1
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Mourkas E, Valdebenito JO, Marsh H, Hitchings MD, Cooper KK, Parker CT, Székely T, Johansson H, Ellström P, Pascoe B, Waldenström J, Sheppard SK. Proximity to humans is associated with antimicrobial-resistant enteric pathogens in wild bird microbiomes. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00998-9. [PMID: 39142288 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.059] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Humans are radically altering global ecology, and one of the most apparent human-induced effects is urbanization, where high-density human habitats disrupt long-established ecotones. Changes to these transitional areas between organisms, especially enhanced contact among humans and wild animals, provide new opportunities for the spread of zoonotic pathogens. This poses a serious threat to global public health, but little is known about how habitat disruption impacts cross-species pathogen spread. Here, we investigated variation in the zoonotic enteric pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. The ubiquity of C. jejuni in wild bird gut microbiomes makes it an ideal organism for understanding how host behavior and ecology influence pathogen transition and spread. We analyzed 700 C. jejuni isolate genomes from 30 bird species in eight countries using a scalable generalized linear model approach. Comparing multiple behavioral and ecological traits showed that proximity to human habitation promotes lineage diversity and is associated with antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) strains in natural populations. Specifically, wild birds from urban areas harbored up to three times more C. jejuni genotypes and AMR genes. This study provides novel methodology and much-needed quantitative evidence linking urbanization to gene pool spread and zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Mourkas
- Ineos Oxford Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK; Zoonosis Science Centre, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - José O Valdebenito
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, 5110566 Valdivia, Chile; Centro de Humedales Río Cruces (CEHUM), Universidad Austral de Chile, Camino Cabo Blanco Alto s/n, 5090000 Valdivia, Chile; HUN-REN-DE Reproductive Strategies Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos (BASE), Las Palmeras 3425, 8320000 Santiago, Chile
| | - Hannah Marsh
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Matthew D Hitchings
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, Wales
| | - Kerry K Cooper
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1117 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Craig T Parker
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Unit, Western Region Research Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Tamás Székely
- HUN-REN-DE Reproductive Strategies Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Håkan Johansson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Stuvaregatan 2, 392 31 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Patrik Ellström
- Zoonosis Science Centre, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ben Pascoe
- Ineos Oxford Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Stuvaregatan 2, 392 31 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Samuel K Sheppard
- Ineos Oxford Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.
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2
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Bekker-Nielsen Dunbar M. Transmission matrices used in epidemiologic modelling. Infect Dis Model 2024; 9:185-194. [PMID: 38249428 PMCID: PMC10796975 DOI: 10.1016/j.idm.2023.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Mixing matrices are included in infectious disease models to reflect transmission opportunities between population strata. These matrices were originally constructed on the basis of theoretical considerations and most of the early work in this area originates from research on sexually transferred diseases in the 80s, in response to AIDS. Later work in the 90s populated these matrices on the basis of survey data gathered to capture transmission risks for respiratory diseases. We provide an overview of developments in the construction of matrices for capturing transmission opportunities in populations. Such transmission matrices are useful for epidemiologic modelling to capture within and between stratum transmission and can be informed from theoretical mixing assumptions, informed by empirical evidence gathered through investigation as well as generated on the basis of data. Links to summary measures and threshold conditions are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Bekker-Nielsen Dunbar
- Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, HG536, Holbergs gate 1, Oslo, 0166, Norway
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3
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Prüter H, Gillingham MAF, Krietsch J, Kuhn S, Kempenaers B. Sexual transmission may drive pair similarity of the cloacal microbiome in a polyandrous species. J Anim Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37230950 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
All animals host a microbial community within and on their reproductive organs, known as the reproductive microbiome. In free-living birds, studies on the sexual transmission of bacteria have typically focused on a few pathogens instead of the bacterial community as a whole, despite a potential link to reproductive function. Theory predicts higher sexual transmission of the reproductive microbiome in females via the males' ejaculates and higher rates of transmission in promiscuous systems. We studied the cloacal microbiome of breeding individuals of a socially polyandrous, sex-role-reversed shorebird, the red phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius). We expected (i) higher microbial diversity in females compared to males; (ii) low compositional differentiation between sexes; (iii) lower variation in composition between individuals (i.e. microbiome dispersion) in females than in males; (iv) convergence in composition as the breeding season progresses as a consequence of sexual transmission and/or shared habitat use; and (v) higher similarity in microbial composition between social pair members than between two random opposite-sex individuals. We found no or small between-sex differences in cloacal microbiome diversity/richness and composition. Dispersion of predicted functional pathways was lower in females than in males. As predicted, microbiome dispersion decreased with sampling date relative to clutch initiation of the social pair. Microbiome composition was significantly more similar among social pair members than among two random opposite-sex individuals. Pair membership explained 21.5% of the variation in taxonomic composition and 10.1% of functional profiles, whereas temporal and sex effects explained only 0.6%-1.6%. Consistent with evidence of functional convergence of reproductive microbiomes within pairs, some select taxa and predicted functional pathways were less variable between social pair members than between random opposite-sex individuals. As predicted if sexual transmission of the reproductive microbiome is high, sex differences in microbiome composition were weak in a socially polyandrous system with frequent copulations. Moreover, high within-pair similarity in microbiome composition, particularly for a few taxa spanning the spectrum of the beneficial-pathogenic axis, demonstrates the link between mating behaviour and the reproductive microbiome. Our study is consistent with the hypothesis that sexual transmission plays an important role in driving reproductive microbiome ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Prüter
