1
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Amer A, Spears S, Vaughn PL, Colwell C, Livingston EH, McQueen W, Schill A, Reichard DG, Gangloff EJ, Brock KM. Physiological phenotypes differ among color morphs in introduced common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). Integr Zool 2024; 19:505-523. [PMID: 37884464 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Many species exhibit color polymorphisms which have distinct physiological and behavioral characteristics. However, the consistency of morph trait covariation patterns across species, time, and ecological contexts remains unclear. This trait covariation is especially relevant in the context of invasion biology and urban adaptation. Specifically, physiological traits pertaining to energy maintenance are crucial to fitness, given their immediate ties to individual reproduction, growth, and population establishment. We investigated the physiological traits of Podarcis muralis, a versatile color polymorphic species that thrives in urban environments (including invasive populations in Ohio, USA). We measured five physiological traits (plasma corticosterone and triglycerides, hematocrit, body condition, and field body temperature), which compose an integrated multivariate phenotype. We then tested variation among co-occurring color morphs in the context of establishment in an urban environment. We found that the traits describing physiological status and strategy shifted across the active season in a morph-dependent manner-the white and yellow morphs exhibited clearly different multivariate physiological phenotypes, characterized primarily by differences in plasma corticosterone. This suggests that morphs have different strategies in physiological regulation, the flexibility of which is crucial to urban adaptation. The white-yellow morph exhibited an intermediate phenotype, suggesting an intermediary energy maintenance strategy. Orange morphs also exhibited distinct phenotypes, but the low prevalence of this morph in our study populations precludes clear interpretation. Our work provides insight into how differences among stable polymorphisms exist across axes of the phenotype and how this variation may aid in establishment within novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Amer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Sierra Spears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Princeton L Vaughn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Cece Colwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Ethan H Livingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Wyatt McQueen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna Schill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Dustin G Reichard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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2
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Barrett LH, Fraga D, Lehtinen RM. The Genetic Basis of Melanism in Abert's Squirrel ( Sciurus aberti). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:648. [PMID: 38396615 PMCID: PMC10885973 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanism is widespread in different taxa and has been hypothesized to provide adaptive benefits in certain environments. Melanism is typically caused by mutations in one of two regulatory genes: the Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) or the Agouti Signaling Protein (ASIP). Melanism has repeatedly evolved among tree squirrels and their relatives (tribe Sciurini) in at least 12 different species based on our review of the literature. The causal mutations for melanism have been characterized in two species so far. This study examines Abert's Squirrel (Sciurus aberti), which has a melanistic morph whose genetic basis has not yet been established. We sequenced the MC1R and ASIP genes for five wild-type and seven melanistic S. aberti individuals to search for melanism-associated mutations. A novel single base pair mutation in the ASIP gene, unique to S. aberti, was found to be associated with melanism in the species, indicating that melanism in S. aberti evolved independently from other tree squirrels and thus represents an example of convergent evolution. The independent evolution of melanism in this species suggests that there is an adaptive advantage to the melanistic phenotype. The geographic range and habitat of S. aberti suggest possible benefits associated with thermoregulation, post-forest-fire camouflage, or other untested hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard M. Lehtinen
- Biology Department, 931 College Mall, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, USA; (L.H.B.); (D.F.)
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3
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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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4
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Varma M, Winter G, Rowland HM, Schielzeth H. Ontogeny of color development in two green-brown polymorphic grasshopper species. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10712. [PMID: 37928193 PMCID: PMC10620580 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10712] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insects, including several orthopterans, undergo dramatic changes in body coloration during ontogeny. This variation is particularly intriguing in gomphocerine grasshoppers, where the green and brown morphs appear to be genetically determined (Schielzeth & Dieker, 2020, BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20, 63; Winter et al., 2021, Heredity, 127, 66). A better understanding of how these color morphs develop during ontogeny can provide valuable insights into the evolution and ecology of such a widespread color polymorphism. Here, we focus on the color development of two green-brown polymorphic species, the club-legged grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus and the steppe grasshopper Chorthippus dorsatus. By following the color development of individuals from hatching to adulthood, we found that color morph differences begin to develop during the second nymphal stage, are clearly defined by the third nymphal stage, and remain stable throughout the life of an individual. Interestingly, we also observed that shed skins of late nymphal stages are identifiable by color morphs based on their yellowish coloration, rather than the green that marks green body parts. Furthermore, by assessing how these colors are perceived by different visual systems, we found that certain potential predators can chromatically discriminate between morphs, while others may not. These results suggest that the putative genes controlling color morph are active during the early stages of ontogeny, and that green color is likely composed of two components, one present in the cuticle and one not. In addition, the effectiveness of camouflage appears to vary depending on the specific predator involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendra Varma
- Population Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
| | - Gabe Winter
- Population Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
| | | | - Holger Schielzeth
- Population Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
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5
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Arnqvist G, Rowe L. Ecology, the pace-of-life, epistatic selection and the maintenance of genetic variation in life-history genes. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4713-4724. [PMID: 37386734 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary genetics has long struggled with understanding how functional genes under selection remain polymorphic in natural populations. Taking as a starting point that natural selection is ultimately a manifestation of ecological processes, we spotlight an underemphasized and potentially ubiquitous ecological effect that may have fundamental effects on the maintenance of genetic variation. Negative frequency dependency is a well-established emergent property of density dependence in ecology, because the relative profitability of different modes of exploiting or utilizing limiting resources tends to be inversely proportional to their frequency in a population. We suggest that this may often generate negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) on major effect loci that affect rate-dependent physiological processes, such as metabolic rate, that are phenotypically manifested as polymorphism in pace-of-life syndromes. When such a locus under NFDS shows stable intermediate frequency polymorphism, this should generate epistatic selection potentially involving large numbers of loci with more minor effects on life-history (LH) traits. When alternative alleles at such loci show sign epistasis with a major effect locus, this associative NFDS will promote the maintenance of polygenic variation in LH genes. We provide examples of the kind of major effect loci that could be involved and suggest empirical avenues that may better inform us on the importance and reach of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Swedish Collegium of Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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Foster BJ, McCulloch GA, Foster Y, Kroos GC, King TM, Waters JM. ebony underpins Batesian mimicry in melanic stoneflies. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4986-4998. [PMID: 37503654 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of Batesian mimicry - whereby harmless species avoid predation through their resemblance to harmful species - has long intrigued biologists. In rare cases, Batesian mimicry is linked to intraspecific colour variation, in which only some individuals within a population resemble a noxious 'model'. Here, we assess intraspecific colour variation within a widespread New Zealand stonefly, wherein highly melanized individuals of Zelandoperla closely resemble a chemically defended aposematic stonefly, Austroperla cyrene. We assess convergence in the colour pattern of these two species, compare their relative palatability to predators, and use genome-wide association mapping to assess the genetic basis of this resemblance. Our analysis reveals that melanized Zelandoperla overlap significantly with Austroperla in colour space but are significantly more palatable to predators, implying that they are indeed Batesian mimics. Analysis of 194,773 genome-wide SNPs reveals an outlier locus (ebony) strongly differentiating melanic versus non-melanic Zelandoperla. Genotyping of 338 specimens from a single Zelandoperla population indicates that ebony explains nearly 70% of the observed variance in melanism. As ebony has a well-documented role in insect melanin biosynthesis, our findings indicate this locus has a conserved function across deeply divergent hexapod lineages. Distributional records suggest a link between the occurrence of melanic Zelandoperla and the forested ecosystems where the model Austroperla is abundant, suggesting the potential for adaptive shifts in this system underpinned by environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brodie J Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Yasmin Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gracie C Kroos
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tania M King
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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7
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Matthews G, Farquhar JE, White CR, Chapple DG. Does thermal biology differ between two colour pattern morphs of a widespread Australian lizard? J Therm Biol 2023; 114:103579. [PMID: 37344018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103579] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Alternative phenotypes allow individuals to pursue different adaptive pathways in response to the same selective challenge. Colour polymorphic species with geographically varying morph frequencies may reflect multiple adaptations to spatial variables such as temperature and climate. We examined whether thermal biology differed between colour morphs of an Australian lizard, the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata. The delicate skink has two colour pattern morphs, with frequencies varying across latitude and sex: plain (darker, more common at temperate latitudes, more common in males) or striped (lighter, more common at lower latitudes, more common in females). We tested heating and cooling rate, sprint speed, thermal preference, field body temperature and metabolic rate in both morphs and sexes to determine any link between colour and morph frequency distribution. Plain individuals heated more quickly, but other thermal traits showed little variation among morphs. Lampropholis delicata colour influences rates of heat exchange, but the relationship does not appear to be adaptive, suggesting that behavioural thermoregulation homogenises body temperature in the field. While we find no substantial evidence of thermal differences between the two colour morphs, morph-specific behaviour may buffer against differences in heat exchange. Latitudinal variation in species colour may be driven by selection pressures other than temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Matthews
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Jules E Farquhar
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Craig R White
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia; Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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8
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Environmental variation promotes colour morph-specific behavioural differences in a cichlid fish. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
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9
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Gefaell J, Galindo J, Rolán‐Alvarez E. Shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods. Evol Appl 2023; 16:202-222. [PMID: 36793692 PMCID: PMC9923496 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine gastropods are characterized by an incredible variation in shell color. In this review, we aim to introduce researchers to previous studies of shell color polymorphism in this group of animals, trying to provide an overview of the topic and highlighting some potential avenues for future research. For this, we tackle the different aspects of shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods: its biochemical and genetic basis, its patterns of spatial and temporal distribution, as well as its potential evolutionary causes. In particular, we put special emphasis on the evolutionary studies that have been conducted so far to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of shell color polymorphism in this group of animals, as it constitutes the least addressed aspect in existing literature reviews. Several general conclusions can be drawn from our review: First, natural selection is commonly involved in the maintenance of gastropod color polymorphism; second, although the contribution of neutral forces (gene flow-genetic drift equilibrium) to shell color polymorphism maintenance do not seem to be particularly important, it has rarely been studied systematically; third, a relationship between shell color polymorphism and mode of larval development (related to dispersal capability) may exist. As for future studies, we suggest that a combination of both classical laboratory crossing experiments and -Omics approaches may yield interesting results on the molecular basis of color polymorphism. We believe that understanding the various causes of shell color polymorphism in marine gastropods is of great importance not only to understand how biodiversity works, but also for protecting such biodiversity, as knowledge of its evolutionary causes may help implement conservation measures in those species or ecosystems that are threatened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Gefaell
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Juan Galindo
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Emilio Rolán‐Alvarez
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e InmunologíaCentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
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10
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Colour morph predicts social behaviour and contest outcomes in a polymorphic lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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11
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Abstract
Abstract
Variation in color morph behavior is an important factor in the maintenance of color polymorphism. Alternative anti-predator behaviors are often associated with morphological traits such as coloration, possibly because predator-mediated viability selection favors certain combinations of anti-predator behavior and color. The Aegean wall lizard, Podarcis erhardii, is color polymorphic and populations can have up to three monochromatic morphs: orange, yellow, and white. We investigated whether escape behaviors differ among coexisting color morphs, and if morph behaviors are repeatable across different populations with the same predator species. Specifically, we assessed color morph flight initiation distance (FID), distance to the nearest refuge (DNR), and distance to chosen refuge (DR) in two populations of Aegean wall lizards from Naxos island. We also analyzed the type of refugia color morphs selected and their re-emergence behavior following a standardized approach. We found that orange morphs have different escape behaviors from white and yellow morphs, and these differences are consistent in both populations we sampled. Orange morphs have shorter FIDs, DNRs, and DRs; select different refuge types; and re-emerge less often after being approached compared to white and yellow morphs. Observed differences in color morph escape behaviors support the idea that morphs have evolved alternative behavioral strategies that may play a role in population-level morph maintenance and loss.
Significance statement
Color polymorphic species often differ in behaviors related to reproduction, but differences in other behaviors are relatively underexplored. In this study, we use an experimental approach in two natural populations of color populations of color polymorphic lizards to determine that color morphs have diverged in their escape behaviors. By conducting our experiments in two different populations with similar predator regimes, we show for the first time that behavioral differences among intra-specific color morphs are repeatable across populations, suggesting that alternative behavioral strategies have evolved in this species. Using this experimental approach, we demonstrate that the brightest orange morph stays closer to refuge than other morphs, uses a different refuge type (vegetation) more often than other morphs (wall crevices), and take much longer to emerge from refuge after a simulated predation event than other morphs. Thus, selective pressures from visual predators may differ between morphs and play a role in the evolution and maintenance of color polymorphisms in these types of systems. Our study species, Podarcis erhardii, belongs to a highly color polymorphic genus (19/23 spp. are color polymorphic) that contains the same three color morphs, thus we believe our results may be relevant to more than just P. erhardii.
