1
|
Matthews DG, Dial TR, Lauder GV. Genes, Morphology, Performance, and Fitness: Quantifying Organismal Performance to Understand Adaptive Evolution. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:843-859. [PMID: 37422435 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the complexities of morphological evolution, we must understand the relationships between genes, morphology, performance, and fitness in complex traits. Genomicists have made tremendous progress in finding the genetic basis of many phenotypes, including a myriad of morphological characters. Similarly, field biologists have greatly advanced our understanding of the relationship between performance and fitness in natural populations. However, the connection from morphology to performance has primarily been studied at the interspecific level, meaning that in most cases we lack a mechanistic understanding of how evolutionarily relevant variation among individuals affects organismal performance. Therefore, functional morphologists need methods that will allow for the analysis of fine-grained intraspecific variation in order to close the path from genes to fitness. We suggest three methodological areas that we believe are well suited for this research program and provide examples of how each can be applied within fish model systems to build our understanding of microevolutionary processes. Specifically, we believe that structural equation modeling, biological robotics, and simultaneous multi-modal functional data acquisition will open up fruitful collaborations among biomechanists, evolutionary biologists, and field biologists. It is only through the combined efforts of all three fields that we will understand the connection between evolution (acting at the level of genes) and natural selection (acting on fitness).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David G Matthews
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Terry R Dial
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Moab, UT 84322, USA
- Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Moab, UT 84322, USA
| | - George V Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pinto BJ, Gamble T, Smith CH, Keating SE, Havird JC, Chiari Y. The revised reference genome of the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) provides insight into the considerations of genome phasing and assembly. J Hered 2023; 114:513-520. [PMID: 36869788 PMCID: PMC10445513 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic resources across squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) have lagged behind other vertebrate systems and high-quality reference genomes remain scarce. Of the 23 chromosome-scale reference genomes across the order, only 12 of the ~60 squamate families are represented. Within geckos (infraorder Gekkota), a species-rich clade of lizards, chromosome-level genomes are exceptionally sparse representing only two of the seven extant families. Using the latest advances in genome sequencing and assembly methods, we generated one of the highest-quality squamate genomes to date for the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae). We compared this assembly to the previous, short-read only, E. macularius reference genome published in 2016 and examined potential factors within the assembly influencing contiguity of genome assemblies using PacBio HiFi data. Briefly, the read N50 of the PacBio HiFi reads generated for this study was equal to the contig N50 of the previous E. macularius reference genome at 20.4 kilobases. The HiFi reads were assembled into a total of 132 contigs, which was further scaffolded using HiC data into 75 total sequences representing all 19 chromosomes. We identified 9 of the 19 chromosomal scaffolds were assembled as a near-single contig, whereas the other 10 chromosomes were each scaffolded together from multiple contigs. We qualitatively identified that the percent repeat content within a chromosome broadly affects its assembly contiguity prior to scaffolding. This genome assembly signifies a new age for squamate genomics where high-quality reference genomes rivaling some of the best vertebrate genome assemblies can be generated for a fraction of previous cost estimates. This new E. macularius reference assembly is available on NCBI at JAOPLA010000000.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Pinto
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI, USA
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Chase H Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shannon E Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI, USA
| | - Justin C Havird
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ylenia Chiari
