagos National Park & University of Guayaquil, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK. .,Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230, Mexico.
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Ferrer ES, García-Navas V, Bueno-Enciso J, Sanz JJ, Ortego J. Multiple sexual ornaments signal heterozygosity in male blue tits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza S. Ferrer
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Avda. Carlos III s/n 45071 Toledo Spain
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Vicente García-Navas
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Avda. Carlos III s/n 45071 Toledo Spain
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
- Evolution and Genetics of Love, Life and Death Group; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Javier Bueno-Enciso
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Avda. Carlos III s/n 45071 Toledo Spain
| | - Juan José Sanz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC); C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Joaquín Ortego
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group; Department of Integrative Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC); Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Seville Spain
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12
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High-throughput sequencing reveals inbreeding depression in a natural population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:3775-80. [PMID: 24586051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1318945111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proxy measures of genome-wide heterozygosity based on approximately 10 microsatellites have been used to uncover heterozygosity fitness correlations (HFCs) for a wealth of important fitness traits in natural populations. However, effect sizes are typically very small and the underlying mechanisms remain contentious, as a handful of markers usually provides little power to detect inbreeding. We therefore used restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to accurately estimate genome-wide heterozygosity, an approach transferrable to any organism. As a proof of concept, we first RAD sequenced oldfield mice (Peromyscus polionotus) from a known pedigree, finding strong concordance between the inbreeding coefficient and heterozygosity measured at 13,198 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). When applied to a natural population of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), a weak HFC for parasite infection based on 27 microsatellites strengthened considerably with 14,585 SNPs, the deviance explained by heterozygosity increasing almost fivefold to a remarkable 49%. These findings arguably provide the strongest evidence to date of an HFC being due to inbreeding depression in a natural population lacking a pedigree. They also suggest that under some circumstances heterozygosity may explain far more variation in fitness than previously envisaged.
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Setchell JM, Abbott KM, Gonzalez JP, Knapp LA. Testing for post-copulatory selection for major histocompatibility complex genotype in a semi-free-ranging primate population. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:1021-31. [PMID: 23677678 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A large body of evidence suggests that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotype influences mate choice. However, few studies have investigated MHC-mediated post-copulatory mate choice under natural, or even semi-natural, conditions. We set out to explore this question in a large semi-free-ranging population of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) using MHC-DRB genotypes for 127 parent-offspring triads. First, we showed that offspring MHC heterozygosity correlates positively with parental MHC dissimilarity suggesting that mating among MHC dissimilar mates is efficient in increasing offspring MHC diversity. Second, we compared the haplotypes of the parental dyad with those of the offspring to test whether post-copulatory sexual selection favored offspring with two different MHC haplotypes, more diverse gamete combinations, or greater within-haplotype diversity. Limited statistical power meant that we could only detect medium or large effect sizes. Nevertheless, we found no evidence for selection for heterozygous offspring when parents share a haplotype (large effect size), genetic dissimilarity between parental haplotypes (we could detect an odds ratio of ≥1.86), or within-haplotype diversity (medium-large effect). These findings suggest that comparing parental and offspring haplotypes may be a useful approach to test for post-copulatory selection when matings cannot be observed, as is the case in many study systems. However, it will be extremely difficult to determine conclusively whether post-copulatory selection mechanisms for MHC genotype exist, particularly if the effect sizes are small, due to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficiently large sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
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Gohli J, Anmarkrud JA, Johnsen A, Kleven O, Borge T, Lifjeld JT. FEMALE PROMISCUITY IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH NEUTRAL AND SELECTED GENETIC DIVERSITY IN PASSERINE BIRDS. Evolution 2013; 67:1406-19. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Leclaire S, Merkling T, Raynaud C, Mulard H, Bessière JM, Lhuillier E, Hatch SA, Danchin E. Semiochemical compounds of preen secretion reflect genetic make-up in a seabird species. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1185-93. [PMID: 21937499 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Several vertebrates choose their mate according to genetic heterozygosity and relatedness, and use odour cues to assess their conspecifics' genetic make-up. In birds, although several species (including the black-legged kittiwake) exhibit non-random mating according to genetic traits, the cues used to assess genetic characteristics remain unknown. The importance of olfaction in birds' social behaviour is gaining attention among researchers, and it has been suggested that, as in other vertebrates, bird body scent may convey information about genetic traits. Here, we combined gas chromatography data and genetic analyses at microsatellite loci to test whether semiochemical messages in preen secretion of kittiwakes carried information about genetic heterozygosity and relatedness. Semiochemical profile was correlated with heterozygosity in males and females, while semiochemical distance was correlated with genetic distance only in male-male dyads. Our study is the first to demonstrate a link between odour and genetics in birds, which sets the stage for the existence of sophisticated odour-based mechanisms of mate choice also in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Leclaire
- CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique), Toulouse, France.
