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Thompson MJ, Dobson FS, Coltman DW, Murie JO, Raveh S, Lane JE. Sexes in sync: phenotypic plasticity, sexual selection and phenological synchrony between the sexes in a wild hibernator. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231113. [PMID: 37964523 PMCID: PMC10646457 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Desynchrony of phenological responses to climate change is a major concern for ecological communities. Potential uncoupling between one of the most fundamental divisions within populations, males and females, has not been well studied. To address this gap, we examined sex-specific plasticity in hibernation phenology in two populations of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus). We find that both sexes display similar phenological plasticity to spring snowmelt dates in their timing of torpor termination and behavioural emergence from hibernation. As a result of this plasticity, the degree of protandry (i.e. males' emergences from hibernation preceding those of females) did not change significantly over the 27-year study. Earlier male behavioural emergence, relative to females, improved the likelihood of securing a breeding territory and increased annual reproductive success. Sexual selection favouring earlier male emergence from hibernation may maintain protandry in this population, but did not contribute to further advances in male phenology. Together, our results provide evidence that the sexes should remain synchronized, at least in response to the weather variation investigated here, and further support the role of sexual selection in the evolution of protandry in sexually reproducing organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J. Thompson
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, 141 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H2X 1Y4
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - F. Stephen Dobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- University of Strasbourg, Institute for Advanced Studies, and Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - David W. Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Jan O. Murie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Shirley Raveh
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jeffrey E. Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
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2
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Neate-Clegg MHC, Tingley MW. Adult male birds advance spring migratory phenology faster than females and juveniles across North America. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:341-354. [PMID: 36268831 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Advances in spring migratory phenology comprise some of the most well-documented evidence for the impacts of climate change on birds. Nevertheless, surprisingly little research has investigated whether birds are shifting their migratory phenology equally across sex and age classes-a question critical to understanding the potential for trophic mismatch. We used 60 years of bird banding data across North America-comprising over 4 million captures in total-to investigate both spring and fall migratory phenology for a total of 98 bird species across sex and age classes, with the exact numbers of species for each analysis depending on season-specific data availability. Consistent with protandry, in spring (n = 89 species), adult males were the first to arrive and immature females were the last to arrive. In fall (n = 98), there was little difference between sexes, but adults tended to depart earlier than juveniles. Over 60 years, adult males advanced their phenology the fastest (-0.84 days per decade, 95 CrI = -1.22 to -0.47, n = 36), while adult and immature females advanced at a slower pace, causing the gap in male and female arrival times to widen over time. In the fall, there was no overall trend in phenology by age or sex (n = 57), driven in part by high interspecific variation related to breeding and molt strategies. Our results indicate consistent and predictable age- and sex-based differences in the rates at which species' springtime phenology is shifting. The growing gap between male and female migratory arrival indicates sex-based plasticity in adaptation to climate change that has strong potential to negatively impact current and future population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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3
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Archer CR, Paniw M, Vega-Trejo R, Sepil I. A sex skew in life-history research: the problem of missing males. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221117. [PMID: 35892214 PMCID: PMC9332873 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history strategies are diverse. While understanding this diversity is a fundamental aim of evolutionary biology and biodemography, life-history data for some traits-in particular, age-dependent reproductive investment-are biased towards females. While other authors have highlighted this sex skew, the general scale of this bias has not been quantified and its impact on our understanding of evolutionary ecology has not been discussed. This review summarizes why the sexes can evolve different life-history strategies. The scale of the sex skew is then discussed and its magnitude compared between taxonomic groups, laboratory and field studies, and through time. We discuss the consequences of this sex skew for evolutionary and ecological research. In particular, this sex bias means that we cannot test some core evolutionary theory. Additionally, this skew could obscure or drive trends in data and hinder our ability to develop effective conservation strategies. We finally highlight some ways through which this skew could be addressed to help us better understand broad patterns in life-history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Ruth Archer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Maria Paniw
