1
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Rodrigues LR, Magalhães S. Fake news? The impact of information mismatch on mating behaviour. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11493. [PMID: 39026965 PMCID: PMC11255374 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple cues are often used for mate choice in complex environments, potentially entailing mismatches in the information conveyed by different sources. We address the consequences of this information mismatch for receivers using the spider mite Tetranychus urticae, in which virgin females are highly valuable mates compared to mated females, given first male sperm precedence. Accordingly, males are known to prefer virgins and distinguish them using cues from the females themselves and that they leave on the substrate. Whereas cues from females are highly reliable, those left on the substrate may not reflect the real female mating status if females move and/or mate. Here, we tested the consequences of such mismatch by exposing males to mated or virgin females on patches previously impregnated with cues deposited by females of either mating status. Male mating attempts were solely affected by substrate cues while female acceptance and the number of mating events were independently affected by both cues. Copulation duration, in contrast, depended mainly on the mating status of the female, with the number of copulations and the total time spent mating being intermediate in environments with mismatched information. We also show that males incur mating costs, reflected in reduced survival in environments with virgin cues. These results suggest that substrate cues left by females are instrumental for males to find their mates. However, in environments with mismatched information, males may pay survival costs without the associated benefit of mating with virgins, or they may lose opportunities to mate with virgins by responding to substrate cues from mated females. The benefit of using multiple cues will then hinge upon the frequency of information mismatch, which itself should vary with the dynamics of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor R. Rodrigues
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences & CHANGE ‐ Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of LisbonLisbonPortugal
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences & CHANGE ‐ Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of LisbonLisbonPortugal
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2
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Moore MP, Leith NT, Fowler-Finn KD, Medley KA. Human-modified habitats imperil ornamented dragonflies less than their non-ornamented counterparts at local, regional, and continental scales. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14455. [PMID: 38849293 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Biologists have long wondered how sexual ornamentation influences a species' risk of extinction. Because the evolution of condition-dependent ornamentation can reduce intersexual conflict and accelerate the fixation of advantageous alleles, some theory predicts that ornamented taxa can be buffered against extinction in novel and/or stressful environments. Nevertheless, evidence from the wild remains limited. Here, we show that ornamented dragonflies are less vulnerable to extinction across multiple spatial scales. Population-occupancy models across the Western United States reveal that ornamented species have become more common relative to non-ornamented species over >100 years. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that ornamented species exhibit lower continent-wide extinction risk than non-ornamented species. Finally, spatial analyses of local dragonfly assemblages suggest that ornamented species possess advantages over non-ornamented taxa at living in habitats that have been converted to farms and cities. Together, these findings suggest that ornamented taxa are buffered against contemporary extinction at local, regional, and continental scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Noah T Leith
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kasey D Fowler-Finn
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kim A Medley
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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3
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He Y, Ganguly A, Lindgren S, Quispe L, Suvanto C, Zhao K, Candolin U. Carry-over effect of artificial light at night on daytime mating activity in an ecologically important detritivore, the amphipod Gammarus pulex. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246682. [PMID: 38516876 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a growing environmental problem influencing the fitness of individuals through effects on their physiology and behaviour. Research on animals has primarily focused on effects on behaviour during the night, whereas less is known about effects transferred to daytime. Here, we investigated in the lab the impact of ALAN on the mating behaviour of an ecologically important freshwater amphipod, Gammarus pulex, during both daytime and nighttime. We manipulated the presence of ALAN and the intensity of male-male competition for access to females, and found the impact of ALAN on mating activity to be stronger during daytime than during nighttime, independent of male-male competition. At night, ALAN only reduced the probability of precopula pair formation, while during the daytime, it both decreased general activity and increased the probability of pair separation after pair formation. Thus, ALAN reduced mating success in G. pulex not only directly, through effects on mating behaviour at night, but also indirectly through a carry-over effect on daytime activity and the ability to remain in precopula. These results emphasise the importance of considering delayed effects of ALAN on organisms, including daytime activities that can be more important fitness determinants than nighttime activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan He
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Anirban Ganguly
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Susan Lindgren
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Laura Quispe
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne 69622, France
| | - Corinne Suvanto
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Kangshun Zhao
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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4
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Candolin U. Coping with light pollution in urban environments: Patterns and challenges. iScience 2024; 27:109244. [PMID: 38433890 PMCID: PMC10904992 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial light at night is a growing environmental problem that is especially pronounced in urban environments. Yet, impacts on urban wildlife have received scant attention and patterns and consequences are largely unknown. Here, I present a conceptual framework outlining the challenges species encounter when exposed to urban light pollution and how they may respond through plastic adjustments and genetic adaptation. Light pollution interferes with biological rhythms, influences behaviors, fragments habitats, and alters predation risk and resource abundance, which changes the diversity and spatiotemporal distribution of species and, hence, the structure and function of urban ecosystems. Furthermore, light pollution interacts with other urban disturbances, which can exacerbate negative effects on species. Given the rapid growth of urban areas and light pollution and the importance of healthy urban ecosystems for human wellbeing, more research is needed on the impacts of light pollution on species and the consequences for urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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5
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Ratz T, Chechi TS, Dimopoulou AI, Sedlmair SD, Tuni C. Heatwaves inflict reproductive but not survival costs to male insects. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246698. [PMID: 38436413 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is having a dramatic effect on the environment, with rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme climatic events, such as heatwaves, that can hamper organisms' biological functions. Although it is clear that sudden and extreme temperatures can damage reproductive processes, there is limited understanding of the effects of heatwaves on male mating behaviour and reproductive success. We tested for the effects of heat stress induced by ecologically relevant heatwaves (33°C and 39°C for five consecutive days) on the mating behaviour, reproductive success, body mass and survival of male field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus, paired with untreated females. We predicted life-history and reproductive costs would increase with increasing heatwave intensity. Consistent with our expectations, males exposed to the highest heatwave temperature produced the fewest offspring, while having to increase courtship effort to successfully mate. Males also gained relatively more weight following heatwave exposure. Given that we found no difference in lifetime survival, our results suggest a potential trade-off in resource allocation between somatic maintenance and reproductive investment. Taken together, our findings indicate that sublethal effects of heatwaves could reduce the growth and persistence of animal populations by negatively impacting reproductive rates. These findings highlight the need for considering thermal ecologies, life history and behaviour to better understand the consequences of extreme climatic events on individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Ratz