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Mark A F Gillingham
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
- Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC, Oviedo University, Principality of Asturias), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Spain
| | - Johannes Krietsch
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kuhn
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
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4
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Madsen T, Ujvari B, Bauwens D, Gruber B, Georges A, Klaassen M. Polyandry and non-random fertilisation maintain long-term genetic diversity in an isolated island population of adders (Vipera berus). Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 130:64-72. [PMID: 36474024 PMCID: PMC9905584 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00578-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation genetic theory suggests that small and isolated populations should be subject to reduced genetic diversity i.e., heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Our 34 years study of an isolated island population of adders (Vipera berus) in southern Sweden challenges this notion. Despite a lack of gene flow and a yearly mean estimated reproductive adult population size of only 65 adult adders (range 12-171), the population maintains high levels of heterozygosity and allelic diversity similar to that observed in two mainland populations. Even a 14-year major "bottleneck" i.e., a reduction in adult adder numbers, encompassing at least four adder generations, did not result in any reduction in the island adders' heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Female adders are polyandrous, and fertilisation is non-random, which our empirical data and modelling suggest are underpinning the maintenance of the population's high level of heterozygosity. Our empirical results and subsequent modelling suggest that the positive genetic effects of polyandry in combination with non-random fertilisation, often overlooked in conservation genetic analyses, deserve greater consideration when predicting long-term survival of small and isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Madsen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217, Australia.
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217, Australia
| | - Dirk Bauwens
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217, Australia
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5
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Cunningham NC, Mitchell RC, Mogilski JK. Which styles of moral reasoning predict apprehension toward consensual non-monogamy? PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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6
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Ashby B, Farine DR. Social information use shapes the coevolution of sociality and virulence. Evolution 2022; 76:1153-1169. [PMID: 35420704 PMCID: PMC9322624 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Social contacts can facilitate the spread of both survival-related information and infectious diseases, but little is known about how these processes combine to shape host and parasite evolution. Here, we use a theoretical model that captures both infection and information transmission processes to investigate how host sociality (contact effort) and parasite virulence (disease-associated mortality rate) (co)evolve. We show that selection for sociality (and in turn, virulence) depends on both the intrinsic costs and benefits of social information and infection as well as their relative prevalence in the population. Specifically, greater sociality and lower virulence evolve when the risk of infection is either low or high and social information is neither very common nor too rare. Lower sociality and higher virulence evolve when the prevalence patterns are reversed. When infection and social information are both at moderate levels in the population, the direction of selection depends on the relative costs and benefits of being infected or informed. We also show that sociality varies inversely with virulence, and that parasites may be unable to prevent runaway selection for higher contact efforts. Together, these findings provide new insights for our understanding of group living and how apparently opposing ecological processes can influence the evolution of sociality and virulence in a range of ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ashby
- Department of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of BathBathSomersetUK,Department of MathematicsSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective BehaviourUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
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7
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Female remating decisions and mate choice benefits in the beetle Gnatocerus cornutus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03161-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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How do biases in sex ratio and disease characteristics affect the spread of sexually transmitted infections? J Theor Biol 2021; 527:110832. [PMID: 34252402 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is inherently linked to host mating dynamics. Studies across many taxa show that adult sex ratio, a major determinant of host mating dynamics, is often skewed - sometimes strongly - toward males or females. However, few predictions exist for the effects of skewed sex ratio on STI epidemiology, and none when coupled with sex biased disease characteristics. Here we use mathematical modelling to examine how interactions between sex ratio and disease characteristics affect STI prevalence in males and females. Notably, we find that while overall disease prevalence peaks at equal sex ratios, prevalence per sex peaks at skewed sex ratios. Furthermore, disease characteristics, sex-biased or not, drive predictable differences in male and female STI prevalence as sex ratio varies, with higher transmission and lower virulence generally increasing differences between the sexes for a given sex ratio. Our work reveals new insights into how STI prevalence in males and females depends on a complex interaction between host population sex ratio and disease characteristics.