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12
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Fark SN, Gerber S, Alonzo SH, Kindsvater HK, Meier JI, Seehausen O. Multispecies colour polymorphisms associated with contrasting microhabitats in two Mediterranean wrasse radiations. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:633-647. [PMID: 35304789 PMCID: PMC9311657 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific colour polymorphisms (CPs) present unique opportunities to study fundamental evolutionary questions, such as the link between ecology and phenotype, mechanisms maintaining genetic diversity and their putative role in speciation. Wrasses are highly diverse in ecology and morphology and harbour a variety of colour‐polymorphic species. In the Mediterranean Sea, wrasses of the tribe Labrini evolved two species radiations each harbouring several species with a brown and a green morph. The colour morphs occur in complete sympatry in mosaic habitats with rocky outcrops and Neptune grass patches. Morph‐specific differences had not been characterized yet and the evolutionary forces maintaining them remained unknown. With genome‐wide data for almost all Labrini species, we show that species with CPs are distributed across the phylogeny, but show evidence of hybridization. This suggests that the colour morphs are either ancient and have been lost repeatedly, that they have evolved repeatedly or have been shared via hybridization. Focusing on two polymorphic species, we find that each colour morph is more common in the microhabitat providing the best colour match and that the morphs exhibit additional behavioural and morphological differences further improving crypsis in their respective microhabitats. We find little evidence for genetic differentiation between the morphs in either species. Therefore, we propose that these colour morphs represent a multi‐niche polymorphism as an adaptation to the highly heterogeneous habitat. Our study highlights how colour polymorphism (CP) can be advantageous in mosaic habitats and that Mediterranean wrasses are an ideal system to study trans‐species polymorphisms, i.e. polymorphisms maintained across several species, in adaptive radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarya N Fark
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Steve Gerber
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Suzanne H Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Holly K Kindsvater
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Joana I Meier
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Center of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Swiss Institute for Environmental Sciences and Technology (EAWAG), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Center of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Swiss Institute for Environmental Sciences and Technology (EAWAG), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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13
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Paris JR, Whiting JR, Daniel MJ, Ferrer Obiol J, Parsons PJ, van der Zee MJ, Wheat CW, Hughes KA, Fraser BA. A large and diverse autosomal haplotype is associated with sex-linked colour polymorphism in the guppy. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1233. [PMID: 35264556 PMCID: PMC8907176 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28895-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Male colour patterns of the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) are typified by extreme variation governed by both natural and sexual selection. Since guppy colour patterns are often inherited faithfully from fathers to sons, it has been hypothesised that many of the colour trait genes must be physically linked to sex determining loci as a ‘supergene’ on the sex chromosome. Here, we phenotype and genotype four guppy ‘Iso-Y lines’, where colour was inherited along the patriline for 40 generations. Using an unbiased phenotyping method, we confirm the breeding design was successful in creating four distinct colour patterns. We find that genetic differentiation among the Iso-Y lines is repeatedly associated with a diverse haplotype on an autosome (LG1), not the sex chromosome (LG12). Moreover, the LG1 haplotype exhibits elevated linkage disequilibrium and evidence of sex-specific diversity in the natural source population. We hypothesise that colour pattern polymorphism is driven by Y-autosome epistasis. Extreme colour pattern variation in male Trinidadian guppies are influenced by natural selection and sexual selection. Here, the authors phenotype and genotype four guppy lineages finding that colour pattern is associated with a diverse haplotype on an autosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine R Paris
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - James R Whiting
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Mitchel J Daniel
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - Joan Ferrer Obiol
- Departament de Microbiologia, Genètica i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Paul J Parsons
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.,NERC Environmental Omics Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mijke J van der Zee
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | | | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - Bonnie A Fraser
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
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14
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Nokelainen O, Galarza JA, Kirvesoja J, Suisto K, Mappes J. Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:467-478. [PMID: 35239231 PMCID: PMC9314616 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely coloured phenotypes. This classification is, however, elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a ‘cryptic morph’ in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well‐studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20,000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as their hindwing colour varies continuously with no clear link with male genotypes. Next, we investigated if the male genotype can be predicted from their phenotype by machine learning algorithms and by human observers. Linear discriminant analysis grouped male genotypes with 97% accuracy, whereas humans could only group the yy genotype. Using vision modelling, we also tested whether the genotypes have differential discriminability to humans, moth conspecifics and their bird predators. The human perception was poor separating the genotypes, but avian and moth vision models with ultraviolet sensitivity could separate white WW and Wy males. We emphasize the importance of objective methodology when studying colour polymorphism. Our findings indicate that by‐eye categorization methods may be problematic, because humans fail to see differences that can be visible for relevant receivers. Ultimately, receivers equipped with different perception than ours may impose selection to morphs hidden from human sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juan A Galarza
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jimi Kirvesoja
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kaisa Suisto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
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15
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Clark MI, Bradburd GS, Akopyan M, Vega A, Rosenblum EB, Robertson JM. Genetic isolation by distance underlies colour pattern divergence in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1666-1681. [PMID: 35034406 PMCID: PMC8923152 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16350] [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: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Investigating the spatial distribution of genetic and phenotypic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in natural systems. We characterized patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity to learn about drivers of colour-pattern diversification in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas) in Costa Rica. Along the Pacific coast, red-eyed treefrogs have conspicuous leg colour patterning that transitions from orange in the north to purple in the south. We measured phenotypic variation of frogs, with increased sampling at sites where the orange-to-purple transition occurs. At the transition zone, we discovered the co-occurrence of multiple colour-pattern morphs. To explore possible causes of this variation, we generated a single nucleotide polymorphism data set to analyse population genetic structure, measure genetic diversity and infer the processes that mediate genotype-phenotype dynamics. We investigated how patterns of genetic relatedness correspond to individual measures of colour pattern along the coast, including testing for the role of hybridization in geographic regions where orange and purple phenotypic groups co-occur. We found no evidence that colour-pattern polymorphism in the transition zone arose through recent hybridization. Instead, a strong pattern of genetic isolation by distance indicates that colour-pattern variation was either retained through other processes such as ancestral colour polymorphisms or ancient secondary contact, or else it was generated by novel mutations. We found that phenotype changes along the Pacific coast more than would be expected based on genetic divergence and geographic distance alone. Combined, our results suggest the possibility of selective pressures acting on colour pattern at a small geographic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan I. Clark
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA,W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA
| | - Gideon S. Bradburd
- Department of integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Maria Akopyan
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA,Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Robertson
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA,Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
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16
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Aguilar P, Andrade P, Afonso S, Carretero MÁ, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Pinho C. No genomic repercussions of assortative pairing in a colour polymorphic lizard. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:648-656. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Prem Aguilar
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
| | - Miguel Á. Carretero
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
- Ethology Lab Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Catarina Pinho
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning CIBIO Campus de Vairão Vairão Portugal