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstraße 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tejinder Singh Chechi
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Aliki-Ioanna Dimopoulou
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stephanie Daniela Sedlmair
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
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6
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Schneider WT, Rutz C, Bailey NW. Behavioural plasticity compensates for adaptive loss of cricket song. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14404. [PMID: 38519842 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14404] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural flexibility might help animals cope with costs of genetic variants under selection, promoting genetic adaptation. However, it has proven challenging to experimentally link behavioural flexibility to the predicted compensation of population-level fitness. We tested this prediction using the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. In Hawaiian populations, a mutation silences males and protects against eavesdropping parasitoids. To examine how the loss of this critical acoustic communication signal impacts offspring production and mate location, we developed a high-resolution, individual-based tracking system for low-light, naturalistic conditions. Offspring production did not differ significantly in replicate silent versus singing populations, and fitness compensation in silent conditions was associated with significantly increased locomotion in both sexes. Our results provide evidence that flexible behaviour can promote genetic adaptation via compensation in reproductive output and suggest that rapid evolution of animal communication systems may be less constrained than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will T Schneider
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Nathan W Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
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7
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Crane AL, Feyten LEA, Preagola AA, Ferrari MCO, Brown GE. Uncertainty about predation risk: a conceptual review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:238-252. [PMID: 37839808 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Uncertainty has long been of interest to economists and psychologists and has more recently gained attention among ecologists. In the ecological world, animals must regularly make decisions related to finding resources and avoiding threats. Here, we describe uncertainty as a perceptual phenomenon of decision-makers, and we focus specifically on the functional ecology of such uncertainty regarding predation risk. Like all uncertainty, uncertainty about predation risk reflects informational limitations. When cues are available, they may be novel (i.e. unknown information), incomplete, unreliable, overly abundant and complex, or conflicting. We review recent studies that have used these informational limitations to induce uncertainty of predation risk. These studies have typically used either over-responses to novelty (i.e. neophobia) or memory attenuation as proxies for measuring uncertainty. Because changes in the environment, particularly unpredictable changes, drive informational limitations, we describe studies assessing unpredictable variance in spatio-temporal predation risk, intensity of predation risk, predator encounter rate, and predator diversity. We also highlight anthropogenic changes within habitats that are likely to have dramatic impacts on information availability and thus uncertainty in antipredator decisions in the modern world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Laurence E A Feyten
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Alexyz A Preagola
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
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8
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Jarrett BJM, Miller CW. Host Plant Effects on Sexual Selection Dynamics in Phytophagous Insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:41-57. [PMID: 37562047 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-022823-020258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Natural selection is notoriously dynamic in nature, and so, too, is sexual selection. The interactions between phytophagous insects and their host plants have provided valuable insights into the many ways in which ecological factors can influence sexual selection. In this review, we highlight recent discoveries and provide guidance for future work in this area. Importantly, host plants can affect both the agents of sexual selection (e.g., mate choice and male-male competition) and the traits under selection (e.g., ornaments and weapons). Furthermore, in our rapidly changing world, insects now routinely encounter new potential host plants. The process of adaptation to a new host may be hindered or accelerated by sexual selection, and the unexplored evolutionary trajectories that emerge from these dynamics are relevant to pest management and insect conservation strategies. Examining the effects of host plants on sexual selection has the potential to advance our fundamental understanding of sexual conflict, host range evolution, and speciation, with relevance across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J M Jarrett
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom;
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA;
| | - Christine W Miller
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA;
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9
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Dalbosco Dell'Aglio D, Rivas-Sánchez DF, Wright DS, Merrill RM, Montgomery SH. The Sensory Ecology of Speciation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041428. [PMID: 38052495 PMCID: PMC10759811 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we explore the potential influence of sensory ecology on speciation, including but not limited to the concept of sensory drive, which concerns the coevolution of signals and sensory systems with the local environment. The sensory environment can influence individual fitness in a variety of ways, thereby affecting the evolution of both pre- and postmating reproductive isolation. Previous work focused on sensory drive has undoubtedly advanced the field, but we argue that it may have also narrowed our understanding of the broader influence of the sensory ecology on speciation. Moreover, the clearest examples of sensory drive are largely limited to aquatic organisms, which may skew the influence of contributing factors. We review the evidence for sensory drive across environmental conditions, and in this context discuss the importance of more generalized effects of sensory ecology on adaptive behavioral divergence. Finally, we consider the potential of rapid environmental change to influence reproductive barriers related to sensory ecologies. Our synthesis shows the importance of sensory conditions for local adaptation and divergence in a range of behavioral contexts and extends our understanding of the interplay between sensory ecology and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Dalbosco Dell'Aglio
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa 0843-03092, Panama
| | - David F Rivas-Sánchez
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Shane Wright
- Faculty of Biology, Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa 0843-03092, Panama
- Faculty of Biology, Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stephen H Montgomery
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa 0843-03092, Panama
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10
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Buchinger TJ, Li W. Chemical communication and its role in sexual selection across Animalia. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1178. [PMID: 37985853 PMCID: PMC10662023 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05572-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection has been studied as a major evolutionary driver of animal diversity for roughly 50 years. Much evidence indicates that competition for mates favors elaborate signaling traits. However, this evidence comes primarily from a few taxa, leaving sexual selection as a salient evolutionary force across Animalia largely untested. Here, we reviewed the evidence for sexual selection on communication across all animal phyla, classes, and orders with emphasis on chemoreception, the only sense shared across lifeforms. An exhaustive literature review documented evidence for sexual selection on chemosensory traits in 10 of 34 animal phyla and indications of sexual selection on chemosensory traits in an additional 13 phyla. Potential targets of sexual selection include structures and processes involved in production, delivery, and detection of chemical signals. Our review suggests sexual selection plays a widespread role in the evolution of communication and highlights the need for research that better reflects animal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Buchinger
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Biology Department, Albion College, Albion, MI, USA.