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9
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Bagchi B, Corbel Q, Khan I, Payne E, Banerji D, Liljestrand-Rönn J, Martinossi-Allibert I, Baur J, Sayadi A, Immonen E, Arnqvist G, Söderhäll I, Berger D. Sexual conflict drives micro- and macroevolution of sexual dimorphism in immunity. BMC Biol 2021; 19:114. [PMID: 34078377 PMCID: PMC8170964 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01049-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism in immunity is believed to reflect sex differences in reproductive strategies and trade-offs between competing life history demands. Sexual selection can have major effects on mating rates and sex-specific costs of mating and may thereby influence sex differences in immunity as well as associated host-pathogen dynamics. Yet, experimental evidence linking the mating system to evolved sexual dimorphism in immunity are scarce and the direct effects of mating rate on immunity are not well established. Here, we use transcriptomic analyses, experimental evolution and phylogenetic comparative methods to study the association between the mating system and sexual dimorphism in immunity in seed beetles, where mating causes internal injuries in females. RESULTS We demonstrate that female phenoloxidase (PO) activity, involved in wound healing and defence against parasitic infections, is elevated relative to males. This difference is accompanied by concomitant sex differences in the expression of genes in the prophenoloxidase activating cascade. We document substantial phenotypic plasticity in female PO activity in response to mating and show that experimental evolution under enforced monogamy (resulting in low remating rates and reduced sexual conflict relative to natural polygamy) rapidly decreases female (but not male) PO activity. Moreover, monogamous females had evolved increased tolerance to bacterial infection unrelated to mating, implying that female responses to costly mating may trade off with other aspects of immune defence, an hypothesis which broadly accords with the documented sex differences in gene expression. Finally, female (but not male) PO activity shows correlated evolution with the perceived harmfulness of male genitalia across 12 species of seed beetles, suggesting that sexual conflict has a significant influence on sexual dimorphisms in immunity in this group of insects. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides insights into the links between sexual conflict and sexual dimorphism in immunity and suggests that selection pressures moulded by mating interactions can lead to a sex-specific mosaic of immune responses with important implications for host-pathogen dynamics in sexually reproducing organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basabi Bagchi
- Department of Biology, Ashoka University, Sonipat, India
| | - Quentin Corbel
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Imroze Khan
- Department of Biology, Ashoka University, Sonipat, India
| | - Ellen Payne
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Johanna Liljestrand-Rönn
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ivain Martinossi-Allibert
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Julian Baur
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ahmed Sayadi
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elina Immonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irene Söderhäll
- Department of Organismal Biology, Program of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - David Berger
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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10
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Rowe M, Veerus L, Trosvik P, Buckling A, Pizzari T. The Reproductive Microbiome: An Emerging Driver of Sexual Selection, Sexual Conflict, Mating Systems, and Reproductive Isolation. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:220-234. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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11
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Ashby B. Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and sexually transmitted infections. Evolution 2019; 74:43-56. [PMID: 31732970 PMCID: PMC6973023 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are predicted to play an important role in the evolution of host mating strategies, and vice versa, yet our understanding of host‐STI coevolution is limited. Previous theoretical work has shown mate choice can evolve to prevent runaway STI virulence evolution in chronic, sterilizing infections. Here, I generalize this theory to examine how a broader range of life‐history traits influence coevolution; specifically, how host preferences for healthy mates and STI virulence coevolve when infections are acute and can cause mortality or sterility, and hosts do not form long‐term sexual partnerships. I show that mate choice reduces both mortality and sterility virulence, with qualitatively different outcomes depending on the mode of virulence, costs associated with mate choice, recovery rates, and host lifespan. For example, fluctuating selection—a key finding in previous work—is most likely when hosts have moderate lifespans, STIs cause sterility and long infections, and costs of mate choice are low. The results reveal new insights into the coevolution of mate choice and STI virulence as different life‐history traits vary, providing increased support for parasite‐mediated sexual selection as a potential driver of host mate choice, and mate choice as a constraint on the evolution of virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ashby
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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12
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Iglesias‐Carrasco M, Fox RJ, Vega‐Trejo R, Jennions MD, Head ML. An experimental test for body size‐dependent effects of male harassment and an elevated copulation rate on female lifetime fecundity and offspring performance. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1262-1273. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias‐Carrasco
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Regina Vega‐Trejo
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Megan L. Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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13
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14
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Fox RJ, Fromhage L, Jennions MD. Sexual selection, phenotypic plasticity and female reproductive output. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180184. [PMID: 30966965 PMCID: PMC6365872 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In a rapidly changing environment, does sexual selection on males elevate a population's reproductive output? If so, does phenotypic plasticity enhance or diminish any such effect? We outline two routes by which sexual selection can influence the reproductive output of a population: a genetic correlation between male sexual competitiveness and female lifetime reproductive success; and direct effects of males on females' breeding success. We then discuss how phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits and/or female responses (e.g. plasticity in mate choice), as the environment changes, might influence how sexual selection affects a population's reproductive output. Two key points emerge. First, condition-dependent expression of male sexual traits makes it likely that sexual selection increases female fitness if reproductively successful males disproportionately transfer genes that are under natural selection in both sexes, such as genes for foraging efficiency. Condition-dependence is a form of phenotypic plasticity if some of the variation in net resource acquisition and assimilation is attributable to the environment rather than solely genetic in origin. Second, the optimal allocation of resources into different condition-dependent traits depends on their marginal fitness gains. As male condition improves, this can therefore increase or, though rarely highlighted, actually decrease the expression of sexually selected traits. It is therefore crucial to understand how condition determines male allocation of resources to different sexually selected traits that vary in their immediate effects on female reproductive output (e.g. ornaments versus coercive behaviour). In addition, changes in the distribution of condition among males as the environment shifts could reduce phenotypic variance in certain male traits, thereby reducing the strength of sexual selection imposed by females. Studies of adaptive evolution under rapid environmental change should consider the possibility that phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits, even if it elevates male fitness, could have a negative effect on female reproductive output, thereby increasing the risk of population extinction. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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15
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Fox RJ, Head ML, Jennions MD. Disentangling the costs of male harassment and the benefits of polyandry for females. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Fox
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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16
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Hiller T, Rasche A, Brändel SD, König A, Jeworowski L, Teague O'Mara M, Cottontail V, Page RA, Glebe D, Drexler JF, Tschapka M. Host Biology and Anthropogenic Factors Affect Hepadnavirus Infection in a Neotropical Bat. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:82-94. [PMID: 30564998 PMCID: PMC7088011 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1387-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The tent-making bat hepatitis B virus (TBHBV) is a hepadnavirus closely related to human hepatitis B virus. The ecology of TBHBV is unclear. We show that it is widespread and highly diversified in Peters' tent-making bats (Uroderma bilobatum) within Panama, while local prevalence varied significantly between sample sites, ranging from 0 to 14.3%. Females showed significantly higher prevalence than males, and pregnant females were more often acutely infected than non-reproductive ones. The distribution of TBHBV in bats was significantly affected by forest cover, with higher infection rates in areas with lower forest cover. Our data indicate that loss of natural habitat may lead to positive feedback on the biotic factors driving infection possibility. These results underline the necessity of multidisciplinary studies for a better understanding of mechanisms in pathogen-host relationships and for predictions in disease ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hiller
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.
| | - Andrea Rasche
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan Dominik Brändel
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Alexander König
- Institute of Medical Virology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- German Reference Center for Hepatitis B and D Viruses, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lara Jeworowski
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - M Teague O'Mara
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany
| | - Veronika Cottontail
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institute of Medical Virology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- German Reference Center for Hepatitis B and D Viruses, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
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17
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Males can evolve lower resistance to sexually transmitted infections to infect their mates and thereby increase their own fitness. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09976-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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18
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Escallón C, Belden LK, Moore IT. The Cloacal Microbiome Changes with the Breeding Season in a Wild Bird. Integr Org Biol 2019; 1:oby009. [PMID: 33791516 PMCID: PMC7671126 DOI: 10.1093/iob/oby009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The symbiotic microbial communities, or “microbiomes,” that reside on animals are dynamic, and can be affected by the behavior and physiology of the host. These communities provide many critical beneficial functions for their hosts, but they can also include potential pathogens. In birds, bacteria residing in the cloaca form a complex community, including both gut and sexually-transmitted bacteria. Transmission of cloacal bacteria among individuals is likely during the breeding season, when there is direct cloacal contact between individuals. In addition, the major energetic investment in reproduction can draw resources away from immune responses that might otherwise prevent the successful establishment of microbes. We assessed dynamic variation in the cloacal microbiome of free-living rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) through sequential breeding and non-breeding seasons. We found that the cloacal bacterial communities differed between the sexes when they were in breeding condition. Further, in males, but not in females, the bacterial community became more diverse with the onset of reproduction, and then decreased in diversity as males transitioned to non-breeding condition. Individuals sampled across sequential breeding seasons did not accumulate more bacterial taxa over seasons, but bacterial community composition did change. Our results suggest that the cloacal microbiome in birds is dynamic and, especially in males, responsive to breeding condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Escallón
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.,Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de La Salle, Cra 2 No. 10-70, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - L K Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - I T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Wardlaw AM, Agrawal AF. Sexual Conflict and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Coevolution of Sexually Antagonistic Host Traits with an STI. Am Nat 2018; 193:E1-E14. [PMID: 30624111 DOI: 10.1086/700564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In many taxa, there is a conflict between the sexes over mating rate. The outcome of sexually antagonistic coevolution depends on the costs of mating and natural selection against sexually antagonistic traits. A sexually transmitted infection (STI) changes the relative strength of these costs. We study the three-way evolutionary interaction among male persistence, female resistance, and STI virulence for two types of STIs: a viability-reducing STI and a reproduction-reducing STI. A viability-reducing STI escalates conflict between the sexes. This leads to increased STI virulence (i.e., full coevolution) if the costs of sexually antagonistic traits occur through viability but not through reproduction. In contrast, a reproduction-reducing STI de-escalates the sexual conflict, but STI virulence does not coevolve in response. We also investigated the establishment probability of STIs under different combinations of evolvability. Successful invasion by a viability-reducing STI becomes less likely if hosts (but not parasites) are evolvable, especially if only the female trait can evolve. A reproduction-reducing STI can almost always invade because it does not kill its host. We discuss how the evolution of host and parasite traits in a system with sexual conflict differs from a system with female mate choice.
