1
|
Sawada A, Iwasaki T, Akatani K, Takagi M. Mate choice for body size leads to size assortative mating in the Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9578. [PMID: 36523518 PMCID: PMC9745103 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9578] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding evolutionary phenomena that involve size assortative mating requires elucidating the generating mechanisms on which assortment is based. Although various mechanisms have been suggested, their relative importance may differ across taxonomic groups. Males selecting for large, fecund females combined with the dominance of large males in the competition for females has been suggested as a major mechanism in specific groups. However, raptors do not appear to conform to this, because the selection for smallness among males (assumed in a theory of reversed sexual size dimorphism) and the selection for largeness among males (assumed in the theory of size assortative mating) are in opposite directions. We studied the assortative mating during a long-term study of the Ryukyu Scops Owls Otus elegans interpositus. Significant assortative mating was found for culmen length (from the base to the tip of the bill) and wing length (from the bend of the wing to the tip of the longest primary). Statistical control of the spatial and temporal accessibility of potential mates did not affect the assortment. Males with short wings had slightly higher fitness components than those with long wings, and females settling early tended to have small wings. Considering that early-settling females can preferentially choose their mates, these results suggest that smaller females have an advantage when choosing smaller males with good reproductive performance. Improved flying and hunting ability of smaller individuals may be the background of choosing smaller individuals. We propose that, not passive process like similarity between individuals and their potential mates, but active mate choice for small individuals is an explanation for the assortative mating in this owl.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Sawada
- Biodiversity DivisionNational Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukubaJapan
| | - Tetsuya Iwasaki
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Kana Akatani
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Masaoki Takagi
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of ScienceHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bao W, Kathait A, Li X, Ozaki K, Hanada Y, Thomas A, Carey GJ, Gou J, Davaasuren B, Hasebe M, Holt PI, Pelikan L, Fan Z, Wang S, Xing X. Subspecies Taxonomy and Inter-Population Divergences of the Critically Endangered Yellow-Breasted Bunting: Evidence from Song Variations. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172292. [PMID: 36078012 PMCID: PMC9454650 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172292] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting has undergone population collapse globally because of illegal hunting and habitat deterioration. It was listed as critically endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017 and designated a Class I (highest level) national conservation bird species in China in 2021. Birdsong in the breeding season is the main communicative signal under sexual selection, and song variations have long been considered critical evidence of divergence among subspecies or populations. We compared the songs of 89 males from 18 populations to test subspecies taxonomy. We found that songs of the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola are subspecies specific and that three subspecies can be clearly discriminated by song divergences. Moreover, an analysis of multiple vocal traits supports the claim that insulana is distinct from aureola and ornata. Finally, at the geographic population level, populations can be clearly classified in accordance with the three subspecies, although the aureola population in Xinjiang, China is differentiated from other populations of the same subspecies. The results of this study demonstrate that all populations and subspecies are unique and should be protected to maintain intraspecies song diversity. In addition, several specific populations, such as insulana populations in Japan and the Xinjiang, China population of aureola, need to be paid special attention to prevent the extinction of unique or local taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenshuang Bao
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Atul Kathait
- School of Biosciences, Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon 122103, India
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Kiyoaki Ozaki
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko 270-1166, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Jun Gou
- Xinjiang BD Nature Co., Ltd., Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Batmunkh Davaasuren
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14210, Mongolia
| | | | | | - Lukas Pelikan
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zhongyong Fan
- Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Zhejiang Biodiversity Institute, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Zhejiang Biodiversity Institute, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Xiaoying Xing
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Clark JD, Benham PM, Maldonado JE, Luther DA, Lim HC. Maintenance of local adaptation despite gene flow in a coastal songbird. Evolution 2022; 76:1481-1494. [PMID: 35700208 PMCID: PMC9545442 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to local environments is common in widespread species and the basis of ecological speciation. The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is a widespread, polytypic passerine that occurs in shrubland habitats throughout North America. We examined the population structure of two parapatric subspecies that inhabit different environments: the Atlantic song sparrow (M. m. atlantica), a coastal specialist, and the eastern song sparrow (M. m. melodia), a shrubland generalist. These populations lacked clear mitochondrial population structure, yet coastal birds formed a distinct nuclear genetic cluster. We found weak overall genomic differentiation between these subspecies, suggesting either recent divergence, extensive gene flow, or a combination thereof. There was a steep genetic cline at the transition to coastal habitats, consistent with isolation by environment, not isolation by distance. A phenotype under divergent selection, bill size, varied with the amount of coastal ancestry in transitional areas, but larger bill size was maintained in coastal habitats regardless of ancestry, further supporting a role for selection in the maintenance of these subspecies. Demographic modeling suggested a divergence history of limited gene flow followed by secondary contact, which has emerged as a common theme in adaptive divergence across taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Clark
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginia22030,Current Address: Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire03824
| | - Phred M. Benham
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCalifornia94720
| | - Jesus E. Maldonado
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginia22030,Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonD.C.20013
| | - David A. Luther
- Department of BiologyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginia22030
| | - Haw Chuan Lim
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonD.C.20013,Department of BiologyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginia22030
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nelson CM, Ord TJ. Identifying potential cues of species identity in complex animal signals. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
5
|
Tanner JC, Simmons LW. Spoiled for choice: number of signalers constrains mate choice based on acoustic signals. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal communication mediates social interactions with important fitness consequences for individuals. Receivers use signals to detect and discriminate among potential mates. Extensive research effort has focused on how receiver behavior imposes selection on signalers and signals. However, animals communicate in socially and physically complex environments with important biotic and abiotic features that are often excluded from controlled laboratory experiments, including noise. “Noise” is any factor that prevents signal detection and discrimination. The noise caused by aggregates of acoustic signalers is a well-known impediment to receivers, but how many individual signalers are required to produce the emergent effects of chorus noise on receiver behavior? In Teleogryllus oceanicus, the Australian field cricket, we assayed female preferences for a temporal property of male advertisement signals, the number of long chirp pulses, using two-, four-, six-, and eight-choice phonotaxis experiments. We found that, as the number of individual signalers increased, receivers became less likely to respond phonotactically and less likely to express their well-documented preference for more long chirp pulses. We found that very few individual signalers can create a sufficiently noisy environment, due either to acoustic interference or choice overload, to substantially impair female preference expression. Our results suggest that receivers may not always be able to express their well-documented mating preferences in nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C Tanner