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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11
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Su R, Guo R, Liu Z, Yuan Y, Zhang W. Heavy metal pollution alters reproductive performance and mate choice in an anuran, Strauchbufo raddei. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 196:115675. [PMID: 37864859 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of pollution on reproductive performance and sexual selection is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in an increasingly polluted world. The present study focused on the effect of environmental heavy metal pollution on sexually selected traits, including morphological characteristics and acoustic parameters, as well as mate choice in Strauchbufo raddei, an anuran species widely distributed in Northern China. The results showed that male courtship signals, including forelimb length, forelimb force, and advertisement calls, have evolved under the pressure of heavy metal pollution in young S. raddei. In addition, the breeding age was lower in the polluted areas, and younger individuals had more mating opportunities. However, males with heightened reproductive performance did not show the expected higher individual quality. The current study suggests that exposure to heavy metal pollution can induce stress in males, altering reproductive performance and further disrupting mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Su
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Life Science, Hainan Normal University, Hainan 571158, China
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- School of Information Science & Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yongna Yuan
- School of Information Science & Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenya Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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12
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Mak KW, Price TAR, Dougherty LR. The effect of short-term exposure to high temperatures on male courtship behaviour and mating success in the fruit fly Drosophila virilis. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103701. [PMID: 37683356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103701] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced climate change is leading to higher average global temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events. High temperatures can have obvious effects on animal survival, particularly in ectotherms. However, the temperature at which organisms become sterile may be significantly lower than the temperature at which other biological functions are impaired. In the fruit fly Drosophila virilis, males are sterilized at temperatures above 34 °C, but are still active and able to mate normally. We investigated the male behavioural changes associated with high-temperature fertility loss. We exposed males to a warming treatment of 34.4 °C or 36.6 °C for 4 h, and then recorded their mating behaviour after being allowed to recover for 24 h. Previous work in this species suggests that males exposed to 34.4 °C lose the ability to produce new sperm, but can utilize mature sperm produced before the heat shock. We therefore predicted that these males would increases their courtship rate, and reduce their choosiness, in order to try to ensure a mating before their remaining mature sperm die. In contrast, over two-thirds of males exposed to 36.6 °C are completely sterile. In standard mating trials, earlier exposure to 34.4 °C or 36.6 °C did not affect male courtship behaviour when compared to control males kept at 23 °C. Exposure to high temperatures also did not alter the extent to which males directed courtship toward females of the same species. However, males exposed to 36.6 °C were significantly slower to mate, and had a reduced likelihood of mating, when compared to control males. Overall, exposure to high temperatures did not alter male courtship behaviour, but did lower their likelihood of mating. This suggests that females can distinguish between normal and heat-sterilized males before mating, and that female mate choice may at least partly mitigate the population-level consequences of high-temperature induced male sterility in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Wai Mak
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
| | - Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK.
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13
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Candolin U, Rahman T. Behavioural responses of fishes to anthropogenic disturbances: Adaptive value and ecological consequences. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:773-783. [PMID: 36647916 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are changing at an accelerating rate because of human activities. The changes alter the abundance and distribution of fishes, with potential consequences for ecosystem structure and function. Behavioural responses often underlie these changes in population dynamics, such as altered habitat choice or foraging activity. Here, we present a framework for understanding how and why behaviour is affected by human activities and how the behavioural responses in turn influence higher ecological levels. We further review the literature to assess the present state of the field and identify gaps in our knowledge. We begin with discussing the factors that determine how an individual responds to a change in the environment and whether the response is adaptive or not. In particular, we explain the importance of the evolutionary history of the species. We then search the literature to assess our current knowledge of the impact of human disturbances on the behaviour of fishes and the consequences for ecosystems. The search reveals that much attention has been directed to the impact of human activities on the behaviour of fishes, but that worryingly little is known about the consequences of these responses for populations, communities and ecosystems. Yet, behavioural responses can have profound ecological consequences given that behaviour underly many, if not most, species interactions. Thus, more attention should be paid to the mechanisms and pathways through which behavioural responses influence higher ecological levels. Such information is needed if we are to determine the ultimate effects of human activities on biodiversity and the function and stability of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tawfiqur Rahman
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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14
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Holveck M, Muller D, Visser B, Timmermans A, Colonval L, Jan F, Crucifix M, Nieberding CM. Warmer temperatures result in maladaptive learning of sexual preferences. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie‐Jeanne Holveck
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Doriane Muller
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology University of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Gembloux Belgium
| | - Arthur Timmermans
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Lidwine Colonval
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Fabrice Jan
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Michel Crucifix
- Earth and Climate, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
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15
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Abstract
AbstractClimate change is altering species' habitats, phenology, and behavior. Although sexual behaviors impact population persistence and fitness, climate change's effects on sexual signals are understudied. Climate change can directly alter temperature-dependent sexual signals, cause changes in body size or condition that affect signal production, or alter the selective landscape of sexual signals. We tested whether temperature-dependent mating calls of Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata) had changed in concert with climate in the southwestern United States across 22 years. We document increasing air temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and changing seasonal patterns of temperature and rainfall in the spadefoots' habitat. Despite increasing air temperatures, spadefoots' ephemeral breeding ponds have been getting colder at most elevations, and male calls have been slowing as a result. However, temperature-standardized call characters have become faster, and male condition has increased, possibly due to changes in the selective environment. Thus, climate change might generate rapid, complex changes in sexual signals with important evolutionary consequences.