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20
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Mabaso MLH, Malope NF, Simbayi LC. Socio-demographic and behavioural profile of women in polygamous relationships in South Africa: a retrospective analysis of the 2002 population-based household survey data. BMC WOMENS HEALTH 2018; 18:133. [PMID: 30068320 PMCID: PMC6090975 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-018-0626-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background The prevalence and effect of polygamous relationships may have serious reproductive and /or health consequences for women. In South Africa, unlike in other sub-Saharan countries, no nationwide survey has investigated polygamy except for the 2002 HIV/AIDS population-based household survey. The aim of this study was to profile socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics associated with women in polygamous relationships in South Africa using the 2002 survey data. Methods The survey data were collected using a multi-stage stratified cluster randomised sampling design. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between polygamy, and selected socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Results Of 1437 women who responded to the question on polygamy, 8.3% reported being in a polygamous marriage. Women in polygamous marriages were significantly less likely to have tertiary education [OR = 0.03(95% CI: 0.00–0.28), p = 0.003], to have money for food and clothes [OR = 0.12 (95% CI: 0.06–0.27), p < 0.001], to have a sexual partner five years younger [OR = 0.10 (95% CI: 0.01–0.94), p = 0.044] or sexual partner within 5 years older or younger [OR = 0.35 (95% CI: 0.13–0.991), p = 0.032]. They were also significantly more likely to have two or more sexual partners [OR = 20.42 (95% CI: 1.10–379.89), p = 0.043]. Conclusion The finding that polygamy is associated with uneducated and women of low economic means, who have relationships with older men and multiple sexual partners warrants further attention. Contemporary studies on polygamy are needed in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musawenkosi L H Mabaso
- HAST, Human Sciences Research Council, The Atrium, 5th Floor, 430 Peter Mokaba Street, Berea, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Nthabiseng F Malope
- Office of the Deputy CEO for Research, Human Sciences Research Council, 116 - 118 Merchant House Building, Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
| | - Leickness C Simbayi
- Office of the Deputy CEO for Research, Human Sciences Research Council, 116 - 118 Merchant House Building, Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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21
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Structure of sexual networks determines the operation of sexual selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:E53-E61. [PMID: 29255016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710450115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is a fundamental evolutionary process but remains debated, particularly in the complexity of polyandrous populations where females mate with multiple males. This lack of resolution is partly because studies have largely ignored the structure of the sexual network, that is, the pattern of mate sharing. Here, we quantify what we call mating assortment with network analysis to specify explicitly the indirect as well as direct relationships between partners. We first review empirical studies, showing that mating assortment varies considerably in nature, due largely to basic properties of the sexual network (size and density) and partly to nonrandom patterns of mate sharing. We then use simulations to show how variation in mating assortment interacts with population-level polyandry to determine the strength of sexual selection on males. Controlling for average polyandry, positive mating assortment, arising when more polygynous males tend to mate with more polyandrous females, drastically decreases the intensity of precopulatory sexual selection on male mating success (Bateman gradient) and the covariance between male mating success and postcopulatory paternity share. Average polyandry independently weakened some measures of sexual selection and crucially also impacted sexual selection indirectly by constraining mating assortment through the saturation of the mating network. Mating assortment therefore represents a key-albeit overlooked-modulator of the strength of sexual selection. Our results show that jointly considering sexual network structure and average polyandry more precisely describes the strength of sexual selection.