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17
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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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18
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Chevin L, Gompert Z, Nosil P. Frequency dependence and the predictability of evolution in a changing environment. Evol Lett 2021; 6:21-33. [PMID: 35127135 PMCID: PMC8802243 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency‐dependent (FD) selection, whereby fitness and selection depend on the genetic or phenotypic composition of the population, arises in numerous ecological contexts (competition, mate choice, crypsis, mimicry, etc.) and can strongly impact evolutionary dynamics. In particular, negative frequency‐dependent selection (NFDS) is well known for its ability to potentially maintain stable polymorphisms, but it has also been invoked as a source of persistent, predictable frequency fluctuations. However, the conditions under which such fluctuations persist are not entirely clear. In particular, previous work rarely considered that FD is unlikely to be the sole driver of evolutionary dynamics when it occurs, because most environments are not static but instead change dynamically over time. Here, we investigate how FD interacts with a temporally fluctuating environment to shape the dynamics of population genetic change. We show that a simple metric introduced by Lewontin, the slope of frequency change against frequency near equilibrium, works as a key criterion for distinguishing microevolutionary outcomes, even in a changing environment. When this slope D is between 0 and –2 (consistent with the empirical examples we review), substantial fluctuations would not persist on their own in a large population occupying a constant environment, but they can still be maintained indefinitely as quasi‐cycles fueled by environmental noise or genetic drift. However, such moderate NFDS buffers and temporally shifts evolutionary responses to periodic environments (e.g., seasonality). Stronger FD, with slope D < –2, can produce self‐sustained cycles that may overwhelm responses to a changing environment, or even chaos that fundamentally limits predictability. This diversity of expected outcomes, together with the empirical evidence for both FD and environment‐dependent selection, suggests that the interplay of internal dynamics with external forcing should be investigated more systematically to reach a better understanding and prediction of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrik Nosil
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier 34090 France
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
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19
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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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20
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O’Connor TK, Sandoval MC, Wang J, Hans JC, Takenaka R, Child M, Whiteman NK. Ecological basis and genetic architecture of crypsis polymorphism in the desert clicker grasshopper (Ligurotettix coquilletti). Evolution 2021; 75:2441-2459. [PMID: 34370317 PMCID: PMC8932956 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14321] [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: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Color polymorphic species can offer exceptional insight into the ecology and genetics of adaptation. Although the genetic architecture of animal coloration is diverse, many color polymorphisms are associated with large structural variants and maintained by biotic interactions. Grasshoppers are notably polymorphic in both color and karyotype, which makes them excellent models for understanding the ecological drivers and genetic underpinnings of color variation. Banded and uniform morphs of the desert clicker grasshopper (Ligurotettix coquilletti) are found across the western deserts of North America. To address the hypothesis that predation maintains local color polymorphism and shapes regional crypsis variation, we surveyed morph frequencies and tested for covariation with two predation environments. Morphs coexisted at intermediate frequencies at most sites, consistent with local balancing selection. Morph frequencies covaried with the appearance of desert substrate-an environment used only by females-suggesting that ground-foraging predators are major agents of selection on crypsis. We next addressed the hypothesized link between morph variation and genome structure. To do so, we designed an approach for detecting inversions and indels using only RADseq data. The banded morph was perfectly correlated with a large putative indel. Remarkably, indel dominance differed among populations, a rare example of dominance evolution in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy K. O’Connor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Current address: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Marissa C. Sandoval
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Jiarui Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Jacob C. Hans
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Risa Takenaka
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Myron Child
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Noah K. Whiteman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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21
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Tyers AM, Cooke GM, Turner GF. Rare morph Lake Malawi mbuna cichlids benefit from reduced aggression from con- and hetero-specifics. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1678-1690. [PMID: 34528321 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Balancing selection is important for the maintenance of polymorphism as it can prevent either fixation of one morph through directional selection or genetic drift, or speciation by disruptive selection. Polychromatism, the presence of multiple genetically determined colour phenotypes, can be maintained if the fitness of alternative morphs depends on the relative frequency in a population. In aggressive species, negative frequency-dependent antagonism can prevent an increase in the frequency of rare morphs as they would only benefit from increased fitness while they are rare. Heterospecific aggression is common in nature and has the potential to contribute to rare morph advantage. Here we carry out field observations and laboratory aggression experiments with mbuna cichlids from Lake Malawi, to investigate the role of con- and heterospecific aggression in the maintenance of polychromatism and identify benefits to rare morphs which are likely to result from reduced aggression. We hypothesize that rare morph individuals receive less aggression than common morph individuals and therefore have an ecological advantage. Within species we found that males and females bias aggression towards their own morph, adding to the evidence that inherent own-morph aggression biases can contribute to balancing selection. Over-representation of rare morph territory owners may be influenced by two factors; higher tolerance of different morph individuals as neighbours, and the ability of rare morphs to spend more time feeding. Reduced aggression to rare morph individuals by heterospecifics may also contribute to rare morph advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gavan M Cooke
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - George F Turner
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
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22
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Scali S, Mangiacotti M, Sacchi R, Coladonato AJ, Falaschi M, Saviano L, Rampoldi MG, Crozi M, Perotti C, Zucca F, Gozzo E, Zuffi MAL. Close encounters of the three morphs: Does color affect aggression in a polymorphic lizard? Aggress Behav 2021; 47:430-438. [PMID: 33682154 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Color polymorphism is genetically controlled, and the process generating and maintaining morphs can affect speciation/extinction rates. Color badges are useful signals in intraspecific communication because they convey information about alternative strategies and can potentially decrease unnecessary conflicts among different color morphs. Competition and aggressive interactions among color morphs can contribute to polymorphism maintenance. This could lead to an uneven spatial distribution of morphs in a population because the local frequency of each morph establishes the intensity of the competition and the fitness of each male. We used a polymorphic lizard, Podarcis muralis, to assess if aggression varies among morphs under two contrasting hypotheses: a heteromorphic versus homomorphic aggression. We used laboratory mirror tests after lizard color manipulation, and we verified the consistency of results with an analysis of the spatial distribution of morphs in a wild population. Both the experiments confirmed that aggression is more common during homomorphic than heteromorphic contests. The adoption of alternative behavioral strategies that minimize risks and costs could facilitate the stable coexistence of the phenotypes and reduce competition. A bias in aggression would advantage rarer morph, which would suffer less harassment by common morphs obtaining a fitness advantage. This process would be negatively-frequency-dependent and would stabilize polymorphism, possibly contributing to sympatric speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Scali
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
| | - Marco Mangiacotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Roberto Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | | | - Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milano Italy
| | - Luca Saviano
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
| | | | - Matteo Crozi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Cesare Perotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Francesco Zucca
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Elisabetta Gozzo
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
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23
