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Lyu ZT, Zeng ZC, Wan H, Li Q, Tominaga A, Nishikawa K, Matsui M, Li SZ, Jiang ZW, Liu Y, Wang YY. Contrasting nidification behaviors facilitate diversification and colonization of the Music frogs under a changing paleoclimate. Commun Biol 2024; 7:638. [PMID: 38796601 PMCID: PMC11127999 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to cope with the complexity and variability of the terrestrial environment, amphibians have developed a wide range of reproductive and parental behaviors. Nest building occurs in some anuran species as parental care. Species of the Music frog genus Nidirana are known for their unique courtship behavior and mud nesting in several congeners. However, the evolution of these frogs and their nidification behavior has yet to be studied. With phylogenomic and phylogeographic analyses based on a wide sampling of the genus, we find that Nidirana originated from central-southwestern China and the nidification behavior initially evolved at ca 19.3 Ma but subsequently lost in several descendants. Further population genomic analyses suggest that the nidification species have an older diversification and colonization history, while N. adenopleura complex congeners that do not exhibit nidification behavior have experienced a recent rapid radiation. The presence and loss of the nidification behavior in the Music frogs may be associated with paleoclimatic factors such as temperature and precipitation. This study highlights the nidification behavior as a key evolutionary innovation that has contributed to the diversification of an amphibian group under past climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Tong Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610040, China
| | - Zhao-Chi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Han Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Qin Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Atsushi Tominaga
- Faculty of Education, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1 Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
| | - Kanto Nishikawa
- Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-hon-machi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masafumi Matsui
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihon-matsu, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shi-Ze Li
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Moutai Institute, Renhuai, 564500, China
| | - Zhong-Wen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Ying-Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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Valencia-Aguilar A, Ringler E, Lüpold S, Guayasamin JM, Prado CPA. Evolutionary trade-offs between testes size and parenting in Neotropical glassfrogs. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240054. [PMID: 38351799 PMCID: PMC10865008 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In males, large testes size signifies high sperm production and is commonly linked to heightened sperm competition levels. It may also evolve as a response to an elevated risk of sperm depletion due to multiple mating or large clutch sizes. Conversely, weapons, mate or clutch guarding may allow individuals to monopolize mating events and preclude sperm competition, thereby reducing the selection of large testes. Herein, we examined how paternal care, sexual size dimorphism (SSD), weaponry and female fecundity are linked to testes size in glassfrogs. We found that paternal care was associated with a reduction in relative testes size, suggesting an evolutionary trade-off between testes size and parenting. Although females were slightly larger than males and species with paternal care tended to have larger clutches, there was no significant relationship between SSD, clutch size and relative testes size. These findings suggest that the evolution of testes size in glassfrogs is influenced by sperm competition risk, rather than sperm depletion risk. We infer that clutch guarding precludes the risk of fertilization by other males and consequently diminishes selective pressure for larger testes. Our study highlights the prominent role of paternal care in the evolution of testes size in species with external fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyelet Valencia-Aguilar
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Lüpold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juan M. Guayasamin
- Instituto Biósfera USFQ, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Cynthia P. A. Prado
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, FCAV, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, São Paulo 14884-900, Brazil
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Angiolani‐Larrea FN, Jindiachi L, Tinajero‐Romero JG, Valencia‐Aguilar A, Garrido‐Priego M, Culebras J, Ringler E. Egg burying behaviour in Pristimantis highlights the link between direct development and specialised parental care. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10808. [PMID: 38099135 PMCID: PMC10719609 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10808] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most extreme adaptations to terrestriality in anurans is direct development, where eggs from terrestrial clutches entirely circumvent an aquatic tadpole stage and directly develop into small froglets. We here report the first case of egg-burying behaviour in a neotropical direct-developing frog with subsequent short-term maternal care. An amplectant pair of Pristimantis chocoensis was found at the Reserva Canandé in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, and we recorded oviposition and the later rotation and active burying of the clutch by the female. Both parents remained close to the nest area the following day. This rare observation sheds light on the complex but often cryptic reproductive behaviours of terrestrial amphibians and suggests that the evolution of direct development has selected for highly specialized forms of parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lelis Jindiachi
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Pueblo Shuar ArutamFederacion Interprovincial Centros Shuar (FICSH)SucúaEcuador
| | - José Gabriel Tinajero‐Romero
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Present address:
Escuela de BiologiaUniversidad de Costa RicaSan JoséCosta Rica
| | - Anyelet Valencia‐Aguilar
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Marina Garrido‐Priego
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Jaime Culebras
- Photo Wildlife ToursQuitoEcuador
- Fundación Cóndor AndinoQuitoEcuador
| | - Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
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5
