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Over and beyond the Primate baubellum Surface: A “Jewel Bone” Shielded in Museums. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12042096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Computed Tomography (CT), mostly used in the medical field, has also recently been involved in Cultural Heritage studies, thanks to its efficiency and total non-invasiveness. Due to the large variety of sizes and compositions typical of Cultural Heritage objects, different X-ray sources, detectors, and setups are necessary to meet the different needs of various case studies. Here, we focus on the use of micro-CT to explore the morphology and shape of a small, neglected bone found inside the clitoris of non-human primates (the baubellum), which we obtained by accessing two prestigious primatological collections of the American Museum of Natural History (New York, NY, USA) and the National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC, USA). Overcoming methodological limits imposed by the absence of homologous landmarks, we combined the use of the non-invasive 3D micro-CT and a recently released landmark-free shape analysis (the alpha-shape technique) to objectively describe and quantify the shape complexity of scanned primate baubella. Micro-CT provided high-resolution results, overcoming constraints linked to museum policy about non-disruptive sampling and preserving samples for future research. Finally, it proved appropriate as post-mortem sampling had no impact on protected wild primate populations.
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Wyber BW, Dougherty LR, McNamara K, Mehnert A, Shaw J, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. Quantifying variation in female internal genitalia: no evidence for plasticity in response to sexual conflict risk in a seed beetle. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210746. [PMID: 34229488 PMCID: PMC8261201 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually antagonistic coevolution can drive the evolution of male traits that harm females, and female resistance to those traits. While males have been found to vary their harmfulness to females in response to social cues, plasticity in female resistance traits remains to be examined. Here, we ask whether female seed beetles Callosobruchus maculatus are capable of adjusting their resistance to male harm in response to the social environment. Among seed beetles, male genital spines harm females during copulation and females might resist male harm via thickening of the reproductive tract walls. We develop a novel micro computed tomography imaging technique to quantify female reproductive tract thickness in three-dimensional space, and compared the reproductive tracts of females from populations that had evolved under high and low levels of sexual conflict, and for females reared under a social environment that predicted either high or low levels of sexual conflict. We find little evidence to suggest that females can adjust the thickness of their reproductive tracts in response to the social environment. Neither did evolutionary history affect reproductive tract thickness. Nevertheless, our novel methodology was capable of quantifying fine-scale differences in the internal reproductive tracts of individual females, and will allow future investigations into the internal organs of insects and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake W. Wyber
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Liam R. Dougherty
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7RB, UK
| | - Kathryn McNamara
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew Mehnert
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- National Imaging Facility, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jeremy Shaw
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- National Imaging Facility, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joseph L. Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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House CM, Lewis Z, Sharma MD, Hodgson DJ, Hunt J, Wedell N, Hosken DJ. Sexual selection on the genital lobes of male Drosophila simulans. Evolution 2021; 75:501-514. [PMID: 33386741 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection is thought to be responsible for the rapid divergent evolution of male genitalia with several studies detecting multivariate sexual selection on genital form. However, in most cases, selection is only estimated during a single episode of selection, which provides an incomplete view of net selection on genital traits. Here, we estimate the strength and form of multivariate selection on the genitalia arch of Drosophila simulans when mating occurs in the absence of a competitor and during sperm competition, in both sperm defence and offense roles (i.e., when mating first and last). We found that the strength of sexual selection on the genital arch was strongest during noncompetitive mating and weakest during sperm offense. However, the direction of selection was similar across selection episodes with no evidence for antagonistic selection. Overall, selection was not particularly strong despite genitals clearly evolving rapidly in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa M House
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Zenobia Lewis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Manmohan D Sharma
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - David J Hodgson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - John Hunt
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - Nina Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - David J Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