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Chelini MC, Brock K, Yeager J, Edwards DL. Environmental drivers of sexual dimorphism in a lizard with alternative mating strategies. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1241-1255. [PMID: 34101919 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relative importance of sexual and natural selection in shaping morphological traits is a long-standing goal of evolutionary ecology. Male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is typically associated with male-male competition. Similarly, male polymorphisms are considered a consequence of competitive social interactions. This classic paradigm overlooks the fact that environmental factors mediate social interactions and can lead to ecological adaptations. Common side-blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana, are a model system for this paradigm due to well-known rock-paper-scissors social dynamics between male morphs. SSD in this species has been considered primarily a consequence of social interactions, with male size resulting from the number of morphs in each population and female size being constrained through fecundity benefits. We test if the environment explains intraspecific variation in SSD and number of male morphs in U. stansburiana. By compiling data from 49 populations, we show that environmental variables are stronger predictors of SSD than the number of male morphs. Similarly, we show that the environment mediates SSD and potentially contributes to morph loss in colder environments. We propose that the environment favours smaller males in areas of high seasonality. Our results demonstrate the importance of the environment as a mediator of SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kinsey Brock
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Justin Yeager
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
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24
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Takahashi M, Okude G, Futahashi R, Takahashi Y, Kawata M. The effect of the doublesex gene in body colour masculinization of the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200761. [PMID: 34102071 PMCID: PMC8187028 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Odonata species display a remarkable diversity of colour patterns, including intrasexual polymorphisms. In the damselfly (Ischnura senegalensis), the expression of a sex-determining transcription factor, the doublesex (Isdsx) gene is reportedly associated with female colour polymorphism (CP) (gynomorph for female-specific colour and andromorph for male-mimicking colour). Here, the function of Isdsx in thoracic coloration was investigated by electroporation-mediated RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi of the Isdsx common region in males and andromorphic females reduced melanization and thus changed the colour pattern into that of gynomorphic females, while the gynomorphic colour pattern was not affected. By contrast, RNAi against the Isdsx long isoform produced no changes, suggesting that the Isdsx short isoform is important for body colour masculinization in both males and andromorphic females. When examining the expression levels of five genes with differences between sexes and female morphs, two melanin-suppressing genes, black and ebony, were expressed at higher levels in the Isdsx RNAi body area than a control area. Therefore, the Isdsx short isoform may induce thoracic colour differentiation by suppressing black and ebony, thereby generating female CP in I. senegalensis. These findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying female CP in Odonata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michihiko Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Genta Okude
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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25
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Estévez D, Galindo J, Rolán‐Alvarez E. Negative frequency-dependent selection maintains shell banding polymorphisms in two marine snails ( Littorina fabalis and Littorina saxatilis). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6381-6390. [PMID: 34141225 PMCID: PMC8207376 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of shell bands is common in gastropods. Both the marine snails Littorina fabalis and Lttorina saxatilis are polymorphic for this trait. Such polymorphism would be expected to be lost by the action of genetic drift or directional selection, but it appears to be widespread at relatively constant frequencies. This suggests it is maintained by balancing selection on the trait or on a genetically linked trait. Using long time series of empirical data, we compared potential effects of genetic drift and negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) in the two species. The contribution of genetic drift to changes in the frequency of bands in L. fabalis was estimated using the effective population size estimated from microsatellite data, while the effect of genetic drift in L. saxatilis was derived from previously published study. Frequency-dependent selection was assessed by comparing the cross-product estimator of fitness with the frequency of the polymorphism across years using a regression analysis. Both studied species showed patterns of NFDS. In addition, in L. fabalis, contributions from genetic drift could explain some of the changes in banding frequency. Overdominance and heterogeneous selection did not fit well to our data. The possible biological explanations resulting in the maintenance of the banding polymorphism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Estévez
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e Inmunología y Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM‐UVIGO)Universidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesDepartment of Fish and ShellfishNuukGreenland
| | - Juan Galindo
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e Inmunología y Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM‐UVIGO)Universidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Emilio Rolán‐Alvarez
- Departamento de BioquímicaGenética e Inmunología y Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM‐UVIGO)Universidade de VigoVigoSpain
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26
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Sreelatha LB, Carretero MA, Pérez I De Lanuza G, Klomp DA, Boratyński Z. Do colour morphs of wall lizards express different personalities? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Colour morphs sometimes have different behavioural strategies which may be maintained by frequency or density dependence mechanisms. We investigated temporal changes in behavioural reaction to a novel environment among colour morphs (yellow, orange, white) of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Adult males were given two 15 min experimental trials, and their locomotion was highly consistent between the two trials. Boldness, freezing and escape behaviour were less repeatable. Colour morphs differed in their locomotion and freezing behaviour. Boldness was similar among the morphs, whereas escape behaviour was lowest in yellow morph. Consequently, yellow morph males tended to explore novel environments quickly and thus were more likely to move to potentially safe areas. Orange and white males showed more fear when exposed to a novel environment. Whether such alternative behavioural strategies can contribute to the maintenance of variable fitness optima among the morphs and ultimately to the maintenance of polymorphism remains open to further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lekshmi B Sreelatha
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Miguel Angel Carretero
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Guillem Pérez I De Lanuza
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46071 València, Spain
| | - Danielle A Klomp
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
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27
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Giery ST, Zimova M, Drake DL, Urban MC. Balancing selection and drift in a polymorphic salamander metapopulation. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200901. [PMID: 33849348 PMCID: PMC8086932 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genetic variation is maintained in a metapopulation is a longstanding problem in evolutionary biology. Historical resurveys of polymorphisms have offered efficient insights about evolutionary mechanisms, but are often conducted on single, large populations, neglecting the more comprehensive view afforded by considering all populations in a metapopulation. Here, we resurveyed a metapopulation of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) to understand the evolutionary drivers of frequency variation in an egg mass colour polymorphism. We found that this metapopulation was demographically, phenotypically and environmentally stable over the last three decades. However, further analysis revealed evidence for two modes of evolution in this metapopulation-genetic drift and balancing selection. Although we cannot identify the balancing mechanism from these data, our findings present a clear view of contemporary evolution in colour morph frequency and demonstrate the importance of metapopulation-scale studies for capturing a broad range of evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T. Giery
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dana L. Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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28
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A molecularphylogeny offorktail damselflies(genus Ischnura)revealsa dynamic macroevolutionary history of female colour polymorphisms. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 160:107134. [PMID: 33677008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Colour polymorphisms are popular study systems among biologists interested in evolutionary dynamics, genomics, sexual selection and sexual conflict. In many damselfly groups, such as in the globally distributed genus Ischnura (forktails), sex-limited female colour polymorphisms occur in multiple species. Female-polymorphic species contain two or three female morphs, one of which phenotypically matches the male (androchrome or male mimic) and the other(s) which are phenotypically distinct from the male (heterochrome). These female colour polymorphisms are thought to be maintained by frequency-dependent sexual conflict, but their macroevolutionary histories are unknown, due to the lack of a robust molecular phylogeny. Here, we present the first time-calibrated phylogeny of Ischnura, using a multispecies coalescent approach (StarBEAST2) and incorporating both molecular and fossil data for 41 extant species (55% of the genus). We estimate the age of Ischnura to be between 13.8 and 23.4 millions of years, i.e. Miocene. We infer the ancestral state of this genus as female monomorphism with heterochrome females, with multiple gains and losses of female polymorphisms, evidence of trans-species female polymorphisms and a significant positive relationship between female polymorphism incidence and current geographic range size. Our study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for future research on the dynamic macroevolutionary history of this clade with its extraordinary diversity of sex-limited female polymorphisms.
