1
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Tensen L, Fischer K. Heterozygosity is low where rare color variants in wild carnivores prevail. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10881. [PMID: 38327687 PMCID: PMC10847885 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Coat color and pattern are a distinguished feature in mammalian carnivores, shaped by climatic cycles and habitat type. It can be expressed in various ways, such as gradients, polymorphisms, and rare color variants. Although natural selection explains much of the phenotypic variation found in the wild, genetic drift and heterozygote deficiency, as prominent in small and fragmented populations, may also affect phenotypic variability through the fixation of recessive alleles. The aim of this study was to test whether rare color variants in the wild could relate to a deficiency of heterozygotes, resulting from habitat fragmentation and small population size. We present an overview of all rare color variants in the order Carnivora, and compiled demographic and genetic data of the populations where they did and did not occur, to test for significant correlations. We also tested how phylogeny and body weight influenced the presence of color variants with phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models (PGLMMs). We found 40 color-variable species and 59 rare color variants. In 17 variable phenotypic populations for which genetic diversity was available, the average A R was 4.18, H O = 0.59, and H E = 0.66, and F IS = 0.086. We found that variable populations displayed a significant reduction in heterozygosity and allelic richness compared to non-variable populations across species. We also found a significant negative correlation between population size and inbreeding coefficients. Therefore, it is possible that small effective size had phenotypic consequences on the extant populations. The high frequency of the rare color variants (averaging 20%) also implies that genetic drift is locally overruling natural selection in small effective populations. As such, rare color variants could be added to the list of phenotypic consequences of inbreeding in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tensen
- Zoology, Institute for Integrated Natural SciencesKoblenz UniversityKoblenzGermany
- Department of Zoology, Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife ConservationUniversity of JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Klaus Fischer
- Zoology, Institute for Integrated Natural SciencesKoblenz UniversityKoblenzGermany
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2
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McDiarmid CS, Finch F, Peso M, van Rooij E, Hooper DM, Rowe M, Griffith SC. Experimentally testing mate preference in an avian system with unidirectional bill color introgression. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9812. [PMID: 36825134 PMCID: PMC9942114 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating behavior can play a key role in speciation by inhibiting or facilitating gene flow between closely related taxa. Hybrid zones facilitate a direct examination of mating behavior and the traits involved in establishing species barriers. The long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda) has two hybridizing subspecies that differ in bill color (red and yellow), and the yellow bill phenotype appears to have introgressed ~350 km eastward following secondary contact. To examine the role of mate choice on bill color introgression, we performed behavioral assays using natural and manipulated bill colors. We found an assortative female mating preference for males of their own subspecies when bill color was not manipulated. However, we did not find this assortative preference in trials based on artificially manipulated bill color. This could suggest that assortative preference is not fixed entirely on bill color and instead may be based on a different trait (e.g., song) or a combination of traits, or alternatively may be due to lower statistical power alongside the bill manipulations being unconvincing to the female choosers. Intriguingly, we find a bias in the inheritance of bill color in captive bred F1 hybrid females. Previous modeling suggests that assortative mate preference and this kind of partial dominance in the underlying genes may together contribute to introgression, making the genetic architecture of bill color in this system a priority for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum S. McDiarmid
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Fiona Finch
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Marianne Peso
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Erica van Rooij
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Daniel M. Hooper
- Department of Biological SciencesColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Institute for Comparative GenomicsAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Melissah Rowe
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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3
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De Pasqual C, Suisto K, Kirvesoja J, Gordon S, Ketola T, Mappes J. Heterozygote advantage and pleiotropy contribute to intraspecific color trait variability. Evolution 2022; 76:2389-2403. [PMID: 35984008 PMCID: PMC9805086 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of intrapopulation phenotypic variation typically requires some form of balancing selection because drift and directional selection eventually erode genetic variation. Heterozygote advantage remains a classic explanation for the maintenance of genetic variation in the face of selection. However, examples of heterozygote advantage, other than those associated with disease resistance, are rather uncommon. Across most of its distribution, males of the aposematic moth Arctia plantaginis have two hindwing phenotypes determined by a heritable one locus-two allele polymorphism (genotypes: WW/Wy = white morph, yy = yellow morph). Using genotyped moths, we show that the presence of one or two copies of the yellow allele affects several life-history traits. Reproductive output of both males and females and female mating success are negatively affected by two copies of the yellow allele. Females carrying one yellow allele (i.e., Wy) have higher fertility, hatching success, and offspring survival than either homozygote, thus leading to strong heterozygote advantage. Our results indicate strong female contribution especially at the postcopulatory stage in maintaining the color polymorphism. The interplay between heterozygote advantage, yellow allele pleiotropic effect, and morph-specific predation pressure may exert balancing selection on the color locus, suggesting that color polymorphism may be maintained through complex interactions between natural and sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Pasqual
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research ProgramUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki00014Finland
| | - Kaisa Suisto
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä40014Finland
| | - Jimi Kirvesoja
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä40014Finland
| | - Swanne Gordon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew York14853
| | - Tarmo Ketola
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä40014Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research ProgramUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki00014Finland
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4
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Abalos J, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Bartolomé A, Aubret F, Uller T, Font E. Viability, behavior, and color expression in the offspring of matings between common wall lizard Podarcis muralis color morphs. Curr Zool 2022; 68:41-55. [PMID: 35169628 PMCID: PMC8836344 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphisms are widely studied to identify the mechanisms responsible for the origin and maintenance of phenotypic variability in nature. Two of the mechanisms of balancing selection currently thought to explain the long-term persistence of polymorphisms are the evolution of alternative phenotypic optima through correlational selection on suites of traits including color and heterosis. Both of these mechanisms can generate differences in offspring viability and fitness arising from different morph combinations. Here, we examined the effect of parental morph combination on fertilization success, embryonic viability, newborn quality, antipredator, and foraging behavior, as well as inter-annual survival by conducting controlled matings in a polymorphic lacertid Podarcis muralis, where color morphs are frequently assumed to reflect alternative phenotypic optima (e.g., alternative reproductive strategies). Juveniles were kept in outdoor tubs for a year in order to study inter-annual growth, survival, and morph inheritance. In agreement with a previous genome-wide association analysis, morph frequencies in the year-old juveniles matched the frequencies expected if orange and yellow expressions depended on recessive homozygosity at 2 separate loci. Our findings also agree with previous literature reporting higher reproductive output of heavy females and the higher overall viability of heavy newborn lizards, but we found no evidence for the existence of alternative breeding investment strategies in female morphs, or morph-combination effects on offspring viability and behavior. We conclude that inter-morph breeding remains entirely viable and genetic incompatibilities are of little significance for the maintenance of discrete color morphs in P. muralis from the Pyrenees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Abalos
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alicia Bartolomé
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fabien Aubret
- SETE, Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UPR2001, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Enrique Font
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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5