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16
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Isotalo T, Rotenbiller L, Candolin U. The importance of considering the duration of extreme temperatures when investigating responses to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6577-6585. [PMID: 36053986 PMCID: PMC9805119 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The frequency and duration of heatwaves are increasing because of human activities. To cope with the changes, species with longer generation times may have to rely on plastic responses. The probability that their responses are adaptive is higher if the species have experienced temperature fluctuations also in their evolutionary past. However, experimental studies investigating responses to heatwaves often use exposure times that are significantly shorter than recent heatwaves. We show that this can lead to faulty conclusions and that the duration of higher temperature has to be considered in experimental designs. We recorded the response of threespine stickleback to prolonged duration of higher temperature during the breeding season, using a population that has experienced large fluctuations in temperature in its past and, hence, is expected to endure temperature changes well. We found males to adaptively adjust their reproductive behaviours to short periods of higher temperature, but not to longer periods that extended across two breeding cycles. Males initially increased their reproductive activities-nest building, courtship and parental care-which ensured high reproductive success during the first breeding cycle, but decreased their reproductive activities during the second breeding cycle when exposed to sustained high temperature. This reduced their courtship success and resulted in fewer offspring. Thus, a species expected to cope well with higher temperature suffers fitness reductions when the duration of high temperature is prolonged. The results stress the importance of considering the duration of extreme environmental conditions when investigating the impact that human activities have on species. Responses to short-term exposures cannot be extrapolated to assess responses to longer periods of extreme conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teija Isotalo
- Organismal and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Lilla Rotenbiller
- Organismal and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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17
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Bäckroos S, Ala-Ilomäki L, Candolin U. Habitat change alters the expression and efficiency of a female ornament. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:1133-1140. [PMID: 36518636 PMCID: PMC9735238 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic habitat changes are disrupting the mate choice process in a range of organisms, with consequences for populations and communities. Research has so far focused on male sexually selected traits and female mate choice, given their conspicuousness, whereas effects on female ornaments and male mate choice have been largely overlooked. Yet, females of many species develop ornaments that males use in mate choice. These ornaments can be costly and reduce female fecundity and viability and, hence, influence population growth rate. Thus, attention should be paid to changes in female ornaments and the consequences the changes have for populations. Here, we show that declining visibility in aquatic ecosystems reduces the investment of female three-spined stickleback in a melanin-based ornament in favor of increased mate search activity. The adjustment appears adaptive as males pay less attention to the ornament under poor visibility, and as melanin-based ornaments are generally physiologically costly. It is likely that past fluctuations in visibility have promoted the evolution of environment-dependent plasticity in female ornamentation. More attention should be paid to changes in female ornaments and their adaptive value, across taxa, given the impact that female investment in ornaments can have on fecundity and population growth rate. Environments are changing at an accelerating rate because of human activities and knowledge of the responses of both males and females is needed to evaluate and predict the ultimate impact on populations and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sini Bäckroos
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lea Ala-Ilomäki
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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18
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Zimmermann H, Bose APH, Eisner H, Henshaw JM, Ziegelbecker A, Richter F, Bračun S, Katongo C, Fritzsche K, Sefc KM. Seasonal variation in cuckoldry rates in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Variabilichromis moorii. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2371-2383. [PMID: 37325485 PMCID: PMC10261196 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mating patterns in animal populations can respond to environmental conditions and consequently vary across time. To examine this variation in nature, studies must include temporal replicates from the same population. Here, we report temporal variation in genetic parentage in the socially monogamous cichlid Variabilichromis moorii from Lake Tanganyika, using samples of broods and their brood-tending parents that were collected across five field trips from the same study population. The sampled broods were either spawned during the dry season (three field trips) or during the rainy season (two trips). In all seasons, we detected substantial rates of extra-pair paternity, which were ascribed to cuckoldry by bachelor males. Paternity shares of brood-tending males were consistently higher, and the numbers of sires per brood were consistently lower, in broods that were spawned in the dry seasons compared to broods from the rainy seasons. In contrast, the strength of size-assortative pairing in our V. moorii population did not vary temporally. Seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, such as water turbidity, are proposed as a mechanism behind variable cuckolder pressure. Our data demonstrate the utility of long-term monitoring to improve our understanding of animal mating patterns. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aneesh P. H. Bose
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Helgit Eisner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jonathan M. Henshaw
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Florian Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sandra Bračun
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Cyprian Katongo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Karoline Fritzsche
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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King T, Ray EJ, Tramontana B, Maruska K. Behavior and neural activation patterns of nonredundant visual and acoustic signaling during courtship in an African cichlid fish. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276887. [PMID: 36082938 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244548] [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: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals evolve mechanisms to send and receive communication signals through multiple sensory channels during crucial behavioral contexts like aggression and reproduction. This assures the transmission of important context-dependent signals that supply either the same (redundant) or different (nonredundant) information to the receiver. Despite the importance of multimodal communication, there are relatively few species in which information on sender signals and receiver responses are known. Further, little is known about where context-dependent unimodal and multimodal information is processed in the brain to produce adaptive behaviors. We used the African cichlid, Astatotilapia burtoni, to investigate how unimodal and multimodal signals are processed within the female brain in a reproductive context. During courtship, dominant males produce low frequency sounds in conjunction with visual displays (quivers) directed towards receptive gravid females. We compared affiliation behaviors and neural activation patterns in gravid females exposed to visual, acoustic, and visual-acoustic signals from courting dominant males. Females displayed reduced affiliation in auditory only conditions, but similar affiliation during visual and visual-acoustic conditions, demonstrating that visual-acoustic signaling from males is nonredundant but vision dominates. Using the neural activation marker cfos, we identified differential activation in specific socially-relevant brain nuclei between unimodal and multimodal conditions and distinct neural co-activation networks associated with each sensory context. Combined with our previous work on chemosensory signaling, we propose that A. burtoni represents a valuable vertebrate model for studying context-dependent behavioral and neural decision making associated with nonredundant multimodal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teisha King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA. 70803, USA