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pinto BJ, Gamble T, Smith CH, Keating SE, Havird JC, Chiari Y. The revised reference genome of the leopard gecko ( Eublepharis macularius ) provides insight into the considerations of genome phasing and assembly. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.523807. [PMID: 36712019 PMCID: PMC9882329 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.523807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Genomic resources across squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) have lagged behind other vertebrate systems and high-quality reference genomes remain scarce. Of the 23 chromosome-scale reference genomes across the order, only 12 of the ~60 squamate families are represented. Within geckos (infraorder Gekkota), a species-rich clade of lizards, chromosome-level genomes are exceptionally sparse representing only two of the seven extant families. Using the latest advances in genome sequencing and assembly methods, we generated one of the highest quality squamate genomes to date for the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae). We compared this assembly to the previous, short-read only, E. macularius reference genome published in 2016 and examined potential factors within the assembly influencing contiguity of genome assemblies using PacBio HiFi data. Briefly, the read N50 of the PacBio HiFi reads generated for this study was equal to the contig N50 of the previous E. macularius reference genome at 20.4 kilobases. The HiFi reads were assembled into a total of 132 contigs, which was further scaffolded using HiC data into 75 total sequences representing all 19 chromosomes. We identified that 9 of the 19 chromosomes were assembled as single contigs, while the other 10 chromosomes were each scaffolded together from two or more contigs. We qualitatively identified that percent repeat content within a chromosome broadly affects its assembly contiguity prior to scaffolding. This genome assembly signifies a new age for squamate genomics where high-quality reference genomes rivaling some of the best vertebrate genome assemblies can be generated for a fraction previous cost estimates. This new E. macularius reference assembly is available on NCBI at JAOPLA010000000. The genome version and its associated annotations are also available via this Figshare repository https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20069273 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J. Pinto
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN USA
| | - Chase H. Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shannon E. Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Justin C. Havird
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ylenia Chiari
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Anderson NK, Goodwin SE, Schuppe ER, Dawn A, Preininger D, Mangiamele LA, Fuxjager MJ. Activational vs. organizational effects of sex steroids and their role in the evolution of reproductive behavior: Looking to foot-flagging frogs and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105248. [PMID: 36054981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play an important role in regulation of the vertebrate reproductive phenotype. This is because sex steroids not only activate sexual behaviors that mediate copulation, courtship, and aggression, but they also help guide the development of neural and muscular systems that underlie these traits. Many biologists have therefore described the effects of sex steroid action on reproductive behavior as both "activational" and "organizational," respectively. Here, we focus on these phenomena from an evolutionary standpoint, highlighting that we know relatively little about the way that organizational effects evolve in the natural world to support the adaptation and diversification of reproductive behavior. We first review the evidence that such effects do in fact evolve to mediate the evolution of sexual behavior. We then introduce an emerging animal model - the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus - that will be useful to study how sex hormones shape neuromotor development necessary for sexual displays. The foot flag is nothing more than a waving display that males use to compete for access to female mates, and thus the neural circuits that control its production are likely laid down when limb control systems arise during the developmental transition from tadpole to frog. We provide data that highlights how sex steroids might organize foot-flagging behavior through its putative underlying mechanisms. Overall, we anticipate that future studies of foot-flagging frogs will open a powerful window from which to see how sex steroids influence the neuromotor systems to help germinate circuits that drive signaling behavior. In this way, our aim is to bring attention to the important frontier of endocrinological regulation of evolutionary developmental biology (endo-evo-devo) and its relationship to behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Goodwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric R Schuppe
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - AllexAndrya Dawn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Genevcius BC, Calandriello DC, Torres TT. Molecular and Developmental Signatures of Genital Size Macro-Evolution in Bugs. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6742344. [PMID: 36181434 PMCID: PMC9585474 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac211] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the genetic architecture of phenotypic traits has experienced drastic growth over the last years. Nevertheless, the majority of studies associating genotypes and phenotypes have been conducted at the ontogenetic level. Thus, we still have an elusive knowledge of how these genetic-developmental architectures evolve themselves and how their evolution is mirrored in the phenotypic change across evolutionary time. We tackle this gap by reconstructing the evolution of male genital size, one of the most complex traits in insects, together with its underlying genetic architecture. Using the order Hemiptera as a model, spanning over 350 million years of evolution, we estimate the correlation between genitalia