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Székely T. Evolution of reproductive strategies: sex roles, sex ratios and phylogenies. Biol Futur 2023; 74:351-357. [PMID: 37723361 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-023-00177-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural variations associated with breeding-termed reproductive strategies-are some of the striking behaviours that have occupied naturalists for 1000s of years. How an animal seeks, competes for and/or chooses a mate? Do they breed with a single partner, or do they change partners between breeding events? How and when do they look after their young? Behavioural biologists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists have investigated these questions using quantitative methods since 1970s. In Debrecen, with the support and mentoring of Prof Zoltán Varga, we are investigating the causes and implications of reproductive strategies since 1988. This article reviews some of the core ideas in reproductive strategies research and explains the influence of Prof Varga on the development of these ideas. My main thesis here is that both integrative thinking and adopting a multi-pronged research approach using an explicit phylogenetic framework-both of these have been spearheaded by Prof Varga throughout his lifetime-can reveal novel aspects of reproductive strategies. Importantly, some of these academic insights have direct implications for preserving species and their habitats in the wild, and thus benefit biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
- ELKH - DE Reproductive strategies Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Tér 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
- Debrecen Biodiversity Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
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6
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Katona G, Szabó F, Végvári Z, Székely T, Liker A, Freckleton RP, Vági B, Székely T. Evolution of reproductive modes in sharks and rays. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1630-1640. [PMID: 37885147 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The ecological and life history drivers of the diversification of reproductive modes in early vertebrates are not fully understood. Sharks, rays and chimaeras (group Chondrichthyes) have an unusually diverse variety of reproductive modes and are thus an ideal group to test the factors driving the evolution of reproductive complexity. Here, using 960 species representing all major Chondrichthyes taxa, we reconstruct the evolution of their reproduction modes and investigate the ecological and life history predictors of reproduction. We show that the ancestral Chondrichthyes state was egg-laying and find multiple independent transitions between egg-laying and live-bearing via an intermediate state of yolk-only live-bearing. Using phylogenetically informed analysis, we also show that live-bearing species have larger body size and larger offspring than egg-laying species. In addition, live-bearing species are distributed over shallow to intermediate depths, while egg-layers are typically found in deeper waters. This suggests that live-bearing is more closely associated with pelagic, rather than demersal habitats. Taken together, using a basal vertebrate group as a model, we demonstrat how reproductive mode co-evolves with environmental conditions and life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Katona
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Flóra Szabó
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Végvári
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Budapest, Hungary
- Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - András Liker
- MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Balázs Vági
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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7
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Ringler E, Rojas B, Stynoski JL, Schulte LM. What Amphibians Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Parental Care. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2023; 54:43-62. [PMID: 38989250 PMCID: PMC7616154 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102221-050519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Parenting is considered a key evolutionary innovation that contributed to the diversification and expansion of vertebrates. However, we know little about how such diversity evolved. Amphibians are an ideal group in which to identify the ecological factors that have facilitated or constrained the evolution of different forms of parental care. Among, but also within, the three amphibian orders-Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona-there is a high level of variation in habitat use, fertilization mode, mating systems, and parental sex roles. Recent work using broad phylogenetic, experimental, and physiological approaches has helped to uncover the factors that have selected for the evolution of care and transitions between different forms of parenting. Here, we highlight the exceptional diversity of amphibian parental care, emphasize the unique opportunities this group offers for addressing key questions about the evolution of parenting, and give insights into promising novel directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Lisa M Schulte
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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8
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Maternal Provisioning of Alkaloid Defenses are Present in Obligate but not Facultative Egg Feeding Dendrobatids. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:900-909. [PMID: 36564635 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01394-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Poison frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from a diet of largely mites and ants. As a result, frogs are defended against certain predators and microbial infections. Frogs in the genus Oophaga exhibit complex maternal care, wherein mothers transport recently hatched tadpoles to nursery pools and return regularly to supply developing tadpoles with unfertilized (nutritive) eggs. Developing tadpoles are obligate egg feeders. Further, female O. pumilio and O. sylvatica maternally provision their nutritive eggs with alkaloid defenses, providing protection to their developing tadpoles at a vulnerable life-stage. In another genus of poison frog, Ranitomeya, tadpoles only receive and consume eggs facultatively, and it is currently unknown if mothers also provision these eggs (and thus their tadpoles) with alkaloid defenses. Here, we provide evidence that mother frogs of another species in the genus Oophaga (Oophaga granulifera) also provision alkaloid defenses to their tadpoles. We also provide evidence that Ranitomeya imitator and R. variabilis eggs and tadpoles do not contain alkaloids, suggesting that mother frogs in this genus do not provision alkaloid defenses to their offspring. Our findings suggest that among dendrobatid poison frogs, maternal provisioning of alkaloids may be restricted to the obligate egg-feeding members of Oophaga.
