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Carvajal-Rodríguez A. Unifying quantification methods for sexual selection and assortative mating using information theory. Theor Popul Biol 2024; 158:206-215. [PMID: 38917935 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Sexual selection plays a crucial role in modern evolutionary theory, offering valuable insight into evolutionary patterns and species diversity. Recently, a comprehensive definition of sexual selection has been proposed, defining it as any selection that arises from fitness differences associated with nonrandom success in the competition for access to gametes for fertilization. Previous research on discrete traits demonstrated that non-random mating can be effectively quantified using Jeffreys (or symmetrized Kullback-Leibler) divergence, capturing information acquired through mating influenced by mutual mating propensities instead of random occurrences. This novel theoretical framework allows for detecting and assessing the strength of sexual selection and assortative mating. In this study, we aim to achieve two primary objectives. Firstly, we demonstrate the seamless alignment of the previous theoretical development, rooted in information theory and mutual mating propensity, with the aforementioned definition of sexual selection. Secondly, we extend the theory to encompass quantitative traits. Our findings reveal that sexual selection and assortative mating can be quantified effectively for quantitative traits by measuring the information gain relative to the random mating pattern. The connection of the information indices of sexual selection with the classical measures of sexual selection is established. Additionally, if mating traits are normally distributed, the measure capturing the underlying information of assortative mating is a function of the square of the correlation coefficient, taking values within the non-negative real number set [0, +∞). It is worth noting that the same divergence measure captures information acquired through mating for both discrete and quantitative traits. This is interesting as it provides a common context and can help simplify the study of sexual selection patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo 36310, Spain.
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2
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Madley-Dowd P, Thomas R, Boyd A, Zammit S, Heron J, Rai D. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring risk of intellectual disability: a UK-based cohort study. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1352077. [PMID: 38983370 PMCID: PMC11232073 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1352077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Observational studies have described associations of maternal smoking during pregnancy with intellectual disability (ID) in the exposed offspring. Whether these results reflect a causal effect or unmeasured confounding is still unclear. Methods Using a UK-based prospectively collected birth cohort (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) of 13,479 children born between 1991 and 1992, we assessed the relationship between maternal smoking at 18 weeks' gestation and offspring risk of ID, ascertained through multiple sources of linked information including primary care diagnoses and education records. Using confounder-adjusted logistic regression, we performed observational analyses and a negative control analysis that compared maternal with partner smoking in pregnancy under the assumption that if a causal effect were to exist, maternal effect estimates would be of greater magnitude than estimates for partner smoking if the two exposures suffer from comparable biases. Results In observational analysis, we found an adjusted odds ratio for ID of 0.75 (95% CI = 0.49-1.13) for any maternal smoking and 0.97 (95% CI = 0.71-1.33) per 10-cigarette increase in number of cigarettes smoked per day. In negative control analysis, comparable effect estimates were found for any partner smoking (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.63-1.40) and number of cigarettes smoked per day (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.74-1.20). Conclusions The results are not consistent with a causal effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Madley-Dowd
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Thomas
- UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Andy Boyd
- UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stanley Zammit
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Heron
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Avon and Wiltshire Partnership NHS Mental Health Trust, Bath, United Kingdom
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3
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Roggero A, Alù D, Laini A, Rolando A, Palestrini C. Color polymorphism and mating trends in a population of the alpine leaf beetle Oreina gloriosa. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298330. [PMID: 38530852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The bright colors of Alpine leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) are thought to act as aposematic signals against predation. Within the European Alps, at least six species display a basal color of either blue or green, likely configuring a classic case of müllerian mimicry. In this context, intra-population color polymorphism is paradoxical as the existence of numerous color morphs might hamper the establishment of a search image in visual predators. Assortative mating may be one of the main factors contributing to the maintenance of polymorphic populations. Due to the marked iridescence of these leaf beetles, the perceived color may change as the viewing or illumination angle changes. The present study, conducted over three years, involved intensive sampling of a population of Oreina gloriosa from the Italian Alps and applied colorimetry and a decision tree method to identify the color morphs in an objective manner. The tertiary sex ratio of the population was biased in favor of males, suggesting that viviparous females hide to give birth. Seven color morphs were identified, and their frequencies varied significantly over the course of the study. Three different analyses of mating (JMating, QInfomating, and Montecarlo simulations) recognized a general trend for random mating which coexists with some instances of positive and negative assortative mating. This could help explain the pre-eminence of one morph (which would be favored because of positive selection due to positive assortative mating) in parallel with the persistence of six other morphs (maintained due to negative assortative mating).