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Brock KM, McTavish EJ, Edwards DL. Color Polymorphism is a Driver of Diversification in the Lizard Family Lacertidae. Syst Biol 2021; 71:24-39. [PMID: 34146110 PMCID: PMC8677543 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphism-two or more heritable color phenotypes maintained within a single breeding population-is an extreme type of intraspecific diversity widespread across the tree of life. Color polymorphism is hypothesized to be an engine for speciation, where morph loss or divergence between distinct color morphs within a species results in the rapid evolution of new lineages, and thus, color polymorphic lineages are expected to display elevated diversification rates. Multiple species in the lizard family Lacertidae are color polymorphic, making them an ideal group to investigate the evolutionary history of this trait and its influence on macroevolution. Here, we produce a comprehensive species-level phylogeny of the lizard family Lacertidae to reconstruct the evolutionary history of color polymorphism and test if color polymorphism has been a driver of diversification. Accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty with multiple phylogenies and simulation studies, we estimate an ancient origin of color polymorphism (111 Ma) within the Lacertini tribe (subfamily Lacertinae). Color polymorphism most likely evolved few times in the Lacertidae and has been lost at a much faster rate than gained. Evolutionary transitions to color polymorphism are associated with shifts in increased net diversification rate in this family of lizards. Taken together, our empirical results support long-standing theoretical expectations that color polymorphism is a driver of diversification.[Color polymorphism; Lacertidae; state-dependent speciation extinction models; trait-dependent diversification.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced 5400 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95340 USA
- Quantitative & Systems Biology Graduate Group, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced 5400 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95340 USA
| | - Emily Jane McTavish
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced 5400 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95340 USA
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced 5400 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95340 USA
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6
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Cain KE, Griffith SC, Kruuk LEB. Sex and morph differences in age-dependent trait changes in a polymorphic songbird. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1691-1703. [PMID: 34528324 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13930] [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: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence of important variation in how animals age, in particular in how the expression of traits changes with age among different species and populations. However, less is known about variation within populations, which may include variation in ageing patterns between different types of individuals (e.g. sexes or distinct polymorphisms) and between different types of traits (e.g. general traits versus those used in social signalling contexts). We used 6 years of longitudinal data to examine age-related changes in trait expression in a captive population of Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae), a socially monogamous songbird with genetically determined colour morphs that differ in behaviour and physiology. We contrasted ageing patterns of different types of traits (social signalling vs. size-related) in both sexes and in two colour morphs, using a mixed model approach to account for both within- and between-individual effects. We found pronounced sex differences in how social signalling traits change with age, showing a quadratic pattern in males, but not changing with age in females. In contrast, we observed no sex-specific ageing patterns in size traits. We also found subtle morph differences in how size-related traits changed with age, with black morphs stable or increasing with age while red morphs showing a decline with age. Finally, we found an interesting sex by morph interaction in one important social signal (headband width). These results highlight the importance of using within-individual approaches to understand ageing patterns across types of individuals (sex, morph, etc.) and the need for further research on the ageing patterns of traits that may experience different selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristal E Cain
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,School of Biological Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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7
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Caro SP, Pierre L, Bergès M, Bakker R, Doutrelant C, Bonadonna F. Mutual mate preferences and assortative mating in relation to a carotenoid-based color trait in blue tits. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Choosing an appropriate sexual partner is a critical decision for many animal species. However, many mechanisms involved in mate choice are still poorly understood. Do both males and females choose their sexual partners, do both sexes use the same criteria for choosing, and do their own phenotype influence the choices they make, are questions that need further investigation. Over two successive experiments conducted in captivity with hand-reared blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we manipulated the color of the chest plumage, a secondary sexual trait that reflects an individual’s condition, to create two different color morphs (one pale and one colored). We then tested whether both sexes express a preference, whether they are attracted to the same morphs, and if the subjects’ own chest color influences the preference they show. Our data reveal that both sexes are choosy, with females tending to be slightly choosier than males. We also show that both sexes preferentially select individuals with a pale chest plumage over colorful individuals, and this was again more pronounced in females. Finally, paler individuals tend to be selected by birds that are themselves pale, even if this phenotype matching was not very robust. Such a preference for paler individuals is intriguing because mates are predicted to associate with individuals displaying higher, not lower, value of quality signals. It could result from adaptive mechanisms related to avoidance of aggressiveness in a confined environment, avoidance of conflicting sexual signals within individuals, or from cultural mechanisms leading to a preference for individuals that match its own phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Léo Pierre
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Matthieu Bergès
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Raldi Bakker
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Science, Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
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8
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Jablonszky M, Zsebők S, Laczi M, Nagy G, Vaskuti É, Garamszegi LZ. The effect of social environment on bird song: listener-specific expression of a sexual signal. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:395-406. [PMID: 34899049 PMCID: PMC8653761 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal signals should consistently differ among individuals to convey distinguishable information about the signalers. However, behavioral display signals, such as bird song are also loaded with considerable within-individual variance with mostly unknown function. We hypothesized that the immediate social environment may play a role in mediating such variance component, and investigated in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) if the identity and quality of listeners could affect song production in signalers. After presenting territorial males with either a female or male social stimulus, we found in the subsequent song recordings that the among-stimulus effects corresponded to non-zero variance components in several acoustic traits indicating that singing males are able to plastically adjust their songs according to stimulus identity. Male and female stimuli elicited different responses as the identity of the female stimuli affected song complexity only, while the identity of male stimuli altered also song length, maximum frequency, and song rate. The stimulus-specific effect on song in some cases decreased with time, being particularly detectable right after the removal of the stimulus and ceasing later, but this pattern varied across the sex of the stimulus and the song traits. We were able to identify factors that can explain the among-stimulus effects (e.g., size and quality of the stimuli) with roles that also varied among song traits. Our results confirm that the variable social environment can raise considerable variation in song performance, highlighting that within-individual plasticity of bird song can play important roles in sexual signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónika Jablonszky
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological
Research, Alkotmány u. 2–4, 2163
Vácrátót, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and
Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University,
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Zsebők
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological
Research, Alkotmány u. 2–4, 2163
Vácrátót, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and
Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University,
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and
Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University,
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8,
8744 Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological
Research, Alkotmány u. 2–4, 2163
Vácrátót, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and
Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University,
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Vaskuti
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and
Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University,
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological
Research, Alkotmány u. 2–4, 2163
Vácrátót, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group,
Institute of Physics, Eötvös Loránd
University, Pázmány Péter
sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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Grieves LA, Bottini CLJ, Branfireun BA, Bernards MA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, MacDougall-Shackleton EA. Food stress, but not experimental exposure to mercury, affects songbird preen oil composition. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:275-285. [PMID: 32036507 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02171-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant and potent neurotoxic metal. Its most toxic and bioavailable form, methylmercury, can have both lethal and sublethal effects on wildlife. In birds, methylmercury exposure can disrupt behavior, hormones, the neuroendocrine system, and feather integrity. Lipid-rich tissues and secretions may be particularly susceptible to disruption by lipophilic contaminants such as methylmercury. One such substance is feather preen oil, a waxy secretion of the uropygial gland that serves multiple functions including feather maintenance, anti-parasitic defense, and chemical signaling. If methylmercury exposure alters preen oil composition, it could have cascading effects on feather quality, susceptibility to ectoparasites, and mate choice and other social behaviors. We investigated whether exposure to methylmercury, either alone or in association with other stressors, affects preen oil chemical composition. We used a two-factor design to expose adult song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to an environmentally relevant dietary dose of methylmercury and/or to another stressor (unpredictable food supply) for eight weeks. The wax ester composition of preen oil changed significantly over the 8-week experimental period. This change was more pronounced in the unpredictable food treatment, regardless of dietary methylmercury. Contrary to our prediction, we found no main effect of methylmercury exposure on preen oil composition, nor did methylmercury interact with unpredictable food supply in predicting the magnitude of chemical shifts in preen oil. While it remains critical to study sublethal effects of methylmercury on wildlife, our findings suggest that the wax ester composition of preen oil is robust to environmentally relevant doses of this contaminant.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Grieves
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - C L J Bottini
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - B A Branfireun
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - M A Bernards
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - S A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - E A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
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10
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Borghezan EDA, Pinto KDS, Zuanon J, Pires THDS. Someone like me: Size-assortative pairing and mating in an Amazonian fish, sailfin tetra Crenuchus spilurus. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222880. [PMID: 31560725 PMCID: PMC6764797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of constraints, preference for larger mates is expected to evolve, as larger individuals are typical of higher potential fitness. Large females are often more fecund and carry larger eggs (which result in higher number and better quality of offspring), whereas large males usually have more conspicuous ornaments and are better at defending resources. However, intrasexual competition can constrain the access to larger partners, especially when opportunities for mate takeover abound. Here we investigate the relationship between individual’s size and mate choice in relation to one’s own size and their respective mate’s size using the sailfin tetra, a sexually dimorphic Amazonian fish species. We show that ornaments of larger males are exponentially more conspicuous, and larger females are more fecund and carry larger eggs. Contrary to expectation, neither males nor females associated for longer with the larger of two offered potential mates. Instead, individuals of both genders chose opposite-sex individuals of similar sizes to themselves. Additionally, similar-sized pairs were more likely to spawn than couples with higher size asymmetries. Grounded on field observations, we propose that prudent choice should be particularly important in this system, since courtship is long (often taking several days), which offers opportunities for mate takeover. Intrasexual competition, however, cannot readily explain female choice for similar-sized males. We thus suggest that such preference might be best explained by avoidance of filial cannibalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elio de Almeida Borghezan
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Evolução, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, Manaus, AM, Brazil.,Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kalebe da Silva Pinto
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Evolução, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Jansen Zuanon
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Evolução, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Tiago Henrique da Silva Pires
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Evolução, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, Manaus, AM, Brazil
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11
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The relative importance of body size and UV coloration in influencing male-male competition in a lacertid lizard. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2710-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Roeder DV, Husak MS, Murphy MT, Patten MA. Size, ornamentation, and flight feather morphology promote within-pair paternity in a sexually dimorphic passerine. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2704-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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13
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Gangoso L, Figuerola J. Breeding success but not mate choice is phenotype- and context-dependent in a color polymorphic raptor. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:763-769. [PMID: 31210721 PMCID: PMC6562304 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Morph-specific mate choice has been proposed as one of the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of variation in color polymorphic systems. Coloration usually covaries with other phenotypic traits affecting life history and thus is often used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we assess whether mating patterns, natal dispersal, and breeding output are phenotype-dependent in the color polymorphic Eleonora's falcon. We used a long-term dataset of 946 individually ringed adult falcons that included 109 individuals monitored from birth up to recruitment into the breeding population. Overall, patterns of mate choice with regard to coloration were neither assortative nor disassortative. Natal dispersal distance was greater in females but was not associated with coloration. Breeding success was both morph-dependent and context-dependent. Although clutch size was similar in differently colored pairs, differences arose in the number of chicks that fledge. In some years, dark males raised more offspring, regardless of female color morph. Differences in the breeding tactics between male morphs could be associated with intraspecific predation and may thus contribute to the observed differences in breeding output, especially when food availability is low. This suggests that mating patterns may interact with other factors and give rise to the observed higher breeding output of dark males only under certain environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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14
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Kim KW, Jackson BC, Zhang H, Toews DPL, Taylor SA, Greig EI, Lovette IJ, Liu MM, Davison A, Griffith SC, Zeng K, Burke T. Genetics and evidence for balancing selection of a sex-linked colour polymorphism in a songbird. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1852. [PMID: 31015412 PMCID: PMC6478913 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09806-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphisms play a key role in sexual selection and speciation, yet the mechanisms that generate and maintain them are not fully understood. Here, we use genomic and transcriptomic tools to identify the precise genetic architecture and evolutionary history of a sex-linked colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch Erythrura gouldiae that is also accompanied by remarkable differences in behaviour and physiology. We find that differences in colour are associated with an ~72-kbp region of the Z chromosome in a putative regulatory region for follistatin, an antagonist of the TGF-β superfamily genes. The region is highly differentiated between morphs, unlike the rest of the genome, yet we find no evidence that an inversion is involved in maintaining the distinct haplotypes. Coalescent simulations confirm that there is elevated nucleotide diversity and an excess of intermediate frequency alleles at this locus. We conclude that this pleiotropic colour polymorphism is most probably maintained by balancing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Wook Kim
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Benjamin C Jackson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Hanyuan Zhang
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - David P L Toews
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Scott A Taylor
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Emma I Greig
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Irby J Lovette
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Mengning M Liu
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK
| | - Angus Davison
- School of Biology, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kai Zeng
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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15
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Sexual selection predicts the rate and direction of colour divergence in a large avian radiation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1773. [PMID: 30992444 PMCID: PMC6467902 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09859-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is proposed to be a powerful driver of phenotypic evolution in animal systems. At macroevolutionary scales, sexual selection can theoretically drive both the rate and direction of phenotypic evolution, but this hypothesis remains contentious. Here, we find that differences in the rate and direction of plumage colour evolution are predicted by a proxy for sexual selection intensity (plumage dichromatism) in a large radiation of suboscine passerine birds (Tyrannida). We show that rates of plumage evolution are correlated between the sexes, but that sexual selection has a strong positive effect on male, but not female, interspecific divergence rates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that rapid male plumage divergence is biased towards carotenoid-based (red/yellow) colours widely assumed to represent honest sexual signals. Our results highlight the central role of sexual selection in driving avian colour divergence, and reveal the existence of convergent evolutionary responses of animal signalling traits under sexual selection. What factors explain variation in the pace and trajectory of evolutionary divergence between lineages? Here, the authors show that a proxy measure for sexual selection intensity predicts both the rate and direction of plumage colour evolution in a diverse radiation of New World passerine birds.