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Dugo-Cota A, Vilà C, Rodríguez A, Gonzalez-Voyer A. Influence of microhabitat, fecundity, and parental care on the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in Caribbean Eleutherodactylus frogs. Evolution 2022; 76:3041-3053. [PMID: 36210654 PMCID: PMC10091758 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Rensch's rule suggests that sexual size dimorphism (SSD) increases with species size when males are the larger sex, whereas it decreases when females are the larger sex. However, the process responsible for this pattern remains obscure. SSD can result from sexual selection, such as intrasexual competition for access to mates, or from natural selection, due to resource partitioning or fecundity selection. We studied SSD in Caribbean Eleutherodactylus frogs using phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate the influence of microhabitat, fecundity, and parental care. Our results show that in Caribbean Eleutherodactylus females tend to be larger and, contrary to Rensch's rule, dimorphism increases with species size. SSD was not related to microhabitat use. However, SSD was positively correlated with fecundity, mediated by a greater increase in female size. SSD was also influenced by parental care, suggesting that male care promotes larger male size and reduces the female bias in SSD. As suggested for other anurans, female-biased SSD in Caribbean Eleutherodactylus results from fecundity selection, although the magnitude is countered by increased male size in species with paternal care. Our results highlight the importance of considering various selective forces that may act in concert to influence the evolution of SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Dugo-Cota
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Seville, 41092, Spain
| | - Carles Vilà
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Seville, 41092, Spain
| | - Ariel Rodríguez
- Institut für Zoologie, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, DE-30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alejandro Gonzalez-Voyer
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
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10
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The evolution of parental care in salamanders. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16655. [PMID: 36198742 PMCID: PMC9535019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex parenting has been proposed to contribute to the evolutionary success of vertebrates. However, the evolutionary routes to complex parenting and the role of parenting in vertebrate diversity are still contentious. Although basal vertebrates provide clues to complex reproduction, these are often understudied. Using 181 species that represent all major lineages of an early vertebrate group, the salamanders and newts (Caudata, salamanders henceforth) here we show that fertilisation mode is tied to parental care: male-only care occurs in external fertilisers, whereas female-only care exclusively occurs in internal fertilisers. Importantly, internal fertilisation opens the way to terrestrial reproduction, because fertilised females are able to deposit their eggs on land, and with maternal care provision, the eggs could potentially develop outside the aquatic environment. Taken together, our results of a semi-aquatic early vertebrate group propose that the diversity and follow-up radiation of terrestrial vertebrates are inherently associated with a complex social behaviour, parenting.
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11
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Zheng J, Zuidema E, Zhang Z, Guo M, Székely T, Komdeur J. A novel function of egg burial: burying material prevents eggs rolling out of wind-swayed nests. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Does ecology and life history predict parental cooperation in birds? A comparative analysis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03195-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Shamanna Seshadri K, Thaker M. Correlated evolution of parental care with dichromatism, colors, and patterns in anurans. Evolution 2022; 76:737-748. [PMID: 35245394 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is widespread and has fitness benefits. But caregiving parents incur costs including higher predation, and this may lead to selection for body colors or patterns that help mitigate the risks of caring. The evolution of coloration, including sexual dichromatism, however, can be driven by other factors, such as sexual selection. Therefore, examining the associations between parental care and color patterns may provide key insights into evolutionary patterns and selection pressures for parental care. Our comparative analysis of 988 anuran species reveals that dichromatic species are less likely to provide parental care, irrespective of the caregiving sex, and are more likely to breed in aquatic habitats. We then examined whether dorsal colors and patterns that enhance crypticity or function as aposematic signals are associated with the caregiving sex, and the modality of care (transport or stationary). Only caregiving males are more likely to have dorsal Stripes, but none of the colors (Green-Brown, Red, Yellow, Blue-Black) and other patterns (Plain, Bands, Spots, Mottled-Patches) were associated with caregiving females or the modality of care. Overall, sexual dichromatism, breeding ecology, and parental care are associated, but the evolution of caregiving behavior does not appear to influence the myriad colors and patterns characteristic of anurans globally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
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14
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Song Z, Liker A, Liu Y, Székely T. Evolution of social organization: phylogenetic analyses of ecology and sexual selection in weavers. Am Nat 2022; 200:250-263. [DOI: 10.1086/720270] [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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15
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Gonzalez-Voyer A, Thomas GH, Liker A, Krüger O, Komdeur J, Székely T. Sex roles in birds: Phylogenetic analyses of the influence of climate, life histories and social environment. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:647-660. [PMID: 35199926 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sex roles describe sex differences in courtship, mate competition, social pair-bonds and parental care. A key challenge is to identify associations among the components and the drivers of sex roles. Here, we investigate sex roles using data from over 1800 bird species. We found extensive variation and lability in proxies of sex roles, indicating remarkably independent evolution among sex role components. Climate and life history showed weak associations with sex roles. However, adult sex ratio is associated with sexual dimorphism, mating system and parental care, suggesting that social environment is central to explaining variation in sex roles among birds. Our results suggest that sex differences in reproductive behaviour are the result of diverse and idiosyncratic responses to selection. Further understanding of sex roles requires studies at the population level to test how local responses to ecology, life histories and mating opportunities drive processes that shape sex role variation among higher taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gonzalez-Voyer
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - András Liker
- MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Behaviour, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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16
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Weijola V. Observations and evolutionary considerations on trophic egg provisioning in snakeheads (Teleostei: Channidae). J NAT HIST 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2037775] [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)
- Valter Weijola
- Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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17
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Brooks GC, Kindsvater HK. Early Development Drives Variation in Amphibian Vulnerability to Global Change. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.813414] [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
Understanding how natural selection determines species’ life histories can reveal their resilience or sensitivity to anthropogenic changes. For example, the safe harbor hypothesis posits that natural selection will favor life histories that maximize the time spent in the safest life stages; a second theoretical prediction suggests that species with complex life histories will maximize the growth potential of a life stage relative to its safety. Amphibians exhibit complex life histories, with a diversity of developmental strategies occurring across taxa. Many strategies involve the complete elimination of a particular life stage, and thus provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the main tenets of the safe harbor hypothesis and understand the consequences of this developmental variation for conservation of threatened amphibians. We develop a general framework for understanding developmental life histories of amphibians – including the special cases of paedomorphism, direct development, and viviparity – based on the relative growth potential and safety offered by aquatic and terrestrial habitat, which we tested using a global trait database. We then compare the IUCN Red List status of species differing in developmental mode, revealing that most fully aquatic species and species with an aquatic larval stage are currently of Least Concern, despite the fact that freshwater habitats are being lost at a much faster rate compared with terrestrial ecosystems. The higher proportion of direct developing and viviparous species that are threatened can be attributed to their smaller ranges, the fact that they are more likely to be found in rainforest habitats, and their relatively slow life histories. We conclude that an amphibian’s developmental mode reflects the relative costs and benefits of different habitats, and that this could contribute to the resilience or vulnerability of amphibians to future anthropogenic change.