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville 41001, Spain,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Williams CT, Chmura HE, Deal CK, Wilsterman K. Sex-differences in Phenology: A Tinbergian Perspective. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:980-997. [PMID: 35587379 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shifts in the timing of cyclic seasonal life-history events are among the most commonly reported responses to climate change, with differences in response rates among interacting species leading to phenological mismatches. Within a species, however, males and females can also exhibit differential sensitivity to environmental cues and may therefore differ in their responsiveness to climate change, potentially leading to phenological mismatches between the sexes. This occurs because males differ from females in when and how energy is allocated to reproduction, resulting in marked sex-differences in life-history timing across the annual cycle. In this review, we take a Tinbergian perspective and examine sex differences in timing of vertebrates from adaptive, ontogenetic, mechanistic, and phylogenetic viewpoints with the goal of informing and motivating more integrative research on sexually dimorphic phenologies. We argue that sexual and natural selection lead to sex-differences in life-history-timing and that understanding the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these differences is critical for connecting climate-driven phenological shifts to population resilience. Ontogeny may influence how and when sex differences in life-history timing arise because the early-life environment can profoundly affect developmental trajectory, rates of reproductive maturation, and seasonal timing. The molecular mechanisms underlying these organismal traits are relevant to identifying the diversity and genetic basis of population- and species-level responses to climate change, and promisingly, the molecular basis of phenology is becoming increasingly well-understood. However, because most studies focus on a single sex, the causes of sex-differences in phenology critical to population resilience often remain unclear. New sequencing tools and analyses informed by phylogeny may help generate hypotheses about mechanism as well as insight into the general "evolvability" of sex differences across phylogenetic scales, especially as trait and genome resources grow. We recommend that greater attention be placed on determining sex-differences in timing mechanisms and monitoring climate change responses in both sexes, and we discuss how new tools may provide key insights into sex-differences in phenology from all four Tinbergian domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory T Williams
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.,Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Forest Service, 800 E. Beckwith Ave, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Cole K Deal
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Kathryn Wilsterman
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Secomandi S, Spina F, Formenti G, Gallo GR, Caprioli M, Ambrosini R, Riello S. The genome sequence of the European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus (Linnaeus, 1758). Wellcome Open Res 2021; 6:332. [PMID: 35028428 PMCID: PMC8729189 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17451.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a genome assembly from an individual female Caprimulgus europaeus (the European nightjar; Chordata; Aves; Caprimulgiformes; Caprimulgidae). The genome sequence is 1,178 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly (99.33%) is scaffolded into 37 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the W and Z sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando Spina
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - Giulio Formenti
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | | | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Riello
- Riserva Naturale Statale “Isole di Ventotene e S. Stefano”, Ventotene, Italy
| | - Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Riserva Naturale Statale “Isole di Ventotene e S. Stefano”, Ventotene, Italy
| | - Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Riserva Naturale Statale “Isole di Ventotene e S. Stefano”, Ventotene, Italy
| | - Tree of Life Core Informatics collective
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Riserva Naturale Statale “Isole di Ventotene e S. Stefano”, Ventotene, Italy
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Dermond P, Melián CJ, Brodersen J. Size-dependent tradeoffs in seasonal freshwater environments facilitate differential salmonid migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:40. [PMID: 31890216 PMCID: PMC6925424 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0185-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal spatio-temporal variation in habitat quality and abiotic conditions leads to animals migrating between different environments around the world. Whereas mean population timing of migration is often fairly well understood, explanations for variation in migratory timing within populations are often lacking. Condition-dependent tradeoffs may be an understudied mechanism that can explain this differential migration. While fixed condition-specific thresholds have been identified in earlier work on ontogenetic niche shifts, they are rare in differential migration, suggesting that thresholds in such systems can shift based on temporally variable environmental conditions. METHODS We introduced a model based on size-specific tradeoffs between migration and growth in seasonal environments. We focused on optimal migratory timing for first-time migrants with no knowledge of an alternative habitat, which is a crucial stage in