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Roggero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Daniele Alù
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Alex Laini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Antonio Rolando
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Claudia Palestrini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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4
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Leong CM, Hui TY, Guénard B. The role of body mass in limiting post heat-coma recovery ability in terrestrial ectotherms. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10218. [PMID: 37361898 PMCID: PMC10288262 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Under global warming, animal species show shrinking body size responses, cascading deep changes in community structure and ecosystem functions. Although the exact physiological mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unsolved, smaller individuals may benefit from warming climate more than larger ones. Heat-coma, a physiological state with severe consequences on locomotion ability, is often considered as an "ecological death" scenario under which individuals are unable to escape and exposed to predation, further heat injury, and other hazards. Species are expected to increasingly encounter heat-coma temperature thresholds under warming climate, and body size may be an important trait for thermoregulation in particular for ectotherms. The relationship between heat-coma and shrinking body size remains, however, unclear. Yet, recovery after short-term heat-coma is possible, but little is known about its importance in thermal adaptation and how organismal size correlates with post heat-coma recovery. Here, using ants as a model system, we firstly examined the fate of heat-comatose individuals under field conditions to quantify the ecological benefits of post heat-coma recovery. Then, we quantified ants' recovery ability after heat-coma using a dynamic thermal assay in the laboratory and asked if thermal resilience varies between species with different body mass. Our results confirm that heat-coma represents an inherent ecological death where individuals failed to recover from coma suffer strong predation pressure. Additionally, following phylogenetic signals inclusion, organisms with small mass were more likely to recover, supporting the temperature-size rule in thermal adaptation and recent studies showing a decrease in body size composition of ectotherm community under warmer climatic conditions. Body size as a fundamental trait in ecology thus affects ectotherm survival under thermal stress, which may drive species body size adaptations and community composition under future warming scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Man Leong
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
- Present address:
Environmental Science Programme, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and TechnologyBeijing Normal University‐Hong Kong Baptist University United International CollegeZhuhaiChina
| | - Tin Yan Hui
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
- The Swire Institute of Marine ScienceThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
- Present address:
Science UnitLingnan UniversityHong Kong SARChina
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
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5
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Gefaell J, Galindo J, Rolán‐Alvarez E. Shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods. Evol Appl 2023; 16:202-222. [PMID: 36793692 PMCID: PMC9923496 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine gastropods are characterized by an incredible variation in shell color. In this review, we aim to introduce researchers to previous studies of shell color polymorphism in this group of animals, trying to provide an overview of the topic and highlighting some potential avenues for future research. For this, we tackle the different aspects of shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods: its biochemical and genetic basis, its patterns of spatial and temporal distribution, as well as its potential evolutionary causes. In particular, we put special emphasis on the evolutionary studies that have been conducted so far to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of shell color polymorphism in this group of animals, as it constitutes the least addressed aspect in existing literature reviews. Several general conclusions can be drawn from our review: First, natural selection is commonly involved in the maintenance of gastropod color polymorphism; second, although the contribution of neutral forces (gene flow-genetic drift equilibrium) to shell color polymorphism maintenance do not seem to be particularly important, it has rarely been studied systematically; third, a relationship between shell color polymorphism and mode of larval development (related to dispersal capability) may exist. As for future studies, we suggest that a combination of both classical laboratory crossing experiments and -Omics approaches may yield interesting results on the molecular basis of color polymorphism. We believe that understanding the various causes of shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods is of great importance not only to understand how biodiversity works, but also for protecting such biodiversity, as knowledge of its evolutionary causes may help implement conservation measures in those species or ecosystems that are threatened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Gefaell
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Juan Galindo
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Emilio Rolán‐Alvarez
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
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6
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May SA, Hard JJ, Ford MJ, Naish KA, Ward EJ. Assortative mating for reproductive timing affects population recruitment and resilience in a quantitative genetic model. Evol Appl 2023; 16:657-672. [PMID: 36969143 PMCID: PMC10033844 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative models that simulate the inheritance and evolution of fitness-linked traits offer a method for predicting how environmental or anthropogenic perturbations can affect the dynamics of wild populations. Random mating between individuals within populations is a key assumption of many such models used in conservation and management to predict the impacts of proposed management or conservation actions. However, recent evidence suggests that non-random mating may be underestimated in wild populations and play an important role in diversity-stability relationships. Here we introduce a novel individual-based quantitative genetic model that incorporates assortative mating for reproductive timing, a defining attribute of many aggregate breeding species. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by simulating a generalized salmonid lifecycle, varying input parameters, and comparing model outputs to theoretical expectations for several eco-evolutionary, population dynamic scenarios. Simulations with assortative mating systems resulted in more resilient and productive populations than those that were randomly mating. In accordance with established ecological and evolutionary theory, we also found that decreasing the magnitude of trait correlations, environmental variability, and strength of selection each had a positive effect on population growth. Our model is constructed in a modular framework so that future components can be easily added to address pressing issues such as the effects of supportive breeding, variable age structure, differential selection by sex or age, and fishery interactions on population growth and resilience. With code published in a public Github repository, model outputs may easily be tailored to specific study systems by parameterizing with empirically generated values from long-term ecological monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A. May
