1
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Guerra TJ, Braga RF, Camarota F, Neves FS, Fernandes GW. Avian Predators Avoid Attacking Fly-Mimicking Beetles: A Field Experiment on Evasive Mimicry Using Artificial Prey. Am Nat 2024; 204:96-104. [PMID: 38857342 DOI: 10.1086/730263] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
AbstractMany Neotropical beetles present coloration patterns mimicking red-eyed flies, which are presumably evasive mimicry models. However, the role of predators in selecting for evasive mimics in nature remains untested. In a field experiment, we used nontoxic plasticine replicas of a specialized fly-mimicking beetle species, which we placed on the host plants of the beetles. We show that replicas painted with reddish patches simulating the eyes of flesh flies experienced a much lower predation rate than control replicas. We found that beak marks were the most frequent signs of attack on plasticine replicas, underlining the potential selective pressure exerted by birds. Replicas that matched the size of the beetles suffered higher predation than smaller or larger replicas. The predation rate was also higher for beetle replicas exposed during the warm and wet season, when adult beetles occur. Our results support predator-mediated selection of mimic beetles, highlighting that reddish spots resembling flies' eyes comprise an important trait in reducing attack by avian predators.
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2
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Medina I, Dong C, Marquez R, Perez DM, Wang IJ, Stuart-Fox D. Anti-predator defences are linked with high levels of genetic differentiation in frogs. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232292. [PMID: 38264783 PMCID: PMC10806439 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2292] [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: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions have been suggested as drivers of diversity in different lineages, and the presence of anti-predator defences in some clades is linked to higher rates of diversification. Warning signals are some of the most widespread defences in the animal world, and there is evidence of higher diversification rates in aposematic lineages. The mechanisms behind such species richness, however, are still unclear. Here, we test whether lineages that use aposematism as anti-predator defence exhibit higher levels of genetic differentiation between populations, leading to increased opportunities for divergence. We collated from the literature more than 3000 pairwise genetic differentiation values across more than 700 populations from over 60 amphibian species. We find evidence that over short geographical distances, populations of species of aposematic lineages exhibit greater genetic divergence relative to species that are not aposematic. Our results support a scenario where the use of warning signals could restrict gene flow, and suggest that anti-predator defences could impact divergence between populations and potentially have effects at a macro-evolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Caroline Dong
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70115, USA
| | - Roberto Marquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Daniela M. Perez
- Max Plank Institute of Animal Behaviour, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ian J. Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
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3
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Kikuchi DW. Who innovates? Abundance of novel and familiar food changes which animals are most persistent. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231936. [PMID: 38228174 PMCID: PMC10791525 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Novel behaviours are the raw material of cultural evolution, yet we do not have a clear picture of when they are likely to arise. I use a state-dependent model to examine how individual age and energy reserves interact with the abundance of known and novel prey to promote dietary innovation (incorporating a new food item into the diet). I measure innovativeness as persistence in attempting to capture novel prey. I find a trend towards greater persistence among younger individuals. Decreased abundance of known prey and increased abundance of novel prey also favour persistence. However, many exceptions to these trends occur. These exceptions are critical because they may explain inconsistencies among studies of animal innovation. Care must be taken in experiments to control for multiple factors relevant to an animal's energy budget and foraging opportunities. We may learn more about innovation in experimental contexts by (i) manipulating the abundance of novel and familiar food resources, (ii) directly measuring animal age and condition, and-where possible-(iii) fitting nonlinear models to innovative behaviour. Results indicate that selection for persistence may also favour neophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Kikuchi
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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4
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Wright DS, Manel AN, Guachamin-Rosero M, Chamba-Vaca P, Bacquet CN, Merrill RM. Quantifying visual acuity in Heliconius butterflies. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230476. [PMID: 38087940 PMCID: PMC10716659 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heliconius butterflies are well-known for their colourful wing patterns, which advertise distastefulness to potential predators and are used during mate choice. However, the relative importance of different aspects of these signals will depend on the visual abilities of Heliconius and their predators. Previous studies have investigated colour sensitivity and neural anatomy, but visual acuity (the ability to perceive detail) has not been studied in these butterflies. Here, we provide the first estimate of visual acuity in Heliconius: from a behavioural optomotor assay, we found that mean visual acuity = 0.49 cycles-per-degree (cpd), with higher acuity in males than females. We also examined eye morphology and report more ommatidia in male eyes. Finally, we estimated how visual acuity affects Heliconius visual perception compared to a potential avian predator. Whereas the bird predator maintained high resolving power, Heliconius lost the ability to resolve detail at greater distances, though colours may remain salient. These results will inform future studies of Heliconius wing pattern evolution, as well as other aspects in these highly visual butterflies, which have emerged as an important system in studies of adaptation and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shane Wright
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anupama Nayak Manel
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michelle Guachamin-Rosero
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Pamela Chamba-Vaca
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | | | - Richard M. Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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5
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Doré M, Willmott K, Lavergne S, Chazot N, Freitas AVL, Fontaine C, Elias M. Mutualistic interactions shape global spatial congruence and climatic niche evolution in Neotropical mimetic butterflies. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:843-857. [PMID: 36929564 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying species distributions and coexistence is both a priority and a challenge for biodiversity hotspots such as the Neotropics. Here, we highlight that Müllerian mimicry, where defended prey species display similar warning signals, is key to the maintenance of biodiversity in the c. 400 species of the Neotropical butterfly tribe Ithomiini (Nymphalidae: Danainae). We show that mimicry drives large-scale spatial association among phenotypically similar species, providing new empirical evidence for the validity of Müller's model at a macroecological scale. Additionally, we show that mimetic interactions drive the evolutionary convergence of species climatic niche, thereby strengthening the co-occurrence of co-mimetic species. This study provides new insights into the importance of mutualistic interactions in shaping both niche evolution and species assemblages at large spatial scales. Critically, in the context of climate change, our results highlight the vulnerability to extinction cascades of such adaptively assembled communities tied by positive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maël Doré
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université-EPHE-Université des Antilles, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Keith Willmott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sebastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Chazot
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - André V L Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Diversidade Biológica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université-EPHE-Université des Antilles, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama
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6
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Kamala Jayanthi PD, Vyas M. Exploring the Transient Microbe Population on Citrus Butterfly Wings. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0205521. [PMID: 35856677 PMCID: PMC9431565 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02055-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes carve out dwelling niches in unusual environments. Insects, in general, have been hosts to microbes in different ways. Some insects incorporate microbes as endosymbionts that help with metabolic functions, while some vector pathogenic microbes that cause serious plant and animal diseases, including humans. Microbes isolated from insect sources have been beneficial and a huge information repository. The fascinating and evolutionarily successful insect community has survived mass extinctions as a result of their unique biological traits. Wings have been one of the most important factors contributing to the evolutionary success of insects. In the current study, wings of Papilio polytes, a citrus butterfly, were investigated for the presence of ecologically significant microbes within hours of eclosing under aseptic conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of bacteria dwelling in crevices created by a specific arrangement of scales on the butterfly wing. A total of 38 bacterial isolates were obtained from the patched wings of the citrus butterfly, and Bacillus spp. were predominant among them. We probed the occurrence of these microbes to assess their significance to the insect. Many of the isolates displayed antibacterial, antifungal, and biosurfactant properties. Interestingly, one of the isolates displayed entomopathogenic potential toward the notorious agricultural pest mealybug. All the wing isolates were seen to cluster together consistently in a phylogenetic analysis, except for one isolate of Bacillus zhangzhouensis (Papilio polytes isolate [Pp] no. 28), suggesting they are distinct strains. IMPORTANCE This is a first study reporting the presence of culturable microbes on an unusual ecological niche such as butterfly wings. Our findings also establish that microbes inhabit these niches before the butterfly has contact with the environment. The findings in this report have opened up a new area of research which will not only help understand the microbiome of insect wings but might prove beneficial in other specialized studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. D. Kamala Jayanthi