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Colombelli‐Négrel D, Kleindorfer S. Behavioural response to songs between genetically diverged allopatric populations of Darwin's small tree finch in the Galápagos. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:816-829. [PMID: 33714212 PMCID: PMC8251970 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Empirical data that identify contemporary mechanisms of divergence shed light on how species could multiply. In this study, we measured population genetic structure, song syllable diversity and response to simulated intruder song in Darwin's small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus) on Santa Cruz and Floreana Islands, Galápagos archipelago. Our aim was to test whether the magnitude of contemporary behavioural response in resident birds was consistent with patterns of genetic or cultural differences between populations. We analysed genetic structure and the occurrence of song syllable types, and experimentally measured the response of resident birds to intruder bird song from different geographical origin (i.e., island) or syllable type. We discovered a weak signal of population genetic structure between Santa Cruz and Floreana Islands. Although some song syllables occurred on both islands, others were unique to each island; Santa Cruz Island males used more unique syllables than Floreana Island males. Both Santa Cruz and Floreana resident males discriminated their response towards a simulated intruder song based on the geographical origin of the intruder song, but not on the syllable type sung by the intruder. We conclude that the populations are diverging in genetic and cultural traits and identified a signal of contemporary behavioural response that could maintain divergence upon secondary contact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Konrad Lorenz Research Centre for Behaviour and CognitionDepartment of Behavioural and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tanner JC, Bee MA. Inconsistent sexual signaling degrades optimal mating decisions in animals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax3957. [PMID: 32440536 PMCID: PMC7228747 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Like political stump speeches and product advertisements, animal signals are highly repetitive and function to persuade receivers to adopt behaviors benefiting the signaler. And like potential constituents and consumers, receivers assess signals to inform their behavioral decisions. However, inconsistency in sexual signals is widespread and potentially injects uncertainty into mating decisions. Here, we show that females fail to make optimal mating decisions based on assessments of signal quality due to inconsistency in signal production. Natural levels of inconsistency markedly reduced female preference expression for a nonarbitrary signal of male quality. Inconsistency reshaped preferences even more profoundly than the better-known impediment of ambient noise. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of how inconsistent messaging degrades optimal decision-making in animals, with implications for understanding signal evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C. Tanner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hasiniaina AF, Radespiel U, Kessler SE, Rina Evasoa M, Rasoloharijaona S, Randrianambinina B, Zimmermann E, Schmidt S, Scheumann M. Evolutionary significance of the variation in acoustic communication of a cryptic nocturnal primate radiation ( Microcebus spp.). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3784-3797. [PMID: 32313636 PMCID: PMC7160168 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic phenotypic variation is of major importance for speciation and the evolution of species diversity. Whereas selective and stochastic forces shaping the acoustic divergence of signaling systems are well studied in insects, frogs, and birds, knowledge on the processes driving acoustic phenotypic evolution in mammals is limited. We quantified the acoustic variation of a call type exchanged during agonistic encounters across eight distinct species of the smallest-bodied nocturnal primate radiation, the Malagasy mouse lemurs. The species live in two different habitats (dry forest vs. humid forest), differ in geographic distance to each other, and belong to four distinct phylogenetic clades within the genus. Genetically defined species were discriminated reliably on the phenotypic level based on their acoustic distinctiveness in a discriminant function analysis. Acoustic variation was explained by genetic distance, whereas differences in morphology, forest type, or geographic distance had no effect. The strong impact of genetics was supported by a correlation between acoustic and genetic distance and the high agreement in branching pattern between the acoustic and molecular phylogenetic trees. In sum, stochastic factors such as genetic drift best explained acoustic diversification in a social communication call of mouse lemurs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of ZoologyUniversity of Veterinary Medicine HannoverHannoverGermany
| | - Sharon E. Kessler
- Department of PsychologyFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingScotland
- Department of AnthropologyDurham UniversityDurhamUK
| | - Mamy Rina Evasoa
- Faculty of Science, Technology and EnvironmentUniversity of MahajangaMahajangaMadagascar
| | | | | | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of ZoologyUniversity of Veterinary Medicine HannoverHannoverGermany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Institute of ZoologyUniversity of Veterinary Medicine HannoverHannoverGermany
| | - Marina Scheumann
- Institute of ZoologyUniversity of Veterinary Medicine HannoverHannoverGermany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fearey J, Elwen SH, James BS, Gridley T. Identification of potential signature whistles from free-ranging common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in South Africa. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:777-789. [PMID: 31177344 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01274-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Conveying identity is important for social animals to maintain individually based relationships. Communication of identity information relies on both signal encoding and perception. Several delphinid species use individually distinctive signature whistles to transmit identity information, best described for the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). In this study, we investigate signature whistle use in wild common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Acoustic recordings were analysed from 11 encounters from three locations in South Africa (Hout Bay, False Bay, and Plettenberg Bay) during 2009, 2016 and 2017. The frequency contours of whistles were visually categorised, with 29 signature whistle types (SWTs) identified through contour categorisation and a bout analysis approach developed specifically to identify signature whistles in bottlenose dolphins (SIGID). Categorisation verification was conducted using an unsupervised neural network (ARTwarp) at both a 91% and 96% vigilance parameter. For this, individual SWTs were analysed type by type and then in a 'global' analysis whereby all 497 whistle contours were categorised simultaneously. Overall the analysis demonstrated high stereotypy in the structure and temporal production of whistles, consistent with signature whistle use. We suggest that individual identity information may be encoded in these whistle contours. However, the large group sizes and high degree of vocal activity characteristic of this dolphin species generate a cluttered acoustic environment with high potential for masking from conspecific vocalisations. Therefore, further investigation into the mechanisms of identity perception in such acoustically cluttered environments is required to demonstrate the function of these stereotyped whistle types in common dolphins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Fearey
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, 4 Bath Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - S H Elwen
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, 4 Bath Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria , 0002, South Africa
| | - B S James
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, 4 Bath Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
| | - T Gridley
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, 4 Bath Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa.