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16
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Fragueira R, Verhulst S, Beaulieu M. Morph- and sex-specific effects of challenging conditions on maintenance parameters in the Gouldian finch. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb196030. [PMID: 30846534 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.196030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific discrete polymorphism is associated with the use of alternative life-history strategies, reflected by distinct reproductive or copying strategies in individuals of different morphs. Yet, morph-specific costs and benefits related to different life-history strategies remain unclear. Here, we examined in the polymorphic Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) whether markers of somatic maintenance (body mass, oxidative status and telomere length) differed between red- and black-headed birds under energetically demanding conditions (during heatwaves of different intensity, and during moult or breeding following heatwaves). During heatwaves, red-headed birds showed a homogeneous response, as males and females initially tended to gain mass and had reduced plasma hydroperoxide levels (a marker of oxidative damage) irrespective of heatwave intensity. In contrast, black-headed birds showed a stronger and more heterogeneous response, as black-headed males gained mass at the beginning of the thermoneutral heatwave and showed stable oxidative status, whereas black-headed females lost mass and tended to show higher hydroperoxide levels at the end of the thermocritical heatwave. Following heatwaves, we found morph-specific oxidative costs owing to moult or reproduction, with oxidative markers varying only in black-headed birds. Again, oxidative markers varied differently in black-headed males and females, as plasma antioxidant capacity decreased in moulting or breeding females, whereas males showed higher hydroperoxide levels with larger broods. For the first time, our study highlights that within polymorphic species, some individuals appear more vulnerable than others when coping with energetically demanding conditions. In the context of climate change, such differential effects may ultimately alter the currently observed balance between morphs and sexes within natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Fragueira
- Department of Animal Ecology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michaël Beaulieu
- Department of Animal Ecology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Science Department, German Oceanographic Museum, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
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17
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Kimmitt AA, Dietz SL, Reichard DG, Ketterson ED. Male courtship preference during seasonal sympatry may maintain population divergence. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11833-11841. [PMID: 30598780 PMCID: PMC6303717 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal migration can lead to a population distribution known as seasonal sympatry, in which closely-related migrant and resident populations of the same species co-occur in sympatry during part of the year, but are otherwise allopatric. During seasonal sympatry in early spring, residents may initiate reproduction before migrants depart, presenting an opportunity for gene flow. Differences in reproductive timing between migrant and resident populations may favor residents that exhibit preferences for potential mates of similar migratory behavior and reproductive timing, thus maintaining population divergence. We studied dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), a songbird that exhibits seasonal sympatry. We conducted simulated courtship interactions in which we presented free-living resident males with either a caged migrant or resident female and quantified courtship behavior prior to the departure of the migrants. We found that resident males preferred to court resident females: they sang more short-range songs and exhibited more visual displays associated with courtship when presented with resident females. We conclude that males distinguish between migrant and resident females during seasonal sympatry when the risk of interacting with non-reproductive, migrant females is high. Male mate choice in seasonal sympatry is likely adaptive for male reproductive success. As a secondary effect, male mating preference could act to maintain or promote divergence between populations that differ in migratory strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha L. Dietz
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth Carolina
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFlorida
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18
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Uy JAC, Irwin DE, Webster MS. Behavioral Isolation and Incipient Speciation in Birds. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110617-062646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral changes, such as those involved in mating, foraging, and migration, can generate reproductive barriers between populations. Birds, in particular, are known for their great diversity in these behaviors, and so behavioral isolation is often proposed to be the major driver of speciation. Here, we review empirical evidence to evaluate the importance of behavioral isolation in the early stages of avian speciation. Experimentally measured mating preferences indicate that changes in mating behavior can result in premating barriers, with their strength depending on the extent of divergence in mating signals. Differences in migratory and foraging behavior also can play important roles in generating reproductive barriers in the early stages of speciation. However, because premating behavioral isolation is imperfect, extrinsic postzygotic barriers, in the form of selection against hybrids having intermediate phenotypes, also play an important role in avian diversification, especially in completing the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Albert C. Uy
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Darren E. Irwin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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19
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Toomey MB, Marques CI, Andrade P, Araújo PM, Sabatino S, Gazda MA, Afonso S, Lopes RJ, Corbo JC, Carneiro M. A non-coding region near Follistatin controls head colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181788. [PMID: 30282656 PMCID: PMC6191701 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrete colour morphs coexisting within a single population are common in nature. In a broad range of organisms, sympatric colour morphs often display major differences in other traits, including morphology, physiology or behaviour. Despite the repeated occurrence of this phenomenon, our understanding of the genetics that underlie multi-trait differences and the factors that promote the long-term maintenance of phenotypic variability within a freely interbreeding population are incomplete. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a classic polymorphic system in which naturally occurring colour morphs also display differences in aggressivity and reproductive success. We show that the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene. Unlike recent findings in other systems where phenotypic morphs are explained by large inversions containing hundreds of genes (so-called supergenes), we did not identify any structural rearrangements between the two haplotypes using linked-read sequencing technology. Nucleotide divergence between the red and black alleles was high when compared to the remainder of the Z chromosome, consistent with their maintenance as balanced polymorphisms over several million years. Our results illustrate how pleiotropic phenotypes can arise from simple genetic variation, probably regulatory in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cristiana I Marques
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro M Araújo
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Stephen Sabatino
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Małgorzata A Gazda
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J Lopes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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20
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Jaworski KE, Lattanzio MS, Hickerson CM, Anthony CD. Male mate preference as an agent of fecundity selection in a polymorphic salamander. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8750-8760. [PMID: 30271542 PMCID: PMC6157696 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color-trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus. We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles relative to unstriped males. Specifically, we evaluated (a) whether striped males preferentially associate with females with respect to her dorsum color, size, and body condition and (b) if so, whether female traits are evaluated via visual or chemical cues. We also considered whether the frequency of another male social behavior, nose taps, was associated with mate preferences. We found that striped male P. cinereus nose tapped more often to preferred females. However, males only assessed potential mates via chemical cues, preferring larger females overall. Reproductive phenology data on a sample of gravid females drawn from the same population indicated that the color morphs do not differ in reproductive traits, but larger females have greater fecundity. Given our findings, we conclude that female P. cinereus are under fecundity selection, mediated by male preference. In this manner, male mating behavior contributes to observations of nonrandom mate associations in this population of P. cinereus.