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Meenal Vyas
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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7
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Mouy H. Colours as aggregation signals in Lepidoptera: Are Heliconius Müllerian mimics? Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10183-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Kikuchi DW, Barfield M, Herberstein ME, Mappes J, Holt RD. The Effect of Predator Population Dynamics on Batesian Mimicry Complexes. Am Nat 2022; 199:406-419. [DOI: 10.1086/718162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David W. Kikuchi
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany
- Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Konsequez 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Michael Barfield
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Marie E. Herberstein
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland; and Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Robert D. Holt
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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9
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Doré M, Willmott K, Leroy B, Chazot N, Mallet J, Freitas AVL, Hall JPW, Lamas G, Dasmahapatra KK, Fontaine C, Elias M. Anthropogenic pressures coincide with Neotropical biodiversity hotspots in a flagship butterfly group. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maël Doré
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité MNHN‐CNRS‐Sorbonne Université‐EPHE‐Université des AntillesMuséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris Paris France
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation UMR 7204 MNHN‐CNRS‐Sorbonne Université Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris Paris France
| | - Keith Willmott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Boris Leroy
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA UMR 7208) Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Sorbonne UniversitésUniversité de Caen NormandieUniversité des AntillesCNRSIRD Paris France
| | - Nicolas Chazot
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - James Mallet
- Dept of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - André V. L. Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu da Biodiversidade Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Jason P. W. Hall
- Department of Entomology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Gerardo Lamas
- Museo de Historia Natural Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos Lima Peru
| | | | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation UMR 7204 MNHN‐CNRS‐Sorbonne Université Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris Paris France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité MNHN‐CNRS‐Sorbonne Université‐EPHE‐Université des AntillesMuséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris Paris France
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10
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Ogilvie JG, Van Belleghem S, Range R, Papa R, McMillan OW, Chouteau M, Counterman BA. Balanced polymorphisms and their divergence in a Heliconius butterfly. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18319-18330. [PMID: 35003675 PMCID: PMC8717333 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of mimicry in similarly defended prey is well described by the Müllerian mimicry theory, which predicts the convergence of warning patterns in order to gain the most protection from predators. However, despite this prediction, we can find great diversity of color patterns among Müllerian mimics such as Heliconius butterflies in the neotropics. Furthermore, some species have evolved the ability to maintain multiple distinct warning patterns in single populations, a phenomenon known as polymorphic mimicry. The adaptive benefit of these polymorphisms is questionable since variation from the most common warning patterns is expected to be disadvantageous as novel signals are punished by predators naive to them. In this study, we use artificial butterfly models throughout Central and South America to characterize the selective pressures maintaining polymorphic mimicry in Heliconius doris. Our results highlight the complexity of positive frequency-dependent selection, the principal selective pressure driving convergence among Müllerian mimics, and its impacts on interspecific variation of mimetic warning coloration. We further show how this selection regime can both limit and facilitate the diversification of mimetic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G. Ogilvie
- Department of Biological SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | | | - Ryan Range
- Department of Biological SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Puerto RicoRio PiedrasPuerto Rico
| | | | - Mathieu Chouteau
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA)Université de GuyaneCNRSIFREMERCayenneFrench Guiana
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11
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Abstract
Alleles that introgress between species can influence the evolutionary and ecological fate of species exposed to novel environments. Hybrid offspring of different species are often unfit, and yet it has long been argued that introgression can be a potent force in evolution, especially in plants. Over the last two decades, genomic data have increasingly provided evidence that introgression is a critically important source of genetic variation and that this additional variation can be useful in adaptive evolution of both animals and plants. Here, we review factors that influence the probability that foreign genetic variants provide long-term benefits (so-called adaptive introgression) and discuss their potential benefits. We find that introgression plays an important role in adaptive evolution, particularly when a species is far from its fitness optimum, such as when they expand their range or are subject to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel B Edelman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA; .,Current affiliation: Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies and Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA;
| | - James Mallet
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;
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12
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Haplotype tagging reveals parallel formation of hybrid races in two butterfly species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015005118. [PMID: 34155138 PMCID: PMC8237668 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015005118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A defining goal in genetics is linking variation in DNA sequence to trait evolution between populations and, ultimately, species. Genome sequencing efficiently captures such variation but typically in millions of tiny fragments that omit haplotype or linkage information. We present “haplotagging,” a simple, rapid linked-read sequencing technique that allows high-throughput sequencing without sacrificing haplotype information. We validated this affordable approach for whole-genome haplotyping in large populations. We used haplotagging to investigate the rise of a novel hybrid morph in parallel hybrid zones of two comimetic Heliconius butterfly species in Ecuador. Our results reveal that strikingly parallel divergences in their genomes produced coordinated shifts in haplotype frequencies across the hybrid zone, giving rise to comimetic hybrid morphs in each species. Genetic variation segregates as linked sets of variants or haplotypes. Haplotypes and linkage are central to genetics and underpin virtually all genetic and selection analysis. Yet, genomic data often omit haplotype information due to constraints in sequencing technologies. Here, we present “haplotagging,” a simple, low-cost linked-read sequencing technique that allows sequencing of hundreds of individuals while retaining linkage information. We apply haplotagging to construct megabase-size haplotypes for over 600 individual butterflies (Heliconius erato and H. melpomene), which form overlapping hybrid zones across an elevational gradient in Ecuador. Haplotagging identifies loci controlling distinctive high- and lowland wing color patterns. Divergent haplotypes are found at the same major loci in both species, while chromosome rearrangements show no parallelism. Remarkably, in both species, the geographic clines for the major wing-pattern loci are displaced by 18 km, leading to the rise of a novel hybrid morph in the center of the hybrid zone. We propose that shared warning signaling (Müllerian mimicry) may couple the cline shifts seen in both species and facilitate the parallel coemergence of a novel hybrid morph in both comimetic species. Our results show the power of efficient haplotyping methods when combined with large-scale sequencing data from natural populations.
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13
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Gordon SP, Burdfield-Steel E, Kirvesoja J, Mappes J. Safety in Numbers: How Color Morph Frequency Affects Predation Risk in an Aposematic Moth. Am Nat 2021; 198:128-141. [PMID: 34143722 DOI: 10.1086/714528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPolymorphic warning signals in aposematic systems are enigmatic because predator learning should favor the most common form, creating positive frequency-dependent survival. However, many populations exhibit variation in warning signals. There are various selective mechanisms that can counter positive frequency-dependent selection and lead to temporal or spatial warning signal diversification. Examining these mechanisms and their effects requires first confirming whether the most common morphs are favored at both local and regional scales. Empirical examples of this are uncommon and often include potentially confounding factors, such as a lack of knowledge of predator identity and behavior. We tested how bird behavior influences the survival of three coexisting morphs of the aposematic wood tiger moth Arctia plantaginis offered to a sympatric predator (great tit Parus major) at different frequencies. We found that although positive frequency-dependent selection is present, its strength is affected by predator characteristics and varying prey profitability. These results highlight the need to understand predator foraging in natural communities with variable prey defenses in order to better examine how behavioral interactions shape evolutionary outcomes.