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Territory choice during the breeding tenure of male sedge warblers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011; 65:2305-2317. [PMID: 22162903 PMCID: PMC3214270 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1241-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2011] [Revised: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 08/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A territorial male can shift the location of its territory from year to year in order to increase its quality. The male can base its decision on environmental cues or else on its breeding experiences (when territory shift is caused by breeding failure in previous seasons). We tested these possible mechanisms of territory choice in the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), a territorial migrating passerine that occupies wetlands. This species bases its territory choices on an environmental cue: tall wetland vegetation cover. We found that the magnitude of territory quality improvement between seasons (measured as the area of tall wetland vegetation) increased throughout the early stages of a male's breeding career as a result of territory shifts dependent on the earliness of arrival. The distance the territory was shifted between seasons depended negatively on the previous year's territory quality and, less clearly, on the previous year's mating success. On the other hand, previous mating or nesting success had no influence on territory quality improvement between seasons as measured in terms of vegetation. The results imply that tall wetland vegetation is a long-term, effective environmental cue and that a preference for territories in which this type of landcover prevails has evolved into a rigid behavioral mechanism, supplemented by short-term individual experiences of breeding failure.
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Aparicio JM. The paradox of the resolution of the lek paradox based on mate choice for heterozygosity. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Ziegler A, Suzuki S. Sperm storage, sperm translocation and genitalia formation in females of the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare (Crustacea, Peracarida, Isopoda). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2011; 40:64-76. [PMID: 20659586 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2010.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2010] [Revised: 06/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We investigated sperm storage, sperm transfer from the oviduct to the seminal receptacle, and formation of the cuticular genitalia in female Armadillidium vulgare using light and electron microscopy. Apolysis of the genitalia within the oviduct forms a circum-genital lumen. During insemination this space is filled with immobile spermatozoa. Sperm transfer into the seminal receptacle takes place before oviposition. Within a peculiar proximal neck region of the oviduct spermatozoa are bundled and enveloped by a folded epicuticular layer. The envelope tightly surrounds the spermatozoa probably forming a seal against the main part of the circum-genital lumen. We propose that hydrostatic pressure produced by the muscle cells surrounding the oviduct leads to sperm transfer into the seminal receptacle. Within the seminal receptacle the sperm bundle forms a ring just around the orifice to the oviduct. At one side sheath-like extensions of epithelial cells surround the ring of spermatozoa holding it in place. At the other side oocytes would have access to the sperm during oviposition, probably allowing for fertilisation when they pass right through the ring of spermatozoa. After oviposition the new genitalia are formed from epicuticular folds, and cuticle secreted by the epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Ziegler
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, Germany.