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29
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Sapir Y, Gallagher MK, Senden E. What Maintains Flower Colour Variation within Populations? Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:507-519. [PMID: 33663870 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Natural selection acts on phenotypic trait variation. Understanding the mechanisms that create and maintain trait variation is fundamental to understanding the breadth of diversity seen on Earth. Flower colour is among the most conspicuous and highly diverse traits in nature. Most flowering plant populations have uniform floral colours, but a minority exhibit within-population colour variation, either discrete (polymorphic) or continuous. Colour variation is commonly maintained by balancing selection through multiple pollinators, opposing selection regimes, or fluctuating selection. Variation can also be maintained by heterozygote advantage or frequency-dependent selection. Neutral processes, or a lack of selection, may maintain variation, although this remains largely untested. We suggest several prospective research directions that may provide insight into the evolutionary drivers of trait variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Sapir
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - M Kate Gallagher
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Esther Senden
- The Botanical Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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30
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Okude G, Futahashi R. Pigmentation and color pattern diversity in Odonata. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:14-20. [PMID: 33482606 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) comprises diurnal insects with well-developed vision, showing diverse colors in adult wings and bodies. It is one of the most ancestral winged insect groups. Because Odonata species use visual cues to recognize each other, color patterns have been investigated from ecological and evolutionary viewpoints. Here we review the recent progress on molecular mechanisms of pigmentation, especially focused on light-blue coloration. Results from histology and pigment analysis showed that ommochrome pigments on the proximal layer and pteridine pigments on the distal layer of the epidermis are essential for light-blue coloration. We also summarize genes involved in the biosynthesis of three major insect pigments conserved across insects and discuss that gene-functional analysis deserves future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genta Okude
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
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31
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Goedert D, Clement D, Calsbeek R. Evolutionary trade‐offs may interact with physiological constraints to maintain color variation. ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Debora Goedert
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College Hanover03755 New Hampshire USA
- Ministry of Education of Brazil CAPES Foundation Brasília DF95616Brazil
| | - Dale Clement
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College Hanover03755 New Hampshire USA
| | - Ryan Calsbeek
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College Hanover03755 New Hampshire USA
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32
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Brock KM, Baeckens S, Donihue CM, Martín J, Pafilis P, Edwards DL. Trait differences among discrete morphs of a color polymorphic lizard, Podarcis erhardii. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10284. [PMID: 33194436 PMCID: PMC7649010 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphism defies evolutionary expectations as striking phenotypic variation is maintained within a single species. Color and other traits mediate social interactions, and stable polymorphism within a population is hypothesized to be related to correlational selection of other phenotypic traits among color morphs. Here, we report on a previously unknown throat color polymorphism in the Aegean Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii) and examine morph-correlated differences in traits important to social behavior and communication: maximum bite force capacity and chemical signal profile. We find that both sexes of P. erhardii have three color morphs: orange, yellow, and white. Moreover, orange males are significantly larger and tend to bite harder than yellow and white males. Although the established color polymorphism only partially matches the observed intraspecific variation in chemical signal signatures, the chemical profile of the secretions of orange males is significantly divergent from that of white males. Our findings suggest that morph colors are related to differences in traits that are crucial for social interactions and competitive ability, illustrating the need to look beyond color when studying polymorphism evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States of America.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Group, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States of America
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Colin M Donihue
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - José Martín
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Athens, Greece.,Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States of America
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33
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Stuart‐Fox D, Aulsebrook A, Rankin KJ, Dong CM, McLean CA. Convergence and divergence in lizard colour polymorphisms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:289-309. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Anne Aulsebrook
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Katrina J. Rankin
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Caroline M. Dong
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
- Sciences Department Museums Victoria 11 Nicholson Street Carlton Gardens VIC 3053 Australia
| | - Claire A. McLean
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
- Sciences Department Museums Victoria 11 Nicholson Street Carlton Gardens VIC 3053 Australia
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34
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Abalos J, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Bartolomé A, Liehrmann O, Laakkonen H, Aubret F, Uller T, Carazo P, Font E. No evidence for differential sociosexual behavior and space use in the color morphs of the European common wall lizard ( Podarcis muralis). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10986-11005. [PMID: 33144943 PMCID: PMC7593164 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Explaining the evolutionary origin and maintenance of color polymorphisms is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Such polymorphisms are commonly thought to reflect the existence of alternative behavioral or life-history strategies under negative frequency-dependent selection. The European common wall lizard Podarcis muralis exhibits a striking ventral color polymorphism that has been intensely studied and is often assumed to reflect alternative reproductive strategies, similar to the iconic "rock-paper-scissors" system described in the North American lizard Uta stansburiana. However, available studies so far have ignored central aspects in the behavioral ecology of this species that are crucial to assess the existence of alternative reproductive strategies. Here, we try to fill this gap by studying the social behavior, space use, and reproductive performance of lizards showing different color morphs, both in a free-ranging population from the eastern Pyrenees and in ten experimental mesocosm enclosures. In the natural population, we found no differences between morphs in site fidelity, space use, or male-female spatial overlap. Likewise, color morph was irrelevant to sociosexual behavior, space use, and reproductive success within experimental enclosures. Our results contradict the commonly held hypothesis that P. muralis morphs reflect alternative behavioral strategies, and suggest that we should instead turn our attention to alternative functional explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Abalos
- Ethology LabInstituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología EvolutivaUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
| | - Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
- Ethology LabInstituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología EvolutivaUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
- CIBIO/InBIOCentro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Alicia Bartolomé
- Ethology LabInstituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología EvolutivaUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
| | | | | | - Fabien Aubret
- SETEStation d’Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleUMR5321Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueParisFrance
| | | | - Pau Carazo
- Ethology LabInstituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología EvolutivaUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
| | - Enrique Font
- Ethology LabInstituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología EvolutivaUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaSpain
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35
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Wheat C, Svensson EI. Changes in gene expression during female reproductive development in a color polymorphic insect. Evolution 2020; 74:1063-1081. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
- Current Address: School of BiologyUniversity of Costa Rica San José 11501–2060 Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Erik I. Svensson
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
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36
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Shah MNA, Khan MK. OdoBD: An online database for the dragonflies and damselflies of Bangladesh. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231727. [PMID: 32324748 PMCID: PMC7179912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Combining scientific data over a long-time period is necessary for generating large-scale datasets, which are an essential component of comparative analysis for understanding evolutionary processes. Furthermore, monitoring temporal and spatial distributions of animals at a global and regional scale is essential for studying climate change driven extinction risks. Regional and global datasets focusing on different animal groups are on the rise to meet such challenges. Although being one of the earliest and best-known insect groups, the data on Odonata remains rudimentary and dispersed, especially in the South Asian region. Bangladesh, being located within a biodiversity hotspot, possesses a large number of odonate species and many of them are endemic to the South Asian region. We have developed an online database for the Odonata of Bangladesh by compiling and digitizing data from our last four years of field studies, from previously published research articles and field guides, and also by collecting data from citizen scientists. The Odonata of Bangladesh database (accessible at http://www.odobd.org) contains phenotypic, genotypic, photographic, taxonomic, biogeographic and faunistic data of the Odonata of Bangladesh. The database will be a valuable resource for understanding diversity, distributions, extinction risks and conservation planning of the Odonata of Bangladesh. Finally, phenotypic, spatial and temporal data of Odonata of Bangladesh datasets can be integrated with other regional datasets for analyzing macroevolutionary trends and to monitor the effect of climate change on odonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nur Ahad Shah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Md Kawsar Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
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37
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Lehtinen RM, Carlson BM, Hamm AR, Riley AG, Mullin MM, Gray WJ. Dispatches from the neighborhood watch: Using citizen science and field survey data to document color morph frequency in space and time. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1526-1538. [PMID: 32076531 PMCID: PMC7029058 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Heritable color polymorphisms have a long history of study in evolutionary biology, though they are less frequently examined today than in the past. These systems, where multiple discrete, visually identifiable color phenotypes co-occur in the same population, are valuable for tracking evolutionary change and ascertaining the relative importance of different evolutionary mechanisms. Here, we use a combination of citizen science data and field surveys in the Great Lakes region of North America to identify patterns of color morph frequencies in the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Using over 68,000 individual squirrel records from both large and small spatial scales, we identify the following patterns: (a) the melanistic (black) phenotype is often localized but nonetheless widespread throughout the Great Lakes region, occurring in all states and provinces sampled. (b) In Ohio, where intensive surveys were performed, there is a weak but significantly positive association between color morph frequency and geographic proximity of populations. Nonetheless, even nearby populations often had radically different frequencies of the melanistic morph, which ranged from 0% to 96%. These patterns were mosaic rather than clinal. (c) In the Wooster, Ohio population, which had over eight years of continuous data on color morph frequency representing nearly 40,000 records, we found that the frequency of the melanistic morph increased gradually over time on some survey routes but decreased or did not change over time on others. These differences were statistically significant and occurred at very small spatial scales (on the order of hundreds of meters). Together, these patterns are suggestive of genetic drift as an important mechanism of evolutionary change in this system. We argue that studies of color polymorphism are still quite valuable in advancing our understanding of fundamental evolutionary processes, especially when coupled with the growing availability of data from citizen science efforts.