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14
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Habitat generalist species constrain the diversity of mimicry rings in heterogeneous habitats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5072. [PMID: 33658554 PMCID: PMC7930205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83867-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
How evolution creates and maintains trait patterns in species-rich communities is still an unsolved topic in evolutionary ecology. One classical example of community-level pattern is the unexpected coexistence of different mimicry rings, each of which is a group of mimetic species with the same warning signal. The coexistence of different mimicry rings in a community seems paradoxical because selection among unpalatable species should favor convergence to a single warning pattern. We combined mathematical modeling based on network theory and numerical simulations to explore how different types of selection, such as mimetic and environmental selections, and habitat use by mimetic species influence the formation of coexisting rings. We show that when habitat and mimicry are strong sources of selection, the formation of multiple rings takes longer due to conflicting selective pressures. Moreover, habitat generalist species decrease the distinctiveness of different mimicry rings’ patterns and a few habitat generalist species can generate a “small-world effect”, preventing the formation of multiple mimicry rings. These results may explain why the coexistence of mimicry rings is more common in groups of animals that tend towards habitat specialism, such as butterflies.
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15
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Posso-Terranova A, Andrés J. Skin transcriptional profiles in Oophaga poison frogs. Genet Mol Biol 2020; 43:e20190401. [PMID: 33211057 PMCID: PMC7678260 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2019-0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic organisms advertise their defensive toxins to predators using a variety of warning
signals, including bright coloration. While most Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) rely on
crypsis to avoid predators, Oophaga poison frogs from South America advertise their
chemical defenses, a complex mix of diet-derived alkaloids, by using conspicuous hues. The present
study aimed to characterize the skin transcriptomic profiles of South American
Oophaga poison frogs. Our analyses showed very similar transcriptomic profiles for
these closely related species in terms of functional annotation and relative abundance of gene
ontology terms expressed. Analyses of expression profiles of Oophaga and available
skin transcriptomes of cryptic anurans allowed us to propose initial hypotheses for the active
sequestration of alkaloid-based chemical defenses and to highlight some genes that may be
potentially involved in resistance mechanisms to avoid self-intoxication and skin coloration. In
doing so, we provide an important molecular resource for the study of warning signals that will
facilitate the assembly and annotation of future poison frog genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Posso-Terranova
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Palmira, Palmira, Colombia
| | - José Andrés
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Cornell University, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Ithaca, NY, USA
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16
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Curran EV, Stankowski S, Pardo‐Diaz C, Salazar C, Linares M, Nadeau NJ. Müllerian mimicry of a quantitative trait despite contrasting levels of genomic divergence and selection. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2016-2030. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma V. Curran
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Sean Stankowski
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Carolina Pardo‐Diaz
- Biology Program Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Universidad del Rosario Bogota Colombia
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology Program Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Universidad del Rosario Bogota Colombia
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Biology Program Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Universidad del Rosario Bogota Colombia
| | - Nicola J. Nadeau
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Republic of Panama
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17
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Mérot C, Debat V, Le Poul Y, Merrill RM, Naisbit RE, Tholance A, Jiggins CD, Joron M. Hybridization and transgressive exploration of colour pattern and wing morphology in Heliconius butterflies. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:942-956. [PMID: 32255231 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization can generate novel phenotypes distinct from those of parental lineages, a phenomenon known as transgressive trait variation. Transgressive phenotypes might negatively or positively affect hybrid fitness, and increase available variation. Closely related species of Heliconius butterflies regularly produce hybrids in nature, and hybridization is thought to play a role in the diversification of novel wing colour patterns despite strong stabilizing selection due to interspecific mimicry. Here, we studied wing phenotypes in first- and second-generation hybrids produced by controlled crosses between either two co-mimetic species of Heliconius or between two nonmimetic species. We quantified wing size, shape and colour pattern variation and asked whether hybrids displayed transgressive wing phenotypes. Discrete traits underlain by major-effect loci, such as the presence or absence of colour patches, generate novel phenotypes. For quantitative traits, such as wing shape or subtle colour pattern characters, hybrids only exceed the parental range in specific dimensions of the morphological space. Overall, our study addresses some of the challenges in defining and measuring phenotypic transgression for multivariate traits and our data suggest that the extent to which transgressive trait variation in hybrids contributes to phenotypic diversity depends on the complexity and the genetic architecture of the traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Mérot
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France.,IBIS, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Debat
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Yann Le Poul
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France.,Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Russell E Naisbit
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Institute for Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adélie Tholance
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France.,UMR 5175, CNRS-Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Montpellier, France
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18
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The effect of cyanogenic glucosides and their breakdown products on predation by domestic chicks. CHEMOECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-020-00304-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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19
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Anderson B, de Jager ML. Natural selection in mimicry. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:291-304. [PMID: 31663254 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biological mimicry has served as a salient example of natural selection for over a century, providing us with a dazzling array of very different examples across many unrelated taxa. We provide a conceptual framework that brings together apparently disparate examples of mimicry in a single model for the purpose of comparing how natural selection affects models, mimics and signal receivers across different interactions. We first analyse how model-mimic resemblance likely affects the fitness of models, mimics and receivers across diverse examples. These include classic Batesian and Müllerian butterfly systems, nectarless orchids that mimic Hymenoptera or nectar-producing plants, caterpillars that mimic inert objects unlikely to be perceived as food, plants that mimic abiotic objects like carrion or dung and aggressive mimicry where predators mimic food items of their own prey. From this, we construct a conceptual framework of the selective forces that form the basis of all mimetic interactions. These interactions between models, mimics and receivers may follow four possible evolutionary pathways in terms of the direction of selection resulting from model-mimic resemblance. Two of these pathways correspond to the selective pressures associated with what is widely regarded as Batesian and Müllerian mimicry. The other two pathways suggest mimetic interactions underpinned by distinct selective pressures that have largely remained unrecognized. Each pathway is characterized by theoretical differences in how model-mimic resemblance influences the direction of selection acting on mimics, models and signal receivers, and the potential for consequent (co)evolutionary relationships between these three protagonists. The final part of this review describes how selective forces generated through model-mimic resemblance can be opposed by the basic ecology of interacting organisms and how those forces may affect the symmetry, strength and likelihood of (co)evolution between the three protagonists within the confines of the four broad evolutionary possibilities. We provide a clear and pragmatic visualization of selection pressures that portrays how different mimicry types may evolve. This conceptual framework provides clarity on how different selective forces acting on mimics, models and receivers are likely to interact and ultimately shape the evolutionary pathways taken by mimetic interactions, as well as the constraints inherent within these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Anderson
- Botany and Zoology Department, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Marinus L de Jager
- Botany and Zoology Department, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
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20
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Chouteau M, Dezeure J, Sherratt TN, Llaurens V, Joron M. Similar predator aversion for natural prey with diverse toxicity levels. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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Evaluating an Alleged Mimic of the Monarch Butterfly: Neophasia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Butterflies are Palatable to Avian Predators. INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9040150. [PMID: 30380597 PMCID: PMC6316671 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Some taxa have adopted the strategy of mimicry to protect themselves from predation. Butterflies are some of the best representatives used to study mimicry, with the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) a well-known model. We are the first to empirically investigate a proposed mimic of the monarch butterfly: Neophasia terlooii, the Mexican pine white butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). We used captive birds to assess the palatability of N. terlooii and its sister species, N. menapia, to determine the mimicry category that would best fit this system. The birds readily consumed both species of Neophasia and a palatable control species but refused to eat unpalatable butterflies such as D. plexippus and Heliconius charithonia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Given some evidence for mild unpalatability of Neophasia, we discuss the results considering modifications to classic mimicry theory, i.e., a palatability-based continuum between Batesian and Müllerian mimicry, with a quasi-Batesian intermediate. Understanding the ecology of Neophasia in light of contemporary and historical sympatry with D. plexippus could shed light on the biogeography of, evolution of, and predation pressure on the monarch butterfly, whose migration event has become a conservation priority.