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Janhunen M, Peuhkuri N, Primmer CR, Kolari I, Piironen J. Does Breeding Ornamentation Signal Genetic Quality in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus? Evol Biol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-010-9100-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hill CE, Akçay Ç, Campbell SE, Beecher MD. Extrapair paternity, song, and genetic quality in song sparrows. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Multiplex PCR amplification of 13 microsatellite loci for Aquila chrysaetos in forensic applications. Biologia (Bratisl) 2010. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-010-0112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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22
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Węgrzyn E, Leniowski K, Osiejuk TS. Whistle duration and consistency reflect philopatry and harem size in great reed warblers. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Araya-Ajoy YM, Chaves-Campos J, Kalko EKV, DeWoody JA. High-pitched notes during vocal contests signal genetic diversity in ocellated antbirds. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8137. [PMID: 19956580 PMCID: PMC2779863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2009] [Accepted: 11/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use honest signals to assess the quality of competitors during aggressive interactions. Current theory predicts that honest signals should be costly to produce and thus reveal some aspects of the phenotypic or genetic quality of the sender. In songbirds, research indicates that biomechanical constraints make the production of some acoustic features costly. Furthermore, recent studies have found that vocal features are related to genetic diversity. We linked these two lines of research by evaluating if constrained acoustic features reveal male genetic diversity during aggressive interactions in ocellated antbirds (Phaenostictus mcleannani). We recorded the aggressive vocalizations of radiotagged males at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, and found significant variation in the highest frequency produced among individuals. Moreover, we detected a negative relationship between the frequency of the highest pitched note and vocalization duration, suggesting that high pitched notes might constrain the duration of vocalizations through biomechanical and/or energetic limitations. When we experimentally exposed wild radiotagged males to simulated acoustic challenges, the birds increased the pitch of their vocalization. We also found that individuals with higher genetic diversity (as measured by zygosity across 9 microsatellite loci) produced notes of higher pitch during aggressive interactions. Overall, our results suggest that the ability to produce high pitched notes is an honest indicator of male genetic diversity in male-male aggressive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-men Araya-Ajoy
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Johel Chaves-Campos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - J. Andrew DeWoody
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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Setchell JM, Charpentier MJE, Abbott KM, Wickings EJ, Knapp LA. Opposites attract: MHC-associated mate choice in a polygynous primate. J Evol Biol 2009; 23:136-48. [PMID: 19891747 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01880.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigated reproduction in a semi-free-ranging population of a polygynous primate, the mandrill, in relation to genetic relatedness and male genetic characteristics, using neutral microsatellite and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotyping. We compared genetic dissimilarity to the mother and genetic characteristics of the sire with all other potential sires present at the conception of each offspring (193 offspring for microsatellite genetics, 180 for MHC). The probability that a given male sired increased as pedigree relatedness with the mother decreased, and overall genetic dissimilarity and MHC dissimilarity with the mother increased. Reproductive success also increased with male microsatellite heterozygosity and MHC diversity. These effects were apparent despite the strong influence of dominance rank on male reproductive success. The closed nature of our study population is comparable to human populations for which MHC-associated mate choice has been reported, suggesting that such mate choice may be especially important in relatively isolated populations with little migration to introduce genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Setchell
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
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25
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Parental investment amplifies effects of genetic complementarity on growth rates in song sparrows, Melospiza melodia. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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26
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Porlier M, Bélisle M, Garant D. Non-random distribution of individual genetic diversity along an environmental gradient. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009; 364:1543-54. [PMID: 19414469 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving our knowledge of the links between ecology and evolution is especially critical in the actual context of global rapid environmental changes. A critical step in that direction is to quantify how variation in ecological factors linked to habitat modifications might shape observed levels of genetic variability in wild populations. Still, little is known on the factors affecting levels and distribution of genetic diversity at the individual level, despite its vital underlying role in evolutionary processes. In this study, we assessed the effects of habitat quality on population structure and individual genetic diversity of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding along a gradient of agricultural intensification in southern Québec, Canada. Using a landscape genetics approach, we found that individual genetic diversity was greater in poorer quality habitats. This counter-intuitive result was partly explained by the settlement patterns of tree swallows across the landscape. Individuals of higher genetic diversity arrived earlier on their breeding grounds and settled in the first available habitats, which correspond to intensive cultures. Our results highlight the importance of investigating the effects of environmental variability on individual genetic diversity, and of integrating information on landscape structure when conducting such studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélody Porlier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
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27
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Fossøy F, Johnsen A, Lifjeld JT. Cell-mediated immunity and multi-locus heterozygosity in bluethroat nestlings. J Evol Biol 2009; 22:1954-60. [PMID: 19583700 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01790.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that marker-based heterozygosity-fitness correlations may be driven by only one or a few markers, indicating local heterozygosity effects caused by linkage disequilibrium with functional genes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between microsatellite heterozygosity and a measure of cell-mediated immunity (phytohaemagglutinin; PHA) in bluethroat (Luscinia s. svecica) nestlings using a full-sibling design. We found significant positive associations between PHA response and two different indices of microsatellite heterozygosity, i.e. multi-locus heterozygosity and mean d(2). However, model comparisons disclosed that both associations were more likely caused by local effects rather than general effects and that the two local effects appeared to be realized through two different genetic mechanisms. Our results indicate that both the random assortment of parental chromosomes during meiosis as well as inbreeding can drive heterozygosity-fitness correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Fossøy