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Hard
- NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle Washington USA
| | - Michael J. Ford
- NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle Washington USA
| | - Kerry A. Naish
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Eric J. Ward
- NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle Washington USA
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7
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Fernández-Meirama M, Rolán-Alvarez E, Carvajal-Rodríguez A. A Simulation Study of the Ecological Speciation Conditions in the Galician Marine Snail Littorina saxatilis. Front Genet 2022; 13:680792. [PMID: 35480312 PMCID: PMC9037070 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.680792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last years, the interest in evolutionary divergence at small spatial scales has increased and so did the study of speciation caused by ecologically based divergent natural selection. The evolutionary interplay between gene flow and local adaptation can lead to low-dispersal locally adapted specialists. When this occurs, the evolutionary interplay between gene flow and local adaptation could eventually lead to speciation. The L. saxatilis system consists of two ecotypes displaying a microhabitat-associated intraspecific dimorphism along the wave-exposed rocky shores of Galicia. Despite being a well-known system, the dynamics of the ecotype formation remain unclear and cannot be studied from empirical evidence alone. In this study, individual-based simulations were used to incorporate relevant ecological, spatial, and genetic information, to check different evolutionary scenarios that could evolve non-random mating preferences and finally may facilitate speciation. As main results, we observed the evolution of intermediate values of choice which matches the estimates from empirical data of L. saxatilis in Galician shores and coincides with previous theoretical outcomes. Also, the use of the mating correlation as a proxy for assortative mating led to spuriously inferring greater reproductive isolation in the middle habitat than in the others, which does not happen when directly considering the choice values from the simulations. We also corroborate the well-known fact that the occurrence of speciation is influenced by the strength of selection. Taken together, this means, also according to other L. saxatilis systems, that speciation is not an immediate consequence of local divergent selection and mating preferences, but a fine tuning among several factors including the ecological conditions in the shore levels, the selection strength, the mate choice stringency, and cost to choosiness. The L. saxatilis system could correspond to a case of incomplete reproductive isolation, where the choice intensity is intermediate and local adaptation within the habitat is strong. These results support previous interpretations of the L. saxatilis model system and indicate that further empirical studies would be interesting to test whether the mate choice mechanism functions as a similarity-like mechanism as has been shown in other littorinids.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fernández-Meirama
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología and Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - E Rolán-Alvarez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología and Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología and Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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8
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Class B, Dingemanse NJ. A variance partitioning perspective of assortative mating: Proximate mechanisms and evolutionary implications. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:483-490. [PMID: 35304800 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Assortative mating occurs when paired individuals of the same population are more similar than expected by chance. This form of non-random assortment has long been predicted to play a role in many evolutionary processes because assortatively mated individuals are assumed to be genetically similar. However, this assumption may always hold for labile traits, or traits that are measured with error. For such traits, there is a variety of proximate mechanisms that can drive phenotypic resemblance between mated partners that, notably, have very different evolutionary repercussions. Bettering our understanding of the role of assortative mating in evolution will thus require insight into its proximate causes. To date, empirical research remains sparse, especially when for labile traits. This special issue aims to stimulate such research while promoting the usage and development of statistical approaches allowing the quantification of the relative roles of alternative proximate mechanisms causing assortative mating. To this end, we first describe how the phenotypic covariance between mated partners can be usefully partitioned into components that capture one or several of five distinct mechanisms. We then demonstrate why the importance of mechanisms causing genetic covariance between the traits of partners may often be overestimated. Finally, we detail how the evolutionary causes and consequences of the diverse mechanisms may be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Class
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Sippy Downs, Germany
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9
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Versluys TMM, Flintham EO, Mas-Sandoval A, Savolainen V. Why do we pick similar mates, or do we? Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210463. [PMID: 34813721 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans often mate with those resembling themselves, a phenomenon described as positive assortative mating (PAM). The causes of this attract broad interest, but there is little agreement on the topic. This may be because empirical studies and reviews sometimes focus on just a few explanations, often based on disciplinary conventions. This review presents an interdisciplinary conceptual framework on the causes of PAM in humans, drawing on human and non-human biology, the social sciences, and the humanities. Viewing causality holistically, we first discuss the proximate causes (i.e. the 'how') of PAM, considering three mechanisms: stratification, convergence and mate choice. We also outline methods to control for confounders when studying mate choice. We then discuss ultimate explanations (i.e. 'the why') for PAM, including adaptive and non-adaptive processes. We conclude by suggesting a focus on interdisciplinarity in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M M Versluys