the life history of migratory salmonids. We predicted that optimal timing would occur when individuals move from their natal habitats based on a seasonally variable ratio of predation and growth. When the ratio becomes slightly more favorable in the alternative habitat, migratory movement can occur. As it keeps shifting throughout the season, the threshold for migration is variable, allowing smaller individuals to move at later dates. We compared our model predictions to empirical data on 3 years of migratory movement of more than 800 juvenile trout of varying size from natal to feeding habitat. RESULTS Both our model and empirical data showed that large individuals, which are assumed to have a lower predation risk in the migratory habitat, move earlier in the season than smaller individuals, whose predicted predation-to-growth ratio shifted to being favorable only later in the migratory season. Our model also predicted that the observed difference in migratory timing between large and small migrants occurred most often at low values of growth differential between the two habitats, suggesting that it was not merely high growth potential but rather the tradeoff between predation and growth that shaped differential migration patterns. CONCLUSIONS We showed the importance of considering condition-specific tradeoffs for understanding temporal population dynamics in spatially structured landscapes. Rather than assuming a fixed threshold, which appears to be absent based on previous work on salmonids, we showed that the body-size threshold for migration changed temporally throughout the season. This allowed increasingly smaller individuals to migrate when growth conditions peaked in the migratory habitat. Our model illuminates an understudied aspect of predation as part of a condition-dependent tradeoff that shapes migratory patterns, and our empirical data back patterns predicted by this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Dermond
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carlos J. Melián
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jakob Brodersen
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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7
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Artemyev AV. Causes of Variation in the Frequency of Polygyny in the European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Population of Karelia. RUSS J ECOL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1067413618060036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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8
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Lerche‐Jørgensen M, Korner‐Nievergelt F, Tøttrup AP, Willemoes M, Thorup K. Early returning long-distance migrant males do pay a survival cost. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11434-11449. [PMID: 30598747 PMCID: PMC6303765 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Timing of return to the breeding area presumably optimizes breeding output in migrants. How timing affects the other components of fitness - survival, has been comparatively little studied. Returning too early in spring is expected to be associated with high mortality in insectivorous migrants when weather conditions are still unsuitable. Yet, males in particular arrive early to get access to the best territories which have been suggested to cause arrival before it is optimal for their survival. For the outward migration in autumn, timing is presumably less directly associated with reproduction and fitness and how it might affect survival is not well understood. We use data of eight songbird species ringed across Denmark to investigate how timing of return migration in spring and departure migration in autumn close to the breeding areas affects survival for short- and long-distance migrants. Further, we compare survival optimum to the timing of males and females at a stopover site in Denmark in three sexually dimorphic, protandric species. We find a clear relationship between return migration and survival which differs between short- and long-distance migrants: Survival decreases with date for short-distance migrants and a bell-shaped relationship, with low survival for earliest and latest individuals, for long-distance migrants. In protandric species, the majority of males return before survival is optimal, whereas females on average return close to the survival optimum. The pattern of survival in relation to autumn timing is less clear, although a similar bell-shaped relationship is suggested for long-distance migrants. Our findings support the predicted mortality consequences of too early return to the breeding grounds and also that selection for early return in males leads to suboptimal migration timing regarding survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Lerche‐Jørgensen
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Anders P. Tøttrup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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9
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Rotics S, Kaatz M, Turjeman S, Zurell D, Wikelski M, Sapir N, Eggers U, Fiedler W, Jeltsch F, Nathan R. Early arrival at breeding grounds: Causes, costs and a trade-off with overwintering latitude. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1627-1638. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shay Rotics
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
| | - Michael Kaatz
- Vogelschutzwarte Storchenhof Loburg e.V.; Loburg Germany
| | - Sondra Turjeman
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
| | - Damaris Zurell
- Geography Department; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology; Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology; Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Konstanz Germany
| | - Nir Sapir
- The Animal Flight Laboratory; Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology; University of Haifa; Haifa Israel