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38
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Svensson EI, Willink B, Duryea MC, Lancaster LT. Temperature drives pre‐reproductive selection and shapes the biogeography of a female polymorphism. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:149-159. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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39
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Svensson EI, Connallon T. How frequency-dependent selection affects population fitness, maladaptation and evolutionary rescue. Evol Appl 2019; 12:1243-1258. [PMID: 31417612 PMCID: PMC6691226 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Frequency-dependent (FD) selection is a central process maintaining genetic variation and mediating evolution of population fitness. FD selection has attracted interest from researchers in a wide range of biological subdisciplines, including evolutionary genetics, behavioural ecology and, more recently, community ecology. However, the implications of frequency dependence for applied biological problems, particularly maladaptation, biological conservation and evolutionary rescue remain underexplored. The neglect of FD selection in conservation is particularly unfortunate. Classical theory, dating back to the 1940s, demonstrated that frequency dependence can either increase or decrease population fitness. These evolutionary consequences of FD selection are relevant to modern concerns about population persistence and the capacity of evolution to alleviate extinction risks. But exactly when should we expect FD selection to increase versus decrease absolute fitness and population growth? And how much of an impact is FD selection expected to have on population persistence versus extinction in changing environments? The answers to these questions have implications for evolutionary rescue under climate change and may inform strategies for managing threatened populations. Here, we revisit the core theory of FD selection, reviewing classical single-locus models of population genetic change and outlining short- and long-run consequences of FD selection for the evolution of population fitness. We then develop a quantitative genetic model of evolutionary rescue in a deteriorating environment, with population persistence hinging upon the evolution of a quantitative trait subject to both frequency-dependent and frequency-independent natural selection. We discuss the empirical literature pertinent to this theory, which supports key assumptions of our model. We show that FD selection can promote population persistence when it aligns with the direction of frequency-independent selection imposed by abiotic environmental conditions. However, under most scenarios of environmental change, FD selection limits a population's evolutionary responsiveness to changing conditions and narrows the rate of environmental change that is evolutionarily tolerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik I. Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology UnitDepartment of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Tim Connallon
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
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40
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Zvereva EL, Hunter MD, Zverev V, Kruglova OY, Kozlov MV. Climate warming leads to decline in frequencies of melanic individuals in subarctic leaf beetle populations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 673:237-244. [PMID: 30991315 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific diversity buffers populations from deleterious impacts of environmental change. Nevertheless, the consequences of climate warming for phenotypic and genetic diversity within populations and species remain poorly understood. The goal of our study was to explore among-year variations in the phenotypic structure of populations and their relationships with climate variability and population dynamics. We analysed multiyear (1992-2018) data on colour morph frequencies within populations of the leaf beetle, Chrysomela lapponica, from multiple sites in the Kola Peninsula (northwestern Russia). We observed a strong decline in the proportion of dark (melanic) morphs among overwintered beetles during the study period; this decline was consistent across all study sites. Using model selection procedures, we explained declines in the dark morph of overwintered beetles by increases in minimum spring (May-June) daily temperatures. Other climatic characteristics, pollution load, and beetle population density were unrelated to variation in colour morph frequencies. Among newly emerged beetles (August), dark morph frequencies also decreased with an increase in average spring temperatures, but were unrelated to mean temperatures during the larval development period (July). These results suggest that the two-fold decline in dark morph frequencies during the past 26 years has been driven by the 2.5 °C increase in spring temperatures, most likely because dark males lose the mating advantages over light males that they obtain during cold springs. The continued loss of dark morphs and related decrease in within-population diversity may render leaf beetle populations more vulnerable to future environmental changes, in particular to those expressed in extreme weather fluctuations. Our study demonstrates that declines in within-population diversity are already underway in subarctic areas, and that these declines are likely driven by climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena L Zvereva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland.
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | | | - Mikhail V Kozlov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
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41
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Mangiacotti M, Fumagalli M, Cagnone M, Viglio S, Bardoni AM, Scali S, Sacchi R. Morph-specific protein patterns in the femoral gland secretions of a colour polymorphic lizard. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8412. [PMID: 31182789 PMCID: PMC6557888 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44889-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphism occurs when two or more genetically-based colour morphs permanently coexist within an interbreeding population. Colouration is usually associated to other life-history traits (ecological, physiological, behavioural, reproductive …) of the bearer, thus being the phenotypic marker of such set of genetic features. This visual badge may be used to inform conspecifics and to drive those decision making processes which may contribute maintaining colour polymorphism under sexual selection context. The importance of such information suggests that other communication modalities should be recruited to ensure its transfer in case visual cues were insufficient. Here, for the first time, we investigated the potential role of proteins from femoral gland secretions in signalling colour morph in a polymorphic lizard. As proteins are thought to convey identity-related information, they represent the ideal cues to build up the chemical modality used to badge colour morphs. We found strong evidence for the occurrence of morph-specific protein profiles in the three main colour-morphs of the common wall lizard, which showed both qualitative and quantitative differences in protein expression. As lizards are able to detect proteins by tongue-flicking and vomeronasal organ, this result support the hypothesis that colour polymorphic lizards may use a multimodal signal to inform about colour-morph.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mangiacotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 24, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Marco Fumagalli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "L.Spallanzani", Unit of Biochemistry, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maddalena Cagnone
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Unit of Biochemistry, University of Pavia, Via T. Taramelli 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Simona Viglio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Unit of Biochemistry, University of Pavia, Via T. Taramelli 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Bardoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Unit of Biochemistry, University of Pavia, Via T. Taramelli 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefano Scali
- Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano, Corso Venezia 55, 20121, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 24, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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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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43
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Heritability of plumage colour morph variation in a wild population of promiscuous, long-lived Australian magpies. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:349-358. [PMID: 30911140 PMCID: PMC6781111 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0212-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphisms have evolutionary significance for the generation and maintenance of species diversity. Demonstrating heritability of polymorphic traits can be challenging for wild populations of long-lived species because accurate information is required on trait expression and familial relationships. The Australian magpie Cracticus tibicen has a continent-wide distribution featuring several distinct plumage morphs, differing primarily in colour of back feathers. Black or white-backed morphs occur in eastern Australia, with intermediate morphs common in a narrow hybrid zone where the two morphs meet. This study investigated heritability of back colour phenotypes in a hybrid zone population (Seymour, Victoria) based on long-term observational data and DNA samples collected over an 18 year period (1993-2010). High extra-pair paternity (~ 36% offspring), necessitated verification of parent-offspring relationships by parentage analysis. A total of 538 birds (221 parents and 317 offspring) from 36 territories were analysed. Back colour was a continuous trait scored on a five-morph scale in the field (0-4). High and consistent estimates of back colour heritability (h2) were obtained via weighted mid-parent regression (h2 = 0.94) and by animal models (h2 = 0.92, C.I. 0.80-0.99). Single-parent heritability estimates indicated neither maternal nor paternal non-genetic effects (e.g., parent body condition) played a large role in determining offspring back colour, and environmental effects of territory group and cohort contributed little to trait heritability. Distinctive back colouration of the Australian magpie behaves as a quantitative trait that is likely polygenic, although mechanisms responsible for maintaining these geographically structured morphs and the hybrid zone where they meet are unknown.