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan O Flintham
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Mas-Sandoval
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
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10
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Clancey E, Johnson TR, Harmon LJ, Hohenlohe PA. Estimation of the strength of mate preference from mated pairs observed in the wild. Evolution 2021; 76:29-41. [PMID: 34792183 PMCID: PMC9300214 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A number of key processes in evolution are driven by individuals preferring mates with particular phenotypes. However, despite long‐standing interest, it is difficult to quantify the strength of mate preference from phenotypic observations in nature in a way that connects directly to key parameters in theoretical models. To bridge the gap between mathematical models and empirical data, we develop a novel maximum likelihood‐based method to estimate the strength and form of mate preference, where preference depends on traits expressed in both males and females. Using simulated data, we demonstrate that our method accurately infers model parameters, including the strength of mate preference and the optimal offset match between trait values in mated pairs when model assumptions are satisfied. Applying our method to two previous studies of assortative mating in marine gastropods and the European common frog, we support previous findings, but also give additional insight into the role of mate preference in each system. Our method can be generalized to a variety of plant and animal taxa that exhibit mating preferences to facilitate the testing of evolutionary hypotheses and link empirical data to theoretical models of assortative mating, sexual selection, and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Clancey
- Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA
| | - Timothy R Johnson
- Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA
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11
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Morgan-Richards M, Vilcot M, Trewick SA. Lack of assortative mating might explain reduced phenotypic differentiation where two grasshopper species meet. J Evol Biol 2021; 35:509-519. [PMID: 34091960 PMCID: PMC9290589 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization is an evolutionary process with wide‐ranging potential outcomes, from providing populations with important genetic variation for adaptation to being a substantial fitness cost leading to extinction. Here, we focussed on putative hybridization between two morphologically distinct species of New Zealand grasshopper. We collected Phaulacridium marginale and Phaulacridium otagoense specimens from a region where mitochondrial introgression had been detected and where their habitat has been modified by introduced mammals eating the natural vegetation and by the colonization of many non‐native plant species. In contrast to observations in the 1970s, our sampling of wild pairs of grasshoppers in copula provided no evidence of assortative mating with respect to species. Geometric morphometrics on pronotum shape of individuals from areas of sympatry detected phenotypically intermediate specimens (putative hybrids), and the distribution of phenotypes in most areas of sympatry was found to be unimodal. These results suggest that hybridization associated with anthropogenic habitat changes has led to these closely related species forming a hybrid swarm, with random mating. Without evidence of hybrid disadvantage, we suggest a novel hybrid lineage might eventually result from the merging of these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurine Vilcot
- Wildlife & Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Steven A Trewick
- Wildlife & Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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12
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Lau SL, Williams GA, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rolán-Alvarez E. An integrated approach to infer the mechanisms of mate choice for size. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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13
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Maltseva AL, Varfolomeeva MA, Lobov AA, Tikanova PO, Repkin EA, Babkina IY, Panova M, Mikhailova NA, Granovitch AI. Premating barriers in young sympatric snail species. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5720. [PMID: 33707514 PMCID: PMC7952697 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sympatric coexistence of recently diverged species raises the question of barriers restricting the gene flow between them. Reproductive isolation may be implemented at several levels, and the weakening of some, e.g. premating, barriers may require the strengthening of the others, e.g. postcopulatory ones. We analysed mating patterns and shell size of mates in recently diverged closely related species of the subgenus Littorina Neritrema (Littorinidae, Caenogastropoda) in order to assess the role of premating reproductive barriers between them. We compared mating frequencies observed in the wild with those expected based on relative densities using partial canonical correspondence analysis. We introduced the fidelity index (FI) to estimate the relative accuracy of mating with conspecific females and precopulatory isolation index (IPC) to characterize the strength of premating barriers. The species under study, with the exception of L. arcana, clearly demonstrated preferential mating with conspecifics. According to FI and IPC, L. fabalis and L. compressa appeared reliably isolated from their closest relatives within Neritrema. Individuals of these two species tend to be smaller than those of the others, highlighting the importance of shell size changes in gastropod species divergence. L. arcana males were often found in pairs with L. saxatilis females, and no interspecific size differences were revealed in this sibling species pair. We discuss the lack of discriminative mate choice in the sympatric populations of L. arcana and L. saxatilis, and possible additional mechanisms restricting gene flow between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arina L Maltseva
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Marina A Varfolomeeva
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Arseniy A Lobov
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Regenerative Biomedicine, Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Polina O Tikanova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Egor A Repkin