| | - Ute Eggers
- Department of Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology; University of Potsdam; Potsdam Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology; Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology; Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Konstanz Germany
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB); Berlin Germany
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
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10
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Di Lecce I, Bazzocchi C, Cecere JG, Epis S, Sassera D, Villani BM, Bazzi G, Negri A, Saino N, Spina F, Bandi C, Rubolini D. Patterns of Midichloria infection in avian-borne African ticks and their trans-Saharan migratory hosts. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:106. [PMID: 29471857 PMCID: PMC5824480 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2669-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites of vertebrates and frequently parasitize avian species that can carry them across continents during their long-distance migrations. Ticks may have detrimental effects on the health state of their avian hosts, which can be either directly caused by blood-draining or mediated by microbial pathogens transmitted during the blood meal. Indeed, ticks host complex microbial communities, including bacterial pathogens and symbionts. Midichloria bacteria (Rickettsiales) are widespread tick endosymbionts that can be transmitted to vertebrate hosts during the tick bite, inducing an antibody response. Their actual role as infectious/pathogenic agents is, however, unclear. Methods We screened for Midichloria DNA African ticks and blood samples collected from trans-Saharan migratory songbirds at their arrival in Europe during spring migration. Results Tick infestation rate was 5.7%, with most ticks belonging to the Hyalomma marginatum species complex. Over 90% of Hyalomma ticks harboured DNA of Midichloria bacteria belonging to the monophylum associated with ticks. Midichloria DNA was detected in 43% of blood samples of avian hosts. Tick-infested adult birds were significantly more likely to test positive to the presence of Midichloria DNA than non-infested adults and second-year individuals, suggesting a long-term persistence of these bacteria within avian hosts. Tick parasitism was associated with a significantly delayed timing of spring migration of avian hosts but had no significant effects on body condition, whereas blood Midichloria DNA presence negatively affected fat deposits of tick-infested avian hosts. Conclusions Our results show that ticks effectively transfer Midichloria bacteria to avian hosts, supporting the hypothesis that they are infectious to vertebrates. Bird infection likely enhances the horizontal spread of these bacteria across haematophagous ectoparasite populations. Moreover, we showed that Midichloria and tick parasitism have detrimental non-independent effects on avian host health during migration, highlighting the complexity of interactions involving ticks, their vertebrate hosts, and tick-borne bacteria. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2669-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Di Lecce
- Wild Urban Evolution and Ecology Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Chiara Bazzocchi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Cà Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Ferrata 9, I-27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara M Villani
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Agata Negri
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Cà Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy.
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11
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MEISSNER W, PINCHUK P, KARLIONOVA N, FISCHER I, PILACKA L. Sexual size dimorphism and sex determination by external measurements in the Redshank Tringa totanus. TURK J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.3906/zoo-1705-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Meissner W, Fischer I. Sexing of common gull,Larus canus, using linear measurements. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v66.i3.a6.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Włodzimierz Meissner
- Avian Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology & Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Izabela Fischer
- Avian Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology & Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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13
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Samplonius JM, Both C. Competitor phenology as a social cue in breeding site selection. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:615-623. [PMID: 28118482 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer M. Samplonius
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700CC Groningen The Netherlands
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14