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Van Cise AM, Baird RW, Baker CS, Cerchio S, Claridge D, Fielding R, Hancock-Hanser B, Marrero J, Martien KK, Mignucci-Giannoni AA, Oleson EM, Oremus M, Poole MM, Rosel PE, Taylor BL, Morin PA. Oceanographic barriers, divergence, and admixture: Phylogeography and taxonomy of two putative subspecies of short-finned pilot whale. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2886-2902. [PMID: 31002212 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Genomic phylogeography plays an important role in describing evolutionary processes and their geographic, ecological, or cultural drivers. These drivers are often poorly understood in marine environments, which have fewer obvious barriers to mixing than terrestrial environments. Taxonomic uncertainty of some taxa (e.g., cetaceans), due to the difficulty in obtaining morphological data, can hamper our understanding of these processes. One such taxon, the short-finned pilot whale, is recognized as a single global species but includes at least two distinct morphological forms described from stranding and drive hunting in Japan, the "Naisa" and "Shiho" forms. Using samples (n = 735) collected throughout their global range, we examine phylogeographic patterns of divergence by comparing mitogenomes and nuclear SNP loci. Our results suggest three types within the species: an Atlantic Ocean type, a western/central Pacific and Indian Ocean (Naisa) type, and an eastern Pacific Ocean and northern Japan (Shiho) type. mtDNA control region differentiation indicates these three types form two subspecies, separated by the East Pacific Barrier: Shiho short-finned pilot whale, in the eastern Pacific Ocean and northern Japan, and Naisa short-finned pilot whale, throughout the remainder of the species' distribution. Our data further indicate two diverging populations within the Naisa subspecies, in the Atlantic Ocean and western/central Pacific and Indian Oceans, separated by the Benguela Barrier off South Africa. This study reveals a process of divergence and speciation within a globally-distributed, mobile marine predator, and indicates the importance of the East Pacific Barrier to this evolutionary process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Van Cise
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.,Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, California.,Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
| | | | - Charles Scott Baker
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon
| | | | - Diane Claridge
- Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation, Abaco, Bahamas
| | - Russell Fielding
- Department of Earth & Environmental Systems, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
| | - Brittany Hancock-Hanser
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, California
| | - Jacobo Marrero
- Asociación Tonina, Investigación y Divulgación del medio natural Marino, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,BIOECOMAC, Department of Animal Biology, La Laguna University, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Karen K Martien
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, California
| | | | - Erin M Oleson
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Marc Oremus
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon
| | | | - Patricia E Rosel
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Lafayette, Louisiana
| | - Barbara L Taylor
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, California
| | - Phillip A Morin
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, California
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Van Cise AM, Mahaffy SD, Baird RW, Mooney TA, Barlow J. Song of my people: dialect differences among sympatric social groups of short-finned pilot whales in Hawai’i. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2596-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
12
|
Role of sexual imprinting in assortative mating and premating isolation in Darwin's finches. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10879-E10887. [PMID: 30348758 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1813662115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Global biodiversity is being degraded at an unprecedented rate, so it is important to preserve the potential for future speciation. Providing for the future requires understanding speciation as a contemporary ecological process. Phylogenetically young adaptive radiations are a good choice for detailed study because diversification is ongoing. A key question is how incipient species become reproductively isolated from each other. Barriers to gene exchange have been investigated experimentally in the laboratory and in the field, but little information exists from the quantitative study of mating patterns in nature. Although the degree to which genetic variation underlying mate-preference learning is unknown, we provide evidence that two species of Darwin's finches imprint on morphological cues of their parents and mate assortatively. Statistical evidence of presumed imprinting is stronger for sons than for daughters and is stronger for imprinting on fathers than on mothers. In combination, morphology and species-specific song learned from the father constitute a barrier to interbreeding. The barrier becomes stronger the more the species diverge morphologically and ecologically. It occasionally breaks down, and the species hybridize. Hybridization is most likely to happen when species are similar to each other in adaptive morphological traits, e.g., body size and beak size and shape. Hybridization can lead to the formation of a new species reproductively isolated from the parental species as a result of sexual imprinting. Conservation of sufficiently diverse natural habitat is needed to sustain a large sample of extant biota and preserve the potential for future speciation.