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22
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Seymoure BM, Raymundo A, McGraw KJ, Owen McMillan W, Rutowski RL. Environment-dependent attack rates of cryptic and aposematic butterflies. Curr Zool 2018; 64:663-669. [PMID: 30323845 PMCID: PMC6178784 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved adaptive coloration that reduces their risk of predation. Cryptic coloration reduces the likelihood of detection/recognition by potential predators, while warning or aposematic coloration advertises unprofitability and thereby reduces the likelihood of attack. Although some studies show that aposematic coloration functions better at decreasing attack rate than crypsis, recent work has suggested and demonstrated that crypsis and aposematism are both successful strategies for avoiding predation. Furthermore, the visual environment (e.g., ambient lighting, background) affects the ability for predators to detect prey. We investigated these 2 related hypotheses using 2 well-known visually aposematic species of Heliconius butterflies, which occupy different habitats (open-canopy vs. closed-canopy), and one palatable, cryptic, generalist species Junonia coenia. We tested if the differently colored butterflies differ in attack rates by placing plasticine models of each of the 3 species in 2 different tropical habitats where the butterflies naturally occur: disturbed, open-canopy habitat and forested, closed-canopy habitat. The cryptic model had fewer attacks than one of the aposematic models. Predation rates differed between the 2 habitats, with the open habitat having much higher predation. However, we did not find an interaction between species and habitat type, which is perplexing due to the different aposematic phenotypes naturally occurring in different habitats. Our findings suggest that during the Panamanian dry season avian predation on perched butterflies is not a leading cause in habitat segregation between the 2 aposematic species and demonstrate that cryptically colored animals at rest may be better than aposematic prey at avoiding avian attacks in certain environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Seymoure
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Andrew Raymundo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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23
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Dell'Aglio DD, Troscianko J, McMillan WO, Stevens M, Jiggins CD. The appearance of mimetic Heliconius butterflies to predators and conspecifics. Evolution 2018; 72:2156-2166. [PMID: 30129174 PMCID: PMC6221148 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive coloration is under conflicting selection pressures: choosing potential mates and warning signaling against visually guided predators. Different elements of the color signal may therefore be tuned by evolution for different functions. We investigated how mimicry in four pairs of Heliconius comimics is potentially seen both from the perspective of butterflies and birds. Visual sensitivities of eight candidate avian predators were predicted through genetic analysis of their opsin genes. Using digital image color analysis, combined with bird and butterfly visual system models, we explored how predators and conspecifics may visualize mimetic patterns. Ultraviolet vision (UVS) birds are able to discriminate between the yellow and white colors of comimics better than violet vision (VS) birds. For Heliconius vision, males and females differ in their ability to discriminate comimics. Female vision and red filtering pigments have a significant effect on the perception of the yellow forewing band and the red ventral forewing pattern. A behavioral experiment showed that UV cues are used in mating behavior; removal of such cues was associated with an increased tendency to approach comimics as compared to conspecifics. We have therefore shown that visual signals can act to both reduce the cost of confusion in courtship and maintain the advantages of mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Dalbosco Dell'Aglio
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Jolyon Troscianko
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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24
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An Investigation into Tetrodotoxin (TTX) Levels Associated with the Red Dorsal Spots in Eastern Newt ( Notophthalmus viridescens) Efts and Adults. J Toxicol 2018; 2018:9196865. [PMID: 30245715 PMCID: PMC6139183 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9196865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the concentration of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in sections of skin containing and lacking red dorsal spots in both Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) efts and adults. Several other species, such as Pleurodeles waltl and Echinotriton andersoni, have granular glands concentrated in brightly pigmented regions on the dorsum, and thus we hypothesized that the red dorsal spots of Eastern newts may also possess higher levels of TTX than the surrounding skin. We found no difference between the concentrations of TTX in the red spots as compared to neighboring skin lacking these spots in either efts or adults. However, efts with more red dorsal spots had elevated TTX levels relative to efts with fewer spots.
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25
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Rojas B, Burdfield-Steel E, De Pasqual C, Gordon S, Hernández L, Mappes J, Nokelainen O, Rönkä K, Lindstedt C. Multimodal Aposematic Signals and Their Emerging Role in Mate Attraction. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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26
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Lucas LK, Nice CC, Gompert Z. Genetic constraints on wing pattern variation in
Lycaeides
butterflies: A case study on mapping complex, multifaceted traits in structured populations. Mol Ecol Resour 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris C. Nice
- Department of Biology Texas State University San Marcos TX USA
| | - Zachariah Gompert
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan UT USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT USA
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27
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Dalbosco Dell'Aglio D, Akkaynak D, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD. Estimating the age of Heliconius butterflies from calibrated photographs. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3821. [PMID: 28970967 PMCID: PMC5622606 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating behaviour and predation avoidance in Heliconius involve visual colour signals; however, there is considerable inter-individual phenotypic variation in the appearance of colours. In particular, the red pigment varies from bright crimson to faded red. It has been thought that this variation is primarily due to pigment fading with age, although this has not been explicitly tested. Previous studies have shown the importance of red patterns in mate choice and that birds and butterflies might perceive these small colour differences. Using digital photography and calibrated colour images, we investigated whether the hue variation in the forewing dorsal red band of Heliconius melpomene rosina corresponds with age. We found that the red hue and age were highly associated, suggesting that red colour can indeed be used as a proxy for age in the study of wild-caught butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Dalbosco Dell'Aglio
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Derya Akkaynak
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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28
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Holmes IA, Grundler MR, Davis Rabosky AR. Predator Perspective Drives Geographic Variation in Frequency-Dependent Polymorphism. Am Nat 2017; 190:E78-E93. [PMID: 28937812 DOI: 10.1086/693159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Color polymorphism in natural populations can manifest as a striking patchwork of phenotypes in space, with neighboring populations characterized by dramatic differences in morph composition. These geographic mosaics can be challenging to explain in the absence of localized selection because they are unlikely to result from simple isolation-by-distance or clinal variation in selective regimes. To identify processes that can lead to the formation of geographic mosaics, we developed a simulation-based model to explore the influence of predator perspective, selection, migration, and genetic linkage of color loci on allele frequencies in polymorphic populations over space and time. Using simulated populations inspired by the biology of Heliconius longwing butterflies, Cepaea land snails, Oophaga poison frogs, and Sonora ground snakes, we found that the relative sizes of predator and prey home ranges can produce large differences in morph composition between neighboring populations under both positive and negative frequency-dependent selection. We also demonstrated the importance of the interaction of predator perspective with the type of frequency dependence and localized directional selection across migration and selection intensities. Our results show that regional-scale predation can promote the formation of phenotypic mosaics in prey species, without the need to invoke spatial variation in selective regimes. We suggest that predator behavior can play an important and underappreciated role in the formation and maintenance of geographic mosaics in polymorphic species.