- National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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García-Navas V, Ortego J, Sanz JJ. Heterozygosity-based assortative mating in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): implications for the evolution of mate choice. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:2931-40. [PMID: 19474042 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The general hypothesis of mate choice based on non-additive genetic traits suggests that individuals would gain important benefits by choosing genetically dissimilar mates (compatible mate hypothesis) and/or more heterozygous mates (heterozygous mate hypothesis). In this study, we test these hypotheses in a socially monogamous bird, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). We found no evidence for a relatedness-based mating pattern, but heterozygosity was positively correlated between social mates, suggesting that blue tits may base their mating preferences on partner's heterozygosity. We found evidence that the observed heterozygosity-based assortative mating could be maintained by both direct and indirect benefits. Heterozygosity reflected individual quality in both sexes: egg production and quality increased with female heterozygosity while more heterozygous males showed higher feeding rates during the brood-rearing period. Further, estimated offspring heterozygosity correlated with both paternal and maternal heterozygosity, suggesting that mating with heterozygous individuals can increase offspring genetic quality. Finally, plumage crown coloration was associated with male heterozygosity, and this could explain unanimous mate preferences for highly heterozygous and more ornamented individuals. Overall, this study suggests that non-additive genetic traits may play an important role in the evolution of mating preferences and offers empirical support to the resolution of the lek paradox from the perspective of the heterozygous mate hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente García-Navas
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III s/n, E-45071 Toledo, Spain
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Ilmonen P, Stundner G, Thoss M, Penn DJ. Females prefer the scent of outbred males: good-genes-as-heterozygosity? BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:104. [PMID: 19445699 PMCID: PMC2698884 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2008] [Accepted: 05/16/2009] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is increasing interest to determine the relative importance of non-additive genetic benefits as opposed to additive ones for the evolution of mating preferences and maintenance of genetic variation in sexual ornaments. The 'good-genes-as-heterozygosity' hypothesis predicts that females should prefer to mate with more heterozygous males to gain more heterozygous (and less inbred) offspring. Heterozygosity increases males' sexual ornamentation, mating success and reproduction success, yet few experiments have tested whether females are preferentially attracted to heterozygous males, and none have tested whether females' own heterozygosity influences their preferences. Outbred females might have the luxury of being more choosey, but on the other hand, inbred females might have more to gain by mating with heterozygous males. We manipulated heterozygosity in wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus musculus) through inbreeding and tested whether the females are more attracted to the scent of outbred versus inbred males, and whether females' own inbreeding status affects their preferences. We also tested whether infecting both inbred and outbred males with Salmonella would magnify females' preferences for outbred males. Results Females showed a significant preference for outbred males, and this preference was more pronounced among inbred females. We found no evidence that Salmonella infection increased the relative attractiveness of outbred versus inbred males; however, we found no evidence that inbreeding affected males' disease resistance in this study. Conclusion Our findings support the idea that females are more attracted to outbred males, and they suggest that such preferences may be stronger among inbred than outbred females, which is consistent with the 'good-genes-as-heterozygosity' hypothesis. It is unclear whether this odour preference reflects females' actual mating preferences, though it suggests that future studies should consider females' as well as males' heterozygosity. Our study has implications for efforts to understand how mate choice can provide genetic benefits without eroding genetic diversity (lek paradox), and also conservation efforts to determine the fitness consequences of inbreeding and the maintenance of genetic diversity in small, inbred populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petteri Ilmonen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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30
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Suter SM, Ermacora D, Rieille N, Meyer DR. A distinct reed bunting dawn song and its relation to extrapair paternity. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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31
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Vilhunen S, Tiira K, Laurila A, Hirvonen H. The Bold and the Variable: Fish with High Heterozygosity Act Recklessly in the Vicinity of Predators. Ethology 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01449.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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33
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Female choice for genetic complementarity in birds: a review. Genetica 2007; 134:147-58. [PMID: 17973192 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-007-9219-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2007] [Accepted: 10/11/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Data from avian species have played a prominent role in developing and testing theories of female mate choice. One of the most prominent models of sexual selection, the "good genes" model, emphasizes the indirect benefits of female preferences for male ornaments as indicators of a potential sire's additive genetic quality. However, there is growing interest in non-additive sources of genetic quality and mate choice models for self-referential disassortative mating based on optimal levels of genetic dissimilarity. We reviewed the empirical evidence for genetic-complementarity-based female mate choice among birds. We found the evidence for such choice is mixed but in general against the genetic complementarity hypothesis. The lack of evidence for genetic complementarity in many birds may be due to an inability to make the fine distinctions among potential mates based on genes, possibly due to the comparative anosmatic nature of avian sensory system. For some species however there is compelling evidence for genetic complementarity as a criterion used in female mate choice. Understanding the ubiquity of female mate choice based on genetic complementarity and the variation in this source of female preference among and within species remains a challenge.