| | - Emily J Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA. 70803, USA
| | - Brandon Tramontana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA. 70803, USA
| | - Karen Maruska
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA. 70803, USA
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20
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Rahman T, Candolin U. Linking animal behavior to ecosystem change in disturbed environments. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.893453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental disturbances often cause individuals to change their behavior. The behavioral responses can induce a chain of reactions through the network of species interactions, via consumptive and trait mediated connections. Given that species interactions define ecosystem structure and functioning, changes to these interactions often have ecological repercussions. Here, we explore the transmission of behavioral responses through the network of species interactions, and how the responses influence ecological conditions. We describe the underlying mechanisms and the ultimate impact that the behavioral responses can have on ecosystem structure and functioning, including biodiversity and ecosystems stability and services. We explain why behavioral responses of some species have a larger impact than that of others on ecosystems, and why research should focus on these species and their interactions. With the work, we synthesize existing theory and empirical evidence to provide a conceptual framework that links behavior responses to altered species interactions, community dynamics, and ecosystem processes. Considering that species interactions link biodiversity to ecosystem functioning, a deeper understanding of behavioral responses and their causes and consequences can improve our knowledge of the mechanisms and pathways through which human activities alter ecosystems. This knowledge can improve our ability to predict the effects of ongoing disturbances on communities and ecosystems and decide on the interventions needed to mitigate negative effects.
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21
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Busso JM, Baechli J, Bellis LM, Landi MA, Villarreal DP. Social impact of mara pair disruption on the formation of new bonds and reproduction in a multiple mate choice context. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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22
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Jin B, Barbash DA, Castillo DM. Divergent selection on behavioural and chemical traits between reproductively isolated populations of Drosophila melanogaster. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:693-707. [PMID: 35411988 PMCID: PMC9320809 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Speciation is driven by traits that can act to prevent mating between nascent lineages, including male courtship and female preference for male traits. Mating barriers involving these traits evolve quickly because there is strong selection on males and females to maximize reproductive success, and the tight co-evolution of mating interactions can lead to rapid diversification of sexual behaviour. Populations of Drosophila melanogaster show strong asymmetrical reproductive isolation that is correlated with geographic origin. Using strains that capture natural variation in mating traits, we ask two key questions: which specific male traits are females selecting, and are these traits under divergent sexual selection? These questions have proven extremely challenging to answer, because even in closely related lineages males often differ in multiple traits related to mating behaviour. We address these questions by estimating selection gradients for male courtship and cuticular hydrocarbons for two different female genotypes. We identify specific behaviours and particular cuticular hydrocarbons that are under divergent sexual selection and could potentially contribute to premating reproductive isolation. Additionally, we report that a subset of these traits are plastic; males adjust these traits based on the identity of the female genotype they interact with. These results suggest that even when male courtship is not fixed between lineages, ongoing selection can act on traits that are important for reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bozhou Jin
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Daniel A. Barbash
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Dean M. Castillo
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Nebraska at OmahaOmahaNebraskaUSA
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23
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Cronin AD, Smit JAH, Muñoz MI, Poirier A, Moran PA, Jerem P, Halfwerk W. A comprehensive overview of the effects of urbanisation on sexual selection and sexual traits. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1325-1345. [PMID: 35262266 PMCID: PMC9541148 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation can affect mating opportunities and thereby alter inter- and intra-sexual selection pressures on sexual traits. Biotic and abiotic urban conditions can influence an individual's success in pre- and post-copulatory mating, for example through impacts on mate attraction and mate preference, fertilisation success, resource competition or rival interactions. Divergent sexual selection pressures can lead to differences in behavioural, physiological, morphological or life-history traits between urban and non-urban populations, ultimately driving adaptation and speciation. Most studies on urban sexual selection and mating interactions report differences between urban and non-urban populations or correlations between sexual traits and factors associated with increased urbanisation, such as pollution, food availability and risk of predation and parasitism. Here we review the literature on sexual selection and sexual traits in relation to urbanisation or urban-associated conditions. We provide an extensive list of abiotic and biotic factors that can influence processes involved in mating interactions, such as signal production and transmission, mate choice and mating opportunities. We discuss all relevant data through the lens of two, non-mutually exclusive theories on sexual selection, namely indicator and sensory models. Where possible, we indicate whether these models provide the same or different predictions regarding urban-adapted sexual signals and describe different experimental designs that can be useful for the different models as well as to investigate the drivers of sexual selection. We argue that we lack a good understanding of: (i) the factors driving urban sexual selection; (ii) whether reported changes in traits result in adaptive benefits; and (iii) whether these changes reflect a short-term ecological, or long-term evolutionary response. We highlight that urbanisation provides a unique opportunity to study the process and outcomes of sexual selection, but that this requires a highly integrative approach combining experimental and observational work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Cronin
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A H Smit
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Matías I Muñoz