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina Y Babkina
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Marina Panova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Marine Sciences - Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Natalia A Mikhailova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia.,Centre of Cell Technologies, Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrei I Granovitch
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
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14
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Rios Moura R, Oliveira Gonzaga M, Silva Pinto N, Vasconcellos-Neto J, Requena GS. Assortative mating in space and time: patterns and biases. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1089-1102. [PMID: 33617134 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite the important roles of assortative mating for understanding evolutionary processes, our knowledge on the variation in assortative mating across populations and breeding periods has been overshadowed by the greater attention given to general patterns. Obtaining data on mating pairs are difficult for most species; therefore, researchers often group data from different populations or breeding periods, which can increase positive biases in detecting and estimating assortative mating. We used a meta-analytic approach to investigate the biases caused by spatially or temporally pooling data and the assortative mating consistency across populations and breeding periods. We describe assortative mating patterns across and within animal taxa. We performed a systematic review to search studies reporting measures of size-assortative mating (SAM). Grouping data from multiple populations and seasons incurred positive biases. Overall, assortative mating moderately exhibited low repeatability in space and time, but it was inconsistent for most taxa. After excluding pooled measures, the average estimate for assortative mating was moderate and positive. Thus, our findings demonstrate that pooling data can produce misleading results. We also highlight the importance of further investigation of hypotheses that explain spatial and temporal variation in assortative mating, after its detection. Our study reinforces the significance of investigating mating patterns at various spatial and temporal scales before drawing broad conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Rios Moura
- Núcleo de Extensão e Pesquisa em Ecologia e Evolução (NEPEE), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Nelson Silva Pinto
- Coordenação do Núcleo de Extensão, Pesquisa e Pós-graduação, Departamento de Biologia, Centro Universitário Araguaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - João Vasconcellos-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Introduced predator elicits population-specific responses from prey. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02376-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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16
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Munson AA, Jones C, Schraft H, Sih A. A Broader View on Mate Choice and Assortative Mating by Behavioral Type: A Reply to Dingemanse et al. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:179-180. [PMID: 33454145 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia A Munson
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Cameron Jones
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Hannes Schraft
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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17
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Dingemanse NJ, Class B, Holtmann B. Nonrandom Mating for Behavior in the Wild? Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:177-179. [PMID: 33279252 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Barbara Class
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Benedikt Holtmann
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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18
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Perini S, Rafajlović M, Westram AM, Johannesson K, Butlin RK. Assortative mating, sexual selection, and their consequences for gene flow in Littorina. Evolution 2020; 74:1482-1497. [PMID: 32472616 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
When divergent populations are connected by gene flow, the establishment of complete reproductive isolation usually requires the joint action of multiple barrier effects. One example where multiple barrier effects are coupled consists of a single trait that is under divergent natural selection and also mediates assortative mating. Such multiple-effect traits can strongly reduce gene flow. However, there are few cases where patterns of assortative mating have been described quantitatively and their impact on gene flow has been determined. Two ecotypes of the coastal marine snail, Littorina saxatilis, occur in North Atlantic rocky-shore habitats dominated by either crab predation or wave action. There is evidence for divergent natural selection acting on size, and size-assortative mating has previously been documented. Here, we analyze the mating pattern in L. saxatilis with respect to size in intensively sampled transects across boundaries between the habitats. We show that the mating pattern is mostly conserved between ecotypes and that it generates both assortment and directional sexual selection for small male size. Using simulations, we show that the mating pattern can contribute to reproductive isolation between ecotypes but the barrier to gene flow is likely strengthened more by sexual selection than by assortment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Perini
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden
| | - Marina Rafajlović
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | | | - Kerstin Johannesson
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden
| | - Roger K Butlin
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S102TN, United Kingdom
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19
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López-Cortegano E, Carpena-Catoira C, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rolán-Alvarez E. Mate choice based on body size similarity in sexually dimorphic populations causes strong sexual selection. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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20