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Bazzi G, Cecere JG, Caprioli M, Gatti E, Gianfranceschi L, Podofillini S, Possenti CD, Ambrosini R, Saino N, Spina F, Rubolini D. Clock gene polymorphism, migratory behaviour and geographic distribution: a comparative study of trans-Saharan migratory birds. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:6077-6091. [PMID: 27862517 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Migratory behaviour is controlled by endogenous circannual rhythms that are synchronized by external cues, such as photoperiod. Investigations on the genetic basis of circannual rhythmicity in vertebrates have highlighted that variation at candidate 'circadian clock' genes may play a major role in regulating photoperiodic responses and timing of life cycle events, such as reproduction and migration. In this comparative study of 23 trans-Saharan migratory bird species, we investigated the relationships between species-level genetic variation at two candidate genes, Clock and Adcyap1, and species' traits related to migration and geographic distribution, including timing of spring migration across the Mediterranean Sea, migration distance and breeding latitude. Consistently with previous evidence showing latitudinal clines in 'circadian clock' genotype frequencies, Clock allele size increased with breeding latitude across species. However, early- and late-migrating species had similar Clock allele size. Species migrating over longer distances, showing delayed spring migration and smaller phenotypic variance in spring migration timing, had significantly reduced Clock (but not Adcyap1) gene diversity. Phylogenetic confirmatory path analysis suggested that migration date and distance were the most important variables directly affecting Clock gene diversity. Hence, our study supports the hypothesis that Clock allele size increases poleward as a consequence of adaptation to the photoperiodic regime of the breeding areas. Moreover, we show that long-distance migration is associated with lower Clock diversity, coherently with strong stabilizing selection acting on timing of life cycle events in long-distance migratory species, likely resulting from the time constraints imposed by late spring migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- ISPRA - Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Podofillini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina D Possenti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e della Terra (DISAT), Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- ISPRA - Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
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15
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Bazzi G, Podofillini S, Gatti E, Gianfranceschi L, Cecere JG, Spina F, Saino N, Rubolini D. Candidate genes have sex-specific effects on timing of spring migration and moult speed in a long-distance migratory bird. Curr Zool 2016; 63:479-486. [PMID: 29492007 PMCID: PMC5804205 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The timing of major life-history events, such as migration and moult, is set by endogenous circadian and circannual clocks, that have been well characterized at the molecular level. Conversely, the genetic sources of variation in phenology and in other behavioral traits have been sparsely addressed. It has been proposed that inter-individual variability in the timing of seasonal events may arise from allelic polymorphism at phenological candidate genes involved in the signaling cascade of the endogenous clocks. In this study of a long-distance migratory passerine bird, the willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, we investigated whether allelic variation at 5 polymorphic loci of 4 candidate genes (Adcyap1, Clock, Creb1, and Npas2), predicted 2 major components of the annual schedule, namely timing of spring migration across the central Mediterranean sea and moult speed, the latter gauged from ptilochronological analyses of tail feathers moulted in the African winter quarters. We identified a novel Clock gene locus (Clock region 3) showing polyQ polymorphism, which was however not significantly associated with any phenotypic trait. Npas2 allele size predicted male (but not female) spring migration date, with males bearing longer alleles migrating significantly earlier than those bearing shorter alleles. Creb1 allele size significantly predicted male (but not female) moult speed, longer alleles being associated with faster moult. All other genotype-phenotype associations were statistically non-significant. These findings provide new evidence for a role of candidate genes in modulating the phenology of different circannual activities in long-distance migratory birds, and for the occurrence of sex-specific candidate gene effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Stefano Podofillini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- ISPRA-Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO I-40064, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- ISPRA-Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO I-40064, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
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16
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Lymburner AH, Kelly TR, Hobson KA, MacDougall-Shackleton EA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Testosterone, migration distance, and migratory timing in song sparrows Melospiza melodia. Horm Behav 2016; 85:102-107. [PMID: 27534598 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In seasonally migratory animals, migration distance often varies substantially within populations such that individuals breeding at the same site may overwinter different distances from the breeding grounds. Shorter migration may allow earlier return to the breeding grounds, which may be particularly advantageous to males competing to acquire a breeding territory. However, little is known about potential mechanisms that may mediate migration distance. We investigated naturally-occurring variation in androgen levels at the time of arrival to the breeding site and its relationship to overwintering latitude in male and female song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). We used stable isotope analysis of hydrogen (δ(2)H) in winter-grown claw tissue to infer relative overwintering latitude (migration distance), combined with 14years of capture records from a long-term study population to infer the arrival timing of males versus females. Relative to females, males had higher circulating androgen levels, migrated shorter distances, and were more likely to be caught early in the breeding season. Males that migrate short distances may benefit from early arrival at the breeding grounds, allowing them to establish a breeding territory. Even after controlling for sex and date, androgen levels were highest in individuals that migrated shorter distances. Our findings indicate that androgens and migration distance are correlated traits within and between sexes that may reflect individual variation within an integrated phenotype in which testosterone has correlated effects on behavioral traits such as migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alannah H Lymburner