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Armand Poirier
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Peter A Moran
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Jerem
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
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24
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25
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Heinen‐Kay JL, Kay AD, Zuk M. How urbanization affects sexual communication. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17625-17650. [PMID: 35003629 PMCID: PMC8717295 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly altering landscapes worldwide, changing environmental conditions, and creating novel selection pressures for many organisms. Local environmental conditions affect the expression and evolution of sexual signals and mating behaviors; changes in such traits have important evolutionary consequences because of their effect on reproduction. In this review, we synthesize research investigating how sexual communication is affected by the environmental changes associated with urbanization-including pollution from noise, light, and heavy metals, habitat fragmentation, impervious surfaces, urban heat islands, and changes in resources and predation. Urbanization often has negative effects on sexual communication through signal masking, altering condition-dependent signal expression, and weakening female preferences. Though there are documented instances of seemingly adaptive shifts in trait expression, the ultimate impact on fitness is rarely tested. The field of urban evolution is still relatively young, and most work has tested whether differences occur in response to various aspects of urbanization. There is limited information available about whether these responses represent phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes, and the extent to which observed shifts in sexual communication affect reproductive fitness. Our understanding of how sexual selection operates in novel, urbanized environments would be bolstered by more studies that perform common garden studies and reciprocal transplants, and that simultaneously evaluate multiple environmental factors to tease out causal drivers of observed phenotypic shifts. Urbanization provides a unique testing ground for evolutionary biologists to study the interplay between ecology and sexual selection, and we suggest that more researchers take advantage of these natural experiments. Furthermore, understanding how sexual communication and mating systems differ between cities and rural areas can offer insights on how to mitigate negative, and accentuate positive, consequences of urban expansion on the biota, and provide new opportunities to underscore the relevance of evolutionary biology in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justa L. Heinen‐Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
| | - Adam D. Kay
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of St. ThomasSt. PaulUSA
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
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26
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Candolin U, Jensen I. Phenotypic plasticity in courtship exposed to selection in a human-disturbed environment. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2392-2401. [PMID: 34745333 PMCID: PMC8549619 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
When environments change rapidly, evolutionary processes may be too slow to rescue populations from decline. Persistence then hinges on plastic adjustments of critical traits to the altered conditions. However, the degree to which species harbour the necessary plasticity and the degree to which the plasticity is exposed to selection in human-disturbed environments are poorly known. We show that a population of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) harbours variation in plasticity in male courtship behaviour, which is exposed to selection when visibility deteriorates because of enhanced algal growth. Females in clear water show no preference for plastic males, while females in algal-rich, turbid water switch their mate preference towards males with adaptive plasticity. Thus, while the plasticity is not selected for in the original clear water environment, it comes under selection in turbid water. However, much maladaptive plasticity is present in the population, probably because larger turbidity fluctuations have been rare in the past. Thus, the probability that the plasticity will improve the ability of the population to cope with human-induced increases in turbidity-and possibly facilitate genetic adaptation-depends on its prevalence and genetic basis. In conclusion, our results show that rapid human-induced environmental change can expose phenotypic plasticity to selection, but that much of the plasticity can be maladaptive, also when the altered conditions represent extremes of earlier encountered conditions. Thus, whether the plasticity will improve population viability remains questionable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Irene Jensen
- Organismal and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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27
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Cotto O, Day T. The evolution of age-specific choosiness when mating. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:477-485. [PMID: 33314385 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13750] [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: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Mate choice is a crucial element of many processes in evolutionary biology. Empirical research has shown that mating preference and choosiness often change with age. Understanding the evolutionary causes of patterns of age-specific choosiness is challenging because different mechanisms can give rise to the same pattern. Instead of focusing on the optimal age-specific choosiness strategy given fitness trade-offs, we approach this question from a more general standpoint and ask how the strength of selection on choosiness changes with the age at which it is expressed. We show that the strength of selection on a modifier of choosiness at a given age depends on the relative contribution of this age class to the pool of offspring but does not depend directly on the strength of selection on fitness components at the age affected by the modifier. We illustrate our results by contrasting two life histories from the literature. We further show how mutation-selection balance at the choosiness locus can shape age-specific choosiness. Our results provide new insights for understanding the evolution of choosiness throughout life, with implications for understanding the evolution of mate choice and reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Cotto
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Troy Day
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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28
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Kelly PW, Pfennig DW, Pfennig KS. Adaptive Plasticity as a Fitness Benefit of Mate Choice. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:294-307. [PMID: 33546877 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.001] [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: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity and sexual selection can each promote adaptation in variable environments, but their combined influence on adaptive evolution is not well understood. We propose that sexual selection can facilitate adaptation in variable environments when individuals prefer mates that produce adaptively plastic offspring. We develop this hypothesis and review existing studies showing that diverse groups display both sexual selection and plasticity in nonsexual traits. Thus, plasticity could be a widespread but unappreciated benefit of mate choice. We describe methods and opportunities to test this hypothesis and describe how sexual selection might foster the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Understanding this interplay between sexual selection and phenotypic plasticity might help predict which species will adapt to a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W Kelly
- Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA.