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22
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Okada K, Suzaki Y, Sasaki R, Katsuki M. Fitness costs of polyandry to female cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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23
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Paternity Outcomes in the Freshwater Gastropod, Chilina dombeiana in the Biobío River, Chile. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169574. [PMID: 28068418 PMCID: PMC5221823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the mating system of obligate aquatic organisms that inhabit river ecosystems is important for understanding its evolution as well as the role of biological and environmental factors in modulating population dynamics and species distributional patterns. Here, we studied the reproductive strategy of the Chilean endemic freshwater snail, Chilina dombeiana, in the Biobío River, one of the largest rivers in Chile. This species has a low potential for dispersal given the absence of a free-swimming larval stage (benthic larval development) and given that adults have a low capacity for mobility. We hypothesized that: 1. Females would mate with different males (polyandry) resulting in intrabrood multiple paternity, 2. Individuals from closer sites would be more related than individuals from distant sites, and 3. Male parental contributions would be unevenly distributed within broods. Individuals from three different sites were sampled along the river: upper, mid, and river mouth. In the laboratory, hatching juveniles from a total of 15 broods were collected for paternity analyses. We used microsatellite markers and the programs GERUD and COLONY to determine whether multiple paternity exists and to estimate the contribution of different males to the brood. We found that multiple paternity was very common at all of the sites analyzed with as many as 8 males fertilizing a single female and a mean of 4.2 fathers per brood estimated by COLONY. Sire contribution was skewed to particular males in several broods. In addition, overall relatedness among broods for the three sites ranged from 0.17 to 0.45 with evidence of many half-siblings. Relatedness differed among the three sites. Particularly in upstream sites or in anthropogenically disturbed populations, the high levels of multiple paternity observed in C. dombeiana may be an efficient strategy to avoid inbreeding and prevent the loss of genetic diversity within populations.
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Duthie AB, Bocedi G, Reid JM. When does female multiple mating evolve to adjust inbreeding? Effects of inbreeding depression, direct costs, mating constraints, and polyandry as a threshold trait. Evolution 2016; 70:1927-43. [PMID: 27464756 PMCID: PMC5053304 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Polyandry is often hypothesized to evolve to allow females to adjust the degree to which they inbreed. Multiple factors might affect such evolution, including inbreeding depression, direct costs, constraints on male availability, and the nature of polyandry as a threshold trait. Complex models are required to evaluate when evolution of polyandry to adjust inbreeding is predicted to arise. We used a genetically explicit individual‐based model to track the joint evolution of inbreeding strategy and polyandry defined as a polygenic threshold trait. Evolution of polyandry to avoid inbreeding only occurred given strong inbreeding depression, low direct costs, and severe restrictions on initial versus additional male availability. Evolution of polyandry to prefer inbreeding only occurred given zero inbreeding depression and direct costs, and given similarly severe restrictions on male availability. However, due to its threshold nature, phenotypic polyandry was frequently expressed even when strongly selected against and hence maladaptive. Further, the degree to which females adjusted inbreeding through polyandry was typically very small, and often reflected constraints on male availability rather than adaptive reproductive strategy. Evolution of polyandry solely to adjust inbreeding might consequently be highly restricted in nature, and such evolution cannot necessarily be directly inferred from observed magnitudes of inbreeding adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bradley Duthie
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Greta Bocedi
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jane M Reid
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
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25
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Escallón C, Becker MH, Walke JB, Jensen RV, Cormier G, Belden LK, Moore IT. Testosterone levels are positively correlated with cloacal bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of Chlamydiae in breeding male rufous‐collared sparrows. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Escallón
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Matthew H. Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Jenifer B. Walke
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Roderick V. Jensen
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Guy Cormier
- Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center The University of Georgia 4098C Stegeman Coliseum Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - Lisa K. Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Ignacio T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech 2119 Derring Hall Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
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26
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Multiple paternity in a viviparous toad with internal fertilisation. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:51. [PMID: 27262290 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1377-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Anurans are renowned for a high diversity of reproductive modes, but less than 1 % of species exhibit internal fertilisation followed by viviparity. In the live-bearing West African Nimba toad (Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis), females produce yolk-poor eggs and internally nourish their young after fertilisation. Birth of fully developed juveniles takes place after 9 months. In the present study, we used genetic markers (eight microsatellite loci) to assign the paternity of litters of 12 females comprising on average 9.7 juveniles. In 9 out of 12 families (75 %), a single sire was sufficient; in three families (25 %), more than one sire was necessary to explain the observed genotypes in each family. These findings are backed up with field observations of male resource defence (underground cavities in which mating takes place) as well as coercive mating attempts, suggesting that the observed moderate level of multiple paternity in a species without distinct sperm storage organs is governed by a balance of female mate choice and male reproductive strategies.