and three features: development rate, body size, and rates of DNA substitution in 68 genes associated with genital development. We demonstrate that genital size macro-evolution has been largely dependent on body size and weakly influenced by development rate and phylogenetic history. We further revealed significant correlations between mutation rates and genital size for 19 genes. Interestingly, these genes have diverse functions and participate in distinct signaling pathways, suggesting that genital size is a complex trait whose fast evolution has been enabled by molecular changes associated with diverse morphogenetic processes. Our data further demonstrate that the majority of DNA evolution correlated with the genitalia has been shaped by negative selection or neutral evolution. Thus, in terms of sequence evolution, changes in genital size are predominantly facilitated by relaxation of constraints rather than positive selection, possibly due to the high pleiotropic nature of the morphogenetic genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Denis C Calandriello
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil
| | - Tatiana T Torres
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gorneau JA, Rheims CA, Moreau CS, Rayor LS. Huntsman spider phylogeny informs evolution of life history, egg sacs, and morphology. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 174:107530. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
7
|
Abouheif E. My road to the ants: A model clade for eco-evo-devo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 147:231-290. [PMID: 35337451 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This chapter is the story of how I pioneered ants as a system for studying eco-evo-devo, a field that integrates developmental biology with ecology and evolutionary biology. One aim of eco-evo-devo is to understand how the interactions between genes and their environments during development facilitates the origin and evolution of novel phenotypes. In a series of six parts, I review some of the key discoveries from my lab on how novel worker caste systems in ants--soldiers and supersoldiers--originated and evolved. I also discuss some of the ideas that emerged from these discoveries, including the role that polyphenisms, hidden developmental potentials, and rudimentary organs play in facilitating developmental and evolutionary change. As superorganisms, I argue that ants are uniquely positioned to reveal types of variation that are often difficult to observe in nature. In doing so, they have the potential to transform our view of biology and provide new perspectives in medicine, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. With my story I hope to inspire the next generation of biologists to continue exploring the unknown regions of phenotypic space to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Griffing AH, Gamble T, Cohn MJ, Sanger TJ. Convergent developmental patterns underlie the repeated evolution of adhesive toe pads among lizards. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022; 135:518-532. [PMID: 35185322 PMCID: PMC8842688 DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
How developmental modifications produce key innovations, which subsequently allow for rapid diversification of a clade into new adaptive zones, has received much attention. However, few studies have used a robust comparative framework to investigate the influence of evolutionary and developmental constraints on the origin of key innovations, such as the adhesive toe pad of lizards. Adhesive toe pads evolved independently at least 16 times in lizards, allowing us to examine whether the patterns observed are general evolutionary phenomena or unique, lineage-specific events. We performed a high-resolution comparison of plantar scale development in 14 lizard species in Anolis and geckos, encompassing five independent origins of toe pads (one in Anolis, four in geckos). Despite substantial evolutionary divergence between Anolis and geckos, we find that these clades have undergone similar developmental modifications to generate their adhesive toe pads. Relative to the ancestral plantar scale development, in which scale ridges form synchronously along the digit, both padded geckos and Anolis exhibit scansor formation in a distal-to-proximal direction. Both clades have undergone developmental repatterning and, following their origin, modifications in toe pad morphology occurred through relatively minor developmental modifications, suggesting that developmental constraints governed the diversification of the adhesive toe pad in lizards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron H Griffing
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA,Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA,Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA,Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55113, USA
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Thomas J Sanger