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21
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Phenotype-dependent mate choice and the influence of mixed-morph lineage on the reproductive success of a polymorphic and aposematic moth. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9944-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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22
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Dresp-Langley B, Reeves A. Colour for Behavioural Success. Iperception 2018; 9:2041669518767171. [PMID: 29770183 PMCID: PMC5946649 DOI: 10.1177/2041669518767171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour information not only helps sustain the survival of animal species by guiding sexual selection and foraging behaviour but also is an important factor in the cultural and technological development of our own species. This is illustrated by examples from the visual arts and from state-of-the-art imaging technology, where the strategic use of colour has become a powerful tool for guiding the planning and execution of interventional procedures. The functional role of colour information in terms of its potential benefits to behavioural success across the species is addressed in the introduction here to clarify why colour perception may have evolved to generate behavioural success. It is argued that evolutionary and environmental pressures influence not only colour trait production in the different species but also their ability to process and exploit colour information for goal-specific purposes. We then leap straight to the human primate with insight from current research on the facilitating role of colour cues on performance training with precision technology for image-guided surgical planning and intervention. It is shown that local colour cues in two-dimensional images generated by a surgical fisheye camera help individuals become more precise rapidly across a limited number of trial sets in simulator training for specific manual gestures with a tool. This facilitating effect of a local colour cue on performance evolution in a video-controlled simulator (pick-and-place) task can be explained in terms of colour-based figure-ground segregation facilitating attention to local image parts when more than two layers of subjective surface depth are present, as in all natural and surgical images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitta Dresp-Langley
- ICube UMR 7357, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Strasbourg, France
| | - Adam Reeves
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Krohmaly KI, Martin ZW, Lattanzio MS. Male mate choice and the potential for complex mating dynamics in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus). Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kylie I. Krohmaly
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology; Christopher Newport University; Newport News VA USA
| | - Zachary W. Martin
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology; Christopher Newport University; Newport News VA USA
| | - Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology; Christopher Newport University; Newport News VA USA
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24
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Grunst ML, Grunst AS, Formica VA, Gonser RA, Tuttle EM. Multiple signaling functions of song in a polymorphic species with alternative reproductive strategies. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1369-1383. [PMID: 29375804 PMCID: PMC5773301 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal traits can be sexually selected to reflect male quality, but may also evolve to serve additional signaling functions. We used a long-term dataset to examine the signaling potential of song in dimorphic white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). We investigated whether song conveys multifaceted information about the vocalizing individual, including fitness, species identity, individual identity, and morph. We also evaluated whether song traits correlate differently with fitness in the two morphs, as the more promiscuous strategy of white, relative to tan, morph males might impose stronger sexual selection. Males with high song rates achieved higher lifetime reproductive success, and this pattern was driven by white morph males. In addition, males that sang songs with many notes survived longer, but this pattern was less robust. Thus, song traits reflect differences in fitness and may more strongly affect fitness in the white morph. Song frequency was unrelated to fitness, body size, or morph, but was individual specific and could signal individual identity. Songs of the two morphs displayed similar frequency ratios and bandwidths. However, tan morph males sang songs with longer first notes, fewer notes, and higher variability. Thus, song could be used in morph discrimination. Variation in frequency ratios between notes was low and could function in conspecific recognition, but pitch change dynamics did differ between four different song types observed. Our results support a multiple messages model for white-throated sparrow song, in which different song traits communicate discrete information about the vocalizing individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | | | - Rusty A Gonser
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
| | - Elaina M Tuttle
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
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25
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Stern CA, Servedio MR. Evolution of a mating preference for a dual-utility trait used in intrasexual competition in genetically monogamous populations. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:8008-8016. [PMID: 29043052 PMCID: PMC5632625 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The selection pressures by which mating preferences for ornamental traits can evolve in genetically monogamous mating systems remain understudied. Empirical evidence from several taxa supports the prevalence of dual-utility traits, defined as traits used both as armaments in intersexual selection and ornaments in intrasexual selection, as well as the importance of intrasexual resource competition for the evolution of female ornamentation. Here, we study whether mating preferences for traits used in intrasexual resource competition can evolve under genetic monogamy. We find that a mating preference for a competitive trait can evolve and affect the evolution of the trait. The preference is more likely to persist when the fecundity benefit for mates of successful competitors is large and the aversion to unornamented potential mates is strong. The preference can persist for long periods or potentially permanently even when it incurs slight costs. Our results suggest that, when females use ornaments as signals in intrasexual resource competition, males can evolve mating preferences for those ornaments, illuminating both the evolution of female ornamentation and the evolution of male preferences for female ornaments in monogamous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Stern
- Department of BiologyCB 3280 Coker HallUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNCUSA
- Present address:
Caitlin A. Stern, Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeNMUSA
- Present address:
Interacting Minds CentreAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Maria R. Servedio
- Department of BiologyCB 3280 Coker HallUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNCUSA
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26
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Rathbun NA, Hubbard JK, Safran RJ, Gonser RA, Tuttle EM. Disruptive selection on plumage coloration across genetically determined morphs. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Bolton PE, Rollins LA, Brazill-Boast J, Kim KW, Burke T, Griffith SC. The colour of paternity: extra-pair paternity in the wild Gouldian finch does not appear to be driven by genetic incompatibility between morphs. J Evol Biol 2016; 30:174-190. [PMID: 27758066 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In socially monogamous species, individuals can use extra-pair paternity and offspring sex allocation as adaptive strategies to ameliorate costs of genetic incompatibility with their partner. Previous studies on domesticated Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) demonstrated a genetic incompatibility between head colour morphs, the effects of which are more severe in female offspring. Domesticated females use differential sex allocation, and extra-pair paternity with males of compatible head colour, to reduce fitness costs associated with incompatibility in mixed-morph pairings. However, laboratory studies are an oversimplification of the complex ecological factors experienced in the wild and may only reflect the biology of a domesticated species. This study aimed to examine the patterns of parentage and sex ratio bias with respect to colour pairing combinations in a wild population of the Gouldian finch. We utilized a novel PCR assay that allowed us to genotype the morph of offspring before the morph phenotype develops and to explore bias in morph paternity and selection at the nest. Contrary to previous findings in the laboratory, we found no effect of pairing combinations on patterns of extra-pair paternity, offspring sex ratio or selection on morphs in nestlings. In the wild, the effect of morph incompatibility is likely much smaller, or absent, than was observed in the domesticated birds. Furthermore, the previously studied domesticated population is genetically differentiated from the wild population, consistent with the effects of domestication. It is possible that the domestication process fostered the emergence (or enhancement) of incompatibility between colour morphs previously demonstrated in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- P E Bolton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - L A Rollins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - J Brazill-Boast