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18
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Gould J, Beranek C, Valdez J, Mahony M. Quantity
versus
quality: A balance between egg and clutch size among Australian amphibians in relation to other life‐history variables. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Gould
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales 2308 Australia
| | - Chad Beranek
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales 2308 Australia
- FAUNA Research Alliance PO Box 5092, Kahibah New South Wales 2290 Australia
| | - Jose Valdez
- Department of Bioscience – Kalø Aarhus University Grenåvej 14, 8410 Rønde Denmark
| | - Michael Mahony
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales 2308 Australia
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19
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Fouquet A, Cornuault J, Rodrigues MT, Werneck FP, Hrbek T, Acosta-Galvis AR, Massemin D, J. R. Kok P, Ernst R. Diversity, biogeography and reproductive evolution in the genus Pipa (Amphibia: Anura: Pipidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 170:107442. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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20
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Westrick SE, Laslo M, Fischer E. Natural History of Model Organisms: The big potential of the small frog Eleutherodactylus coqui. eLife 2022; 11:73401. [PMID: 35029143 PMCID: PMC8824473 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The Puerto Rican coquí frog Eleutherodactylus coqui is both a cultural icon and a species with an unusual natural history that has attracted attention from researchers in a number of different fields within biology. Unlike most frogs, the coquí frog skips the tadpole stage, which makes it of interest to developmental biologists. The frog is best known in Puerto Rico for its notoriously loud mating call, which has allowed researchers to study aspects of social behavior such as vocal communication and courtship, while the ability of coquí to colonize new habitats has been used to explore the biology of invasive species. This article reviews existing studies on the natural history of E. coqui and discusses opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Westrick
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Mara Laslo
- Curriculum Fellow Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Eva Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana and Champaign, United States
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21
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Furness AI, Venditti C, Capellini I. Terrestrial reproduction and parental care drive rapid evolution in the trade-off between offspring size and number across amphibians. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001495. [PMID: 34982764 PMCID: PMC8726499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between offspring size and number is central to life history strategies. Both the evolutionary gain of parental care or more favorable habitats for offspring development are predicted to result in fewer, larger offspring. However, despite much research, it remains unclear whether and how different forms of care and habitats drive the evolution of the trade-off. Using data for over 800 amphibian species, we demonstrate that, after controlling for allometry, amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviors and adaptations vary in their effects on the trade-off. Specifically, among the 11 care forms we considered at the egg, tadpole and juvenile stage, egg brooding, male egg attendance, and female egg attendance increase egg size; female tadpole attendance and tadpole feeding decrease egg size, while egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and male tadpole transport decrease clutch size. Unlike egg size that shows exceptionally high rates of phenotypic change in just 19 branches of the amphibian phylogeny, clutch size has evolved at exceptionally high rates in 135 branches, indicating episodes of strong selection; egg and tadpole environment, direct development, egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and tadpole transport explain 80% of these events. By explicitly considering diversity in parental care and offspring habitat by stage of offspring development, this study demonstrates that more favorable conditions for offspring development promote the evolution of larger offspring in smaller broods and reveals that the diversity of parental care forms influences the trade-off in more nuanced ways than previously appreciated. What selective pressures alter the tradeoff between offspring size and number? A phylogenetic comparative approach shows that amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviours and adaptations vary in their effects on the tradeoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I. Furness
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
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22
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Jara FG, Úbeda C, Moncada M, Perotti MG. Natural history traits of the terrestrial breeding frog Batrachyla taeniata (Anura: Batrachylidae) in wet meadows of Patagonia. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2021.2005394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabián Gastón Jara
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional Del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Carmen Úbeda
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad Nacional Del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Marisol Moncada
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad Nacional Del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - María Gabriela Perotti
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional Del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
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23
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Bókony V, Ujhegyi N, Mikó Z, Erös R, Hettyey A, Vili N, Gál Z, Hoffmann OI, Nemesházi E. Sex Reversal and Performance in Fitness-Related Traits During Early Life in Agile Frogs. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.745752] [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
Sex reversal is a mismatch between genetic sex (sex chromosomes) and phenotypic sex (reproductive organs and secondary sexual traits). It can be induced in various ectothermic vertebrates by environmental perturbations, such as extreme temperatures or chemical pollution, experienced during embryonic or larval development. Theoretical studies and recent empirical evidence suggest that sex reversal may be widespread in nature and may impact individual fitness and population dynamics. So far, however, little is known about the performance of sex-reversed individuals in fitness-related traits compared to conspecifics whose phenotypic sex is concordant with their genetic sex. Using a novel molecular marker set for diagnosing genetic sex in agile frogs (Rana dalmatina), we investigated fitness-related traits in larvae and juveniles that underwent spontaneous female-to-male sex reversal in the laboratory. We found only a few differences in early life growth, development, and larval behavior between sex-reversed and sex-concordant individuals, and altogether these differences did not clearly support either higher or lower fitness prospects for sex-reversed individuals. Putting these results together with earlier findings suggesting that sex reversal triggered by heat stress may be associated with low fitness in agile frogs, we propose the hypothesis that the fitness consequences of sex reversal may depend on its etiology.