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House C, Tunstall P, Rapkin J, Bale MJ, Gage M, Del Castillo E, Hunt J. Multivariate stabilizing sexual selection and the evolution of male and female genital morphology in the red flour beetle. Evolution 2020; 74:883-896. [PMID: 31889313 PMCID: PMC7317928 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Male genitals are highly divergent in animals with internal fertilization. Most studies attempting to explain this diversity have focused on testing the major hypotheses of genital evolution (the lock‐and‐key, pleiotropy, and sexual selection hypotheses), and quantifying the form of selection targeting male genitals has played an important role in this endeavor. However, we currently know far less about selection targeting female genitals or how male and female genitals interact during mating. Here, we use formal selection analysis to show that genital size and shape is subject to strong multivariate stabilizing sexual selection in both sexes of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Moreover, we show significant sexual selection on the covariance between the sexes for specific aspects of genital shape suggesting that male and female genitalia also interact to determine the successful transfer of a spermatophore during mating. Our work therefore highlights the important role that both male and female genital morphologies play in determining mating success and that these effects can occur independently, as well as through their interaction. Moreover, it cautions against the overly simplistic view that the sexual selection targeting genital morphology will always be directional in form and restricted primarily to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa House
- School of Science and Health and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Philip Tunstall
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - James Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Mathilda J Bale
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Gage
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Enrique Del Castillo
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, 16802
| | - John Hunt
- School of Science and Health and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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Yao F, Shi B, Wang X, Pan D, Bai M, Yan J, Cumberlidge N, Sun H. Rapid divergent coevolution of Sinopotamon freshwater crab genitalia facilitates a burst of species diversification. Integr Zool 2019; 15:174-186. [PMID: 31773900 PMCID: PMC7216907 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
One of the most striking radiations in brachyuran evolution is the considerable morphological diversification of the external reproductive structures of primary freshwater crabs: the male first gonopod (G1) and the female vulva (FV). However, the lack of quantitative studies, especially the lack of data on female genitalia, has seriously limited our understanding of genital evolution in these lineages. Here we examined 69 species of the large Chinese potamid freshwater crab genus Sinopotamon Bott, 1967 (more than 80% of the described species). We used a landmark-based geometric morphometric approach to analyze variation in the shape of the G1 and FV, and to compare the relative degree of variability of the genitalia with non-reproductive structures (the third maxillipeds). We found rapid divergent evolution of the genitalia among species of Sinopotamon when compared to non-reproductive traits. In addition, the reconstruction of ancestral groundplans, together with plotting analyses, indicated that the FV show the most rapid divergence, and that changes in FV traits correlate with changes in G1 traits. Here we provide new evidence for coevolution between the male and female external genitalia of Sinopotamon that has likely contributed to rapid divergent evolution and an associated burst of speciation in this lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengxin Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Boyang Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Da Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Neil Cumberlidge
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, USA
| | - Hongying Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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Sloan NS, Simmons LW. The evolution of female genitalia. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:882-899. [PMID: 31267594 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Female genitalia have been largely neglected in studies of genital evolution, perhaps due to the long-standing belief that they are relatively invariable and therefore taxonomically and evolutionarily uninformative in comparison with male genitalia. Contemporary studies of genital evolution have begun to dispute this view, and to demonstrate that female genitalia can be highly diverse and covary with the genitalia of males. Here, we examine evidence for three mechanisms of genital evolution in females: species isolating 'lock-and-key' evolution, cryptic female choice and sexual conflict. Lock-and-key genital evolution has been thought to be relatively unimportant; however, we present cases that show how species isolation may well play a role in the evolution of female genitalia. Much support for female genital evolution via sexual conflict comes from studies of both invertebrate and vertebrate species; however, the effects of sexual conflict can be difficult to distinguish from models of cryptic female choice that focus on putative benefits of choice for females. We offer potential solutions to alleviate this issue. Finally, we offer directions for future studies in order to expand and refine our knowledge surrounding female genital evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Sloan
