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Worsley SF, Davies CS, Mannarelli ME, Komdeur J, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Assessing the causes and consequences of gut mycobiome variation in a wild population of the Seychelles warbler. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:242. [PMID: 36575553 PMCID: PMC9795730 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01432-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable research has focussed on the importance of bacterial communities within the vertebrate gut microbiome (GM). However, studies investigating the significance of other microbial kingdoms, such as fungi, are notably lacking, despite their potential to influence host processes. Here, we characterise the fungal GM of individuals living in a natural population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We evaluate the extent to which fungal GM structure is shaped by environment and host factors, including genome-wide heterozygosity and variation at key immune genes (major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)). Importantly, we also explore the relationship between fungal GM differences and subsequent host survival. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the genetic drivers and fitness consequences of fungal GM variation have been characterised for a wild vertebrate population. RESULTS Environmental factors, including season and territory quality, explain the largest proportion of variance in the fungal GM. In contrast, neither host age, sex, genome-wide heterozygosity, nor TLR3 genotype was associated with fungal GM differences in Seychelles warblers. However, the presence of four MHC-I alleles and one MHC-II allele was associated with changes in fungal GM alpha diversity. Changes in fungal richness ranged from between 1 and 10 sequencing variants lost or gained; in some cases, this accounted for 20% of the fungal variants carried by an individual. In addition to this, overall MHC-I allelic diversity was associated with small, but potentially important, changes in fungal GM composition. This is evidenced by the fact that fungal GM composition differed between individuals that survived or died within 7 months of being sampled. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that environmental factors play a primary role in shaping the fungal GM, but that components of the host immune system-specifically the MHC-may also contribute to the variation in fungal communities across individuals within wild populations. Furthermore, variation in the fungal GM can be associated with differential survival in the wild. Further work is needed to establish the causality of such relationships and, thus, the extent to which components of the GM may impact host evolution. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Worsley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Charli S Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Maria-Elena Mannarelli
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
- Nature Seychelles, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles.
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Raj Pant S, Versteegh MA, Hammers M, Burke T, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS, Komdeur J. The contribution of extra-pair paternity to the variation in lifetime and age-specific male reproductive success in a socially monogamous species. Evolution 2022; 76:915-930. [PMID: 35325482 PMCID: PMC9322416 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In socially monogamous species, extra-pair paternity (EPP) is predicted to increase variance in male reproductive success (RS) beyond that resulting from genetic monogamy, thus, increasing the "opportunity for selection" (maximum strength of selection that can act on traits). This prediction is challenging to investigate in wild populations because lifetime reproduction data are often incomplete. Moreover, age-specific variances in reproduction have been rarely quantified. We analyzed 21 years of near-complete social and genetic reproduction data from an insular population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We quantified EPP's contribution to lifetime and age-specific opportunities for selection in males. We compared the variance in male genetic RS vs social ("apparent") RS (RSap ) to assess if EPP increased the opportunity for selection over that resulting from genetic monogamy. Despite not causing a statistically significant excess (19%) of the former over the latter, EPP contributed substantially (27%) to the variance in lifetime RS, similarly to within-pair paternity (WPP, 39%) and to the positive WPP-EPP covariance (34%). Partitioning the opportunity for selection into age-specific (co)variance components, showed that EPP also provided a substantial contribution at most ages, varying with age. Therefore, despite possibly not playing the main role in shaping sexual selection in Seychelles warblers, EPP provided a substantial contribution to the lifetime and age-specific opportunity for selection, which can influence evolutionary processes in age-structured populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Raj Pant
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and EngineeringUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUK,Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Maaike A. Versteegh
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and EngineeringUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and EngineeringUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands,Aeres University of Applied SciencesAlmereThe Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and EngineeringUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - David S. Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUK,Nature SeychellesRoche CaimanMaheRepublic of Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and EngineeringUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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3
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Davies CS, Worsley SF, Maher KH, Komdeur J, Burke T, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Immunogenetic variation shapes the gut microbiome in a natural vertebrate population. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:41. [PMID: 35256003 PMCID: PMC8903650 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut microbiome (GM) can influence many biological processes in the host, impacting its health and survival, but the GM can also be influenced by the host's traits. In vertebrates, Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes play a pivotal role in combatting pathogens and are thought to shape the host's GM. Despite this-and the documented importance of both GM and MHC variation to individual fitness-few studies have investigated the association between the GM and MHC in the wild. RESULTS We characterised MHC class I (MHC-I), MHC class II (MHC-II) and GM variation in individuals within a natural population of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We determined how the diversity and composition of the GM varied with MHC characteristics, in addition to environmental factors and other host traits. Our results show that the presence of specific MHC alleles, but not MHC diversity, influences both the diversity and composition of the GM in this population. MHC-I alleles, rather than MHC-II alleles, had the greatest impact on the GM. GM diversity was negatively associated with the presence of three MHC-I alleles (Ase-ua3, Ase-ua4, Ase-ua5), and one MHC-II allele (Ase-dab4), while changes in GM composition were associated with the presence of four different MHC-I alleles (Ase-ua1, Ase-ua7, Ase-ua10, Ase-ua11). There were no associations between GM diversity and TLR3 genotype, but GM diversity was positively correlated with genome-wide heterozygosity and varied with host age and field period. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that components of the host's immune system play a role in shaping the GM of wild animals. Host genotype-specifically MHC-I and to a lesser degree MHC-II variation-can modulate the GM, although whether this occurs directly, or indirectly through effects on host health, is unclear. Importantly, if immune genes can regulate host health through modulation of the microbiome, then it is plausible that the microbiome could also influence selection on immune genes. As such, host-microbiome coevolution may play a role in maintaining functional immunogenetic variation within natural vertebrate populations. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charli S Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Sarah F Worsley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Nature Seychelles, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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4