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24
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Carvajal-Castro JD, Vargas-Salinas F, Casas-Cardona S, Rojas B, Santos JC. Aposematism facilitates the diversification of parental care strategies in poison frogs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19047. [PMID: 34561489 PMCID: PMC8463664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97206-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved adaptations to increase the odds of survival of their offspring. Parental care has evolved several times in animals including ectotherms. In amphibians, ~ 10% of species exhibit parental care. Among these, poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are well-known for their extensive care, which includes egg guarding, larval transport, and specialized tadpole provisioning with trophic eggs. At least one third of dendrobatids displaying aposematism by exhibiting warning coloration that informs potential predators about the presence of defensive skin toxins. Aposematism has a central role in poison frog diversification, including diet specialization, and visual and acoustic communication; and it is thought to have impacted their reproductive biology as well. We tested the latter association using multivariate phylogenetic methods at the family level. Our results show complex relationships between aposematism and certain aspects of the reproductive biology in dendrobatids. In particular, aposematic species tend to use more specialized tadpole-deposition sites, such as phytotelmata, and ferry fewer tadpoles than non-aposematic species. We propose that aposematism may have facilitated the diversification of microhabitat use in dendrobatids in the context of reproduction. Furthermore, the use of resource-limited tadpole-deposition environments may have evolved in tandem with an optimal reproductive strategy characterized by few offspring, biparental care, and female provisioning of food in the form of unfertilized eggs. We also found that in phytotelm-breeders, the rate of transition from cryptic to aposematic phenotype is 17 to 19 times higher than vice versa. Therefore, we infer that the aposematism in dendrobatids might serve as an umbrella trait for the evolution and maintenance of their complex offspring-caring activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D. Carvajal-Castro
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA ,grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Fernando Vargas-Salinas
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Santiago Casas-Cardona
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland ,grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan C. Santos
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA
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25
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Fouilloux CA, Serrano Rojas SJ, Carvajal‐Castro JD, Valkonen JK, Gaucher P, Fischer M, Pašukonis A, Rojas B. Pool choice in a vertical landscape: Tadpole-rearing site flexibility in phytotelm-breeding frogs. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9021-9038. [PMID: 34257942 PMCID: PMC8258215 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of Neotropical frogs have evolved to deposit their tadpoles in small water bodies inside plant structures called phytotelmata. These pools are small enough to exclude large predators but have limited nutrients and high desiccation risk. Here, we explore phytotelm use by three common Neotropical species: Osteocephalus oophagus, an arboreal frog that periodically feeds eggs to its tadpoles; Dendrobates tinctorius, a tadpole-transporting poison frog with cannibalistic tadpoles; and Allobates femoralis, a terrestrial tadpole-transporting poison frog with omnivorous tadpoles. We found that D. tinctorius occupies pools across the chemical and vertical gradient, whereas A. femoralis and O. oophagus appear to have narrower deposition options that are restricted primarily by pool height, water capacity, alkalinity, and salinity. Dendrobates tinctorius tadpoles are particularly flexible and can survive in a wide range of chemical, physical, and biological conditions, whereas O. oophagus seems to prefer small, clear pools and A. femoralis occupies medium-sized pools with abundant leaf litter and low salinity. Together, these results show the possible niche partitioning of phytotelmata among frogs and provide insight into stressors and resilience of phytotelm breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Fouilloux
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | | | - Juan David Carvajal‐Castro
- Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von HumboldtBogotáColombia
- Department of Biological SciencesSt. John’s UniversityQueensNYUSA
| | - Janne K. Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR LEEISA—Laboratoire EcologieEvolution, Interactions des Systèmes AmazoniensCNRS‐GuyaneCayenneFrench Guiana
| | | | - Andrius Pašukonis
- Department of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCAUSA
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionelle et EvolutiveCNRSMontpellier Cedex 5France
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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26
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Rocha SMCDA, Lima AP, Kaefer IL. Key roles of paternal care and climate on offspring survival of an Amazonian poison frog. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2021; 93:e20210067. [PMID: 33909755 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120210067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In poison frogs (Dendrobatoidea), usually the males are territorial, care for terrestrial nests and later transport their offspring to waterbodies where they complete larval development. In some species, mothers care for their offspring or may exhibit flexible care to compensate for father absence. We conducted a multi-season field experiment with the Amazonian species Allobates paleovarzensis, in which it was possible to study the joint impact of paternal care and the El Niño climatic anomaly on offspring survival. The experiment consisted of two treatments: non-removal, and removal of the father from their territories. We observed that parental care was performed exclusively by the father, and none of the mothers of the 21 monitored nests transported the tadpoles. We also observed that the severe drought in a year under the influence of the El Niño event caused such a high mortality in all pre-metamorphic stages, that the role of parental care became irrelevant for offspring survival during that season. We found that pre-metamorphic Allobates paleovarzensis are highly vulnerable to the loss of paternal care. In addition, we showed that paternal care, when present, does not prevent offspring death under these increasingly frequent climatic anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulamita M C DA Rocha