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Carvajal-Rodríguez A. Multi-model inference of non-random mating from an information theoretic approach. Theor Popul Biol 2019; 131:38-53. [PMID: 31756362 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Non-random mating has a significant impact on the evolution of organisms. Here, I developed a modelling framework for discrete traits (with any number of phenotypes) to explore different models connecting the non-random mating causes (mate competition and/or mate choice) and their consequences (sexual selection and/or assortative mating). I derived the formulaefor the maximum likelihood estimates of each model and used information criteria to perform multi-model inference. Simulation results showed a good performance of both model selection and parameter estimation. The methodology was applied to ecotypes data of the marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis from Galicia (Spain), to show that the mating pattern is better described by models with two parameters that involve both mate choice and competition, generating positive assortative mating plus female sexual selection. As far as I know, this is the first standardized methodology for model selection and multi-model inference of mating parameters for discrete traits. The advantages of this framework include the ability of setting up models from which the parameters connect causes, as mate competition and mate choice, with their outcome in the form of data patterns of sexual selection and assortative mating. For some models, the parameters may have a double effect i.e. they produce sexual selection and assortative mating, while for others there are separated parameters for one kind of pattern or another. From an empirical point of view, it is much easier to study patterns than processes and, for this reason, the causal mechanisms of sexual selection are not so well known as the patterns they produce. The goal of the present work is to propose a new tool that helps to distinguish among different alternative processes behind the observed mating pattern. The full methodology was implemented in a software called InfoMating (available at http://acraaj.webs6.uvigo.es/InfoMating/Infomating.htm).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología. Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
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Madley-Dowd P, Rai D, Zammit S, Heron J. Simulations and directed acyclic graphs explained why assortative mating biases the prenatal negative control design. J Clin Epidemiol 2019; 118:9-17. [PMID: 31689456 PMCID: PMC7001034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The negative control design can be used to provide evidence for whether a prenatal exposure-outcome association occurs by in utero mechanisms. Assortative mating has been suggested to influence results from negative control designs, although how and why has not yet been adequately explained. We aimed to explain why mutual adjustment of maternal and paternal exposure in regression models can account for assortative mating. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We used directed acyclic graphs to show how bias can occur when modeling maternal and paternal effects separately. We empirically tested our claims using a simulation study. We investigated how increasing assortative mating influences the bias of effect estimates obtained from models that do and do not use a mutual adjustment strategy. RESULTS In models without mutual adjustment, increasing assortative mating led to increased bias in effect estimates. The maternal and paternal effect estimates were biased by each other, making the difference between them smaller than the true difference. Mutually adjusted models did not suffer from such bias. CONCLUSIONS Mutual adjustment for maternal and paternal exposure prevents bias from assortative mating influencing the conclusions of a negative control design. We further discuss issues that mutual adjustment may not be able to resolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Madley-Dowd
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Avon and Wiltshire Partnership NHS Mental Health Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Stanley Zammit
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jon Heron
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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22
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, Valcu M, Dingemanse NJ, Bulla M, Both C, Duckworth RA, Kiere LM, Karell P, Albrecht T, Kempenaers B. Scrutinizing assortative mating in birds. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000156. [PMID: 30789896 PMCID: PMC6400405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is often claimed that pair bonds preferentially form between individuals that resemble one another. Such assortative mating appears to be widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Yet it is unclear whether the apparent ubiquity of assortative mating arises primarily from mate choice (“like attracts like”), which can be constrained by same-sex competition for mates; from spatial or temporal separation; or from observer, reporting, publication, or search bias. Here, based on a conventional literature search, we find compelling meta-analytical evidence for size-assortative mating in birds (r = 0.178, 95% CI 0.142–0.215, 83 species, 35,591 pairs). However, our analyses reveal that this effect vanishes gradually with increased control of confounding factors. Specifically, the effect size decreased by 42% when we used previously unpublished data from nine long-term field studies, i.e., data free of reporting and publication bias (r = 0.103, 95% CI 0.074–0.132, eight species, 16,611 pairs). Moreover, in those data, assortative mating effectively disappeared when both partners were measured by independent observers or separately in space and time (mean r = 0.018, 95% CI −0.016–0.057). Likewise, we also found no evidence for assortative mating in a direct experimental test for mutual mate choice in captive populations of Zebra finches (r = −0.020, 95% CI −0.148–0.107, 1,414 pairs). These results highlight the importance of unpublished data in generating unbiased meta-analytical conclusions and suggest that the apparent ubiquity of assortative mating reported in the literature is overestimated and may not be driven by mate choice or mating competition for preferred mates. Human mate choice is characterized by assortative mating (‘like attracts like’) and similarity of partners is also often reported for birds. A meta-analysis of published and previously unpublished datasets shows that the reported assortative mating in birds may mostly reflect biases in estimation rather than mate choice. Research on mate choice in birds has attracted much attention, partly because many birds form monogamous pair bonds like humans do. Human mate choice is characterized by the phenomenon of “like attracts like,” meaning that partners resemble each other in multiple ways (“assortative mating”). Assortative mating is also frequently reported for birds, but it is unclear whether this in turn implies that birds also have preferences for a similar partner. Here, we show that a range of methodological issues may provide a simpler and more accurate explanation for the frequent observation of assortative mating in birds. First, studies that report assortative mating may achieve greater visibility than studies that yield no such finding. Hence, the scientific literature may be biased toward positive results. Second, in field studies, it is logistically impossible to measure all birds accurately and under standardized conditions. Hence, fluctuations in, for instance, environmental conditions may induce a spurious similarity between partners when these are measured together in space or time. After accounting for such methodological issues, we conclude that mate preferences for a similar partner may be less common than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Martin Bulla