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Swope SM, Soto TY, Rahman-Khan Arana N. Historic DNA reveals genetic consequences of fragmentation in an endangered, endemic mustard. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01406-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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5
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Davies CS, Taylor MI, Hammers M, Burke T, Komdeur J, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Contemporary evolution of the innate immune receptor gene TLR3 in an isolated vertebrate population. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2528-2542. [PMID: 33949028 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding where genetic variation exists, and how it influences fitness within populations is important from an evolutionary and conservation perspective. Signatures of past selection suggest that pathogen-mediated balancing selection is a key driver of immunogenetic variation, but studies tracking contemporary evolution are needed to help resolve the evolutionary forces and mechanism at play. Previous work in a bottlenecked population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) show that functional variation has been maintained at the viral-sensing Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) gene, including one nonsynonymous SNP, resulting in two alleles. Here, we characterise evolution at this TLR3 locus over a 25-year period within the original remnant population of the Seychelles warbler, and in four other derived, populations. Results show a significant and consistent temporal decline in the frequency of the TLR3C allele in the original population, and that similar declines in the TLR3C allele frequency occurred in all the derived populations. Individuals (of both sexes) with the TLR3CC genotype had lower survival, and males - but not females - that carry the TLR3C allele had significantly lower lifetime reproductive success than those with only the TLR3A allele. These results indicate that positive selection on the TLR3A allele, caused by an as yet unknown agent, is driving TLR3 evolution in the Seychelles warbler. No evidence of heterozygote advantage was detected. However, whether the positive selection observed is part of a longer-term pattern of balancing selection (through fluctuating selection or rare-allele advantage) cannot be resolved without tracking the TLR3C allele over an extended time period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charli S Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, UK
| | - Martin I Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, UK
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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6
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Curry CJ, Davis BW, Bertola LD, White PA, Murphy WJ, Derr JN. Spatiotemporal Genetic Diversity of Lions Reveals the Influence of Habitat Fragmentation across Africa. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:48-57. [PMID: 32667997 PMCID: PMC8480188 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct comparisons between historical and contemporary populations allow for detecting changes in genetic diversity through time and assessment of the impact of habitat fragmentation. Here, we determined the genetic architecture of both historical and modern lions to document changes in genetic diversity over the last century. We surveyed microsatellite and mitochondrial genome variation from 143 high-quality museum specimens of known provenance, allowing us to directly compare this information with data from several recently published nuclear and mitochondrial studies. Our results provide evidence for male-mediated gene flow and recent isolation of local subpopulations, likely due to habitat fragmentation. Nuclear markers showed a significant decrease in genetic diversity from the historical (HE = 0.833) to the modern (HE = 0.796) populations, whereas mitochondrial genetic diversity was maintained (Hd = 0.98 for both). Although the historical population appears to have been panmictic based on nDNA data, hierarchical structure analysis identified four tiers of genetic structure in modern populations and was able to detect most sampling locations. Mitogenome analyses identified four clusters: Southern, Mixed, Eastern, and Western and were consistent between modern and historically sampled haplotypes. Within the last century, habitat fragmentation caused lion subpopulations to become more geographically isolated as human expansion changed the African landscape. This resulted in an increase in fine-scale nuclear genetic structure and loss of genetic diversity as lion subpopulations became more differentiated, whereas mitochondrial structure and diversity were maintained over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin J Curry
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Brian W Davis
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Laura D Bertola
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, NY
| | - Paula A White
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - William J Murphy
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - James N Derr
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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7
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Raj Pant S, Hammers M, Komdeur J, Burke T, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Age-dependent changes in infidelity in Seychelles warblers. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3731-3746. [PMID: 32706433 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is often linked to male age in socially monogamous vertebrates; that is, older males are more likely to gain EPP and less likely to be cuckolded. However, whether this occurs because males improve at gaining paternity as they grow older, or because "higher quality" males that live longer are preferred by females, has rarely been tested, despite being central to our understanding of the evolutionary drivers of female infidelity. Moreover, how extra-pair reproduction changes with age within females has received even less attention. Using 18 years of longitudinal data from an individually marked population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we found considerable within-individual changes in extra-pair reproduction in both sexes: an early-life increase and a late-life decline. Furthermore, males were cuckolded less as they aged. Our results indicate that in this species age-related patterns of extra-pair reproduction are determined by within-individual changes with age, rather than differences among individuals in longevity. These results challenge the hypothesis-based on longevity reflecting intrinsic quality-that the association between male age and EPP is due to females seeking high-quality paternal genes for offspring. Importantly, EPP accounted for up to half of male reproductive success, emphasizing the male fitness benefits of this reproductive strategy. Finally, the occurrence of post-peak declines in extra-pair reproduction provides explicit evidence of senescence in infidelity in both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Raj Pant
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Nature Seychelles, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
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8
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Totoiu CA, Phillips JM, Reese AT, Majumdar S, Girguis PR, Raston CL, Weiss GA. Vortex fluidics-mediated DNA rescue from formalin-fixed museum specimens. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225807. [PMID: 31999723 PMCID: PMC6992170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA from formalin-preserved tissue could unlock a vast repository of genetic information stored in museums worldwide. However, formaldehyde crosslinks proteins and DNA, and prevents ready amplification and DNA sequencing. Formaldehyde acylation also fragments the DNA. Treatment with proteinase K proteolyzes crosslinked proteins to rescue the DNA, though the process is quite slow. To reduce processing time and improve rescue efficiency, we applied the mechanical energy of a vortex fluidic device (VFD) to drive the catalytic activity of proteinase K and recover DNA from American lobster tissue (Homarus americanus) fixed in 3.7% formalin for >1-year. A scan of VFD rotational speeds identified the optimal rotational speed for recovery of PCR-amplifiable DNA and while 500+ base pairs were sequenced, shorter read lengths were more consistently obtained. This VFD-based method also effectively recovered DNA from formalin-preserved samples. The results provide a roadmap for exploring DNA from millions of historical and even extinct species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A. Totoiu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Phillips
- Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Aspen T. Reese