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Karin S Pfennig
- Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA.
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29
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Dougherty LR. Meta-analysis shows the evidence for context-dependent mating behaviour is inconsistent or weak across animals. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:862-875. [PMID: 33471386 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Animals often need to invest significantly in mating behaviour in order to successfully mate. However, the expression of mating behaviour can be costly, especially in unfavourable environments, so animals are expected to adjust their behaviour in a context-dependent way to mitigate these costs. I systematically searched the literature for studies measuring animal mating behaviour (sexual signalling, response to sexual signals or the strength of mate choice) in more than one environment, and used a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to identify environmental factors influencing these behaviours. Across 222 studies, the strength of mate choice was significantly context-dependent, and most strongly influenced by population density, population sex ratio and predation risk. However, the average effect sizes were typically small. The amount of sexual signalling and the strength of response to sexual signals were not significantly related to the environment. Overall, this suggests that the evidence for context-dependent mating behaviour across animals is surprisingly weak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
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30
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Henriksson E, Candolin U. Habitat deterioration relaxes resource competition and sexual selection in the threespine stickleback. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Henriksson
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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31
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Uusi-Heikkilä S. Implications of size-selective fisheries on sexual selection. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1487-1500. [PMID: 32684971 PMCID: PMC7359828 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fisheries often combine high mortality with intensive size selectivity and can, thus, be expected to reduce body size and size variability in exploited populations. In many fish species, body size is a sexually selected trait and plays an important role in mate choice and mate competition. Large individuals are often preferred as mates due to the high fecundity and resources they can provide to developing offspring. Large fish are also successful in competition for mates. Fisheries‐induced reductions in size and size variability can potentially disrupt mating systems and lower average reproductive success by decreasing opportunities for sexual selection. By reducing population sizes, fisheries can also lead to an increased level of inbreeding. Some fish species avoid reproducing with kin, and a high level of relatedness in a population can further disrupt mating systems. Reduced body size and size variability can force fish to change their mate preferences or reduce their choosiness. If mate preference is genetically determined, the adaptive response to fisheries‐induced changes in size and size variability might not occur rapidly. However, much evidence exists for plastic adjustments of mate choice, suggesting that fish might respond flexibly to changes in their social environment. Here, I first discuss how reduced average body size and size variability in exploited populations might affect mate choice and mate competition. I then consider the effects of sex‐biased fisheries on mating systems. Finally, I contemplate the possible effects of inbreeding on mate choice and reproductive success and discuss how mate choice might evolve in exploited populations. Currently, little is known about the mating systems of nonmodel species and about the interplay between size‐selective fisheries and sexual selection. Future studies should focus on how reduced size and size variability and increased inbreeding affect fish mating systems, how persistent these effects are, and how this might in turn affect population demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silva Uusi-Heikkilä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
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Elgert C, Hopkins J, Kaitala A, Candolin U. Reproduction under light pollution: maladaptive response to spatial variation in artificial light in a glow-worm. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200806. [PMID: 32673556 PMCID: PMC7423653 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The amount of artificial light at night is growing worldwide, impacting the behaviour of nocturnal organisms. Yet, we know little about the consequences of these behavioural responses for individual fitness and population viability. We investigated if females of the common glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca—which glow in the night to attract males—mitigate negative effects of artificial light on mate attraction by adjusting the timing and location of glowing to spatial variation in light conditions. We found females do not move away from light when exposed to a gradient of artificial light, but delay or even refrain from glowing. Further, we demonstrate that this response is maladaptive, as our field study showed that staying still when exposed to artificial light from a simulated streetlight decreases mate attraction success, while moving only a short distance from the light source can markedly improve mate attraction. These results indicate that glow-worms are unable to respond to spatial variation in artificial light, which may be a factor in their global decline. Consequently, our results support the hypothesis that animals often lack adaptive behavioural responses to anthropogenic environmental changes and underlines the importance of considering behavioural responses when investigating the effects of human activities on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Elgert
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Juhani Hopkins
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Arja Kaitala
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palméns väg 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
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Leith NT, Jocson DI, Fowler‐Finn KD. Temperature‐related breakdowns in the coordination of mating in
Enchenopa binotata
treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Leith
- Department of Biology Saint Louis University St. Louis MO USA
| | - Dowen I. Jocson
- Department of Biology Saint Louis University St. Louis MO USA
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Vitt S, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Differential investment in pre- and post-mating male sexual traits in response to prolonged exposure to ambient UVB radiation in a fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:136341. [PMID: 31931223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing UVB radiation (UVB) reaching earth's surface following stratospheric ozone depletion is linked to serious consequences for organisms. While studies have focused on direct cytocidal and immunomodulatory effects of UVB, indirect consequences for fitness-related life-history traits are largely unexplored, although knowledge is needed to understand organismal responses to climate change. The present study investigates the effects of developmental exposure to enhanced, but ecologically relevant, ambient UVB levels on growth (body size), parental behavior (nest-building), fitness-enhancing traits of pre-mating (sexual ornamentation) and post-mating (sperm traits) sexual selection as well as their interrelationships in male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Moreover, potentially underlying direct UVB effects, testicular antioxidant capacity (TAC) and