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34
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Nicholson JS, Buchanan KL, Marshall RC, Catchpole CK. Song sharing and repertoire size in the sedge warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus: changes within and between years. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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35
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Abstract
Ornamental secondary sexual traits are hypothesized to evolve in response to directional mating preferences for more ornamented mates. Such mating preferences may themselves evolve partly because ornamentation indicates an individual's additive genetic quality (good genes). While mate choice can also confer non-additive genetic benefits (compatible genes), the identity of the most 'compatible' mate is assumed to depend on the choosy individual's own genotype. It is therefore unclear how choice for non-additive genetic benefits could contribute to directional mating preferences and consequently the evolution of ornamentation. In free-living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), individual males varied in their kinship with the female population. Furthermore, a male's song repertoire size, a secondary sexual trait, was negatively correlated with kinship such that males with larger repertoires were less closely related to the female population. After excluding close relatives as potential mates, individual females were on average less closely related to males with larger repertoires. Therefore, female song sparrows expressing directional preferences for males with larger repertoires would on average acquire relatively unrelated mates and produce relatively outbred offspring. Such non-additive genetic fitness benefits of directional mating preferences, which may reflect genetic dominance variance expressed in structured populations, should be incorporated into genetic models of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK.
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36
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Rubenstein DR. Female extrapair mate choice in a cooperative breeder: trading sex for help and increasing offspring heterozygosity. Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:1895-903. [PMID: 17526455 PMCID: PMC2270931 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict between males and females over mating is common. Females that copulate with extrapair mates outside the pair-bond may gain (i) direct benefits such as resources or increased paternal care, (ii) indirect genetic benefits for their offspring, or (iii) insurance against infertility in their own social mate. Few studies have been able to demonstrate the different contexts in which females receive varying types of benefits from extrapair mates. Here, I examined sexual conflict, female extrapair mate choice, and patterns of extrapair paternity in the cooperatively breeding superb starling Lamprotornis superbus using microsatellite markers. Although extrapair paternity was lower than many other avian cooperative breeders (14% of offspring and 25% of nests), females exhibited two distinct mating patterns: half of the extrapair fertilizations were with males from inside the group, whereas half were with males from outside the group. Females with few potential helpers copulated with extrapair mates from within their group and thereby gained direct benefits in the form of additional helpers at the nest, whereas females paired to mates that were relatively less heterozygous than themselves copulated with extrapair mates from outside the group and thereby gained indirect genetic benefits in the form of increased offspring heterozygosity. Females did not appear to gain fertility insurance from copulating with extrapair mates. This is the first study to show that individuals from the same population mate with extrapair males and gain both direct and indirect benefits, but that they do so in different contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2702, USA.