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sudipta Majumdar
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Peter R. Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Colin L. Raston
- Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Gregory A. Weiss
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
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9
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Fenderson LE, Kovach AI, Llamas B. Spatiotemporal landscape genetics: Investigating ecology and evolution through space and time. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:218-246. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey E. Fenderson
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA School of Biological Sciences Environment Institute University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - Adrienne I. Kovach
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - Bastien Llamas
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA School of Biological Sciences Environment Institute University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
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Crates R, Olah G, Adamski M, Aitken N, Banks S, Ingwersen D, Ranjard L, Rayner L, Stojanovic D, Suchan T, von Takach Dukai B, Heinsohn R. Genomic impact of severe population decline in a nomadic songbird. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223953. [PMID: 31647830 PMCID: PMC6812763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the population genetic histories of non-model organisms is increasingly possible through advances in next generation sequencing and DNA sampling of museum specimens. This new information can inform conservation of threatened species, particularly those for which historical and contemporary population data are unavailable or challenging to obtain. The critically endangered, nomadic regent honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia was abundant and widespread throughout south-eastern Australia prior to a rapid population decline and range contraction since the 1970s. A current estimated population of 250-400 individuals is distributed sparsely across 600,000 km2 from northern Victoria to southern Queensland. Using hybridization RAD (hyRAD) techniques, we obtained a SNP dataset from 64 museum specimens (date 1879-1960), 102 'recent' (1989-2012) and 52 'current' (2015-2016) wild birds sampled throughout the historical and contemporary range. We aimed to estimate population genetic structure, genetic diversity and population size of the regent honeyeater prior to its rapid decline. We then assessed the impact of the decline on recent and current population size, structure and genetic diversity. Museum sampling showed population structure in regent honeyeaters was historically low, which remains the case despite a severe fragmentation of the breeding range. Population decline has led to minimal loss of genetic diversity since the 1980's. Capacity to quantify the overall magnitude of both genetic diversity loss and population decline was limited by the poorer quality of genomic data derived from museum specimens. A rapid population decline, coupled with the regent honeyeater's high mobility, means a detectable genomic impact of this decline has not yet manifested. Extinction may occur in this nomadic species before a detectable genomic impact of small population size is realised. We discuss the implications for genetic management of endangered mobile species and enhancing the value of museum specimens in population genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - George Olah
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Marcin Adamski
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Nicola Aitken
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sam Banks
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Louis Ranjard
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Laura Rayner
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tomasz Suchan
- W. Szafer institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Brenton von Takach Dukai
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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11
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Raj Pant S, Komdeur J, Burke TA, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Socio-ecological conditions and female infidelity in the Seychelles warbler. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:1254-1264. [PMID: 31579133 PMCID: PMC6765383 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Within socially monogamous breeding systems, levels of extra-pair paternity can vary not only between species, populations, and individuals, but also across time. Uncovering how different extrinsic conditions (ecological, demographic, and social) influence this behavior will help shed light on the factors driving its evolution. Here, we simultaneously address multiple socio-ecological conditions potentially influencing female infidelity in a natural population of the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis. Our contained study population has been monitored for more than 25 years, enabling us to capture variation in socio-ecological conditions between individuals and across time and to accurately assign parentage. We test hypotheses predicting the influence of territory quality, breeding density and synchrony, group size and composition (number and sex of subordinates), and inbreeding avoidance on female infidelity. We find that a larger group size promotes the likelihood of extra-pair paternity in offspring from both dominant and subordinate females, but this paternity is almost always gained by dominant males from outside the group (not by subordinate males within the group). Higher relatedness between a mother and the dominant male in her group also results in more extra-pair paternity-but only for subordinate females-and this does not prevent inbreeding occurring in this population. Our findings highlight the role of social conditions favoring infidelity and contribute toward understanding the evolution of this enigmatic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Raj Pant
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry A Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Nature Seychelles, Roche Caiman, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
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12
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Billerman SM, Walsh J. Historical DNA as a tool to address key questions in avian biology and evolution: A review of methods, challenges, applications, and future directions. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:1115-1130. [PMID: 31336408 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Museum specimens play a crucial role in addressing key questions in systematics, evolution, ecology, and conservation. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, specimens that have long been the foundation of important biological discoveries can inform new perspectives as sources of genomic data. Despite the many possibilities associated with analyzing DNA from historical specimens, several challenges persist. Using avian systems as a model, we review DNA extraction protocols, sequencing technologies, and capture methods that are helping researchers overcome some of these difficulties. We highlight empirical examples in which researchers have used these technologies to address fundamental questions related to avian conservation and evolution. Increasing accessibility to new sequencing technologies will provide researchers with tools to tap into the wealth of information contained within our valuable natural history collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Billerman
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer Walsh
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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13
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Heino MT, Granroth J, Aspi J, Pihlström H. A Previously Undescribed Javan Tiger Panthera tigris sondaica Specimen, and Other Old, Rare Tiger Specimens in the Finnish Museum of Natural History. MAMMAL STUDY 2018. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2018-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matti T. Heino
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Science, P.B. 3000, 90014, University of Oulu
| | - Janne Granroth
- Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, Pohjoinen rautatiekatu 13, P.B. 17, 00014, University of Helsinki
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Science, P.B. 3000, 90014, University of Oulu
| | - Henry Pihlström
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1, P.B. 65, 00014, University of Helsinki
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14
