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Zenni TM, Crivelaro AZ, Pestana GC, Guillermo-Ferreira R. How to train your dragon: absolute conditioning in larval dragonflies. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:32. [PMID: 38856769 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Insects, despite possessing relatively small brains, exhibit noteworthy adaptive behaviors, making them intriguing subjects for understanding learning mechanisms. This study explores the learning capabilities of dragonfly larvae (Anisoptera: Aeshnidae) in conditioning experiments, shedding light on the cognitive processes that underpin their remarkable abilities. As apex predators, dragonflies play a crucial role in ecosystems, necessitating a diverse range of learning behaviors for survival and reproductive success. We addressed whether dragonfly larvae can differentiate between different colored stimuli and associate color with prey. Our experimental design demonstrated that dragonfly larvae are able to recognize conditioning stimuli. The findings contribute valuable insights into the cognitive abilities of dragonflies, suggesting that these insects can learn and discriminate colors of stimuli. Overall, this research broadens our understanding of insect learning and cognition, contributing to the broader field of animal behavior and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiene M Zenni
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda Z Crivelaro
- Graduate Program in Entomology and Biodiversity Conservation, Federal University of Grand Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brazil
| | - Gabrielle C Pestana
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira
- Entomology and Experimental Biology Center, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Av. Tutunas 490, Uberaba, MG, 38061-500, Brazil.
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Calabrese GM, Pfennig KS. Females alter their mate preferences depending on hybridization risk. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220310. [PMID: 36382373 PMCID: PMC9667136 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating with another species is often maladaptive because it generally results in no or low-fitness offspring. When hybridization is sufficiently costly, individuals should avoid mating with heterospecifics even if it reduces their ability to mate with high-quality conspecifics that resemble heterospecifics. Here, we used spadefoot toads, Spea multiplicata, to evaluate whether females alter their preferences for conspecific male sexual signals (call rate) depending on heterospecific presence. When presented with conspecific signals against a background including both conspecific and heterospecific signals, females preferred male traits that were most dissimilar to heterospecifics-even though these signals are potentially associated with lower-quality mates. However, when these same females were presented with a background that included only conspecific signals, some females switched their preferences, choosing conspecific signals that were exaggerated and indicative of high-quality conspecific mates. Because only some females switched their preferences between these two chorus treatments, there was no population-level preference for exaggerated conspecific male signals in the absence of heterospecifics. These results show that hybridization risk can alter patterns of mate choice and, consequently, sexual selection on male signals. Moreover, they emphasize that the strength and expression of reproductive barriers between species (such as mate choice) can be context-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M. Calabrese
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB# 3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Karin S. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB# 3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
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Gómez-Llano M, Germain RM, Kyogoku D, McPeek MA, Siepielski AM. When Ecology Fails: How Reproductive Interactions Promote Species Coexistence. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:610-622. [PMID: 33785182 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
That species must differ ecologically is often viewed as a fundamental condition for their stable coexistence in biological communities. Yet, recent work has shown that ecologically equivalent species can coexist when reproductive interactions and sexual selection regulate population growth. Here, we review theoretical models and highlight empirical studies supporting a role for reproductive interactions in maintaining species diversity. We place reproductive interactions research within a burgeoning conceptual framework of coexistence theory, identify four key mechanisms in intra- and interspecific interactions within and between sexes, speculate on novel mechanisms, and suggest future research. Given the preponderance of sexual reproduction in nature, our review suggests that this is a neglected path towards explaining species diversity when traditional ecological explanations have failed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Gómez-Llano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
| | - Rachel M Germain
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daisuke Kyogoku
- The Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo 669-1546, Japan
| | - Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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Svensson EI, Goedert D, Gómez-Llano MA, Spagopoulou F, Nava-Bolaños A, Booksmythe I. Sex differences in local adaptation: what can we learn from reciprocal transplant experiments? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0420. [PMID: 30150219 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Local adaptation is of fundamental interest to evolutionary biologists. Traditionally, local adaptation has been studied using reciprocal transplant experiments to quantify fitness differences between residents and immigrants in pairwise transplants between study populations. Previous studies have detected local adaptation in some cases, but others have shown lack of adaptation or even maladaptation. Recently, the importance of different fitness components, such as survival and fecundity, to local adaptation have been emphasized. Here, we address another neglected aspect in studies of local adaptation: sex differences. Given the ubiquity of sexual dimorphism in life histories and phenotypic traits, this neglect is surprising, but may be partly explained by differences in research traditions and terminology in the fields of local adaptation and sexual selection. Studies that investigate differences in mating success between resident and immigrants across populations tend to be framed in terms of reproductive and behavioural isolation, rather than local adaptation. We briefly review the published literature that bridges these areas and suggest that reciprocal transplant experiments could benefit from quantifying both male and female fitness components. Such a more integrative research approach could clarify the role of sex differences in the evolution of local adaptations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debora Goedert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | | | - Foteini Spagopoulou
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angela Nava-Bolaños
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, México.,Secretaría de Educación Abierta y Continua, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.U., 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Isobel Booksmythe
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 3800 Victoria, Australia
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Czekanski-Moir JE, Rundell RJ. The Ecology of Nonecological Speciation and Nonadaptive Radiations. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:400-415. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Dion E, Monteiro A, Nieberding CM. The Role of Learning on Insect and Spider Sexual Behaviors, Sexual Trait Evolution, and Speciation. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik I. Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology Lund University Lund Sweden