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29
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Lindstedt C, Boncoraglio G, Cotter S, Gilbert J, Kilner RM. Aposematism in the burying beetle? Dual function of anal fluid in parental care and chemical defense. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Arias M, le Poul Y, Chouteau M, Boisseau R, Rosser N, Théry M, Llaurens V. Crossing fitness valleys: empirical estimation of a fitness landscape associated with polymorphic mimicry. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0391. [PMID: 27122560 PMCID: PMC4855388 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing fitness landscapes associated with polymorphic adaptive traits enables investigation of mechanisms allowing transitions between fitness peaks. Here, we explore how natural selection can promote genetic mechanisms preventing heterozygous phenotypes from falling into non-adaptive valleys. Polymorphic mimicry is an ideal system to investigate such fitness landscapes, because the direction of selection acting on complex mimetic colour patterns can be predicted by the local mimetic community composition. Using more than 5000 artificial butterflies displaying colour patterns exhibited by the polymorphic Müllerian mimic Heliconius numata, we directly tested the role of wild predators in shaping fitness landscapes. We compared predation rates on mimetic phenotypes (homozygotes at the supergene controlling colour pattern), intermediate phenotypes (heterozygotes), exotic morphs (absent from the local community) and palatable cryptic phenotypes. Exotic morphs were significantly more attacked than local morphs, highlighting predators' discriminatory capacities. Overall, intermediates were attacked twice as much as local homozygotes, suggesting the existence of deep fitness valleys promoting strict dominance and reduced recombination between supergene alleles. By including information on predators' colour perception, we also showed that protection on intermediates strongly depends on their phenotypic similarity to homozygous phenotypes and that ridges exist between similar phenotypes, which may facilitate divergence in colour patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Arias
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France UMR CNRS 7179, CNRS-MNHN MECADEV, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1, avenue du petit château, 91800 Brunoy, France
| | - Yann le Poul
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Chouteau
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Romain Boisseau
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale supérieure, 75 005 Paris, France
| | - Neil Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Marc Théry
- UMR CNRS 7179, CNRS-MNHN MECADEV, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1, avenue du petit château, 91800 Brunoy, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-EPHE-UPMC- Sorbonne universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Bâtiment d'entomologie, CP050, 57, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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31
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Wee JLQ, Monteiro A. Yellow and the Novel Aposematic Signal, Red, Protect Delias Butterflies from Predators. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168243. [PMID: 28060944 PMCID: PMC5218396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Butterflies of the South Asian and Australian genus Delias possess striking colours on the ventral wings that are presumed to serve as warning signals to predators. However, this has not been shown empirically. Here we experimentally tested whether the colours of one member of this diverse genus, Delias hyparete, function as aposematic signals. We constructed artificial paper models with either a faithful colour representation of D. hyparete, or with all of its colours converted to grey scale. We also produced models where single colours were left intact, while others were converted to grey-scale or removed entirely. We placed all model types simultaneously in the field, attached to a live mealworm, and measured relative attack rates at three separate field sites. Faithful models of D. hyparete, suffered the least amount of attacks, followed by grey-scale models with unaltered red patches, and by grey-scale models with unaltered yellow patches. We conclude that red and yellow colours function as warning signals. By mapping dorsal and ventral colouration onto a phylogeny of Delias, we observed that yellow and red colours appear almost exclusively on the ventral wing surfaces, and that basal lineages have mostly yellow, white, and black wings, whereas derived lineages contain red colour in addition to the other colours. Red appears to be, thus, a novel adaptive trait in this lineage of butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Liang Qi Wee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
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32
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Finkbeiner SD, Briscoe AD, Mullen SP. Complex dynamics underlie the evolution of imperfect wing pattern convergence in butterflies. Evolution 2017; 71:949-959. [PMID: 28052323 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive radiation is characterized by rapid diversification that is strongly associated with ecological specialization. However, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms fueling adaptive diversification requires a detailed knowledge of how natural selection acts at multiple life-history stages. Butterflies within the genus Adelpha represent one of the largest and most diverse butterfly lineages in the Neotropics. Although Adelpha species feed on an extraordinary diversity of larval hosts, convergent evolution is widespread in this group, suggesting that selection for mimicry may contribute to adaptive divergence among species. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted predation studies in Costa Rica using artificial butterfly facsimiles. Specifically, we predicted that nontoxic, palatable Adelpha species that do not feed on host plants in the family Rubiaceae would benefit from sharing a locally convergent wing pattern with the presumably toxic Rubiaceae-feeding species via reduced predation. Contrary to expectations, we found that the presumed mimic was attacked significantly more than its locally convergent model at a frequency paralleling attack rates on both novel and palatable prey. Although these data reveal the first evidence for protection from avian predators by the supposed toxic, Rubiaceae-feeding Adelpha species, we conclude that imprecise mimetic patterns have high costs for Batesian mimics in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Finkbeiner
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| | - Adriana D Briscoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Sean P Mullen
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
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33
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DELL'AGLIO DENISED, STEVENS MARTIN, JIGGINS CHRISD. Avoidance of an aposematically coloured butterfly by wild birds in a tropical forest. ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 41:627-632. [PMID: 27708481 PMCID: PMC5026159 DOI: 10.1111/een.12335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
1. Birds are considered to be the primary selective agents for warning colouration in butterflies, and select for aposematic mimicry by learning to avoid brightly coloured prey after unpleasant experiences. It has long been thought that bright colouration plays an important role in promoting the avoidance of distasteful prey by birds. 2. The hypothesis that warning colouration facilitates memorability and promotes predator avoidance was tested by means of a field experiment using distasteful model butterflies. Artificial butterflies with a Heliconius colour pattern unknown to local birds were generated using bird vision models, either coloured or achromatic, and hung in tree branches in a tropical forest. Two sequential trials were conducted at each site to test avoidance by naïve and experienced predators. 3. There was a significant reduction in predation in the second trial. Also, coloured models were attacked less than achromatic models. Specifically, coloured butterflies were attacked significantly less in the second trial, but there was no significant decrease in predation on achromatic models. 4. The present results imply an important role for colour in enhancing aversion of aposematic butterflies. It has also been demonstrated that previous experience of distasteful prey can lead to enhanced avoidance in subsequent trials, supporting mimicry theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- DENISE D. DELL'AGLIO
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - MARTIN STEVENS
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynU.K.