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Boudinot BE, Moosdorf OTD, Beutel RG, Richter A. Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex- and caste-limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant. J Morphol 2021; 282:1616-1658. [PMID: 34427942 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ants are highly polyphenic Hymenoptera, with at least three distinct adult forms in the vast majority of species. Their sexual dimorphism, however, is overlooked to the point of being a nearly forgotten phenomenon. Using a multimodal approach, we interrogate the near total head microanatomy of the male of Dorylus helvolus, the "sausagefly," and compare it with the conspecific or near-conspecific female castes, the "driver ants." We found that no specific features were shared uniquely between the workers and males to the exclusion of the queens, indicating independence of male and worker development; males and queens, however, uniquely shared several features. Certain previous generalizations about ant sexual dimorphism are confirmed, while we also discover discrete muscular presences and absences, for which reason we provide a coarse characterization of functional morphology. Based on the unexpected retention of a medial carinate line on the structurally simplified mandible of the male, we postulate a series of developmental processes to explain the patterning of ant mandibles. We invoke functional and anatomical principles to classify sensilla. Critically, we observe an inversion of the expected pattern of male-queen mandible development: male Dorylus mandibles are extremely large while queen mandibles are poorly developed. To explain this, we posit that the reproductive-limited mandible phenotype is canalized in Dorylus, thus partially decoupling the queen and worker castes. We discuss alternative hypotheses and provide further comparisons to understand mandibular evolution in army ants. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the expression of the falcate phenotype in the queen is coincidental, that is, a "spandrel," and that the form of male mandibles is also generally coincidental across the ants. We conclude that the theory of ant development and evolution is incomplete without consideration of the male system, and we call for focused study of male anatomy and morphogenesis, and of trait limitation across all castes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Olivia Tikuma Diana Moosdorf
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian Richter
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Foquet B, Castellanos AA, Song H. Comparative analysis of phenotypic plasticity sheds light on the evolution and molecular underpinnings of locust phase polyphenism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11925. [PMID: 34099755 PMCID: PMC8184943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91317-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Locusts exhibit one of nature's most spectacular examples of complex phenotypic plasticity, in which changes in density cause solitary and cryptic individuals to transform into gregarious and conspicuous locusts forming large migrating swarms. We investigated how these coordinated alternative phenotypes might have evolved by studying the Central American locust and three closely related non-swarming grasshoppers in a comparative framework. By experimentally isolating and crowding during nymphal development, we induced density-dependent phenotypic plasticity and quantified the resulting behavioural, morphological, and molecular reaction norms. All four species exhibited clear plasticity, but the individual reaction norms varied among species and showed different magnitudes. Transcriptomic responses were species-specific, but density-responsive genes were functionally similar across species. There were modules of co-expressed genes that were highly correlated with plastic reaction norms, revealing a potential molecular basis of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity. These findings collectively highlight the importance of studying multiple reaction norms from a comparative perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bert Foquet
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790, USA.
| | - Adrian A Castellanos
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA
| | - Hojun Song
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Female control of a novel form of cannibalism during copulation in a South American widow spider. Behav Processes 2021; 188:104406. [PMID: 33895251 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sexual cannibalism is an extreme form of sexual conflict that may have broad evolutionary effects on mating behaviour. Latrodectus spiders (∼30 "widow" species) could enable comparative tests of the evolution of sexual cannibalism, but most species are poorly-studied. Here we describe the mating and remating behaviour of a species endemic to South America, L. mirabilis, with a focus on the occurrence and consequences of sexual cannibalism. Mating and cannibalistic behaviours were novel relative to other Latrodectus species. Cannibalism started during copulation when females grasped the male's legs with their chelicerae, and continued as females pulled the male's abdomen onto their chelicerae, without interrupting copulation. Cannibalism was initiated by females, and not facilitated by males as was observed in other Latrodectus species. Females frequently remated however, so cannibalized males might lose paternity to future rivals. We report high rates of cannibalism, with 70 % of males killed by females during their first mating, and 85 % killed by previously-mated females. We discuss our novel findings in the context of previous observations in other Latrodectus species, proposing that foundational studies in a wider range of species are necessary to support comparative tests about the evolution of sexual cannibalism within this model taxon.