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Tosha R Kelly
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Elizabeth A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Avenue, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
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17
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Müller F, Taylor PD, Sjöberg S, Muheim R, Tsvey A, Mackenzie SA, Schmaljohann H. Towards a conceptual framework for explaining variation in nocturnal departure time of songbird migrants. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:24. [PMID: 27833750 PMCID: PMC5066284 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0089-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Most songbird migrants travel between their breeding areas and wintering grounds by a series of nocturnal flights. The exact nocturnal departure time for these flights varies considerably between individuals even of the same species. Although the basic circannual and circadian rhythms of songbirds, their adaptation to migration, and the factors influencing the birds' day-to-day departure decision are reasonably well studied, we do not understand how birds time their departures within the night. These decisions are crucial, because the nocturnal departure time defines the potential flight duration of the migratory night. The distances covered during the nocturnal migratory flights in the course of migration in turn directly affect the overall speed of migration. To understand the factors influencing the arrival of the birds in the breeding/wintering areas, we need to investigate the mechanisms that control nocturnal departure time. Here, we provide the first conceptual framework for explaining the variation commonly observed in this migratory trait. The basic schedule of nocturnal departure is likely regulated by both the circannual and circadian rhythms of the innate migration program. We postulate that the endogenously controlled schedule of nocturnal departures is modified by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. So far there is only correlative evidence that birds with a high fuel load or a considerable increase in fuel load and significant wind (flow) assistance towards their migratory goal depart early within the night. In contrast, birds migrating with little fuel and under unfavorable wind conditions show high variation in their nocturnal departure time. The latter may contain an unknown proportion of nocturnal movements not directly related to migratory flights. Excluding such movements is crucial to clearly identify the main drivers of the variation in nocturnal departure time. In general we assume that the observed variation in the nocturnal departure time is explained by individually different reactions norms of the innate migration program to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Müller
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Philip D. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 Canada
- Bird Studies Canada, 115 Front Street, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 Canada
| | - Sissel Sjöberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Rachel Muheim
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Arseny Tsvey
- Biological Station Rybachy, Zoological Institute RAS, RU-238535 Rybachy, Kaliningrad region Russia
| | | | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Bauer
- Dept of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Inst. CH‐6204 Sempach Switzerland
- Dept of Animal Ecology Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) PO Box 50, NL‐6700 AB Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University VIC‐3220 Geelong Australia
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Dept of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Inst. CH‐6204 Sempach Switzerland
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19
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Schmaljohann H, Meier C, Arlt D, Bairlein F, van Oosten H, Morbey YE, Åkesson S, Buchmann M, Chernetsov N, Desaever R, Elliott J, Hellström M, Liechti F, López A, Middleton J, Ottosson U, Pärt T, Spina F, Eikenaar C. Proximate causes of avian protandry differ between subspecies with contrasting migration challenges. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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20
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Crates RA, Sheldon BC, Garroway CJ. Causes and consequences of individual variation in the extent of post-juvenile moult in the blue titCyanistes caeruleus(Passeriformes: Paridae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ross A. Crates
- Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Colin J. Garroway
- Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
- Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; Montréal QC H2V 2S9 Canada
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21
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Saino N, Bazzi G, Gatti E, Caprioli M, Cecere JG, Possenti CD, Galimberti A, Orioli V, Bani L, Rubolini D, Gianfranceschi L, Spina F. Polymorphism at theClockgene predicts phenology of long-distance migration in birds. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:1758-73. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Saino
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Gaia Bazzi
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Jacopo G. Cecere
- ISPRA-Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia I-40064 Italy