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Carroll EL, Bruford MW, DeWoody JA, Leroy G, Strand A, Waits L, Wang J. Genetic and genomic monitoring with minimally invasive sampling methods. Evol Appl 2018; 11:1094-1119. [PMID: 30026800 PMCID: PMC6050181 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The decreasing cost and increasing scope and power of emerging genomic technologies are reshaping the field of molecular ecology. However, many modern genomic approaches (e.g., RAD-seq) require large amounts of high-quality template DNA. This poses a problem for an active branch of conservation biology: genetic monitoring using minimally invasive sampling (MIS) methods. Without handling or even observing an animal, MIS methods (e.g., collection of hair, skin, faeces) can provide genetic information on individuals or populations. Such samples typically yield low-quality and/or quantities of DNA, restricting the type of molecular methods that can be used. Despite this limitation, genetic monitoring using MIS is an effective tool for estimating population demographic parameters and monitoring genetic diversity in natural populations. Genetic monitoring is likely to become more important in the future as many natural populations are undergoing anthropogenically driven declines, which are unlikely to abate without intensive adaptive management efforts that often include MIS approaches. Here, we profile the expanding suite of genomic methods and platforms compatible with producing genotypes from MIS, considering factors such as development costs and error rates. We evaluate how powerful new approaches will enhance our ability to investigate questions typically answered using genetic monitoring, such as estimating abundance, genetic structure and relatedness. As the field is in a period of unusually rapid transition, we also highlight the importance of legacy data sets and recommend how to address the challenges of moving between traditional and next-generation genetic monitoring platforms. Finally, we consider how genetic monitoring could move beyond genotypes in the future. For example, assessing microbiomes or epigenetic markers could provide a greater understanding of the relationship between individuals and their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Carroll
- Scottish Oceans Institute and Sea Mammal Research UnitUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Mike W. Bruford
- Cardiff School of Biosciences and Sustainable Places Research InstituteCardiff UniversityCardiff, WalesUK
| | - J. Andrew DeWoody
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and Department of Biological SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - Gregoire Leroy
- Animal Production and Health DivisionFood and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsRomeItaly
| | - Alan Strand
- Grice Marine LaboratoryDepartment of BiologyCollege of CharlestonCharlestonSCUSA
| | - Lisette Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | - Jinliang Wang
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
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15
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Groenewoud F, Kingma SA, Hammers M, Dugdale HL, Burke T, Richardson DS, Komdeur J. Subordinate females in the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler obtain direct benefits by joining unrelated groups. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1251-1263. [PMID: 29750837 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In many cooperatively breeding animals, a combination of ecological constraints and benefits of philopatry favours offspring taking a subordinate position on the natal territory instead of dispersing to breed independently. However, in many species individuals disperse to a subordinate position in a non-natal group ("subordinate between-group" dispersal), despite losing the kin-selected and nepotistic benefits of remaining in the natal group. It is unclear which social, genetic and ecological factors drive between-group dispersal. We aim to elucidate the adaptive significance of subordinate between-group dispersal by examining which factors promote such dispersal, whether subordinates gain improved ecological and social conditions by joining a non-natal group, and whether between-group dispersal results in increased lifetime reproductive success and survival. Using a long-term dataset on the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we investigated how a suite of proximate factors (food availability, group composition, age and sex of focal individuals, population density) promote subordinate between-group dispersal by comparing such dispersers with subordinates that dispersed to a dominant position or became floaters. We then analysed whether subordinates that moved to a dominant or non-natal subordinate position, or became floaters, gained improved conditions relative to the natal territory and compared fitness components between the three dispersal strategies. We show that individuals that joined another group as non-natal subordinates were mainly female and that, similar to floating, between-group dispersal was associated with social and demographic factors that constrained dispersal to an independent breeding position. Between-group dispersal was not driven by improved ecological or social conditions in the new territory and did not result in higher survival. Instead, between-group dispersing females often became cobreeders, obtaining maternity in the new territory, and were likely to inherit the territory in the future, leading to higher lifetime reproductive success compared to females that floated. Males never reproduced as subordinates, which may be one explanation why subordinate between-group dispersal by males is rare. Our results suggest that subordinate between-group dispersal is used by females to obtain reproductive benefits when options to disperse to an independent breeding position are limited. This provides important insight into the additional strategies that individuals can use to obtain reproductive benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Groenewoud
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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16
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Edwards HA, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS, Komdeur J, Burke T. Extra-pair parentage and personality in a cooperatively breeding bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:37. [PMID: 29491549 PMCID: PMC5814466 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2448-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Why so much variation in extra-pair parentage occurs within and among populations remains unclear. Often the fitness costs and benefits of extra-pair parentage are hypothesised to explain its occurrence; therefore, linking extra-pair parentage with traits such as personality (behavioural traits that can be heritable and affect reproductive behaviour) may help our understanding. Here, we investigate whether reproductive outcomes and success are associated with exploratory behaviour in a natural population of cooperatively breeding Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) on Cousin Island. Exploratory behaviour correlates positively with traits such as risk-taking behaviour and activity in other wild bird species and might promote extra-pair mating by increasing the rate at which potential extra-pair partners are encountered. We therefore predicted that fast-exploring individuals would have more extra-pair offspring. There is also a potential trade-off between pursuing extra-pair parentage and mate guarding in males. We therefore also predicted that fast-exploring males would be more likely to pursue extra-pair parentage and that this would increase the propensity of their mate to gain extra-pair parentage. We found that neither the total number of offspring nor the number of extra-pair offspring were associated with a male's or female's exploratory behaviour. However, there was a small but significant propensity for females to have extra-pair fertilisations in pairs that were behaviourally disassortative. Overall, we conclude that, due to the small effect size, the association between exploratory behaviour and extra-pair paternity is unlikely to be biologically relevant. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT True genetic monogamy is rare, even in socially monogamous systems, and multiple factors, such as behaviour, social structure, morphology and physiology, determined by the biological system can cause variation in extra-pair parentage (EPP). Therefore, investigating the inherent differences in these factors among individuals could be informative. We investigated whether reproductive outcomes/success are associated with differences in the propensity to explore novel environments/objects in a promiscuous, island-dwelling cooperatively breeding bird, the Seychelles warbler. Our results showed that exploratory behaviour was not associated with the number of offspring produced by an individual, and thus the long-term fitness consequences of different exploratory tendencies did not differ. We also found that the propensity to engage in EPP in females was higher in dissimilar behavioural pairs, but due to the small effect size, we hesitate to conclude that there are personality-dependent mating outcomes in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah A Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, The Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 cc Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