testes and skin melanization were quantified. Juvenile full-siblings were split into two groups and raised until adulthood in a semi-natural set-up under light conditions including either natural (UVBnormal) or elevated UVB levels (UVBenhanced). When becoming reproductive, males were kept individually before data collection took place at their reproductive peak. The results showed that males from the UVBenhanced-group were smaller than their brothers from the UVBnormal-treatment, whereas no treatment differences were observed for sexual ornamentation, sperm traits and TAC. Moreover, UVB-stressed males built their nests faster and the relationship between body size and nest size was negative for UVBenhanced-males while being positive for UVBnormal-males. These results demonstrate that, depending on physical state, UVB-stressed males adjusted their behavior to some extent. Additionally, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and post-mating traits was found for UVBenhanced-males, i.e. the intensity of their breeding coloration was negatively correlated with sperm number whereas this relationship was reversed for UVBnormal-males, thus showing an interaction between pre- and post-mating traits regarding exposure treatment. The interaction provides first experimental evidence that differential allocation to energetically demanding pre- and post-mating components of male fitness is triggered by a key environmental stressor of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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35
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Reid JM, Arcese P. Recent immigrants alter the quantitative genetic architecture of paternity in song sparrows. Evol Lett 2020; 4:124-136. [PMID: 32313688 PMCID: PMC7156105 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying additive genetic variances and cross‐sex covariances in reproductive traits, and identifying processes that shape and maintain such (co)variances, is central to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of reproductive systems. Gene flow resulting from among‐population dispersal could substantially alter additive genetic variances and covariances in key traits in recipient populations, thereby altering forms of sexual conflict, indirect selection, and evolutionary responses. However, the degree to which genes imported by immigrants do in fact affect quantitative genetic architectures of key reproductive traits and outcomes is rarely explicitly quantified. We applied structured quantitative genetic analyses to multiyear pedigree, pairing, and paternity data from free‐living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to quantify the differences in mean breeding values for major sex‐specific reproductive traits, specifically female extra‐pair reproduction and male paternity loss, between recent immigrants and the previously existing population. We thereby quantify effects of natural immigration on the means, variances, and cross‐sex covariance in total additive genetic values for extra‐pair paternity arising within the complex socially monogamous but genetically polygynandrous reproductive system. Recent immigrants had lower mean breeding values for male paternity loss, and somewhat lower values for female extra‐pair reproduction, than the local recipient population, and would therefore increase the emerging degree of reproductive fidelity of social pairings. Furthermore, immigration increased the variances in total additive genetic values for these traits, but decreased the magnitudes of the negative cross‐sex genetic covariation and correlation below those evident in the existing population. Immigration thereby increased the total additive genetic variance but could decrease the magnitude of indirect selection acting on sex‐specific contributions to paternity outcomes. These results demonstrate that dispersal and resulting immigration and gene flow can substantially affect quantitative genetic architectures of complex local reproductive systems, implying that comprehensive theoretical and empirical efforts to understand mating system dynamics will need to incorporate spatial population processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics NTNU Trondheim Norway.,School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen United Kingdom
| | - Peter Arcese
- Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Duchêne DA, Head ML, Møller AP, Cain K. Sex in the city: sexual selection and urban colonization in passerines. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190257. [PMID: 31480935 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization leads to a rapid and drastic transformation of habitats, forcing native fauna to manage novel ecological challenges or to move. Sexual selection is a powerful evolutionary force, which is sometimes predicted to enhance the ability of species to adapt to novel environments because it allows females to choose high-quality males, but other times is predicted to reduce the viability of populations because it pushes males beyond naturally selected optima. However, we do not know whether or how sexual selection contributes to the likelihood that animals will establish in urban areas. We use a comparative analysis of passerine birds to test whether traits associated with pre- and post-mating sexual selection predict successful colonization of urban areas. We found that plumage dichromatism was negatively associated with urban tolerance, but found no relationship with sexual size dimorphism or testes mass relative to body mass. While we cannot determine the exact reason why species with high plumage dichromatism occur less in cities, it is likely that urban areas increase the costs of expressing bright coloration due, for instance, to dietary constraints, limited male parental care or increased predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.,Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - David A Duchêne
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anders P Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud CNRS AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, France.,College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, People's Republic of China
| | - Kristal Cain
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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37
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Candolin U, Wong BBM. Mate choice in a polluted world: consequences for individuals, populations and communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180055. [PMID: 31352882 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollution (e.g. by chemicals, noise, light, heat) is an insidious consequence of anthropogenic activity that affects environments worldwide. Exposure of wildlife to pollutants has the capacity to adversely affect animal communication and behaviour across a wide range of sensory modalities-by not only impacting the signalling environment, but also the way in which animals produce, perceive and interpret signals and cues. Such disturbances, particularly when it comes to sex, can drastically alter fitness. Here, we consider how pollutants disrupt communication and behaviour during mate choice, and the ecological and evolutionary changes such disturbances can engender. We explain how the different stages of mate choice can be affected by pollution, from encountering mates to the final choice, and how changes to these stages can influence individual fitness, population dynamics and community structure. We end with discussing how an understanding of these disturbances can help inform better conservation and management practices and highlight important considerations and avenues for future research. This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking behaviour to dynamics of populations and communities: application of novel approaches in behavioural ecology to conservation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Candolin
- Organsimal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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