Collapse
|
12
|
Sommer RJ. Phenotypic Plasticity: From Theory and Genetics to Current and Future Challenges. Genetics 2020; 215:1-13. [PMID: 32371438 PMCID: PMC7198268 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is defined as the property of organisms to produce distinct phenotypes in response to environmental variation. While for more than a century, biologists have proposed this organismal feature to play an important role in evolution and the origin of novelty, the idea has remained contentious. Plasticity is found in all domains of life, but only recently has there been an increase in empirical studies. This contribution is intended as a fresh view and will discuss current and future challenges of plasticity research, and the need to identify associated molecular mechanisms. After a brief summary of conceptual, theoretical, and historical aspects, some of which were responsible for confusion and contention, I will formulate three major research directions and predictions for the role of plasticity as a facilitator of novelty. These predictions result in a four-step model that, when properly filled with molecular mechanisms, will reveal plasticity as a major factor of evolution. Such mechanistic insight must be complemented with comparative investigations to show that plasticity has indeed created novelty and innovation. Together, such studies will help develop a true developmental evolutionary biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralf J Sommer
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Griffing AH, Sanger TJ, Daza JD, Nielsen SV, Pinto BJ, Stanley EL, Gamble T. Embryonic development of a parthenogenetic vertebrate, the mourning gecko (
Lepidodactylus lugubris
). Dev Dyn 2019; 248:1070-1090. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron H. Griffing
- Department of Biological SciencesMarquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Thomas J. Sanger
- Department of BiologyLoyola University in Chicago Chicago Illinois
| | - Juan D. Daza
- Department of Biological SciencesSam Houston State University Huntsville Texas
| | - Stuart V. Nielsen
- Department of HerpetologyFlorida Museum of Natural History Gainesville Florida
| | - Brendan J. Pinto
- Department of Biological SciencesMarquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Edward L. Stanley
- Department of HerpetologyFlorida Museum of Natural History Gainesville Florida
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological SciencesMarquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin
- Milwaukee Public Museum Milwaukee Wisconsin
- Bell Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of Minnesota Saint Paul Minnesota
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pospisilova A, Brejcha J, Miller V, Holcman R, Šanda R, Stundl J. Embryonic and larval development of the northern pike: An emerging fish model system for evo-devo research. J Morphol 2019; 280:1118-1140. [PMID: 31188506 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The northern pike, Esox lucius, is one of the largest temperate freshwater apex predators with a characteristic morphology: an elongated body with pelvic, dorsal, and anal fins located at the rear as a functional feature to sprint predation. However, the typical pike character is its head, which is characterized by a long, flattened snout, a well-armed mouth with numerous teeth, and large eyes characteristic of shallow water visual predators. Although the northern pike is becoming increasingly popular as a model system for ecology and evolutionary research, a detailed staging table has not yet been reported. In this study, we report the first comprehensive staging table for the northern pike, spanning from the one-cell stage to the freely-swimming juvenile stage. In addition to classical embryological descriptions, we use a DAPI staining to distinguish individual cells and embryonic structures during the early development. This dataset, in combination with the genomic and transcriptomic resources already available, serves as a foundation for in-depth mechanistic studies dealing with development using this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pospisilova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jindřich Brejcha
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Miller
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Radek Šanda
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Stundl
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hoke KL, Adkins-Regan E, Bass AH, McCune AR, Wolfner MF. Co-opting evo-devo concepts for new insights into mechanisms of behavioural diversity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/8/jeb190058. [PMID: 30988051 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.190058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We propose that insights from the field of evolutionary developmental biology (or 'evo-devo') provide a framework for an integrated understanding of the origins of behavioural diversity and its underlying mechanisms. Towards that goal, in this Commentary, we frame key questions in behavioural evolution in terms of molecular, cellular and network-level properties with a focus on the nervous system. In this way, we highlight how mechanistic properties central to evo-devo analyses - such as weak linkage, versatility, exploratory mechanisms, criticality, degeneracy, redundancy and modularity - affect neural circuit function and hence the range of behavioural variation that can be filtered by selection. We outline why comparative studies of molecular and neural systems throughout ontogeny will provide novel insights into diversity in neural circuits and behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim L Hoke
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Andrew H Bass
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Amy R McCune
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Andrade MC. Sexual selection and social context: Web-building spiders as emerging models for adaptive plasticity. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|