| | - CHRIS D. JIGGINS
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
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34
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Newberry MG, McCandlish DM, Plotkin JB. Assortative mating can impede or facilitate fixation of underdominant alleles. Theor Popul Biol 2016; 112:14-21. [PMID: 27497738 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Underdominant mutations have fixed between divergent species, yet classical models suggest that rare underdominant alleles are purged quickly except in small or subdivided populations. We predict that underdominant alleles that also influence mate choice, such as those affecting coloration patterns visible to mates and predators alike, can fix more readily. We analyze a mechanistic model of positive assortative mating in which individuals have n chances to sample compatible mates. This one-parameter model naturally spans random mating (n=1) and complete assortment (n→∞), yet it produces sexual selection whose strength depends non-monotonically on n. This sexual selection interacts with viability selection to either inhibit or facilitate fixation. As mating opportunities increase, underdominant alleles fix as frequently as neutral mutations, even though sexual selection and underdominance independently each suppress rare alleles. This mechanism allows underdominant alleles to fix in large populations and illustrates how life history can affect evolutionary change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joshua B Plotkin
- University of Pennsylvania, Biology Department, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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35
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Mérot C, Le Poul Y, Théry M, Joron M. Refining mimicry: phenotypic variation tracks the local optimum. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1056-69. [PMID: 27003742 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Müllerian mimicry between chemically defended preys is a textbook example of natural selection favouring phenotypic convergence onto a shared warning signal. Studies of mimicry have concentrated on deciphering the ecological and genetic underpinnings of dramatic switches in mimicry association, producing a well-known mosaic distribution of mimicry patterns across geography. However, little is known about the accuracy of resemblance between natural comimics when the local phenotypic optimum varies. In this study, using analyses of wing shape, pattern and hue, we quantify multimodal phenotypic similarity between butterfly comimics sharing the so-called postman pattern in different localities with varying species composition. We show that subtle but consistent variation between populations of the localized species, Heliconius timareta thelxinoe, enhance resemblance to the abundant comimics which drive the mimicry in each locality. Those results suggest that rarer comimics track the changes in the phenotypic optimum caused by gradual changes in the composition of the mimicry community, providing insights into the process by which intraspecific diversity of mimetic pattern may arise. Furthermore, our results suggest a multimodal evolution of similarity, with coordinated convergence in different features of the phenotype such as wing outline, pattern and hue. Finally, multilocus genotyping allows estimating local hybridization rates between H. timareta and comimic H. melpomene in different populations, raising the hypothesis that mimicry refinement between closely related comimics may be enhanced by adaptive introgression at loci modifying the accuracy of resemblance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Mérot
- Institut de Systématique Evolution et Biodiversité, UMR 7205 CNRS - MNHN - UPMC - EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Yann Le Poul
- Institut de Systématique Evolution et Biodiversité, UMR 7205 CNRS - MNHN - UPMC - EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Marc Théry
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution, UMR 7179 CNRS, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1 avenue du petit château, 91800, Brunoy, France
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Institut de Systématique Evolution et Biodiversité, UMR 7205 CNRS - MNHN - UPMC - EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier 5, France
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36
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Warning signals are under positive frequency-dependent selection in nature. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:2164-9. [PMID: 26858416 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1519216113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive frequency-dependent selection (FDS) is a selection regime where the fitness of a phenotype increases with its frequency, and it is thought to underlie important adaptive strategies resting on signaling and communication. However, whether and how positive FDS truly operates in nature remains unknown, which hampers our understanding of signal diversity. Here, we test for positive FDS operating on the warning color patterns of chemically defended butterflies forming multiple coexisting mimicry assemblages in the Amazon. Using malleable prey models placed in localities showing differences in the relative frequencies of warningly colored prey, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a warning signal increases steadily with its local frequency in the natural community, up to a threshold where protection stabilizes. The shape of this relationship is consistent with the direct effect of the local abundance of each warning signal on the corresponding avoidance knowledge of the local predator community. This relationship, which differs from purifying selection acting on each mimetic pattern, indicates that predator knowledge, integrated over the entire community, is saturated only for the most common warning signals. In contrast, among the well-established warning signals present in local prey assemblages, most are incompletely known to local predators and enjoy incomplete protection. This incomplete predator knowledge should generate strong benefits to life history traits that enhance warning efficiency by increasing the effective frequency of prey visible to predators. Strategies such as gregariousness or niche convergence between comimics may therefore readily evolve through their effects on predator knowledge and warning efficiency.
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37
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Su S, Lim M, Kunte K. Prey from the eyes of predators: Color discriminability of aposematic and mimetic butterflies from an avian visual perspective. Evolution 2015; 69:2985-94. [PMID: 26477885 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Predation exerts strong selection on mimetic butterfly wing color patterns, which also serve other functions such as sexual selection. Therefore, specific selection pressures may affect the sexes and signal components differentially. We tested three predictions about the evolution of mimetic resemblance by comparing wing coloration of aposematic butterflies and their Batesian mimics: (a) females gain greater mimetic advantage than males and therefore are better mimics, (b) due to intersexual genetic correlations, sexually monomorphic mimics are better mimics than female-limited mimics, and (c) mimetic resemblance is better on the dorsal wing surface that is visible to predators in flight. Using a physiological model of avian color vision, we quantified mimetic resemblance from predators' perspective, which showed that female butterflies were better mimics than males. Mimetic resemblance in female-limited mimics was comparable to that in sexually monomorphic mimics, suggesting that intersexual genetic correlations did not constrain adaptive response to selection for female-limited mimicry. Mimetic resemblance on the ventral wing surface was better than that on the dorsal wing surface, implying stronger natural and sexual selection on ventral and dorsal surfaces, respectively. These results suggest that mimetic resemblance in butterfly mimicry rings has evolved under various selective pressures acting in a sex- and wing surface-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Su
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India. .,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Matthew Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
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38
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Aubier TG, Sherratt TN. Diversity in Müllerian mimicry: The optimal predator sampling strategy explains both local and regional polymorphism in prey. Evolution 2015; 69:2831-45. [PMID: 26456598 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The convergent evolution of warning signals in unpalatable species, known as Müllerian mimicry, has been observed in a wide variety of taxonomic groups. This form of mimicry is generally thought to have arisen as a consequence of local frequency-dependent selection imposed by sampling predators. However, despite clear evidence for local selection against rare warning signals, there appears an almost embarrassing amount of polymorphism in natural warning colors, both within and among populations. Because the model of predator cognition widely invoked to explain Müllerian mimicry (Müller's "fixed n(k)" model) is highly simplified and has not been empirically supported; here, we explore the dynamical consequences of the optimal strategy for sampling unfamiliar prey. This strategy, based on a classical exploration-exploitation trade-off, not only allows for a variable number of prey sampled, but also accounts for predator neophobia under some conditions. In contrast to Müller's "fixed n(k)" sampling rule, the optimal sampling strategy is capable of generating a variety of dynamical outcomes, including mimicry but also regional and local polymorphism. Moreover, the heterogeneity of predator behavior across space and time that a more nuanced foraging strategy allows, can even further facilitate the emergence of both local and regional polymorphism in prey warning color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Aubier
- UMR 5175, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, 1919 route de Mende, 34090, Montpellier, France. .,UMR 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP50, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Thomas N Sherratt
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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39
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Abstract
When two tribes of Myxococcus bacteria attack each other, the most numerous usually wins. Established colonies can therefore resist invaders by outnumbering them. This shows how positive frequency dependence can maintain diversity across spatially structured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Greig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany; Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1N 6BT, UK.