| | - Cristina D. Possenti
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Andrea Galimberti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences; University of Milano-Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza 2 Milan I-20126 Italy
| | - Valerio Orioli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Milano-Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza 1 Milan I-20126 Italy
| | - Luciano Bani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Milano-Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza 1 Milan I-20126 Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26 Milan I-20133 Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- ISPRA-Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia I-40064 Italy
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22
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Saino N, Romano M, Caprioli M, Fasola M, Lardelli R, Micheloni P, Scandolara C, Rubolini D, Gianfranceschi L. Timing of molt of barn swallows is delayed in a rare Clock genotype. PeerJ 2013; 1:e17. [PMID: 23638351 PMCID: PMC3629011 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoperiodic responses are major factors entraining circannual life-cycles, functioning to adaptively synchronize annual routines to seasonal fluctuations in ecological conditions. Photoperiodism in physiology and behaviour is enforced by genes, including the vertebrate Clock orthologues, which are associated, for example, with phenology of migration in fish and breeding in birds. However, the role of Clock in photoperiodic plumage molt processes is unknown. We analyzed variation in molt schedules in relation to Clock genotype, using the long-distance migratory barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) as a model and by identifying males and females using molecular sexing techniques. Consistently with previous studies, we found one very common (Q7) and two rare (Q6, Q8) variants of a functionally significant Clock polyglutamine repeat. Molt schedules of primary wing feathers of swallows during their wintering period in Nigeria differed among Clock genotypes: rare (1.1%) Q7/Q8 heterozygotes had significantly delayed molt compared to the other genotypes. Molt schedules did not differ between males and females, and no differential association between molt and Clock in relation to sex emerged. The same rare Clock genotype that exhibited delayed breeding in Europe was here found to delay molt in Africa. Though based on a limited number of Q7/Q8 individuals from an otherwise very large sample, these novel results suggest that Clock is involved in the photoperiodic control of both molt and breeding, potentially also via reciprocal carry-over effects. If confirmed in species with higher Clock polymorphism, present results may have far-reaching consequences for the study of photoperiodic control of molt and expression of annual routines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Saino
- Department of Biosciences , University of Milan , Milan , Italy
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23
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Angelopoulou R, Lavranos G, Manolakou P. Sex determination strategies in 2012: towards a common regulatory model? Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2012; 10:13. [PMID: 22357269 PMCID: PMC3311596 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-10-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is a complicated process involving large-scale modifications in gene expression affecting virtually every tissue in the body. Although the evolutionary origin of sex remains controversial, there is little doubt that it has developed as a process of optimizing metabolic control, as well as developmental and reproductive functions within a given setting of limited resources and environmental pressure. Evidence from various model organisms supports the view that sex determination may occur as a result of direct environmental induction or genetic regulation. The first process has been well documented in reptiles and fish, while the second is the classic case for avian species and mammals. Both of the latter have developed a variety of sex-specific/sex-related genes, which ultimately form a complete chromosome pair (sex chromosomes/gonosomes). Interestingly, combinations of environmental and genetic mechanisms have been described among different classes of animals, thus rendering the possibility of a unidirectional continuous evolutionary process from the one type of mechanism to the other unlikely. On the other hand, common elements appear throughout the animal kingdom, with regard to a) conserved key genes and b) a central role of sex steroid control as a prerequisite for ultimately normal sex differentiation. Studies in invertebrates also indicate a role of epigenetic chromatin modification, particularly with regard to alternative splicing options. This review summarizes current evidence from research in this hot field and signifies the need for further study of both normal hormonal regulators of sexual phenotype and patterns of environmental disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxani Angelopoulou
- Experimental Embryology Unit, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Athens University, Athens, Greece
| | - Giagkos Lavranos
- Experimental Embryology Unit, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Athens University, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Manolakou
- Experimental Embryology Unit, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Athens University, Athens, Greece
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Canal D, Jovani R, Potti J. Multiple mating opportunities boost protandry in a pied flycatcher population. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1253-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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