Collapse
|
13
|
Subspecies status and methods explain strength of response to local versus foreign song by oscine birds in meta-analysis. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
14
|
Cummings ME, Endler JA. 25 Years of sensory drive: the evidence and its watery bias. Curr Zool 2018; 64:471-484. [PMID: 30108628 PMCID: PMC6084598 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been 25 years since the formalization of the Sensory Drive hypothesis was published in the American Naturalist (1992). Since then, there has been an explosion of research identifying its utility in contributing to our understanding of inter- and intra-specific variation in sensory systems and signaling properties. The main tenet of Sensory Drive is that environmental characteristics will influence the evolutionary trajectory of both sensory (detecting capabilities) and signaling (detectable features and behaviors) traits in predictable directions. We review the accumulating evidence in 154 studies addressing these questions and categorized their approach in terms of testing for environmental influence on sensory tuning, signal characteristics, or both. For the subset of studies that examined sensory tuning, there was greater support for Sensory Drive processes shaping visual than auditory tuning, and it was more prevalent in aquatic than terrestrial habitats. Terrestrial habitats and visual traits were the prevalent habitat and sensory modality in the 104 studies showing support for environmental influence on signaling properties. An additional 19 studies that found no supporting evidence for environmental influence on signaling traits were all based in terrestrial ecosystems and almost exclusively involved auditory signals. Only 29 studies examined the complete coevolutionary process between sensory and signaling traits and were dominated by fish visual communication. We discuss biophysical factors that may contribute to the visual and aquatic bias for Sensory Drive evidence, as well as biotic factors that may contribute to the lack of Sensory Drive processes in terrestrial acoustic signaling systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Cummings
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - John A Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lipshutz SE. Interspecific competition, hybridization, and reproductive isolation in secondary contact: missing perspectives on males and females. Curr Zool 2018; 64:75-88. [PMID: 29492041 PMCID: PMC5809030 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on sexual selection and hybridization has focused on female mate choice and male-male competition. While the evolutionary outcomes of interspecific female preference have been well explored, we are now gaining a better understanding of the processes by which male-male competition between species in secondary contact promotes reproductive isolation versus hybridization. What is relatively unexplored is the interaction between female choice and male competition, as they can oppose one another or align with similar outcomes for reproductive isolation. The role of female-female competition in hybridization is also not well understood, but could operate similarly to male-male competition in polyandrous and other systems where costs to heterospecific mating are low for females. Reproductive competition between either sex of sympatric species can cause the divergence and/or convergence of sexual signals and recognition, which in turn influences the likelihood for interspecific mating. Future work on species interactions in secondary contact should test the relative influences of both mate choice and competition for mates on hybridization outcomes, and should not ignore the possibilities that females can compete over mating resources, and males can exercise mate choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Division of Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Grunst ML, Grunst AS, Formica VA, Gonser RA, Tuttle EM. Multiple signaling functions of song in a polymorphic species with alternative reproductive strategies. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1369-1383. [PMID: 29375804 PMCID: PMC5773301 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal traits can be sexually selected to reflect male quality, but may also evolve to serve additional signaling functions. We used a long-term dataset to examine the signaling potential of song in dimorphic white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). We investigated whether song conveys multifaceted information about the vocalizing individual, including fitness, species identity, individual identity, and morph. We also evaluated whether song traits correlate differently with fitness in the two morphs, as the more promiscuous strategy of white, relative to tan, morph males might impose stronger sexual selection. Males with high song rates achieved higher lifetime reproductive success, and this pattern was driven by white morph males. In addition, males that sang songs with many notes survived longer, but this pattern was less robust. Thus, song traits reflect differences in fitness and may more strongly affect fitness in the white morph. Song frequency was unrelated to fitness, body size, or morph, but was individual specific and could signal individual identity. Songs of the two morphs displayed similar frequency ratios and bandwidths. However, tan morph males sang songs with longer first notes, fewer notes, and higher variability. Thus, song could be used in morph discrimination. Variation in frequency ratios between notes was low and could function in conspecific recognition, but pitch change dynamics did differ between four different song types observed. Our results support a multiple messages model for white-throated sparrow song, in which different song traits communicate discrete information about the vocalizing individual.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | | | - Rusty A Gonser
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | - Elaina M Tuttle
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lipshutz SE, Overcast IA, Hickerson MJ, Brumfield RT, Derryberry EP. Behavioural response to song and genetic divergence in two subspecies of white‐crowned sparrows (
Zonotrichia leucophrys
). Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3011-3027. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara E. Lipshutz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University 400 Lindy Boggs New Orleans LA 70118 USA
| | - Isaac A. Overcast
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior The Graduate Center City University of New York New York NY 10016 USA
| | - Michael J. Hickerson
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior The Graduate Center City University of New York New York NY 10016 USA
- Department of Biology Marshak Science Building City College of New York Room 526, 160 Convent Avenue New York NY 10031 USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West and 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
| | - Robb T. Brumfield
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA 70803 USA
| | - Elizabeth P. Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University 400 Lindy Boggs New Orleans LA 70118 USA
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA 70803 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Chaves JA, Cooper EA, Hendry AP, Podos J, De León LF, Raeymaekers JAM, MacMillan W, Uy JAC. Genomic variation at the tips of the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:5282-5295. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A. Chaves
- Department of Biology; University of Miami; Coral Gables FL 33146 USA