- Nature Seychelles, PO BOX 1310, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 cc Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
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17
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Schmid S, Neuenschwander S, Pitteloud C, Heckel G, Pajkovic M, Arlettaz R, Alvarez N. Spatial and temporal genetic dynamics of the grasshopper Oedaleus decorus revealed by museum genomics. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1480-1495. [PMID: 29435226 PMCID: PMC5792620 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Analyzing genetic variation through time and space is important to identify key evolutionary and ecological processes in populations. However, using contemporary genetic data to infer the dynamics of genetic diversity may be at risk of a bias, as inferences are performed from a set of extant populations, setting aside unavailable, rare, or now extinct lineages. Here, we took advantage of new developments in next-generation sequencing to analyze the spatial and temporal genetic dynamics of the grasshopper Oedaleus decorus, a steppic Southwestern-Palearctic species. We applied a recently developed hybridization capture (hyRAD) protocol that allows retrieving orthologous sequences even from degraded DNA characteristic of museum specimens. We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in 68 historical and 51 modern samples in order to (i) unravel the spatial genetic structure across part of the species distribution and (ii) assess the loss of genetic diversity over the past century in Swiss populations. Our results revealed (i) the presence of three potential glacial refugia spread across the European continent and converging spatially in the Alpine area. In addition, and despite a limited population sample size, our results indicate (ii) a loss of allelic richness in contemporary Swiss populations compared to historical populations, whereas levels of expected heterozygosities were not significantly different. This observation is compatible with an increase in the bottleneck magnitude experienced by central European populations of O. decorus following human-mediated land-use change impacting steppic habitats. Our results confirm that application of hyRAD to museum samples produces valuable information to study genetic processes across time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schmid
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Camille Pitteloud
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceEidgenössische Technische Hochschule ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Mila Pajkovic
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Nadir Alvarez
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Natural History Museum of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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18
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Hohenlohe PA, Hand BK, Andrews KR, Luikart G. Population Genomics Provides Key Insights in Ecology and Evolution. POPULATION GENOMICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/13836_2018_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Bebbington K, Fairfield EA, Spurgin LG, Kingma SA, Dugdale H, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Joint care can outweigh costs of nonkin competition in communal breeders. Behav Ecol 2017; 29:169-178. [PMID: 29622934 PMCID: PMC5873242 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Competition between offspring can greatly influence offspring fitness and parental investment decisions, especially in communal breeders where unrelated competitors have less incentive to concede resources. Given the potential for escalated conflict, it remains unclear what mechanisms facilitate the evolution of communal breeding among unrelated females. Resolving this question requires simultaneous consideration of offspring in noncommunal and communal nurseries, but such comparisons are missing. In the Seychelles warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis, we compare nestling pairs from communal nests (2 mothers) and noncommunal nests (1 mother) with singleton nestlings. Our results indicate that increased provisioning rate can act as a mechanism to mitigate the costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin. Increased provisioning in communal broods, as a consequence of having 2 female parents, mitigates any elevated costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin: per-capita provisioning and survival was equal in communal broods and singletons, but lower in noncommunal broods. Individual offspring costs were also more divergent in noncommunal broods, likely because resource limitation exacerbates differences in competitive ability between nestlings. It is typically assumed that offspring rivalry among nonkin will be more costly because offspring are not driven by kin selection to concede resources to their competitors. Our findings are correlational and require further corroboration, but may help explain the evolutionary maintenance of communal breeding by providing a mechanism by which communal breeders can avoid these costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kat Bebbington
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.,Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eleanor A Fairfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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20
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Kinship and familiarity mitigate costs of social conflict between Seychelles warbler neighbors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9036-E9045. [PMID: 29073100 PMCID: PMC5664493 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704350114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, animals must compete with their neighbors for access to limited resources. Since conflict over resources can be extremely costly in terms of time, energy, and reproductive success, investigating how individuals resolve conflict is crucial to understanding the evolution of social behaviors. In the Seychelles warbler, we demonstrate two mechanisms by which individuals minimize costs of conflict and show the benefits individuals gain from doing so. Birds that live near relatives or familiar individuals invest less energy in defending and maintaining territory borders and also show less aging-related signs of physiological damage. Our results suggest that conflict between neighbors can be mitigated by kin-selected benefits of sharing resources with relatives but also through direct mutual benefits of cooperation. Because virtually all organisms compete with others in their social environment, mechanisms that reduce conflict between interacting individuals are crucial for the evolution of stable families, groups, and societies. Here, we tested whether costs of social conflict over territorial space between Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) are mitigated by kin-selected (genetic relatedness) or mutualistic (social familiarity) mechanisms. By measuring longitudinal changes in individuals’ body mass and telomere length, we demonstrated that the fitness costs of territoriality are driven by a complex interplay between relatedness, familiarity, local density, and sex. Physical fights were less common at territory boundaries shared between related or familiar males. In line with this, male territory owners gained mass when living next to related or familiar males and also showed less telomere attrition when living next to male kin. Importantly, these relationships were strongest in high-density areas of the population. Males also had more rapid telomere attrition when living next to unfamiliar male neighbors, but mainly when relatedness to those neighbors was also low. In contrast, neither kinship nor familiarity was linked to body mass or telomere loss in female territory owners. Our results indicate that resolving conflict over territorial space through kin-selected or mutualistic pathways can reduce both immediate energetic costs and permanent somatic damage, thus providing an important mechanism to explain fine-scale population structure and cooperation between different social units across a broad range of taxa.