| | - Matthew Goddard
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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40
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Seymoure BM, Aiello A. Keeping the band together: evidence for false boundary disruptive coloration in a butterfly. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1618-24. [PMID: 26109438 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a recent surge of evidence supporting disruptive coloration, in which patterns break up the animal's outline through false edges or boundaries, increasing survival in animals by reducing predator detection and/or preventing recognition. Although research has demonstrated that false edges are successful for reducing predation of prey, research into the role of internal false boundaries (i.e. stripes and bands) in reducing predation remains warranted. Many animals have stripes and bands that may function disruptively. Here, we test the possible disruptive function of wing band patterning in a butterfly, Anartia fatima, using artificial paper and plasticine models in Panama. We manipulated the band so that one model type had the band shifted to the wing margin (nondisruptive treatment) and another model had a discontinuous band located on the wing margin (discontinuous edge treatment). We kept the natural wing pattern to represent the false boundary treatment. Across all treatment groups, we standardized the area of colour and used avian visual models to confirm a match between manipulated and natural wing colours. False boundary models had higher survival than either the discontinuous edge model or the nondisruptive model. There was no survival difference between the discontinuous edge model and the nondisruptive model. Our results demonstrate the importance of wing bands in reducing predation on butterflies and show that markings set in from the wing margin can reduce predation more effectively than marginal bands and discontinuous marginal patterns. This study demonstrates an adaptive benefit of having stripes and bands.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Seymoure
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, Panamá, Republic of Panama
| | - A Aiello
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, Panamá, Republic of Panama
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41
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Merrill RM, Dasmahapatra KK, Davey JW, Dell'Aglio DD, Hanly JJ, Huber B, Jiggins CD, Joron M, Kozak KM, Llaurens V, Martin SH, Montgomery SH, Morris J, Nadeau NJ, Pinharanda AL, Rosser N, Thompson MJ, Vanjari S, Wallbank RWR, Yu Q. The diversification of Heliconius butterflies: what have we learned in 150 years? J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1417-38. [PMID: 26079599 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research into Heliconius butterflies has made a significant contribution to evolutionary biology. Here, we review our understanding of the diversification of these butterflies, covering recent advances and a vast foundation of earlier work. Whereas no single group of organisms can be sufficient for understanding life's diversity, after years of intensive study, research into Heliconius has addressed a wide variety of evolutionary questions. We first discuss evidence for widespread gene flow between Heliconius species and what this reveals about the nature of species. We then address the evolution and diversity of warning patterns, both as the target of selection and with respect to their underlying genetic basis. The identification of major genes involved in mimetic shifts, and homology at these loci between distantly related taxa, has revealed a surprising predictability in the genetic basis of evolution. In the final sections, we consider the evolution of warning patterns, and Heliconius diversity more generally, within a broader context of ecological and sexual selection. We consider how different traits and modes of selection can interact and influence the evolution of reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Merrill
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | | - J W Davey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - D D Dell'Aglio
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J J Hanly
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - B Huber
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - M Joron
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier 5, France
| | - K M Kozak
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - V Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - S H Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Morris
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - N J Nadeau
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A L Pinharanda
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - N Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - M J Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - S Vanjari
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R W R Wallbank
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Q Yu
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China
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42
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Kozak KM, Wahlberg N, Neild AFE, Dasmahapatra KK, Mallet J, Jiggins CD. Multilocus species trees show the recent adaptive radiation of the mimetic heliconius butterflies. Syst Biol 2015; 64:505-24. [PMID: 25634098 PMCID: PMC4395847 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syv007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Müllerian mimicry among Neotropical Heliconiini butterflies is an excellent example of natural selection, associated with the diversification of a large continental-scale radiation. Some of the processes driving the evolution of mimicry rings are likely to generate incongruent phylogenetic signals across the assemblage, and thus pose a challenge for systematics. We use a data set of 22 mitochondrial and nuclear markers from 92% of species in the tribe, obtained by Sanger sequencing and de novo assembly of short read data, to re-examine the phylogeny of Heliconiini with both supermatrix and multispecies coalescent approaches, characterize the patterns of conflicting signal, and compare the performance of various methodological approaches to reflect the heterogeneity across the data. Despite the large extent of reticulate signal and strong conflict between markers, nearly identical topologies are consistently recovered by most of the analyses, although the supermatrix approach failed to reflect the underlying variation in the history of individual loci. However, the supermatrix represents a useful approximation where multiple rare species represented by short sequences can be incorporated easily. The first comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogeny of this group is used to test the hypotheses of a diversification rate increase driven by the dramatic environmental changes in the Neotropics over the past 23 myr, or changes caused by diversity-dependent effects on the rate of diversification. We find that the rate of diversification has increased on the branch leading to the presently most species-rich genus Heliconius, but the change occurred gradually and cannot be unequivocally attributed to a specific environmental driver. Our study provides comprehensive comparison of philosophically distinct species tree reconstruction methods and provides insights into the diversification of an important insect radiation in the most biodiverse region of the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof M Kozak
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Niklas Wahlberg
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew F E Neild
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kanchon K Dasmahapatra
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - James Mallet
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Butterfly Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD Heslington, York, UK; and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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43
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Rosser N, Dasmahapatra KK, Mallet J. Stable Heliconius butterfly hybrid zones are correlated with a local rainfall peak at the edge of the Amazon basin. Evolution 2014; 68:3470-84. [PMID: 25311415 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Multilocus clines between Müllerian mimetic races of Heliconius butterflies provide a classic example of the maintenance of hybrid zones and their importance in speciation. Concordant hybrid zones in the mimics Heliconius erato and H. melpomene in northern Peru were carefully documented in the 1980s, and this prior work now permits a historical analysis of the movement or stasis of the zones. Previous work predicted that these zones might be moving toward the Andes due to selective asymmetry. Extensive deforestation and climate change might also be expected to affect the positions and widths of the hybrid zones. We show that the positions and shapes of these hybrid zones have instead remained remarkably stable between 1985 and 2012. The stability of this interaction strongly implicates continued selection, rather than neutral mixing following secondary contact. The stability of cline widths and strong linkage disequilibria (gametic correlation coefficients Rmax = 0.35-0.56 among unlinked loci) over 25 years suggest that mimetic selection pressures on each color pattern locus have remained approximately constant (s ≈ 0.13-0.40 per locus in both species). Exceptionally high levels of precipitation at the edge of the easternmost Andes may act as a population density trough for butterflies, trapping the hybrid zones at the foot of the mountains, and preventing movement. As such, our results falsify one prediction of the Pleistocene Refugium theory: That the ranges of divergent species or subspecies should be centered on regions characterized by maxima of rainfall, with hybrid zones falling in more arid regions between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Rosser
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom; Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
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44
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Differential detectability of polymorphic warning signals under varying light environments. Behav Processes 2014; 109 Pt B:164-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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45
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Yan S, Zhu J, Zhu W, Zhang X, Li Z, Liu X, Zhang Q. The expression of three opsin genes from the compound eye of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is regulated by a circadian clock, light conditions and nutritional status. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111683. [PMID: 25353953 PMCID: PMC4213014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual genes may become inactive in species that inhabit poor light environments, and the function and regulation of opsin components in nocturnal moths are interesting topics. In this study, we cloned the ultraviolet (UV), blue (BL) and long-wavelength-sensitive (LW) opsin genes from the compound eye of the cotton bollworm and then measured their mRNA levels using quantitative real-time PCR. The mRNA levels fluctuated over a daily cycle, which might be an adaptation of a nocturnal lifestyle, and were dependent on a circadian clock. Cycling of opsin mRNA levels was disturbed by constant light or constant darkness, and the UV opsin gene was up-regulated after light exposure. Furthermore, the opsin genes tended to be down-regulated upon starvation. Thus, this study illustrates that opsin gene expression is determined by multiple endogenous and exogenous factors and is adapted to the need for nocturnal vision, suggesting that color vision may play an important role in the sensory ecology of nocturnal moths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yan
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jialin Zhu
- Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Weilong Zhu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xinfang Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxia Liu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (XXL); (QWZ)
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (XXL); (QWZ)
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46
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Finkbeiner SD, Briscoe AD, Reed RD. Warning signals are seductive: relative contributions of color and pattern to predator avoidance and mate attraction in Heliconius butterflies. Evolution 2014; 68:3410-20. [PMID: 25200939 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Visual signaling in animals can serve many uses, including predator deterrence and mate attraction. In many cases, signals used to advertise unprofitability to predators are also used for intraspecific communication. Although aposematism and mate choice are significant forces driving the evolution of many animal phenotypes, the interplay between relevant visual signals remains little explored. Here, we address this question in the aposematic passion-vine butterfly Heliconius erato by using color- and pattern-manipulated models to test the contributions of different visual features to both mate choice and warning coloration. We found that the relative effectiveness of a model at escaping predation was correlated with its effectiveness at inducing mating behavior, and in both cases wing color was more predictive of presumptive fitness benefits than wing pattern. Overall, however, a combination of the natural (local) color and pattern was most successful for both predator deterrence and mate attraction. By exploring the relative contributions of color versus pattern composition in predation and mate preference studies, we have shown how both natural and sexual selection may work in parallel to drive the evolution of specific animal color patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Finkbeiner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama.