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ; Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales; y Extensión Galápagos Campus Cumbayá Quito Ecuador
| | - Elizabeth A. Cooper
- Department of Biology; University of Miami; Coral Gables FL 33146 USA
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry; Clemson University; Clemson SC 29634 USA
| | - Andrew P. Hendry
- Redpath Museum; Department of Biology; McGill University; Montréal QC Canada
| | - Jeffrey Podos
- Department of Biology; University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst MA 01003 USA
| | - Luis F. De León
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas; Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP); Ciudad del Saber Panama Panama
- Department of Biology; University of Massachusetts Boston; 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston MA 02125 USA
| | - Joost A. M. Raeymaekers
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics; University of Leuven; B-3000 Leuven Belgium
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics; Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; N-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | | | - J. Albert C. Uy
- Department of Biology; University of Miami; Coral Gables FL 33146 USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Job JR, Kohler SL, Gill SA. Song adjustments by an open habitat bird to anthropogenic noise, urban structure, and vegetation. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
|
20
|
Soha JA, Poesel A, Nelson DA, Lohr B. Non-Salient Geographic Variation in Birdsong in a Species That Learns by Improvisation. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jill A. Soha
- Department of Biology; Duke University; Durham NC USA
| | - Angelika Poesel
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH USA
| | - Douglas A. Nelson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH USA
| | - Bernard Lohr
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Maryland Baltimore County; Baltimore MD USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Charmantier A, Doutrelant C, Dubuc-Messier G, Fargevieille A, Szulkin M. Mediterranean blue tits as a case study of local adaptation. Evol Appl 2015; 9:135-52. [PMID: 27087844 PMCID: PMC4780380 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While the study of the origins of biological diversity across species has provided numerous examples of adaptive divergence, the realization that it can occur at microgeographic scales despite gene flow is recent, and scarcely illustrated. We review here evidence suggesting that the striking phenotypic differentiation in ecologically relevant traits exhibited by blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus in their southern range‐edge putatively reflects adaptation to the heterogeneity of the Mediterranean habitats. We first summarize the phenotypic divergence for a series of life history, morphological, behavioural, acoustic and colour ornament traits in blue tit populations of evergreen and deciduous forests. For each divergent trait, we review the evidence obtained from common garden experiments regarding a possible genetic origin of the observed phenotypic differentiation as well as evidence for heterogeneous selection. Second, we argue that most phenotypically differentiated traits display heritable variation, a fundamental requirement for evolution to occur. Third, we discuss nonrandom dispersal, selective barriers and assortative mating as processes that could reinforce local adaptation. Finally, we show how population genomics supports isolation – by – environment across landscapes. Overall, the combination of approaches converges to the conclusion that the strong phenotypic differentiation observed in Mediterranean blue tits is a fascinating case of local adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive Campus CNRS Montpellier France
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive Campus CNRS Montpellier France
| | - Gabrielle Dubuc-Messier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive Campus CNRS Montpellier France; Département des sciences biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal Succursalle centre-ville QC Canada
| | | | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive Campus CNRS Montpellier France
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Mortega KG, Flinks H, Helm B. Behavioural response of a migratory songbird to geographic variation in song and morphology. Front Zool 2014; 11:85. [PMID: 25484906 PMCID: PMC4256809 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0085-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Sexually selected traits contribute substantially to evolutionary diversification, for example by promoting assortative mating. The contributing traits and their relevance for reproductive isolation differ between species. In birds, sexually selected acoustic and visual signals often undergo geographic divergence. Clines in these phenotypes may be used by both sexes in the context of sexual selection and territoriality. The ways conspecifics respond to geographic variation in phenotypes can give insights to possible behavioural barriers, but these may depend on migratory behaviour. We studied a migratory songbird, the Stonechat, and tested its responsiveness to geographic variation in male song and morphology. The traits are acquired differently, with possible implications for population divergence. Song can evolve quickly through cultural transmission, and thus may contribute more to the establishment of geographic variation than inherited morphological traits. We first quantified the diversity of song traits from different populations. We then tested the responses of free-living Stonechats of both sexes to male phenotype with playbacks and decoys, representing local and foreign stimuli derived from a range of distances from the local population. Results Both sexes discriminated consistently between stimuli from different populations, responding more strongly to acoustic and morphological traits of local than foreign stimuli. Time to approach increased, and time spent close to the stimuli and number of tail flips decreased consistently with geographic distance of the stimulus from the local population. Discriminatory response behaviour was more consistent for acoustic than for morphological traits. Song traits of the local population differed significantly from those of other populations. Conclusions Evaluating an individual’s perception of geographic variation in sexually selected traits is a crucial first step for understanding reproductive isolation mechanisms. We have demonstrated that in both sexes of Stonechats the responsiveness to acoustic and visual signals decreased with increasing geographic distance of stimulus origin. These findings confirm consistent, fine discrimination for both learned song and inherited morphological traits in these migratory birds. Maintenance or further divergence in phenotypic traits could lead to assortative mating, reproductive isolation, and potentially speciation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-014-0085-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim G Mortega
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany ; Department of Ornithology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany ; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Barbara Helm