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37
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Pfaff JA, Zanette L, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, MacDougall-Shackleton EA. Song repertoire size varies with HVC volume and is indicative of male quality in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:2035-40. [PMID: 17567560 PMCID: PMC2275172 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2007] [Revised: 05/17/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex birdsong is a classic example of a sexually selected ornamental trait. In many species, females prefer males with large song repertoires, possibly because repertoire size is limited by the size of song control nuclei which reflect developmental success. We investigated whether song repertoire size was indicative of brain area and male quality in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) by determining if repertoire size was related to the volume of song control nucleus HVC, as well as several morphological, immunological and genetic indices of quality. We found that males with large repertoires had larger HVCs and were in better body condition. They also had lower heterophil to lymphocyte ratios, indicating less physiological stress and a robust immune system as measured by the number of lymphocytes per red blood cell. Song repertoire size also tended to increase with neutral-locus genetic diversity, as assessed by mean d2, but was not related to internal relatedness. Our results suggest several mechanisms that might explain the finding of a recent study that song sparrows with large song repertoires have higher lifetime fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Pfaff
- Department of Biology, University of Western OntarioLondon, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Liana Zanette
- Department of Biology, University of Western OntarioLondon, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
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38
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MHC-associated mating strategies and the importance of overall genetic diversity in an obligate pair-living primate. Evol Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-007-9186-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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39
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Brouwer L, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a bottlenecked island species: a case study on the Seychelles warbler. Mol Ecol 2007; 16:3134-44. [PMID: 17651192 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03370.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We used capture-mark-recapture models to investigate the effects of both individual and parental heterozygosity, measured at microsatellite loci on the survival of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis), an endemic island species which went through a severe population bottleneck in the middle of the last century. We found that an individual's survival was not correlated with multilocus heterozygosity, or with heterozygosity at any specific locus. However, maternal, but not paternal, multilocus heterozygosity was positively associated with offspring survival, but only in years with low survival probabilities. A nestling cross-fostering experiment showed that this was a direct maternal effect as there was an effect of the genetic mother's, but not of the social mother's, heterozygosity. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations at microsatellite markers were generally assumed to reflect genome-wide effects. Although this might be true in partially inbred populations, such correlations may also arise as a result of local effects with specific markers being closely linked to genes which determine fitness. However, heterozygosity at the individual microsatellite loci was not correlated and therefore does not seem to reflect genome-wide heterozygosity. This suggests that even in a small bottlenecked population, heterozygosity-fitness correlations may not be caused by genome-wide effects. Support for the local effects hypothesis was also equivocal; although three specific loci were associated with offspring survival, including all single-locus heterozygosities as independent predictors for the variation in survival was not supported by the data. Furthermore, in contrast to the local effects hypothesis, the loci which contributed most to the heterozygosity-survival relationship were not more polymorphic than the other loci. This study highlights the difficulties in distinguishing between the two hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Brouwer
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands.
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40
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Marshall RC, Buchanan KL, Catchpole CK. Song and female choice for extrapair copulations in the sedge warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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41
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Cohas A, Yoccoz NG, Allainé D. Extra-pair paternity in alpine marmots, Marmota marmota: genetic quality and genetic diversity effects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-006-0341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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Kempenaers B. Mate Choice and Genetic Quality: A Review of the Heterozygosity Theory. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(07)37005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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43
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Foerster K, Valcu M, Johnsen A, Kempenaers B. A spatial genetic structure and effects of relatedness on mate choice in a wild bird population. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:4555-67. [PMID: 17107482 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.03091.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Inbreeding depression, as commonly found in natural populations, should favour the evolution of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. If natal dispersal, the first and probably most effective mechanism, does not lead to a complete separation of males and females from a common origin, a small-scale genetic population structure may result and other mechanisms to avoid inbreeding may exist. We studied the genetic population structure and individual mating patterns in blue tits (Parus caeruleus). The population showed a local genetic structure in two out of four years: genetic relatedness between individuals (estimated from microsatellite markers) decreased with distance. This pattern was mainly caused by immigrants to the study area; these, if paired with fellow immigrants, were more related than expected by chance. Since blue tits did not avoid inbreeding with their social partner, we examined if individuals preferred less related partners at later stages of the mate choice process. We found no evidence that females or males avoided inbreeding through extra-pair copulations or through mate desertion and postbreeding dispersal. Although the small-scale genetic population structure suggests that blue tits could use a simple rule of thumb to select less related mates, females did not generally prefer more distantly breeding extra-pair partners. However, the proportion of young fathered by an extra-pair male in mixed paternity broods depended on the genetic relatedness with the female. This suggests that there is a fertilization bias towards less related copulation partners and that blue tits are able to reduce the costs of inbreeding through a postcopulatory process.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Foerster
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics, PO Box 1564, D-82305 Starnberg/Seewiesen, Germany.
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44
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Oh KP, Badyaev AV. Adaptive genetic complementarity in mate choice coexists with selection for elaborate sexual traits. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:1913-9. [PMID: 16822752 PMCID: PMC1634773 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Choice of genetically unrelated mates is widely documented, yet it is not known how self-referential mate choice can co-occur with commonly observed directional selection on sexual displays. Across 10 breeding seasons in a wild bird population, we found strong fitness benefits of matings between genetically unrelated partners and show that self-referential choice of genetically unrelated mates alternates with sexual selection on elaborate plumage. Seasonal cycles of diminishing variation in ornamentation, caused by early pairing of the most elaborated males, and influx of increasingly genetically unrelated available mates caused by female-biased dispersal, lead to temporal fluctuations in the target of mate choice and enabled coexistence of directional selection for ornament elaboration with adaptive pairing of genetically unrelated partners.