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Galarza JA, Nokelainen O, Ashrafi R, Hegna RH, Mappes J. Temporal relationship between genetic and warning signal variation in the aposematic wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4939-57. [PMID: 25211063 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many plants and animals advertise unpalatability through warning signals in the form of colour and shape. Variation in warning signals within local populations is not expected because they are subject to directional selection. However, mounting evidence of warning signal variation within local populations suggests that other selective forces may be acting. Moreover, different selective pressures may act on the individual components of a warning signal. At present, we have a limited understanding about how multiple selection processes operate simultaneously on warning signal components, and even less about their temporal and spatial dynamics. Here, we examined temporal variation of several wing warning signal components (colour, UV-reflectance, signal size and pattern) of two co-occurring colour morphs of the aposematic wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis). Sampling was carried out in four geographical regions over three consecutive years. We also evaluated each morph's temporal genetic structure by analysing mitochondrial sequence data and nuclear microsatellite markers. Our results revealed temporal differences between the morphs for most signal components measured. Moreover, variation occurred differently in the fore- and hindwings. We found no differences in the genetic structure between the morphs within years and regions, suggesting single local populations. However, local genetic structure fluctuated temporally. Negative correlations were found between variation produced by neutrally evolving genetic markers and those of the different signal components, indicating a non-neutral evolution for most warning signal components. Taken together, our results suggest that differential selection on warning signal components and fluctuating population structure can be one explanation for the maintenance of warning signal variation in this aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Galarza
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9, Jyväskylä, 40500, Finland
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Willink B, García-Rodríguez A, Bolaños F, Pröhl H. The interplay between multiple predators and prey colour divergence. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
- Department of Biology; Lund University; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Adrián García-Rodríguez
- Museo de Zoología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
- Departamento de Botanica, Ecologia e Zoologia; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; Natal Rio Grande do Norte Brazil
| | - Federico Bolaños
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology; University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover; Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany
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Nadeau NJ, Ruiz M, Salazar P, Counterman B, Medina JA, Ortiz-Zuazaga H, Morrison A, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD, Papa R. Population genomics of parallel hybrid zones in the mimetic butterflies, H. melpomene and H. erato. Genome Res 2014; 24:1316-33. [PMID: 24823669 PMCID: PMC4120085 DOI: 10.1101/gr.169292.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid zones can be valuable tools for studying evolution and identifying genomic regions responsible for adaptive divergence and underlying phenotypic variation. Hybrid zones between subspecies of Heliconius butterflies can be very narrow and are maintained by strong selection acting on color pattern. The comimetic species, H. erato and H. melpomene, have parallel hybrid zones in which both species undergo a change from one color pattern form to another. We use restriction-associated DNA sequencing to obtain several thousand genome-wide sequence markers and use these to analyze patterns of population divergence across two pairs of parallel hybrid zones in Peru and Ecuador. We compare two approaches for analysis of this type of data—alignment to a reference genome and de novo assembly—and find that alignment gives the best results for species both closely (H. melpomene) and distantly (H. erato, ∼15% divergent) related to the reference sequence. Our results confirm that the color pattern controlling loci account for the majority of divergent regions across the genome, but we also detect other divergent regions apparently unlinked to color pattern differences. We also use association mapping to identify previously unmapped color pattern loci, in particular the Ro locus. Finally, we identify a new cryptic population of H. timareta in Ecuador, which occurs at relatively low altitude and is mimetic with H. melpomene malleti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Nadeau
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Mayté Ruiz
- Department of Biology and Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00921
| | - Patricio Salazar
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Brian Counterman
- Department of Biology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi 39762, USA
| | - Jose Alejandro Medina
- High Performance Computing Facility, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921
| | - Humberto Ortiz-Zuazaga
- High Performance Computing Facility, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921; Department of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00921
| | - Anna Morrison
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology and Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00921
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50
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The functional significance of aposematic signals: geographic variation in the responses of widespread lizard predators to colourful invertebrate prey. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91777. [PMID: 24614681 PMCID: PMC3948897 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Conspicuous colouration can evolve as a primary defence mechanism that advertises unprofitability and discourages predatory attacks. Geographic overlap is a primary determinant of whether individual predators encounter, and thus learn to avoid, such aposematic prey. We experimentally tested whether the conspicuous colouration displayed by Old World pachyrhynchid weevils (Pachyrhynchus tobafolius and Kashotonus multipunctatus) deters predation by visual predators (Swinhoe’s tree lizard; Agamidae, Japalura swinhonis). During staged encounters, sympatric lizards attacked weevils without conspicuous patterns at higher rates than weevils with intact conspicuous patterns, whereas allopatric lizards attacked weevils with intact patterns at higher rates than sympatric lizards. Sympatric lizards also attacked masked weevils at lower rates, suggesting that other attributes of the weevils (size/shape/smell) also facilitate recognition. Allopatric lizards rapidly learned to avoid weevils after only a single encounter, and maintained aversive behaviours for more than three weeks. The imperfect ability of visual predators to recognize potential prey as unpalatable, both in the presence and absence of the aposematic signal, may help explain how diverse forms of mimicry exploit the predator’s visual system to deter predation.
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