- Department of Ornithology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany ; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Illera JC, Palmero AM, Laiolo P, Rodríguez F, Moreno ÁC, Navascués M. Genetic, morphological, and acoustic evidence reveals lack of diversification in the colonization process in an island bird. Evolution 2014; 68:2259-74. [PMID: 24749863 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 03/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds with recently (i.e., early Holocene) founded populations are suitable models for studying incipient differentiation in oceanic islands. On such systems each colonization event represents a different evolutionary episode that can be studied by addressing sets of diverging phenotypic and genetic traits. We investigate the process of early differentiation in the spectacled warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) in 14 populations separated by sea barriers from three Atlantic archipelagos and from continental regions spanning from tropical to temperate latitudes. Our approach involved the study of sexual acoustic signals, morphology, and genetic data. Mitochondrial DNA did not provide clear population structure. However, microsatellites analyses consistently identified two genetic groups, albeit without correspondence to subspecies classification and little correspondence to geography. Coalescent analyses showed significant evidence for gene flow between the two genetic groups. Discriminant analyses could not correctly assign morphological or acoustic traits to source populations. Therefore, although theory predicting that in isolated populations genetic, morphological, or acoustic traits can lead to radiation, we have strikingly failed to document differentiation on these attributes in a resident passerine throughout three oceanic archipelagos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, Campus of Mieres, Research Building, 5th Floor, C/Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós, s/n, 33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain; Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, IPNA, CSIC, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. ,
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Odendaal LJ, Jacobs DS, Bishop JM. Sensory trait variation in an echolocating bat suggests roles for both selection and plasticity. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:60. [PMID: 24674227 PMCID: PMC3986686 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Across heterogeneous environments selection and gene flow interact to influence the rate and extent of adaptive trait evolution. This complex relationship is further influenced by the rarely considered role of phenotypic plasticity in the evolution of adaptive population variation. Plasticity can be adaptive if it promotes colonization and survival in novel environments and in doing so may increase the potential for future population differentiation via selection. Gene flow between selectively divergent environments may favour the evolution of phenotypic plasticity or conversely, plasticity itself may promote gene flow, leading to a pattern of trait differentiation in the presence of gene flow. Variation in sensory traits is particularly informative in testing the role of environment in trait and population differentiation. Here we test the hypothesis of ‘adaptive differentiation with minimal gene flow’ in resting echolocation frequencies (RF) of Cape horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus capensis) across a gradient of increasingly cluttered habitats. Results Our analysis reveals a geographically structured pattern of increasing RF from open to highly cluttered habitats in R. capensis; however genetic drift appears to be a minor player in the processes influencing this pattern. Although Bayesian analysis of population structure uncovered a number of spatially defined mitochondrial groups and coalescent methods revealed regional-scale gene flow, phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial sequences did not correlate with RF differentiation. Instead, habitat discontinuities between biomes, and not genetic and geographic distances, best explained echolocation variation in this species. We argue that both selection for increased detection distance in relatively less cluttered habitats and adaptive phenotypic plasticity may have influenced the evolution of matched echolocation frequencies and habitats across different populations. Conclusions Our study reveals significant sensory trait differentiation in the presence of historical gene flow and suggests roles for both selection and plasticity in the evolution of echolocation variation in R. capensis. These results highlight the importance of population level analyses to i) illuminate the subtle interplay between selection, plasticity and gene flow in the evolution of adaptive traits and ii) demonstrate that evolutionary processes may act simultaneously and that their relative influence may vary across different environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lizelle J Odendaal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wilson DR, Bitton PP, Podos J, Mennill DJ. Uneven Sampling and the Analysis of Vocal Performance Constraints. Am Nat 2014; 183:214-28. [DOI: 10.1086/674379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
26
|
Velásquez NA, Opazo D, Díaz J, Penna M. Divergence of acoustic signals in a widely distributed frog: relevance of inter-male interactions. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87732. [PMID: 24489957 PMCID: PMC3905042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergence of acoustic signals in a geographic scale results from diverse evolutionary forces acting in parallel and affecting directly inter-male vocal interactions among disjunct populations. Pleurodema thaul is a frog having an extensive latitudinal distribution in Chile along which males' advertisement calls exhibit an important variation. Using the playback paradigm we studied the evoked vocal responses of males of three populations of P. thaul in Chile, from northern, central and southern distribution. In each population, males were stimulated with standard synthetic calls having the acoustic structure of local and foreign populations. Males of both northern and central populations displayed strong vocal responses when were confronted with the synthetic call of their own populations, giving weaker responses to the call of the southern population. The southern population gave stronger responses to calls of the northern population than to the local call. Furthermore, males in all populations were stimulated with synthetic calls for which the dominant frequency, pulse rate and modulation depth were varied parametrically. Individuals from the northern and central populations gave lower responses to a synthetic call devoid of amplitude modulation relative to stimuli containing modulation depths between 30–100%, whereas the southern population responded similarly to all stimuli in this series. Geographic variation in the evoked vocal responses of males of P. thaul underlines the importance of inter-male interactions in driving the divergence of the acoustic traits and contributes evidence for a role of intra-sexual selection in the evolution of the sound communication system of this anuran.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nelson A. Velásquez
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Opazo
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javier Díaz
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Penna
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bradley DW, Molles LE, Waas JR. Post-translocation assortative pairing and social implications for the conservation of an endangered songbird. Anim Conserv 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. W. Bradley
- Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science and Engineering; University of Waikato; Hamilton New Zealand
| | - L. E. Molles
- Department of Ecology; Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Lincoln University; Lincoln New Zealand
| | - J. R. Waas
- Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science and Engineering; University of Waikato; Hamilton New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Smith TB, Harrigan RJ, Kirschel ANG, Buermann W, Saatchi S, Blumstein DT, de Kort SR, Slabbekoorn H. Predicting bird song from space. Evol Appl 2013; 6:865-74. [PMID: 24062797 PMCID: PMC3779089 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmentally imposed selection pressures are well known to shape animal signals. Changes in these signals can result in recognition mismatches between individuals living in different habitats, leading to reproductive divergence and speciation. For example, numerous studies have shown that differences in avian song may be a potent prezygotic isolating mechanism. Typically, however, detailed studies of environmental pressures on variation in animal behavior have been conducted only at small spatial scales. Here, we use remote-sensing data to predict animal behavior, in this case, bird song, across vast spatial scales. We use remotely sensed data to predict the song characteristics of the little greenbul (Andropadus virens), a widely distributed African passerine, found across secondary and mature rainforest habitats and the rainforest-savanna ecotone. Satellite data that captured ecosystem structure and function explained up to 66% of the variation in song characteristics. Song differences observed across habitats, including those between human-altered and mature rainforest, have the potential to lead to reproductive divergence, and highlight the impacts that both natural and anthropogenic change may have on natural populations. Our approach offers a novel means to examine the ecological correlates of animal behavior across large geographic areas with potential applications to both evolutionary and conservation biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bradley DW, Molles LE, Waas JR. Local–foreign dialect discrimination and responses to mixed-dialect duets in the North Island kōkako. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
30
|
Wilkins MR, Seddon N, Safran RJ. Evolutionary divergence in acoustic signals: causes and consequences. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 28:156-66. [PMID: 23141110 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 261] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic signals mediate mate choice, resource defense, and species recognition in a broad range of taxa. It has been proposed, therefore, that divergence in acoustic signals plays a key role in speciation. Nonetheless, the processes driving divergence of acoustic traits and their consequences in terms of speciation are poorly understood. A review of empirical and comparative studies reveals strong support for a role of sexual selection in acoustic divergence, but the possible concomitant influences of ecological context are rarely examined. We summarize a conceptual framework for testing the relative significance of both adaptive and neutral mechanisms leading to acoustic divergence, predictions for cases where these processes lead to speciation, and how their relative importance plays out over evolutionary time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Genbrugge A, Heyde AS, Adriaens D, Boone M, Van Hoorebeke L, Dirckx J, Aerts P, Podos J, Herrel A. Ontogeny of the cranial skeleton in a Darwin's finch (Geospiza fortis). J Anat 2011; 219:115-31. [PMID: 21599660 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01388.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin's finches are a model system in ecological and evolutionary research, but surprisingly little is known about their skull morphology and development. Indeed, only the early beak development and external variation in adult beak shape has been studied. Understanding the development of the skull from embryo up to the adult is important to gain insights into how selection acts upon, and drives, variation in beak shape. Here, we provide a detailed description of the skeletal development of the skull in the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis). Although the ossification sequence of the cranial elements is broadly similar to that observed for other birds, some differences can be observed. Unexpectedly, our data show that large changes in skull shape take place between the nestling and the juvenile phases. The reorientation of the beak, the orbit and the formation of well-developed processes and cristae suggest that these changes are likely related to the use of the beak after leaving the nest. This suggests that the active use of the jaw muscles during seed cracking plays an important role in shaping the adult skull morphology and may be driving some of the intra-specific variation observed in species such as G. fortis. Investigating the development of the jaw muscles and their interaction with the observed ossification and formation of the skull and lower jaw would allow further insights into the ecology and evolution of beak morphology in Darwin's finches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Genbrugge
- Laboratory of Biomedical Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan, Antwerpen, Belgium.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
De León LF, Raeymaekers JAM, Bermingham E, Podos J, Herrel A, Hendry AP. Exploring possible human influences on the evolution of Darwin's finches. Evolution 2011; 65:2258-72. [PMID: 21790573 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01297.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans are an increasingly common influence on the evolution of natural populations. Potential arenas of influence include altered evolutionary trajectories within populations and modifications of the process of divergence among populations. We consider this second arena in the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis) on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Our study compared the G. fortis population at a relatively undisturbed site, El Garrapatero, to the population at a severely disturbed site, Academy Bay, which is immediately adjacent to the town of Puerto Ayora. The El Garrapatero population currently shows beak size bimodality that is tied to assortative mating and disruptive selection, whereas the Academy Bay population was historically bimodal but has lost this property in conjunction with a dramatic increase in local human population density. We here evaluate potential ecological-adaptive drivers of the differences in modality by quantifying relationships between morphology (beak and head dimensions), functional performance (bite force), and environmental characteristics (diet). Our main finding is that associations among these variables are generally weaker at Academy Bay than at El Garrapatero, possibly because novel foods are used at the former site irrespective of individual morphology and performance. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the rugged adaptive landscapes promoting and maintaining diversification in nature can be smoothed by human activities, thus hindering ongoing adaptive radiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Fernando De León
- Redpath Museum & Department of Biology, McGill University, 859 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC H3A 2K6, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Manthey JD, Klicka J, Spellman GM. Cryptic diversity in a widespread North American songbird: Phylogeography of the Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2011; 58:502-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2010] [Revised: 12/02/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