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21
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Spurgin LG, Bebbington K, Fairfield EA, Hammers M, Komdeur J, Burke T, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Spatio-temporal variation in lifelong telomere dynamics in a long-term ecological study. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:187-198. [PMID: 28796902 PMCID: PMC5765431 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding individual‐level variation in response to the environment is fundamental to understanding life‐history evolution and population dynamics. Telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, shorten in response to oxidative stress, and telomere shortening is correlated with reduced survival and life span. Investigating telomere dynamics may help us quantify individual variation in the costs experienced from social and ecological factors, and enhance our understanding of the dynamics of natural populations. Here, we study spatio‐temporal variation in lifelong telomere dynamics in the Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis. We combine long‐term life history and ecological data with a large longitudinal dataset of mean telomere lengths, consisting of 1,808 samples from 22 cohorts born between 1993 and 2014. We provide a detailed analysis of how telomere dynamics vary over individual life spans and cohorts, and with spatio‐temporal variation in the social and ecological environment. We found that telomere length decreases with cross‐sectional and longitudinal measures of age, and most rapidly very early in life. However, both cross‐sectional and longitudinal data suggested that against this overall pattern of shortening, bouts of telomere length increase occur in some individuals. Using a large number of repeated measurements we show statistically that these increases are unlikely to be explained solely by qPCR measurement error. Telomere length varied markedly among cohorts. Telomere length was positively associated with temporal variation in island‐wide insect abundance—a key resource for the insectivorous Seychelles warbler—suggesting that the costs associated with living in harsher environments can be studied by investigating telomere dynamics. We also found evidence for sex‐specific relationships between telomeres and tarsus length, potentially reflecting differential costs of growth. Our long‐term data show that in a natural population, telomere dynamics vary in a complex manner over individual life spans, and across space and time. Variance in telomere dynamics among individuals is the product of a wide array of genetic, parental and environmental factors. Explaining this variation more fully will require the integration of comprehensive long‐term ecological and genetic data from multiple populations and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK
| | - Kat Bebbington
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK
| | - Eleanor A Fairfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,School of Biology, The Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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22
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Natesh M, Atla G, Nigam P, Jhala YV, Zachariah A, Borthakur U, Ramakrishnan U. Conservation priorities for endangered Indian tigers through a genomic lens. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9614. [PMID: 28851952 PMCID: PMC5575265 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09748-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tigers have lost 93% of their historical range worldwide. India plays a vital role in the conservation of tigers since nearly 60% of all wild tigers are currently found here. However, as protected areas are small (<300 km2 on average), with only a few individuals in each, many of them may not be independently viable. It is thus important to identify and conserve genetically connected populations, as well as to maintain connectivity within them. We collected samples from wild tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across India and used genome-wide SNPs to infer genetic connectivity. We genotyped 10,184 SNPs from 38 individuals across 17 protected areas and identified three genetically distinct clusters (corresponding to northwest, southern and central India). The northwest cluster was isolated with low variation and high relatedness. The geographically large central cluster included tigers from central, northeastern and northern India, and had the highest variation. Most genetic diversity (62%) was shared among clusters, while unique variation was highest in the central cluster (8.5%) and lowest in the northwestern one (2%). We did not detect signatures of differential selection or local adaptation. We highlight that the northwest population requires conservation attention to ensure persistence of these tigers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghana Natesh
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India. .,Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, Tirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur, 613401, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Goutham Atla
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Parag Nigam
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | | | - Arun Zachariah
- Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Lakkidi Post, Pookode, Kerala, 673576, India
| | - Udayan Borthakur
- Aaranyak, 12 Kanaklata Path in Lachit Path, Ajanta Path, Survey, Beltola, Guwahati, 781028, Assam, India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India.
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23
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Kingma SA, Komdeur J, Burke T, Richardson DS. Differential dispersal costs and sex-biased dispersal distance in a cooperatively breeding bird. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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24
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Genetic diversity and divergence in the endangered Cape Verde warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis. CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0909-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Gilroy DL, van Oosterhout C, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Toll-like receptor variation in the bottlenecked population of the endangered Seychelles warbler. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. L. Gilroy
- School of Biological Sciences; Norwich Research Park; University of East Anglia; Norwich UK
| | - C. van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental Sciences; Norwich Research Park; University of East Anglia; Norwich UK
| | - J. Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | - D. S. Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences; Norwich Research Park; University of East Anglia; Norwich UK
- Nature Seychelles; Mahe Republic of Seychelles
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26
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Kingma SA, Bebbington K, Hammers M, Richardson DS, Komdeur J. Delayed dispersal and the costs and benefits of different routes to independent breeding in a cooperatively breeding bird. Evolution 2016; 70:2595-2610. [PMID: 27641712 PMCID: PMC5132126 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Why sexually mature individuals stay in groups as nonreproductive subordinates is central to the evolution of sociality and cooperative breeding. To understand such delayed dispersal, its costs and benefits need to be compared with those of permanently leaving to float through the population. However, comprehensive comparisons, especially regarding differences in future breeding opportunities, are rare. Moreover, extraterritorial prospecting by philopatric individuals has generally been ignored, even though the factors underlying this route to independent breeding may differ from those of strict philopatry or floating. We use a comprehensive predictive framework to explore how various costs, benefits and intrinsic, environmental and social factors explain philopatry, prospecting, and floating in Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis). Not only floaters more likely obtained an independent breeding position before the next season than strictly philopatric individuals, but also suffered higher mortality. Prospecting yielded similar benefits to floating but lower mortality costs, suggesting that it is overall more beneficial than floating and strict philopatry. While prospecting is probably individual‐driven, although limited by resource availability, floating likely results from eviction by unrelated breeders. Such differences in proximate and ultimate factors underlying each route to independent breeding highlight the need for simultaneous consideration when studying the evolution of delayed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjouke A Kingma
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700CC, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom.