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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McNamara KB, Dougherty LR, Wedell N, Simmons LW. Experimental evolution reveals divergence in female genital teeth morphology in response to sexual conflict intensity in a moth. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:519-524. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn B. McNamara
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) the University of Western Australia Crawley Australia
| | - Liam R. Dougherty
- Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - Nina Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences (M092) the University of Western Australia Crawley Australia
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Alpha shapes: determining 3D shape complexity across morphologically diverse structures. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:184. [PMID: 30518326 PMCID: PMC6282314 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1305-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Following recent advances in bioimaging, high-resolution 3D models of biological structures are now generated rapidly and at low-cost. To use this data to address evolutionary and ecological questions, an array of tools has been developed to conduct shape analysis and quantify topographic complexity. Here we focus particularly on shape techniques applied to irregular-shaped objects lacking clear homologous landmarks, and propose a new ‘alpha-shapes’ method for quantifying 3D shape complexity. Methods We apply alpha-shapes to quantify shape complexity in the mammalian baculum as an example of a morphologically disparate structure. Micro- computed-tomography (μCT) scans of bacula were conducted. Bacula were binarised and converted into point clouds. Following application of a scaling factor to account for absolute size differences, a suite of alpha-shapes was fitted per specimen. An alpha shape is formed from a subcomplex of the Delaunay triangulation of a given set of points, and ranges in refinement from a very coarse mesh (approximating convex hulls) to a very fine fit. ‘Optimal’ alpha was defined as the refinement necessary in order for alpha-shape volume to equal CT voxel volume, and was taken as a metric of overall ‘complexity’. Results Our results show that alpha-shapes can be used to quantify interspecific variation in shape ‘complexity’ within biological structures of disparate geometry. The ‘stepped’ nature of alpha curves is informative with regards to the contribution of specific morphological features to overall ‘complexity’. Alpha-shapes agrees with other measures of complexity (dissection index, Dirichlet normal energy) in identifying ursid bacula as having low shape complexity. However, alpha-shapes estimates mustelid bacula as being most complex, contrasting with other shape metrics. 3D fractal dimension is identified as an inappropriate metric of complexity when applied to bacula. Conclusions Alpha-shapes is used to calculate ‘optimal’ alpha refinement as a proxy for shape ‘complexity’ without identifying landmarks. The implementation of alpha-shapes is straightforward, and is automated to process large datasets quickly. We interpret alpha-shapes as being particularly sensitive to concavities in surface topology, potentially distinguishing it from other shape complexity metrics. Beyond genital shape, the alpha-shapes technique holds considerable promise for new applications across evolutionary, ecological and palaeoecological disciplines.
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Cordero-Rivera A. Sexual conflict and the evolution of genitalia: male damselflies remove more sperm when mating with a heterospecific female. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7844. [PMID: 28798399 PMCID: PMC5552684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08390-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In Calopteryx damselflies, males remove rivals’ sperm stored by the female, thereby reducing sperm competition. This behaviour may create a sexual conflict, because females could lose the sperm stored in the spermatheca, used for long-term storage. Comparative evidence suggested antagonistic coevolution between sexes, which might prompt the evolution of narrow spermathecal ducts, or longer spermathecae, hindering sperm removal. Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and C. splendens coexist and sometimes hybridize. Therefore, here I predicted that if females coevolve with conspecific males, heterospecific males should have an advantage when interspecific matings occur because females will show less resistance to them than to conspecific males. By hand-pairing females to males of both species, I found that in intraspecific and interspecific matings, sperm was almost completely removed from the bursa (97–100%), but only partially from the spermathecae, with more spermathecal removal in interspecific (63–71%) than intraspecific matings (14–33%). This suggests that heterospecific males are more efficient in sperm removal as predicted by a sexually-antagonistic coevolutionary scenario. Furthermore, in most cases, only the left spermatheca was emptied, suggesting that the evolution of more than one spermatheca might also be a female counter-adaptation to regain control over fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Cordero-Rivera
- ECOEVO Lab, Escola de Enxeñaría Forestal, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Universitario, 36005, Pontevedra, Galiza, Spain.
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