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27
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Individual, social, and sexual niche traits affect copulation success in a polygynandrous mating system. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2112-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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28
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Abstract
Parasites are thought to play an important role in sexual selection and the evolution of mating strategies, which in turn are likely to be critical to the transmission and therefore the evolution of parasites. Despite this clear interdependence we have little understanding of parasite-mediated sexual selection in the context of reciprocal parasite evolution. Here we develop a general coevolutionary model between host mate preference and the virulence of a sexually transmitted parasite. We show when the characteristics of both the host and parasite lead to coevolutionarily stable strategies or runaway selection, and when coevolutionary cycling between high and low levels of host mate choosiness and virulence is possible. A prominent argument against parasites being involved in sexual selection is that they should evolve to become less virulent when transmission depends on host mating success. The present study, however, demonstrates that coevolution can maintain stable host mate choosiness and parasite virulence or indeed coevolutionary cycling of both traits. We predict that choosiness should vary inversely with parasite virulence and that both relatively long and short life spans select against choosy behavior in the host. The model also reveals that hosts can evolve different behavioral responses from the same initial conditions, which highlights difficulties in using comparative analysis to detect parasite-mediated sexual selection. Taken as a whole, our results emphasize the importance of viewing parasite-mediated sexual selection in the context of coevolution.
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29
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Pastok D, Atkinson D, Hurst GD. Assessing the impact of male-killing bacteria on the spread of a sexually transmitted infection. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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30
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Farine DR, Whitehead H. Constructing, conducting and interpreting animal social network analysis. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1144-63. [PMID: 26172345 PMCID: PMC4973823 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 464] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
1. Animal social networks are descriptions of social structure which, aside from their intrinsic interest for understanding sociality, can have significant bearing across many fields of biology. 2. Network analysis provides a flexible toolbox for testing a broad range of hypotheses, and for describing the social system of species or populations in a quantitative and comparable manner. However, it requires careful consideration of underlying assumptions, in particular differentiating real from observed networks and controlling for inherent biases that are common in social data. 3. We provide a practical guide for using this framework to analyse animal social systems and test hypotheses. First, we discuss key considerations when defining nodes and edges, and when designing methods for collecting data. We discuss different approaches for inferring social networks from these data and displaying them. We then provide an overview of methods for quantifying properties of nodes and networks, as well as for testing hypotheses concerning network structure and network processes. Finally, we provide information about assessing the power and accuracy of an observed network. 4. Alongside this manuscript, we provide appendices containing background information on common programming routines and worked examples of how to perform network analysis using the r programming language. 5. We conclude by discussing some of the major current challenges in social network analysis and interesting future directions. In particular, we highlight the under-exploited potential of experimental manipulations on social networks to address research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien R Farine
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
- Department of Anthropology (Evolutionary), University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4J1
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31
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Marino IAM, Riginella E, Gristina M, Rasotto MB, Zane L, Mazzoldi C. Multiple paternity and hybridization in two smooth-hound sharks. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12919. [PMID: 26257113 PMCID: PMC4530440 DOI: 10.1038/srep12919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple paternity appears to be a common trait of elasmobranch mating systems, with its occurrence likely driven by convenience, due to females seeking to minimize the stress of male harassment. Here we use molecular markers to analyse the frequency of multiple paternity in two related viviparous sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus. We first applied molecular methods to assign pregnant females, embryos and additional reference adults (N = 792) to one of the two species. Paternity analysis was performed using a total of 9 polymorphic microsatellites on 19 females and 204 embryos of M. mustelus, and on 13 females and 303 embryos of M. punctulatus. Multiple paternity occurs in both species, with 47% of M. mustelus and 54% of M. punctulatus litters sired by at least two fathers. Female fecundity is not influenced by multiple mating and in 56% of polyandrous litters paternity is skewed, with one male siring most of the pups. Genetic analyses also revealed hybridization between the two species, with a M. punctulatus female bearing pups sired by a M. mustelus male. The frequency of polyandrous litters in these species is consistent with aspects of their reproductive biology, such as synchronous ovulation and possible occurrence of breeding aggregations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria A M Marino
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Emilio Riginella
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Michele Gristina
- IAMC-CNR, via Luigi Vaccara 61, 91026 Mazara del Vallo (TP), Italy
| | - Maria B Rasotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Zane
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Carlotta Mazzoldi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy