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - K-W Kim
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Courtiol A, Etienne L, Feron R, Godelle B, Rousset F. The Evolution of Mutual Mate Choice under Direct Benefits. Am Nat 2016; 188:521-538. [PMID: 27788341 DOI: 10.1086/688658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In nature, the intensity of mate choice (i.e., choosiness) is highly variable within and between sexes. Despite growing empirical evidence of male and/or mutual mate choice, theoretical investigations of the joint evolution of female and male choosiness are few. In addition, previous approaches have often assumed an absence of trade-off between the direct benefits per mating and the lower mating rate that results from being choosy. Here we model the joint evolution of female and male choosiness when it is solely ruled by this fundamental trade-off. We show that this trade-off can generate a diversity of stable combinations of choosiness. Mutual mate choice can evolve only if both females and males exhibit long latency after mating. Furthermore, we show that an increase in choosiness in one sex does not necessarily prevent the evolution of mutual mate choice; the outcome depends on details shaping the trade-off: the life history, the decision rule for mate choice, and how the fecundity of a pair is shaped by the quality of both individuals. Last, we discuss the power of the sensitivity of the relative searching time (i.e., of the proportion of a lifetime spent searching for mates) as a predictor of the joint evolution of choosiness.
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Pérez i de Lanuza G, Font E, Carretero MÁ. Colour assortative pairing in a colour polymorphic lizard is independent of population morph diversity. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:82. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1407-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Freeman HD, Valuska AJ, Taylor RR, Ferrie GM, Grand AP, Leighty KA. Plumage variation and social partner choice in the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). Zoo Biol 2016; 35:409-414. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hani D. Freeman
- Disney's Animal Science and Environment; Lake Buena Vista FL
- New College of Florida; Sarasota FL
| | | | - Ryan R. Taylor
- Disney's Animal Science and Environment; Lake Buena Vista FL
| | - Gina M. Ferrie
- Disney's Animal Science and Environment; Lake Buena Vista FL
| | - Alison P. Grand
- Disney's Animal Science and Environment; Lake Buena Vista FL
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31
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Kim KW, Griffith SC, Burke T. Linkage mapping of a polymorphic plumage locus associated with intermorph incompatibility in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae). Heredity (Edinb) 2016; 116:409-16. [PMID: 26786066 PMCID: PMC4806697 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2015.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphism is known to facilitate speciation but the genetic basis of animal pigmentation and how colour polymorphisms contribute to speciation is poorly understood. Restricted recombination may promote linkage disequilibrium between the colour locus and incompatibility genes. Genomic rearrangement and the position of relevant loci within a chromosome are important factors that influence the frequency of recombination. Therefore, it is important to know the position of the colour locus, gene order and recombination landscape of the chromosome to understand the mechanism that generates incompatibilities between morphs. Recent studies showed remarkable pre- and postzygotic incompatibilities between sympatric colour morphs of the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), in which head feather colour is genetically determined by a single sex-linked locus, Red. We constructed a genetic map for the Z chromosome of the Gouldian finch (male-specific map distance=131 cM), using 618 captive-bred birds and 34 microsatellite markers, to investigate the extent of inter- and intraspecific genomic rearrangements and variation in recombination rate within the Z chromosome. We refined the location of the Red locus to a ~7.2-cM interval in a region with a moderate recombination rate but outside the least-recombining, putative centromeric region. There was no evidence of chromosome-wide genomic rearrangements between the chromosomes carrying the red or black alleles with the current marker resolution. This work will contribute to identifying the causal gene, which will in turn enable alternative explanations for the association between incompatibility and colouration, such as fine-scale linkage disequilibrium, genomic rearrangements and pleiotropy, to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- K-W Kim
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - T Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Lehnert SJ, Pitcher TE, Devlin RH, Heath DD. Red and white Chinook salmon: genetic divergence and mate choice. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1259-74. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Lehnert
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Trevor E. Pitcher
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Robert H. Devlin
- Center for Aquaculture and Environmental Research, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; 4160 Marine Drive West Vancouver BC V7V 1N6 Canada
| | - Daniel D. Heath
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
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33
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Painting CJ, Probert AF, Townsend DJ, Holwell GI. Multiple exaggerated weapon morphs: a novel form of male polymorphism in harvestmen. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16368. [PMID: 26542456 PMCID: PMC4635406 DOI: 10.1038/srep16368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative reproductive tactics in animals are commonly associated with distinct male phenotypes resulting in polymorphism of sexually selected weapons such as horns and spines. Typically, morphs are divided between small (unarmed) and large (armed) males according to one or more developmental thresholds in association with body size. Here, we describe remarkable weapon trimorphism within a single species, where two exaggerated weapon morphs and a third morph with reduced weaponry are present. Male Pantopsalis cheliferoides harvestmen display exaggerated chelicerae (jaws) which are highly variable in length among individuals. Across the same body size spectrum, however, some males belong to a distinct second exaggerated morph which possesses short, broad chelicerae. Multiple weapon morphs in a single species is a previously unknown phenomenon and our findings have significant implications for understanding weapon diversity and maintenance of polymorphism. Specifically, this species will be a valuable model for testing how weapons diverge by being able to test directly for the circumstances under which a certain weapon type is favoured and how weapon shape relates to performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Painting
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Anna F Probert
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Daniel J Townsend
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Gregory I Holwell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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34
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Pérez i de Lanuza G, Font E. Differences in conspicuousness between alternative color morphs in a polychromatic lizard. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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36
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Size dependence of courtship effort may promote male choice and strong assortative mating in soldier beetles. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1900-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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37