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, Den Burg, the Netherlands
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Renée A. Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Lynna Marie Kiere
- Center for the Study of Biodiversity and Conservation (CIByC), Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico
- Institute of Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen, Ekenäs, Finland
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, and Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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23
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Green DM. Rarity of Size-Assortative Mating in Animals: Assessing the Evidence with Anuran Amphibians. Am Nat 2019; 193:279-295. [DOI: 10.1086/701124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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24
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Ng TP, Rolán-Alvarez E, Dahlén SS, Davies MS, Estévez D, Stafford R, Williams GA. The causal relationship between sexual selection and sexual size dimorphism in marine gastropods. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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25
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Carvajal-Rodríguez A. A generalization of the informational view of non-random mating: Models with variable population frequencies. Theor Popul Biol 2018; 125:67-74. [PMID: 30576706 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The mating distribution caused by mate choice can be expressed as a gain in information with respect to random mating. In that view, the population phenotype frequencies had been considered constant during the breeding season. Here, such restriction was relaxed to consider encounter-mating processes in which first, the encounter between partners depends on the phenotype distribution of the population, and second, the mating after the encounter depends on the mutual mating propensities. Under this setting, the population phenotype frequencies are no longer constant because the process of pair formation occurs in discrete intervals of time, called mating rounds where at least one mating pair is formed, and the frequency of phenotypes available for the next mating, changes. Provided that there are more than one mating round per breeding season, the population phenotype frequencies are no longer constant. Similarly to the constant case, we describe the change in the mating phenotypes by the flow of information with respect to random mating. This information can be partitioned into sexual selection, assortative mating (sexual isolation) and their mixed effect. Likewise, the pairwise statistics for total change, sexual selection and assortative mating are generalized for variable population phenotype frequencies. The new tests had more power to detect the effects of non-random mating when the phenotype frequencies varied during the breeding season. The differences in power were high for sexual selection but minor for assortative mating scenarios. However, the application of the new formulas requires the estimation of phenotype frequencies at each mating round. Therefore, choosing one or another type of statistics would depend on the biological scenario as well as the availability and easiness to split the sampling in more than one mating round.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología. Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
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26
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Estévez D, Ng TPT, Fernández-Meirama M, Voois JM, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Williams GA, Galindo J, Rolán-Alvarez E. A novel method to estimate the spatial scale of mate choice in the wild. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2622-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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27
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Carvajal-Rodríguez A. MateSim: Monte Carlo simulation for the generation of mating tables. Biosystems 2018; 171:26-30. [PMID: 30005998 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In species with sexual reproduction, the mating pattern is an important element for understanding evolutionary and speciation processes. Given a mating pool where individuals can encounter each other randomly, the individual mating preferences define the mating frequencies in the population. However, in every mating process we can distinguish two different steps. First, the encounter between partners, and second, the actual mating once the encounter has occurred. Yet, we cannot always assume that the observed population patterns accurately reflect the individuals' preferences. In some scenarios, individuals may have difficulties to achieve their preferred matings, such as in monogamous species with low population size, where the mating process is similar to a sampling without replacement. In this case, the encounter process will introduce some noise that may disconnect the individual preferences from the obtained mating pattern. Such a difference between mating patterns and mating preferences has previously been shown by different modeling scenarios. Here I present a program that simulates the mating process for both discrete and continuous traits, under different encounter models and individual preference functions, and including effects such as time dependence and aging. The utility of the software is demonstrated by replicating and extending a recent study that showed how patterns of positive assortative mating, or marriage in human societies, may arise from non-assortative individual preferences. The previous result is confirmed and is shown to be caused by the marriage among the "ugliest" and oldest individuals, who after many attempts were finally able to mate among themselves. In fact, I show that the assortative pattern vanishes if an aging process prevents these individuals from mating altogether. The software MateSim is available jointly with the user's manual, at http://acraaj.webs.uvigo.es/MateSim/matesim.htm.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología. Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
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28
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Ravinet M. Notes from a snail island: Littorinid evolution and adaptation. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2781-2789. [PMID: 29802775 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The most successful study systems are built on a foundation of decades of research on the basic biology, ecology and life history of the organisms in question. Combined with new technologies, this can provide a formidable means to address important issues in evolutionary biology and molecular ecology. Littorinid marine snails are a good example of this, with a rich literature on their taxonomy, speciation, thermal tolerance and behavioural adaptations. In August 2017, an international meeting on Littorinid evolution was held at the Tjärnö Marine Research Laboratory in Western Sweden. In this meeting review, I provide a summary of some of the exciting work on parallel evolution, sexual selection and adaptation to environmental stress presented there. I argue that newly available genomic resources present an opportunity for integrating the traditionally divergent fields of speciation and environmental adaptation in Littorinid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Ravinet