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Albertina Pimentel Lima
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Igor Luis Kaefer
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, 69077-000 Manaus, AM, Brazil
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27
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Liedtke HC, Soler-Navarro DJ, Gomez-Mestre I, Loader SP, Rödel MO. Parallel diversification of the African tree toad genus Nectophryne (Bufonidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 162:107184. [PMID: 33932615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
African amphibian diversity remains underestimated with many cryptic lineages awaiting formal description. An important hotspot of amphibian diversification is the Guineo-Congolian rainforest in Central Africa, its richness attributable to present day and ancestral range fragmentation through geological barriers, habitat expansion and contraction, and the presence of steep ecological gradients. The charismatic Nectophryne tree toads present an interesting case study for diversification in this region. The two formally described species comprising this genus show nearly identical geographic distributions extending across most of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest, but show little morphological disparity. Both species harbour extensive genetic diversity warranting taxonomic revisions, and interestingly, when comparing the subclades within each, the two species show remarkably parallel diversification histories, both in terms of timing of phylogenetic splits and their geographic distributions. This indicates that common processes may have shaped the evolutionary history of these lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Christoph Liedtke
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Diego J Soler-Navarro
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Simon P Loader
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Biodiversity Dynamics, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany
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28
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Males and females of a polygamous songbird respond differently to mating opportunities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03000-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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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29
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Gonçalves Dias E, da Costa EF, Roberto IJ, Santos EMD. Behavioural parental care repertoire in Frostius pernambucensis (Anura, Bufonidae). J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1909164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emerson Gonçalves Dias
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brasil
| | - Elvira F. da Costa
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brasil
| | | | - Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brasil
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30
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Malagoli LR, Pezzuti TL, Bang DL, Faivovich J, Lyra ML, Giovanelli JGR, Garcia PCDA, Sawaya RJ, Haddad CFB. A new reproductive mode in anurans: Natural history of Bokermannohyla astartea (Anura: Hylidae) with the description of its tadpole and vocal repertoire. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246401. [PMID: 33596209 PMCID: PMC7888631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anurans have the greatest diversity of reproductive modes among tetrapod vertebrates, with at least 41 being currently recognized. We describe a new reproductive mode for anurans, as exhibited by the Paranapiacaba Treefrog, Bokermannohyla astartea, an endemic and poorly known species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest belonging to the B. circumdata group. We also describe other aspects of its reproductive biology, that are relevant to understanding the new reproductive mode, such as courtship behavior, spawning, and tadpoles. Additionally, we redescribe its advertisement call and extend its vocal repertoire by describing three additional call types: courtship, amplectant, and presumed territorial. The new reproductive mode exhibited by B. astartea consists of: (1) deposition of aquatic eggs in leaf-tanks of terrestrial or epiphytic bromeliads located on or over the banks of temporary or permanent streams; (2) exotrophic tadpoles remain in the leaf-tanks during initial stages of development (until Gosner stage 26), after which they presumably jump or are transported to streams after heavy rains that flood their bromeliad tanks; and (3) tadpole development completes in streams. The tadpoles of B. astartea are similar to those of other species of the B. circumdata group, although with differences in the spiracle, eyes, and oral disc. The vocal repertoire of B. astartea exhibits previously unreported acoustic complexity for the genus. Bokermannohyla astartea is the only bromeligenous species known to date among the 187 known species within the tribe Cophomantini. We further discuss evolutionary hypotheses for the origin of this novel reproductive mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Ramos Malagoli
- Núcleo São Sebastião, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Fundação para a Conservação e a Produção Florestal do Estado de São Paulo, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade e Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Leite Pezzuti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Davi Lee Bang
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Departamento de Biologia/FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julián Faivovich
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lúcio Lyra
- Departamento de Biodiversidade e Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Gabriel Ribeiro Giovanelli
- Departamento de Biodiversidade e Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Christiano de Anchietta Garcia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Jannini Sawaya
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
- Departamento de Biodiversidade e Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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31