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Sefc KM, Hermann CM, Steinwender B, Brindl H, Zimmermann H, Mattersdorfer K, Postl L, Makasa L, Sturmbauer C, Koblmüller S. Asymmetric dominance and asymmetric mate choice oppose premating isolation after allopatric divergence. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1549-62. [PMID: 25937900 PMCID: PMC4409405 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating promotes reproductive isolation and allows allopatric speciation processes to continue in secondary contact. As mating patterns are determined by mate preferences and intrasexual competition, we investigated male–male competition and behavioral isolation in simulated secondary contact among allopatric populations. Three allopatric color morphs of the cichlid fish Tropheus were tested against each other. Dyadic male–male contests revealed dominance of red males over bluish and yellow-blotch males. Reproductive isolation in the presence of male–male competition was assessed from genetic parentage in experimental ponds and was highly asymmetric among pairs of color morphs. Red females mated only with red males, whereas the other females performed variable degrees of heteromorphic mating. Discrepancies between mating patterns in ponds and female preferences in a competition-free, two-way choice paradigm suggested that the dominance of red males interfered with positive assortative mating of females of the subordinate morphs and provoked asymmetric hybridization. Between the nonred morphs, a significant excess of negative assortative mating by yellow-blotch females with bluish males did not coincide with asymmetric dominance among males. Hence, both negative assortative mating preferences and interference of male–male competition with positive assortative preferences forestall premating isolation, the latter especially in environments unsupportive of competition-driven spatial segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Caroline M Hermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Bernd Steinwender
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Hanna Brindl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karin Mattersdorfer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisbeth Postl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lawrence Makasa
- Department of Fisheries, Lake Tanganyika Research Unit PO Box 55, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
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38
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Preference for male traits differ in two female morphs of the tree lizard, Urosaurus ornatus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101515. [PMID: 25033282 PMCID: PMC4102484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-random female mating preferences may contribute to the maintenance of phenotypic variation in color polymorphic species. However, the effect of female preference depends on the types of male traits used as signals by receptive females. If preference signals derive from discrete male traits (i.e., morph-specific), female preferences may rapidly fix to a morph. However, female preference signals may also include condition-dependent male traits. In this scenario, female preference may differ depending on the social context (i.e., male morph availability). Male tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) exhibit a dewlap color polymorphism that covaries with mating behavior. Blue morph males are aggressive and defend territories, yellow males are less aggressive and defend smaller territories, and orange males are typically nomadic. Female U. ornatus are also polymorphic in dewlap color, but the covariation between dewlap color and female behavior is unknown. We performed an experiment to determine how female mate choice depends on the visual and chemical signals produced by males. We also tested whether female morphs differ in their preferences for these signals. Female preferences involved both male dewlap color and size of the ventral color patch. However, the female morphs responded to these signals differently and depended on the choice between the types of male morphs. Our experiment revealed that females may be capable of distinguishing among the male morphs using chemical signals alone. Yellow females exhibit preferences based on both chemical and visual signals, which may be a strategy to avoid ultra-dominant males. In contrast, orange females may prefer dominant males. We conclude that female U. ornatus morphs differ in mating behavior. Our findings also provide evidence for a chemical polymorphism among male lizards in femoral pore secretions.
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Zanollo V, Griggio M, Robertson J, Kleindorfer S. Assortative Pairings in Diamond Firetails (Stagonopleura guttata) are not the Result of Mutual Mate Choice for an Ornament. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Zanollo
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide South Australia
| | - Matteo Griggio
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology; Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution; University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna; Vienna Austria
- Department of Biology; University of Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Jeremy Robertson
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide South Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide South Australia
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40
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Green KK, Svensson EI, Bergsten J, Härdling R, Hansson B. The interplay between local ecology, divergent selection, and genetic drift in population divergence of a sexually antagonistic female trait. Evolution 2014; 68:1934-46. [PMID: 24635214 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Genetically polymorphic species offer the possibility to study maintenance of genetic variation and the potential role for genetic drift in population divergence. Indirect inference of the selection regimes operating on polymorphic traits can be achieved by comparing population divergence in neutral genetic markers with population divergence in trait frequencies. Such an approach could further be combined with ecological data to better understand agents of selection. Here, we infer the selective regimes acting on a polymorphic mating trait in an insect group; the dorsal structures (either rough or smooth) of female diving beetles. Our recent work suggests that the rough structures have a sexually antagonistic function in reducing male mating attempts. For two species (Dytiscus lapponicus and Graphoderus zonatus), we could not reject genetic drift as an explanation for population divergence in morph frequencies, whereas for the third (Hygrotus impressopunctatus) we found that divergent selection pulls morph frequencies apart across populations. Furthermore, population morph frequencies in H. impressopunctatus were significantly related to local bioclimatic factors, providing an additional line of evidence for local adaptation in this species. These data, therefore, suggest that local ecological factors and sexual conflict interact over larger spatial scales to shape population divergence in the polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Karlsson Green
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden; Current Address: Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Pellitteri-Rosa D, Martín J, López P, Bellati A, Sacchi R, Fasola M, Galeotti P. Chemical polymorphism in male femoral gland secretions matches polymorphic coloration in common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). CHEMOECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-014-0148-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Lahaye SEP, Eens M, Darras VM, Pinxten R. Hot or not: the effects of exogenous testosterone on female attractiveness to male conspecifics in the budgerigar. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74005. [PMID: 23951365 PMCID: PMC3741142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies indicate that not only females but also males can be selective when choosing a mate. In species exhibiting male or mutual mate choice, females may benefit from being attractive. While male attractiveness is often positively influenced by higher plasma levels of the androgenic hormone testosterone, it has been shown that testosterone can masculinise female behavior and morphology in several bird species, potentially rendering them less attractive. In this study, we investigated whether female budgerigars, Melopsittacusundulatus, suffer from increased plasma testosterone levels through a negative effect on their attractiveness to males. We experimentally increased plasma testosterone levels in testosterone-treated females (T-females) compared to controls (C-females) and allowed males to choose between a T- and a C-female in a two-way choice situation. Although testosterone treatment significantly affected female behavioral and morphological characteristics, males did not show a significant difference in preference between T- and C-females. These results suggest that experimentally increasing testosterone levels in females does not appear to influence male preference during initial mate choice. Our findings indicate that selection for higher levels of testosterone in male budgerigars is probably not constrained by a correlated response to selection causing negative effects on female attractiveness during initial mate choice. Evaluating whether or not a potential constraint may arise from negative testosterone-induced effects on other fitness related traits in females requires further work.