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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29
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Indykiewicz P, Podlaszczuk P, Surmacki A, Kudelska K, Kosicki J, Kamiński M, Minias P. Scale-of-choice effect in the assortative mating by multiple ornamental and non-ornamental characters in the black-headed gull. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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30
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Fernández-Meirama M, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rolán-Alvarez E. Testing the role of mating preference in a case of incomplete ecological speciation with gene flow. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M Fernández-Meirama
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - A Carvajal-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - E Rolán-Alvarez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
- ECIMAT, Centro Tecnológico Singular de Galicia, Universidad de Vigo, 36331 Vigo, Spain
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31
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Fernández‐Meirama M, Estévez D, Ng TPT, Williams GA, Carvajal‐Rodríguez A, Rolán‐Alvarez E. A novel method for estimating the strength of positive mating preference by similarity in the wild. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2883-2893. [PMID: 28479989 PMCID: PMC5415541 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating preference can be a driver of sexual selection and assortative mating and is, therefore, a key element in evolutionary dynamics. Positive mating preference by similarity is the tendency for the choosy individual to select a mate which possesses a similar variant of a trait. Such preference can be modelled using Gaussian‐like mathematical functions that describe the strength of preference, but such functions cannot be applied to empirical data collected from the field. As a result, traditionally, mating preference is indirectly estimated by the degree of assortative mating (using Pearson's correlation coefficient, r) in wild captured mating pairs. Unfortunately, r and similar coefficients are often biased due to the fact that different variants of a given trait are nonrandomly distributed in the wild, and pooling of mating pairs from such heterogeneous samples may lead to “false–positive” results, termed “the scale‐of‐choice effect” (SCE). Here we provide two new estimators of mating preference (Crough and Cscaled) derived from Gaussian‐like functions which can be applied to empirical data. Computer simulations demonstrated that r coefficient showed robust estimations properties of mating preference but it was severely affected by SCE, Crough showed reasonable estimation properties and it was little affected by SCE, while Cscaled showed the best properties at infinite sample sizes and it was not affected by SCE but failed at biological sample sizes. We recommend using Crough combined with the r coefficient to infer mating preference in future empirical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Fernández‐Meirama
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e InmunologíaFacultad de BiologíaUniversidad de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Daniel Estévez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e InmunologíaFacultad de BiologíaUniversidad de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Terence P. T. Ng
- School of Biological SciencesThe Swire Institute of Marine ScienceThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | - Gray A. Williams
- School of Biological SciencesThe Swire Institute of Marine ScienceThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | | | - Emilio Rolán‐Alvarez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e InmunologíaFacultad de BiologíaUniversidad de VigoVigoSpain
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Fargevieille A, Grégoire A, Charmantier A, Del Rey Granado M, Doutrelant C. Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2069-2078. [PMID: 28405273 PMCID: PMC5383486 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating is a potential outcome of sexual selection, and estimating its level is important to better understand local adaptation and underlying trait evolution. However, assortative mating studies frequently base their conclusions on small numbers of individuals sampled over short periods of time and limited spatial scales even though spatiotemporal variation is common. Here, we characterized assortative mating patterns over 10 years in four populations of the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), a passerine bird. We focused on two plumage ornaments-the blue crown and the yellow breast patch. Based on data for 1,657 pairs of birds, we found large interannual variation: assortative mating varied from positive to negative. To determine whether there was nonetheless a general trend in the data, we ran a within-study meta-analysis. It revealed that assortative mating was moderately positive for both ornaments. It also showed that mating patterns differed among populations and especially between two neighboring populations that displayed phenotypic divergence. Our results therefore underscore that long-term studies are needed to draw broad conclusions about mating patterns in natural populations. They also call for studying the potential role of assortative mating in local adaptation and evolution of ornaments in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnaud Grégoire
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Anne Charmantier
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
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Ng TPT, Williams GA, Davies MS, Stafford R, Rolán-Alvarez E. Sampling scale can cause bias in positive assortative mating estimates: evidence from two intertidal snails. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Terence P. T. Ng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences; The University of Hong Kong; Pokfulam Road Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Gray A. Williams
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences; The University of Hong Kong; Pokfulam Road Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Mark S. Davies
- Faculty of Applied Sciences; University of Sunderland; Sunderland SR1 3SD UK
| | - Richard Stafford
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology; Bournemouth University; Fern Barrow Poole BH12 5BB UK
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