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Siepielski AM, McPeek SJ, McPeek MA. Female mate preferences on high-dimensional shape variation for male species recognition traits. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1239-1250. [PMID: 29876989 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Females in many animal species must discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific males when choosing mates. Such mating preferences that discriminate against heterospecifics may inadvertently also affect the mating success of conspecific males, particularly those with more extreme phenotypes. From this expectation, we hypothesized that female mate choice should cause Enallagma females (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) to discriminate against conspecific males with more extreme phenotypes of the claspers males use to grasp females while mating - the main feature of species mate recognition in these species. To test this, we compared cerci sizes and shapes between males that were captured while mating with females to males that were captured at the same time but not mating in three Enallagma species. In contrast to our hypothesis, we found only one of forty comparisons of shape variation that was consistent with females discriminating against males with more extreme cerci shapes. Instead, differences in cerci shape between mating and single males suggested that females displayed directional preferences on 1-4 aspects of cerci shape in two of the species in our samples. These results suggest that whereas some directional biases in mating based on cerci shape occur, the intraspecific phenotypic variation in male cerci size and shape is likely not large enough for females to express any significant incidental discrimination among conspecifics with more extreme shapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Sarah J McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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Nieberding CM, Van Dyck H, Chittka L. Adaptive learning in non-social insects: from theory to field work, and back. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 27:75-81. [PMID: 30025638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We review the evidence that learning affects fitness in non-social insects. Early accounts date back from the 1970s and were based on field-based observational and experimental work, yet exploration of the ways in which various forms of learning increase fitness remains limited in non-social insects. We highlight the concerns that arise when artificial laboratory settings, which do not take the ecology of the species into account, are used to estimate fitness benefits of learning. We argue that ecologically-relevant experimental designs are most useful to provide fitness estimates of learning, that is, designs that include: firstly, offspring of wild-caught animals producing newly established stocks under relevant breeding conditions, combined with common-garden and reciprocal transplant experiments; secondly, the spatio-temporal dynamics of key ecological resources; and thirdly, the natural behaviours of the animals while searching for, and probing, resources. Finally, we provide guidelines for the study of fitness-learning relationships in an eco-evolutionary framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Nieberding
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, UK; Wissenschaftskolleg/Institute for Advanced Study, Wallotstr. 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany
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Gomez-Llano MA, Bensch HM, Svensson EI. Sexual conflict and ecology: Species composition and male density interact to reduce male mating harassment and increase female survival. Evolution 2018; 72:906-915. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Gomez-Llano
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Manchester; United Kingdom
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology; Lund University; Sweden
| | - Hanna M. Bensch
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology; Lund University; Sweden
| | - Erik I. Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology; Lund University; Sweden
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Alberti M, Marzluff J, Hunt VM. Urban driven phenotypic changes: empirical observations and theoretical implications for eco-evolutionary feedback. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0029. [PMID: 27920374 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence that cities drive micro-evolution raises the question of whether rapid urbanization of Earth might impact ecosystems by causing systemic changes in functional traits that regulate urban ecosystems' productivity and stability. Intraspecific trait variation-variation in organisms' morphological, physiological or behavioural characteristics stemming from genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity-has significant implications for ecological functions such as nutrient cycling and primary productivity. While it is well established that changes in ecological conditions can drive evolutionary change in species' traits that, in turn, can alter ecosystem function, an understanding of the reciprocal and simultaneous processes associated with such interactions is only beginning to emerge. In urban settings, the potential for rapid trait change may be exacerbated by multiple selection pressures operating simultaneously. This paper reviews evidence on mechanisms linking urban development patterns to rapid phenotypic changes, and differentiates phenotypic changes for which there is evidence of micro-evolution versus phenotypic changes which may represent plasticity. Studying how humans mediate phenotypic trait changes through urbanization could shed light on fundamental concepts in ecological and evolutionary theory. It can also contribute to our understanding of eco-evolutionary feedback and provide insights for maintaining ecosystem function over the long term.This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - John Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Victoria M Hunt
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Grether GF, Peiman KS, Tobias JA, Robinson BW. Causes and Consequences of Behavioral Interference between Species. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:760-772. [PMID: 28797610 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral interference between species, such as territorial aggression, courtship, and mating, is widespread in animals. While aggressive and reproductive forms of interspecific interference have generally been studied separately, their many parallels and connections warrant a unified conceptual approach. Substantial evidence exists that aggressive and reproductive interference have pervasive effects on species coexistence, range limits, and evolutionary processes, including divergent and convergent forms of character displacement. Alien species invasions and climate change-induced range shifts result in novel interspecific interactions, heightening the importance of predicting the consequences of species interactions, and behavioral interference is a fundamental but neglected part of the equation. Here, we outline priorities for further theoretical and empirical research on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of behavioral interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory F Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Kathryn S Peiman
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ONT, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Beren W Robinson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, ONT, N1G 2W1, Canada
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