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44
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Reptiles Produce Pheomelanin: Evidence in the Eastern Hermann's Tortoise (Eurotestudo boettgeri). J HERPETOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1670/12-028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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45
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Hamilton DG, Whiting MJ, Pryke SR. Fiery frills: carotenoid-based coloration predicts contest success in frillneck lizards. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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46
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Kahn AT, Dolstra T, Jennions MD, Backwell PR. Strategic male courtship effort varies in concert with adaptive shifts in female mating preferences. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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47
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Holman L, Kokko H. The consequences of polyandry for population viability, extinction risk and conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120053. [PMID: 23339244 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyandry, by elevating sexual conflict and selecting for reduced male care relative to monandry, may exacerbate the cost of sex and thereby seriously impact population fitness. On the other hand, polyandry has a number of possible population-level benefits over monandry, such as increased sexual selection leading to faster adaptation and a reduced mutation load. Here, we review existing information on how female fitness evolves under polyandry and how this influences population dynamics. In balance, it is far from clear whether polyandry has a net positive or negative effect on female fitness, but we also stress that its effects on individuals may not have visible demographic consequences. In populations that produce many more offspring than can possibly survive and breed, offspring gained or lost as a result of polyandry may not affect population size. Such ecological 'masking' of changes in population fitness could hide a response that only manifests under adverse environmental conditions (e.g. anthropogenic change). Surprisingly few studies have attempted to link mating system variation to population dynamics, and in general we urge researchers to consider the ecological consequences of evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
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48
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Zoppoth P, Koblmüller S, Sefc KM. Male courtship preferences demonstrate discrimination against allopatric colour morphs in a cichlid fish. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:577-86. [PMID: 23405907 PMCID: PMC3599476 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Whether premating isolation is achieved by male-specific, female-specific or sex-independent assortative preferences often depends on the underlying evolutionary processes. Here we test mate preferences of males presented with females of different allopatric colour variants of the cichlid fish Tropheus sp., a Lake Tanganyika endemic with rich geographical colour pattern variation, in which the strength of sexual isolation varies between populations. We conducted two-way mate choice experiments to compare behaviour of males of a red-bodied morph (population Moliro) towards females from their own population with behaviour towards females from four allopatric populations at different stages of phylogenetic and phenotypic divergence. Males courted same-population females significantly more intensely than females of other populations, and reduced their heteromorphic courtship efforts both with increasing genetic and increasing phenotypic distinctness of the females. In particular, females of a closely related red-bodied population received significantly more courtship than either genetically distinct, similarly coloured females (‘Kirschfleck’ morph) or genetically related, differently coloured females (‘yellow-blotch’ morph), both of which were courted similarly. Genetically and phenotypically distinct females (Tropheus polli) were not courted at all. Consistent with previous female-choice experiments, female courtship activity also decreased with increasing genetic distance from the males’ population. Given successful experimental and natural introgression between colour morphs and the pervasive allopatry of related variants, we consider it unlikely that assortative preferences of both sexes were driven by direct selection during periods of secondary contact or, in turn, drove colour pattern differentiation in allopatry. Rather, we suggest that sexual isolation evolved as by-product of allopatric divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Zoppoth
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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49
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Corl A, Lancaster LT, Sinervo B. Rapid Formation of Reproductive Isolation between Two Populations of Side-Blotched Lizards, Uta stansburiana. COPEIA 2012. [DOI: 10.1643/ch-11-166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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50
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Horton BM, Hauber ME, Maney DL. Morph matters: aggression bias in a polymorphic sparrow. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48705. [PMID: 23119092 PMCID: PMC3485354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In species with discrete morphs exhibiting alternative behavioral strategies, individuals may vary their aggressive behavior in competitive encounters according to the phenotype of their opponent. Such aggression bias has been documented in multiple polymorphic species evolving under negative frequency-dependent selection, but it has not been well-studied under other selection regimes. We investigated this phenomenon in white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), a passerine with plumage polychromatism maintained by disassortative mating. The two distinct color morphs differ with respect to reproductive strategy in that white-striped birds invest more in territorial aggression than tan-striped birds. Whether territorial aggression in this species is biased according to the morph of an intruder is less understood. We found that during peak territorial and mating activity, both color morphs and sexes can exhibit aggression bias, but whether they do so depends on the strategy (morph) of the intruder. During simulated territorial intrusions, resident white-striped males and tan-striped females, which represent the opposite ends of a continuum from high to low territorial aggression, altered their territorial responses according to intruder morph. Tan-striped males and white-striped females, which represent the middle of the continuum, did not show a bias. We propose that because of the disassortative mating system and morph differences in reproductive strategy, the fitness risks of intrusions vary according to the morphs of the resident and the intruder, and that aggression bias is an attuned response to varying threats to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent M Horton
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
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