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Meiri S, Murali G, Zimin A, Shak L, Itescu Y, Caetano G, Roll U. Different solutions lead to similar life history traits across the great divides of the amniote tree of life. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:3. [PMID: 33557958 PMCID: PMC7869468 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-021-00134-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Amniote vertebrates share a suite of extra-embryonic membranes that distinguish them from anamniotes. Other than that, however, their reproductive characteristics could not be more different. They differ in basic ectothermic vs endothermic physiology, in that two clades evolved powered flight, and one clade evolved a protective shell. In terms of reproductive strategies, some produce eggs and others give birth to live young, at various degrees of development. Crucially, endotherms provide lengthy parental care, including thermal and food provisioning—whereas ectotherms seldom do. These differences could be expected to manifest themselves in major differences between clades in quantitative reproductive traits. We review the reproductive characteristics, and the distributions of brood sizes, breeding frequencies, offspring sizes and their derivatives (yearly fecundity and biomass production rates) of the four major amniote clades (mammals, birds, turtles and squamates), and several major subclades (birds: Palaeognathae, Galloanserae, Neoaves; mammals: Metatheria and Eutheria). While there are differences between these clades in some of these traits, they generally show similar ranges, distribution shapes and central tendencies across birds, placental mammals and squamates. Marsupials and turtles, however, differ in having smaller offspring, a strategy which subsequently influences other traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Gopal Murali
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - Anna Zimin
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Shak
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuval Itescu
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriel Caetano
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - Uri Roll
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
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Valencia-Aguilar A, Guayasamin JM, Prado CPA. Alloparental care in glassfrogs: males care for unrelated clutches only when associated with their own. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1386. [PMID: 33446869 PMCID: PMC7809452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80771-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental care is costly, thus theory predicts that parents should avoid caring for unrelated offspring. However, alloparenting has been reported in many taxa because it may increase the caregiver mating success or offspring survival. We experimentally investigated the existence of allopaternal care in two glassfrog species, Hyalinobatrachium chirripoi and Centrolene peristicta, and discussed possible costs and benefits. Males mated with multiple females and cared for clutches, while continued to call. In the field, we randomly placed unrelated clutches in the territory of males already caring for their clutches and in the territory of non-attending males. Attending males adopted unrelated clutches, whereas non-attending males abandoned their territories. Once males adopted unrelated offspring, they cared for all clutches in a similar frequency and gained new clutches. Alloparenting was context-dependent, as only males already caring for their clutches adopted unrelated ones. We suggest that steroid hormonal levels might mediate the adoption of unrelated offspring by attending males. Additionally, our results suggest that males do not directly discriminate between related and unrelated offspring. Alloparenting has been widely investigated in different vertebrates, except for amphibians. Thus, our study sheds light on the roles of alloparenting for offspring survival and mating success in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyelet Valencia-Aguilar
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil.
| | - Juan M Guayasamin
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto Biósfera USFQ, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Cumbayá, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3280, USA
| | - Cynthia P A Prado
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
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Lange L, Bégué L, Brischoux F, Lourdais O. The costs of being a good dad: egg-carrying and clutch size impair locomotor performance in male midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Parental care is widespread across the animal kingdom. Parental behaviours are beneficial by increasing offspring survival but induce significant costs to the parents. Because parental care is far more common in females, the associated reproductive costs have been largely studied in this sex. Although male parental care is likely to involve significant costs, it has been markedly less well investigated. We studied the costs of egg-carrying on locomotor performance in an amphibian species (Alytes obstetricans) with male parental care. We examined complementary parameters including hopping performance, righting response, hindleg muscle response to egg burden, and homing time in males carrying or not carrying eggs. We found that carrying males showed altered locomotor performance for most traits. In addition, alteration of performance was closely related to relative clutch size. Clutch desertion occurred in smaller individuals carrying larger relative clutch mass, and performance after desertion was similar to that of non-reproductive individuals. Overall, our study demonstrates that carrying eggs significantly alters male mobility and that performance–clutch size trade-offs are relevant in understanding the evolution of paternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Lange
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Lauriane Bégué
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Field J, Gonzalez-Voyer A, Boulton RA. The evolution of parental care strategies in subsocial wasps. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02853-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Insect parental care strategies are particularly diverse, and prolonged association between parents and offspring may be a key precursor to the evolution of complex social traits. Macroevolutionary patterns remain obscure, however, due to the few rigorous phylogenetic analyses. The subsocial sphecid wasps are a useful group in which to study parental care because of the diverse range of strategies they exhibit. These strategies range from placing a single prey item in a pre-existing cavity to mass provisioning a pre-built nest, through to complex progressive provisioning where a female feeds larvae in different nests simultaneously as they grow. We show that this diversity stems from multiple independent transitions between states. The strategies we focus on were previously thought of in terms of a stepping-stone model in which complexity increases during evolution, ending with progressive provisioning which is a likely precursor to eusociality. We find that evolution has not always followed this model: reverse transitions are common, and the ancestral state is the most flexible rather than the simplest strategy. Progressive provisioning has evolved several times independently, but transitions away from it appear rare. We discuss the possibility that ancestral plasticity has played a role in the evolution of extended parental care.