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44
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Schweizer RM, Durvasula A, Smith J, Vohr SH, Stahler DR, Galaverni M, Thalmann O, Smith DW, Randi E, Ostrander EA, Green RE, Lohmueller KE, Novembre J, Wayne RK. Natural Selection and Origin of a Melanistic Allele in North American Gray Wolves. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1190-1209. [PMID: 29688543 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigmentation is often used to understand how natural selection affects genetic variation in wild populations since it can have a simple genetic basis, and can affect a variety of fitness-related traits (e.g., camouflage, thermoregulation, and sexual display). In gray wolves, the K locus, a β-defensin gene, causes black coat color via a dominantly inherited KB allele. The allele is derived from dog-wolf hybridization and is at high frequency in North American wolf populations. We designed a DNA capture array to probe the geographic origin, age, and number of introgression events of the KB allele in a panel of 331 wolves and 20 dogs. We found low diversity in KB, but not ancestral ky, wolf haplotypes consistent with a selective sweep of the black haplotype across North America. Further, North American wolf KB haplotypes are monophyletic, suggesting that a single adaptive introgression from dogs to wolves most likely occurred in the Northwest Territories or Yukon. We use a new analytical approach to date the origin of the KB allele in Yukon wolves to between 1,598 and 7,248 years ago, suggesting that introgression with early Native American dogs was the source. Using population genetic simulations, we show that the K locus is undergoing natural selection in four wolf populations. We find evidence for balancing selection, specifically in Yellowstone wolves, which could be a result of selection for enhanced immunity in response to distemper. With these data, we demonstrate how the spread of an adaptive variant may have occurred across a species' geographic range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena M Schweizer
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Arun Durvasula
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Joel Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Samuel H Vohr
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY
| | | | - Olaf Thalmann
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY
| | - Ettore Randi
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Elaine A Ostrander
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Richard E Green
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - John Novembre
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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45
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Moon RM, Kamath A. Re-examining escape behaviour and habitat use as correlates of dorsal pattern variation in female brown anole lizards,Anolis sagrei(Squamata: Dactyloidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Moon
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ambika Kamath
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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46
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Emergence of a floral colour polymorphism by pollinator-mediated overdominance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:63. [PMID: 30622247 PMCID: PMC6325131 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07936-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of polymorphism by overdominance (heterozygote advantage) is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology. In most examples known in nature, overdominance is a result of homozygotes suffering from deleterious effects. Here we show that overdominance maintains a non-deleterious polymorphism with black, red and white floral morphs in the Alpine orchid Gymnadenia rhellicani. Phenotypic, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal that the morphs differ solely in cyanidin pigments, which are linked to differential expression of an anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) gene. This expression difference is caused by a premature stop codon in an ANS-regulating R2R3-MYB transcription factor, which is heterozygous in the red colour morph. Furthermore, field observations show that bee and fly pollinators have opposite colour preferences; this results in higher fitness (seed set) of the heterozygous morph without deleterious effects in either homozygous morph. Together, these findings demonstrate that genuine overdominance exists in nature. Examples of overdominance are usually explained by deleterious effects in homozygotes. Here, Kellenberger et al. describe a case of overdominance in the floral color of the Alpine orchid Gymnadenia rhellicani apparently maintained by pollinator preferences without deleterious effects in homozygotes.
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47
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Connallon T, Sharma S, Olito C. Evolutionary Consequences of Sex-Specific Selection in Variable Environments: Four Simple Models Reveal Diverse Evolutionary Outcomes. Am Nat 2019; 193:93-105. [DOI: 10.1086/700720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik I. Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology Lund University Lund Sweden
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49
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Lehnert SJ, Garver KA, Richard J, Devlin RH, Lajoie C, Pitcher TE, Heath DD. Significant differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning and effects on offspring fitness in Chinook salmon colour morphs. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1876-1893. [PMID: 30264932 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In oviparous species, maternal carotenoid provisioning can deliver diverse fitness benefits to offspring via increased survival, growth and immune function. Despite demonstrated advantages of carotenoids, large intra- and interspecific variation in carotenoid utilization exists, suggesting trade-offs associated with carotenoids. In Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), extreme variation in carotenoid utilization delineates two colour morphs (red and white) that differ genetically in their ability to deposit carotenoids into tissues. Here, we take advantage of this natural variation to examine how large differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning influence offspring fitness. Using a full factorial breeding design crossing morphs and common-garden rearing, we measured differences in a suite of fitness-related traits, including survival, growth, viral susceptibility and host response, in offspring of red (carotenoid-rich eggs) and white (carotenoid-poor eggs) females. Eggs of red females had significantly higher carotenoid content than those of white females (6× more); however, this did not translate into measurable differences in offspring fitness. Given that white Chinook salmon may have evolved to counteract their maternal carotenoid deficiency, we also examined the relationship between egg carotenoid content and offspring fitness within each morph separately. Egg carotenoids only had a positive effect within the red morph on survival to eyed-egg (earliest measured trait), but not within the white morph. Although previous work shows that white females benefit from reduced egg predation, our study also supports a hypothesis that white Chinook salmon have evolved additional mechanisms to improve egg survival despite low carotenoids, providing novel insight into evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this stable polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Lehnert
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Kyle A Garver
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Jon Richard
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | | | - Celine Lajoie
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Trevor E Pitcher
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel D Heath
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
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50
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Dieker P, Beckmann L, Teckentrup J, Schielzeth H. Spatial analyses of two color polymorphisms in an alpine grasshopper reveal a role of small-scale heterogeneity. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7273-7284. [PMID: 30151148 PMCID: PMC6106198 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrete color polymorphisms represent a fascinating aspect of intraspecific diversity. Color morph ratios often vary clinally, but in some cases, there are no marked clines and mixes of different morphs occur at appreciable frequencies in most populations. This poses the questions of how polymorphisms are maintained. We here study the spatial and temporal distribution of a very conspicuous color polymorphism in the club-legged grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus. The species occurs in a green and a nongreen (predominately brown) morph, a green-brown polymorphism that is common among Orthopteran insects. We sampled color morph ratios at 42 sites across the alpine range of the species and related color morph ratios to local habitat parameters and climatic conditions. Green morphs occurred in both sexes, and their morph ratios were highly correlated among sites, suggesting shared control of the polymorphism in females and males. We found that in at least 40 of 42 sites green and brown morphs co-occurred with proportions of green ranging from 0% to 70% with significant spatial heterogeneity. The proportion of green individuals tended to increase with decreasing summer and winter precipitations. Nongreen individuals can be further distinguished into brown and pied individuals, and again, this polymorphism is shared with other grasshopper species. We found pied individuals at all sites with proportions ranging from 3% to 75%, with slight, but significant variation between years. Pied morphs show a clinal increase in frequency from east to west and decreased with altitude and lower temperatures and were more common on grazed sites. The results suggest that both small-scale and large-scale spatial heterogeneity affects color morph ratios. The almost universal co-occurrence of all three color morphs argues against strong effects of genetic drift. Instead, the data suggest that small-scale migration-selection balance and/or local balancing selection maintain populations polymorphic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Dieker
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
- Department of Population EcologyInstitute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
| | - Luisa Beckmann
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Julia Teckentrup
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Holger Schielzeth
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
- Department of Population EcologyInstitute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
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