| | - Kat Bebbington
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom.,Nature Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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27
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Slow motion extinction: inbreeding, introgression, and loss in the critically endangered mangrove finch (Camarhynchus heliobates). CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0890-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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28
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Bergner LM, Dussex N, Jamieson IG, Robertson BC. European Colonization, Not Polynesian Arrival, Impacted Population Size and Genetic Diversity in the Critically Endangered New Zealand Kākāpō. J Hered 2016; 107:593-602. [DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Island endemic species are often vulnerable to decline and extinction following human settlement, and the genetic study of historical museum specimens can be useful in understanding these processes. The kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) is a critically endangered New Zealand parrot that was formerly widespread and abundant. It is well established that both Polynesian and European colonization of New Zealand impacted the native avifauna, but the timeframe and severity of impacts have differed depending on species. Here, we investigated the relative importance of the 2 waves of human settlement on kākāpō decline, using microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to characterize recent kākāpō genetic and demographic history. We analyzed samples from 49 contemporary individuals and 54 museum specimens dating from 1884 to 1985. Genetic diversity decreased significantly between historical and contemporary kākāpō, with a decline in mean number of microsatellite alleles from 6.15 to 3.08 and in number of mtDNA haplotypes from 17 to 3. Modeling of demographic history indicated a recent population bottleneck linked to the period of European colonization (approximately 5 generations ago) but did not support a major decline linked to Polynesian settlement. Effective population size estimates were also larger for historical than contemporary kākāpō. Our findings inform contemporary kākāpō management by indicating the timeframe and possible cause of the bottleneck, which has implications for the management of extant genetic diversity. We demonstrate the broader utility of a historical perspective in understanding causes of decline and managing extinction risk in contemporary endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Bergner
- From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (Bergner, Dussex, Jamieson, and Robertson) and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK (Bergner)
| | - Nicolas Dussex
- From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (Bergner, Dussex, Jamieson, and Robertson) and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK (Bergner)
| | - Ian G. Jamieson
- From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (Bergner, Dussex, Jamieson, and Robertson) and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK (Bergner)
| | - Bruce C. Robertson
- From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (Bergner, Dussex, Jamieson, and Robertson) and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK (Bergner)
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29
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Holmes MW, Hammond TT, Wogan GOU, Walsh RE, LaBarbera K, Wommack EA, Martins FM, Crawford JC, Mack KL, Bloch LM, Nachman MW. Natural history collections as windows on evolutionary processes. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:864-81. [PMID: 26757135 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Natural history collections provide an immense record of biodiversity on Earth. These repositories have traditionally been used to address fundamental questions in biogeography, systematics and conservation. However, they also hold the potential for studying evolution directly. While some of the best direct observations of evolution have come from long-term field studies or from experimental studies in the laboratory, natural history collections are providing new insights into evolutionary change in natural populations. By comparing phenotypic and genotypic changes in populations through time, natural history collections provide a window into evolutionary processes. Recent studies utilizing this approach have revealed some dramatic instances of phenotypic change over short timescales in response to presumably strong selective pressures. In some instances, evolutionary change can be paired with environmental change, providing a context for potential selective forces. Moreover, in a few cases, the genetic basis of phenotypic change is well understood, allowing for insight into adaptive change at multiple levels. These kinds of studies open the door to a wide range of previously intractable questions by enabling the study of evolution through time, analogous to experimental studies in the laboratory, but amenable to a diversity of species over longer timescales in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Holmes
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA.,Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, 29528, USA
| | - Talisin T Hammond
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Guinevere O U Wogan
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Rachel E Walsh
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Katie LaBarbera
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Wommack
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA.,Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Felipe M Martins
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Jeremy C Crawford
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Katya L Mack
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Luke M Bloch
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
| | - Michael W Nachman
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 97420-3140, USA
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30
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Fairfield EA, Hutchings K, Gilroy DL, Kingma SA, Burke T, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. The impact of conservation-driven translocations on blood parasite prevalence in the Seychelles warbler. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29596. [PMID: 27405249 PMCID: PMC4942767 DOI: 10.1038/srep29596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduced populations often lose the parasites they carried in their native range, but little is known about which processes may cause parasite loss during host movement. Conservation-driven translocations could provide an opportunity to identify the mechanisms involved. Using 3,888 blood samples collected over 22 years, we investigated parasite prevalence in populations of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) after individuals were translocated from Cousin Island to four new islands (Aride, Cousine, Denis and Frégate). Only a single parasite (Haemoproteus nucleocondensus) was detected on Cousin (prevalence = 52%). This parasite persisted on Cousine (prevalence = 41%), but no infection was found in individuals hatched on Aride, Denis or Frégate. It is not known whether the parasite ever arrived on Aride, but it has not been detected there despite 20 years of post-translocation sampling. We confirmed that individuals translocated to Denis and Frégate were infected, with initial prevalence similar to Cousin. Over time, prevalence decreased on Denis and Frégate until the parasite was not found on Denis two years after translocation, and was approaching zero prevalence on Frégate. The loss (Denis) or decline (Frégate) of H. nucleocondensus, despite successful establishment of infected hosts, must be due to factors affecting parasite transmission on these islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A Fairfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Kimberly Hutchings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.,Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle L Gilroy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Centre for Environment and Education, The Sanctuary, PO Box 1310, Roche Caiman, Victoria, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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31