34
|
Boogert NJ, Bui C, Howarth K, Giraldeau LA, Lefebvre L. Does foraging behaviour affect female mate preferences and pair formation in captive zebra finches? PLoS One 2010; 5:e14340. [PMID: 21179514 PMCID: PMC3002270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 11/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Successful foraging is essential for survival and reproductive success. In many bird species, foraging is a learned behaviour. To cope with environmental change and survive periods in which regular foods are scarce, the ability to solve novel foraging problems by learning new foraging techniques can be crucial. Although females have been shown to prefer more efficient foragers, the effect of males' foraging techniques on female mate choice has never been studied. We tested whether females would prefer males showing the same learned foraging technique as they had been exposed to as juveniles, or whether females would prefer males that showed a complementary foraging technique. Methodology/Principal Findings We first trained juvenile male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to obtain a significant proportion of their food by one of two foraging techniques. We then tested whether females showed a preference for males with the same or the alternative technique. We found that neither a male's foraging technique nor his foraging performance affected the time females spent in his proximity in the mate-choice apparatus. We then released flocks of these finches into an aviary to investigate whether assortative pairing would be facilitated by birds taught the same technique exploiting the same habitat. Zebra finches trained as juveniles in a specific foraging technique maintained their foraging specialisation in the aviary as adults. However, pair formation and nest location were random with regard to foraging technique. Conclusions/Significance Our findings show that zebra finches can be successfully trained to be foraging specialists. However, the robust negative results of the conditions tested here suggest that learned foraging specializations do not affect mate choice or pair formation in our experimental context.
Collapse
|
35
|
Songs of Darwin's finches diverge when a new species enters the community. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:20156-63. [PMID: 21048082 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015115107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bird species sing different songs and as a result rarely breed with each other. Species are not static but can shift in acoustic and morphological space, yet maintain their distinctiveness. Investigating such a situation in a community of Darwin's finches sheds light on the origin and maintenance of premating barriers between species. Explanations for songs divergence generally invoke morphological changes to the sound-producing apparatus, environmental changes influencing transmitting properties of song, avoidance of acoustical interference with other species, and random processes including copying errors. We investigated changes in songs of Geospiza fortis (medium ground finch) and Geospiza scandens (cactus ground finch) from 1978 to 2010 on Daphne Major Island, Galápagos. The habitat did not change significantly; however, the finch community changed. The socially aggressive congener Geospiza magnirostris (large ground finch), singing in the same frequency band (2-4 kHz), colonized Daphne in 1983 and increased in numbers. Temporal features of the songs of G. fortis and G. scandens, especially trill rate and song duration, diverged from G. magnirostris songs as it became increasingly common. Changes in song were not a passive consequence of a change in beak morphology. Instead they arose as a bias during song imprinting and production. Sons of both G. fortis and G. scandens sang faster songs than their respective fathers and thereby differed more from G. magnirostris in their songs than did their fathers. Divergence from an aversive or confusing stimulus during learning illustrates a "peak shift" that may be a common feature of song evolution and speciation.
Collapse
|
36
|
POPPLE LINDSAYW, WALTER GH. A spatial analysis of the ecology and morphology of cicadas in the Pauropsalta annulata species complex (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01524.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
37
|
Brumm H, Farrington H, Petren K, Fessl B. Evolutionary dead end in the Galápagos: divergence of sexual signals in the rarest of Darwin's finches. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11191. [PMID: 20585648 PMCID: PMC2890412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying speciation remains a challenge in evolutionary biology. The adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches is a prime example of species formation, and their study has revealed many important insights into evolutionary processes. Here, we report striking differences in mating signals (songs), morphology and genetics between the two remnant populations of Darwin's mangrove finch Camarhynchus heliobates, one of the rarest species in the world. We also show that territorial males exhibited strong discrimination of sexual signals by locality: in response to foreign songs, males responded weaker than to songs from their own population. Female responses were infrequent and weak but gave approximately similar results. Our findings not only suggest speciation in the mangrove finch, thereby providing strong support for the central role of sexual signals during speciation, but they have also implications for the conservation of this iconic bird. If speciation is complete, the eastern species will face imminent extinction, because it has a population size of only 5-10 individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abzhanov A. Darwin's Galapagos finches in modern biology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:1001-7. [PMID: 20194163 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the classic examples of adaptive radiation under natural selection is the evolution of 15 closely related species of Darwin's finches (Passeriformes), whose primary diversity lies in the size and shape of their beaks. Since Charles Darwin and other members of the Beagle expedition collected these birds on the Galápagos Islands in 1835 and introduced them to science, they have been the subjects of intense research. Many biology textbooks use Darwin's finches to illustrate a variety of topics of evolutionary theory, such as speciation, natural selection and niche partitioning. Today, as this Theme Issue illustrates, Darwin's finches continue to be a very valuable source of biological discovery. Certain advantages of studying this group allow further breakthroughs in our understanding of changes in recent island biodiversity, mechanisms of speciation and hybridization, evolution of cognitive behaviours, principles of beak/jaw biomechanics as well as the underlying developmental genetic mechanisms in generating morphological diversity. Our objective was to bring together some of the key workers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology who study Darwin's finches or whose studies were inspired by research on Darwin's finches. Insights provided by papers collected in this Theme Issue will be of interest to a wide audience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arhat Abzhanov
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|