Significance statement
Parental care behaviour leads to prolonged associations between parents and offspring, which is thought to drive the evolution of social living. Despite the importance of insect parental care for shaping the evolution of sociality, relatively few studies have attempted to reconstruct how different strategies evolve in the insects. In this study, we use phylogenetic methods to reconstruct the evolution of the diverse parental care strategies exhibited by the subsocial digger wasps (Sphecidae). Contrary to expectations, we show that parental care in this group has not increased in complexity over evolutionary time. We find that the ancestral state is not the simplest, but may be the most flexible strategy. We suggest that this flexible ancestral strategy may have allowed rapid response to changing environmental conditions which might explain the diversity in parental care strategies that we see in the digger wasps today.
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Delia J, Bravo‐Valencia L, Warkentin KM. The evolution of extended parental care in glassfrogs: Do egg‐clutch phenotypes mediate coevolution between the sexes? ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Delia
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston 02214 Massachusetts USA
| | - Laura Bravo‐Valencia
- Profesional equipo de fauna silvestre Corantioquia Santa Fe de Antioquia Colombia
| | - Karen M. Warkentin
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston 02214 Massachusetts USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panamá 0843-03092 República de Panamá
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Farmer CG. Parental Care, Destabilizing Selection, and the Evolution of Tetrapod Endothermy. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 35:160-176. [PMID: 32293231 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00058.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care has evolved convergently an extraordinary number of times among tetrapods that reproduce terrestrially, suggesting strong positive selection for this behavior in the terrestrial environment. This review speculates that destabilizing selection on parental care, and especially embryo incubation, drove the convergent evolution of many tetrapod traits, including endothermy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Farmer
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; and University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Ancona S, Liker A, Carmona‐Isunza MC, Székely T. Sex differences in age-to-maturation relate to sexual selection and adult sex ratios in birds. Evol Lett 2020; 4:44-53. [PMID: 32055410 PMCID: PMC7006465 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maturation (the age when organisms are physiologically capable of breeding) is one of the major life history traits that have pervasive implications for reproductive strategies, fitness, and population growth. Sex differences in maturation are common in nature, although the causes of such differences are not understood. Fisher and Lack proposed that delayed maturation in males is expected when males are under intense sexual selection, but their proposition has never been tested across a wide range of taxa. By using phylogenetic comparative analyses and the most comprehensive dataset to date, including 201 species from 59 avian families, we show that intense sexual selection on males (as indicated by polygamous mating and male-skewed sexual size dimorphism) correlates with delayed maturation. We also show that the adult sex ratio (ASR), an indicator of the social environment, is associated with sex-specific maturation because in species with a female-skewed ASR, males experience later maturation. Phylogenetic path analyses suggest that adult sex ratio drives interspecific changes in the intensity of sexual selection which, in turn, influences maturation. These results are robust to alternative phylogenetic hypotheses and to potential life-history confounds, and they provide the first comprehensive support of Fisher's and Lack's propositions. Importantly, our work suggests that both social environment and mate competition influence the evolution of a major life history trait, maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Ancona
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de EcologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de México04510México
| | - András Liker
- MTA‐PE Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupUniversity of PannoniaPO Box 158Veszprém8201Hungary
- Department of LimnologyUniversity of PannoniaPO Box 158Veszprém8201Hungary
| | - M. Cristina Carmona‐Isunza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de EcologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de México04510México
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology & BiochemistryUniversity of BathBathBA2 7AYUK
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenH‐4010DebrecenEgyetem tér 1Hungary
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Benun Sutton F, Wilson AB. Where are all the moms? External fertilization predicts the rise of male parental care in bony fishes. Evolution 2019; 73:2451-2460. [PMID: 31660613 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Parental care shows remarkable variation across the animal kingdom, but while maternal and biparental care are common in terrestrial organisms, male-only care dominates in aquatic species that provide care. Using the most complete phylogenetic tree of bony fishes to date, we test whether the opportunity for external fertilization in aquatic environments can explain the more frequent evolution of male care in this group. We show that paternal care has evolved at least 30 times independently in fish and is found exclusively in externally fertilizing species. Male care is positively associated with pair spawning, suggesting that confidence in paternity is an important determinant of the evolution of care. Crucially, while female care is constrained by other forms of reproductive investment, male care occurs more frequently when females invest heavily in gamete production. Our results suggest that moving control of fertilization outside of the female reproductive tract raises male confidence in parentage and increases the potential for paternal care, highlighting that in an aquatic environment in which fertilization is external, paternal care is an effective reproductive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frieda Benun Sutton
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, 11210
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, 11210
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