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Bebbington K, Spurgin LG, Fairfield EA, Dugdale HL, Komdeur J, Burke T, Richardson DS. Telomere length reveals cumulative individual and transgenerational inbreeding effects in a passerine bird. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:2949-60. [PMID: 27184206 PMCID: PMC4999029 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Inbreeding results in more homozygous offspring that should suffer reduced fitness, but it can be difficult to quantify these costs for several reasons. First, inbreeding depression may vary with ecological or physiological stress and only be detectable over long time periods. Second, parental homozygosity may indirectly affect offspring fitness, thus confounding analyses that consider offspring homozygosity alone. Finally, measurement of inbreeding coefficients, survival and reproductive success may often be too crude to detect inbreeding costs in wild populations. Telomere length provides a more precise measure of somatic costs, predicts survival in many species and should reflect differences in somatic condition that result from varying ability to cope with environmental stressors. We studied relative telomere length in a wild population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) to assess the lifelong relationship between individual homozygosity, which reflects genome‐wide inbreeding in this species, and telomere length. In juveniles, individual homozygosity was negatively associated with telomere length in poor seasons. In adults, individual homozygosity was consistently negatively related to telomere length, suggesting the accumulation of inbreeding depression during life. Maternal homozygosity also negatively predicted offspring telomere length. Our results show that somatic inbreeding costs are environmentally dependent at certain life stages but may accumulate throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kat Bebbington
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK.,Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13PS, UK
| | - Eleanor A Fairfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, The Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Physiological Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK.,Nature Seychelles, PO BOX 1310, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
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32
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Gilroy D, van Oosterhout C, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Avian β-defensin variation in bottlenecked populations: the Seychelles warbler and other congeners. CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0813-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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33
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Senescence in the wild: Insights from a long-term study on Seychelles warblers. Exp Gerontol 2015; 71:69-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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34
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Edwards HA, Hajduk GK, Durieux G, Burke T, Dugdale HL. No Association between Personality and Candidate Gene Polymorphisms in a Wild Bird Population. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138439. [PMID: 26473495 PMCID: PMC4608812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Consistency of between-individual differences in behaviour or personality is a phenomenon in populations that can have ecological consequences and evolutionary potential. One way that behaviour can evolve is to have a genetic basis. Identifying the molecular genetic basis of personality could therefore provide insight into how and why such variation is maintained, particularly in natural populations. Previously identified candidate genes for personality in birds include the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4), and serotonin transporter (SERT). Studies of wild bird populations have shown that exploratory and bold behaviours are associated with polymorphisms in both DRD4 and SERT. Here we tested for polymorphisms in DRD4 and SERT in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) population on Cousin Island, Seychelles, and then investigated correlations between personality and polymorphisms in these genes. We found no genetic variation in DRD4, but identified four polymorphisms in SERT that clustered into five haplotypes. There was no correlation between bold or exploratory behaviours and SERT polymorphisms/haplotypes. The null result was not due to lack of power, and indicates that there was no association between these behaviours and variation in the candidate genes tested in this population. These null findings provide important data to facilitate representative future meta-analyses on candidate personality genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah A. Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Gabriela K. Hajduk
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian Durieux
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Nature Seychelles, Mahe, Republic of Seychelles
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35
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Wright DJ, Brouwer L, Mannarelli ME, Burke T, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Social pairing of Seychelles warblers under reduced constraints: MHC, neutral heterozygosity, and age. Behav Ecol 2015; 27:295-303. [PMID: 26792973 PMCID: PMC4718175 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and significance of precopulatory mate choice remains keenly debated. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a key role in vertebrate adaptive immunity, and variation at the MHC influences individual survival. Although MHC-dependent mate choice has been documented in certain species, many other studies find no such pattern. This may be, at least in part, because in natural systems constraints may reduce the choices available to individuals and prevent full expression of underlying preferences. We used translocations to previously unoccupied islands to experimentally reduce constraints on female social mate choice in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), a species in which patterns of MHC-dependent extrapair paternity (EPP), but not social mate choice, have been observed. We find no evidence of MHC-dependent social mate choice in the new populations. Instead, we find that older males and males with more microsatellite heterozygosity are more likely to have successfully paired. Our data cannot resolve whether these patterns in pairing were due to male-male competition or female choice. However, our research does suggest that female Seychelles warblers do not choose social mates using MHC class I to increase fitness. It may also indicate that the MHC-dependent EPP observed in the source population is probably due to mechanisms other than female precopulatory mate choice based on MHC cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK,; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Lyanne Brouwer
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University , Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200 , Australia
| | - Maria-Elena Mannarelli
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-organization Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen , PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen , The Netherlands , and
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK,; Nature Seychelles, Centre for Environment and Education, The Sanctuary, PO Box 1310, Roche Caiman, Victoria, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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36
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Eizaguirre C, Baltazar-Soares M. Evolutionary conservation-evaluating the adaptive potential of species. Evol Appl 2014. [PMCID: PMC4231588 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite intense efforts, biodiversity around the globe continues to decrease. To cease this phenomenon, we urgently need a better knowledge not only of the true extent of biodiversity, but also of the evolutionary potential of species to respond to environmental change. These aims are the heart of the developing field of Evolutionary conservation. Here, after describing problems associated with implementing evolutionary perspectives into management, we outline how evolutionary principles can contribute to efficient conservation programmes. We then introduce articles from this special issue on Evolutionary conservation, outlining how each study or review provides tools and concepts to contribute to efficient management of species or populations. Ultimately, we highlight what we believe can be future research avenues for evolutionary conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Miguel Baltazar-Soares
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes; GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research; Kiel Germany
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