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McLeod DV, Day T. Sexually transmitted infection and the evolution of serial monogamy. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:20141726. [PMID: 25320174 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The selective forces shaping mating systems have long been of interest to biologists. One particular selective pressure that has received comparatively little attention is sexually transmitted infections (STIs). While it has been hypothesized that STIs could drive the evolutionary emergence of monogamy, there is little theoretical support. Here we use an evolutionary invasion analysis to determine what aspects of pathogen virulence and transmission are necessary for serial monogamy to evolve in a promiscuous population. We derive a biologically intuitive invasion condition in terms of population-specific quantities. From this condition, we obtain two main results. First, when pathogen virulence causes mortality rather than sterility, monogamy is more likely to evolve. Second, we find that at intermediate pathogen transmission rates, monogamy is the most selectively advantageous, whereas at high- and low-transmission rates, monogamy is generally selected against. As a result, it is possible for a pathogen to be highly virulent, yet for promiscuity to persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V McLeod
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, 99 University Ave Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Troy Day
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, 99 University Ave Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
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Sommaro LV, Chiappero MB, Vera NS, Coda JA, Priotto JW, Steinmann AR. Multiple paternity in a wild population of the corn mouse: its potential adaptive significance for females. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Best EC, Blomberg SP, Goldizen AW. Shy female kangaroos seek safety in numbers and have fewer preferred friendships. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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35
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Power DJ, Holman L. Polyandrous females found fitter populations. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1948-55. [PMID: 25039698 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Multiple mating by females (polyandry) requires an evolutionary explanation, because it carries fitness costs in many species. When mated females disperse alone to a new habitat, their offspring may have no option but to mate with their siblings and incur inbreeding depression. However, some of the offspring of polyandrous females may only be half siblings, reducing inbreeding depression when isolated groups of siblings only have each other as mates. We investigated this putative benefit of polyandry over monandry by initiating multiple genetically isolated populations of Callosobruchus maculatus beetles, each founded by a single female, who received a complete ejaculate from either one or two males. The early generations had comparable fitness, but the F4 and F5 descendants of doubly inseminated females were more numerous and had higher egg-to-adult survival than the descendants of singly inseminated females. This fitness benefit was of similar magnitude whether beetles were reared on their standard food plant, or on a less favourable food source. Our results suggest that polyandrous females produce fitter descendants in inbred founder populations and therefore that polyandry may affect movement ecology and invasion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Power
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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36
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Taylor ML, Price TA, Wedell N. Polyandry in nature: a global analysis. Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:376-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Ashby B, Gupta S. PARASITIC CASTRATION PROMOTES COEVOLUTIONARY CYCLING BUT ALSO IMPOSES A COST ON SEX. Evolution 2014; 68:2234-44. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ashby
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Sunetra Gupta
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
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Farine DR. Measuring phenotypic assortment in animal social networks: weighted associations are more robust than binary edges. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Hoogland JL. Why do female prairie dogs copulate with more than one male?—Insights from long-term research. J Mammal 2013. [DOI: 10.1644/12-mamm-a-291.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Fisher DN, Doff RJ, Price TAR. True polyandry and pseudopolyandry: why does a monandrous fly remate? BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:157. [PMID: 23885723 PMCID: PMC3728105 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rate of female remating can have important impacts on a species, from affecting conflict and cooperation within families, to population viability and gene flow. However, determining the level of polyandry in a species can be difficult, with information on the mating system of many species being based on a single experiment, or completely absent. Here we investigate the mating system of the fruit fly Drosophila subobscura. Reports from England, Spain and Canada suggest D. subobscura is entirely monandrous, with no females remating. However, work in Greece suggests that 23% of females remate. We examine the willingness of female D. subobscura to remate in the laboratory in a range of conditions, using flies from both Greece and England. We make a distinction between pseudopolyandry, where a female remates after an ineffective first mating that is incapable of fertilising her eggs, and true polyandry, where a female remates even though she has received suitable sperm from a previous mating. RESULTS We find a low rate of true polyandry by females (4%), with no difference between populations. The rate of true polyandry is affected by temperature, but not starvation. Pseudopolyandry is three times as common as true polyandry, and most females showing pseudopolyandry mated at their first opportunity after their first failed mating. However, despite the lack of differences in polyandry between the populations, we do find differences in the way males respond to exposure to other males prior to mating. In line with previous work, English flies responded to one or more rivals by increasing their copulation duration, a response previously thought to be driven by sperm competition. Greek males only show increased copulation duration when exposed to four or more rival males. This suggests that the response to rivals in D. subobscura is not related to sperm competition, because sperm competition is rare, and there is no correlation of response to rivals and mating system across the populations. CONCLUSIONS These results illustrate the difficulties in determining the mating system of a species, even one that is well known and an excellent laboratory species, with results being highly dependent on the conditions used to assay the behaviour, and the population used.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N Fisher
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Rowan J Doff
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Pizzari
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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