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45
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Setchell JM, Charpentier MJE, Bedjabaga IB, Reed P, Wickings EJ, Knapp LA. Secondary sexual characters and female quality in primates. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-006-0260-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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46
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Lehmann L, Keller LF, Kokko H. Mate choice evolution, dominance effects, and the maintenance of genetic variation. J Theor Biol 2006; 244:282-95. [PMID: 16979189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2006] [Revised: 07/12/2006] [Accepted: 07/25/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Female mate choice influences the maintenance of genetic variation by altering the mating success of males with different genotypes. The evolution of preferences themselves, on the other hand, depends on genetic variation present in the population. Few models have tracked this feedback between a choice gene and its effects on genetic variation, in particular when genes that determine offspring viability and attractiveness have dominance effects. Here we build a population genetic model that allows comparing the evolution of various choice rules in a single framework. We first consider preferences for good genes and show that focused preferences for homozygotes evolve more easily than broad preferences, which allow heterozygous males high mating success too. This occurs despite better maintenance of genetic diversity in the latter scenario, and we discuss why empirical findings of superior mating success of heterozygous males consequently do not immediately lead to a better understanding of the lek paradox. Our results thus suggest that the mechanisms that help maintain genetic diversity also have a flipside of making female choice an inaccurate means of producing the desired kind of offspring. We then consider preferences for heterozygosity per se, and show that these evolve only under very special conditions. Choice for compatible genotypes can evolve but its selective advantage diminishes quickly due to frequency-dependent selection. Finally, we show that our model reproduces earlier results on selfing, when the female choice strategy produces assortative mating. Overall, our model indicates that various forms of heterozygote-favouring (or variable) female choice pose a problem for the theory of sexual ornamentation based on indirect benefits, rather than a solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Lehmann
- Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamic, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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47
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Dawson DA, Burke T, Hansson B, Pandhal J, Hale MC, Hinten GN, Slate J. A predicted microsatellite map of the passerine genome based on chicken-passerine sequence similarity. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:1299-320. [PMID: 16626455 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.02803.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract We present a predicted passerine genome map consisting of 196 microsatellite markers distributed across 25 chromosomes. The map was constructed by assigning chromosomal locations based on the sequence similarity between 550 publicly available passerine microsatellites and the draft chicken genome sequence published by the International Chicken Genome Sequencing Consortium. We compared this passerine microsatellite map with a recently published great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) linkage map derived from the segregation of marker alleles in a pedigree of a natural population. Twenty-four microsatellite markers were shared between the two maps, distributed across ten chromosomes. Synteny was maintained between the predicted passerine microsatellite map and the great reed warbler linkage map, confirming the validity and accuracy of our approach. Possible applications of the predicted passerine microsatellite map include genome mapping; quantitative trait locus (QTL) discovery; understanding heterozygosity-fitness correlations; investigating avian karyotype evolution; understanding microsatellite mutation processes; and for identifying loci conserved in multiple species, unlinked loci for use in genotyping sets and sex-linked markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Dawson
- Sheffield Molecular Genetics Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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48
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Andersson M, Simmons LW. Sexual selection and mate choice. Trends Ecol Evol 2006; 21:296-302. [PMID: 16769428 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2006.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 682] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2005] [Revised: 02/16/2006] [Accepted: 03/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The past two decades have seen extensive growth of sexual selection research. Theoretical and empirical work has clarified many components of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection, such as aggressive competition, mate choice, sperm utilization and sexual conflict. Genetic mechanisms of mate choice evolution have been less amenable to empirical testing, but molecular genetic analyses can now be used for incisive experimentation. Here, we highlight some of the currently debated areas in pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection. We identify where new techniques can help estimate the relative roles of the various selection mechanisms that might work together in the evolution of mating preferences and attractive traits, and in sperm-egg interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Andersson
- Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Simmons LW. The Evolution of Polyandry: Sperm Competition, Sperm Selection, and Offspring Viability. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2005. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.102403.112501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 377] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W. Simmons
- Evolutionary Biology Research Group, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia;
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Genetic similarity of social mates predicts the level of extrapair paternity in splendid fairy-wrens. Anim Behav 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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