1
|
Auer KE, Primus J, Istel S, Dahlhoff M, Rülicke T. Mate genetic similarity affects mating behaviour but not maternal investment in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10536. [PMID: 37386286 PMCID: PMC10310752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37547-6] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment can affect the survival and development of offspring. Here we experimentally investigated in mice, whether females alter implantation rates and pup survival after embryo transfer depending on the genetic similarity with their vasectomised mating partner. We selected the MHC genotype and genetic background of males and paired females either with males that shared the same MHC haplotype and genetic background (CBA/J inbred males, isogenic group), that shared half of the MHC haplotype and genetic background (B6CBAF1 hybrid males, semi-isogenic group), or that had a different MHC haplotype and genetic background (C57BL/6N inbred males, allogenic group). We performed 304 pairings, resulting in 81 vaginal plugs, which confirmed mating. Plug rates were significantly higher in the semi-isogenic group (36.9%) compared to the isogenic group (19.5%), but not the allogenic group (26%). We found no difference in the number of implantation sites, the number of born or surviving pups until weaning, or litter weight or sex ratio between groups. Even though we found a mating bias, we found no difference in maternal investment under laboratory conditions. At least under pathogen-free conditions our study does not provide any evidence for differential maternal investment when females could increase offspring genetic diversity or heterozygosity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E Auer
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jasmin Primus
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Istel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maik Dahlhoff
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mudrik EA, Ilyashenko EI, Postelnykh KA, Goroshko OA, Politov DV. Sex Ratio in the Offspring of Monogamous Bird Species (Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo). RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422110072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
|
3
|
Sawecki J, Dijkstra PD. Mothers modify the cost of reproduction by dynamic changes in antioxidant function and filial cannibalism. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220319. [PMID: 36349581 PMCID: PMC9653243 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0319] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Investment in current reproduction may negatively influence subsequent fitness. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a potential mediator of this trade-off between current and future reproductive success. However, evidence of reproduction causing oxidative stress is limited, possibly owing to compensatory mechanisms that counteract oxidative insults. Here we test the idea that organisms protect against oxidative challenges through a dynamic interaction between behavioural and physiological adjustments at different stages of reproduction. To test this idea, we manipulated maternal care in the mouthbrooding cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni by allowing females to continue care (brooders) or by preventing care (non-brooders). We found that brooders depleted the pool of antioxidants as brood care progressed; however, we only observed increased oxidative DNA damage at the early stage of care relative to non-brooders, possibly owing to upregulated antioxidant protection during later stages of care. Most brooders adjusted parental investment by consuming some of their offspring during mouthbrooding. Intriguingly, the level of filial cannibalism was positively related to liver antioxidant function. These changes in antioxidant function and filial cannibalism allow parents to manage the cost of reproduction and are important for our understanding of how oxidative stress mediates life-history trade-offs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jake Sawecki
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Peter D. Dijkstra
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
- Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Facultative and persistent offspring sex-ratio bias in relation to the social environment in cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03221-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Females should facultatively bias offspring sex ratio when fitness returns vary among sexes. In cooperative breeders, where individuals help raise others’ young, overproducing the philopatric sex will be adaptive when helpers are absent, whereas overproducing the dispersive sex may be adaptive to reduce intrasexual competition. Thus, fitness returns are expected to vary with the social environment. However, any offspring sex-ratio biases may also result from consistent among-female differences (e.g. quality) and/or environmental variables (e.g. food availability). Yet, few studies have disentangled facultative from persistent biases. We investigated offspring sex-ratio biases in relation to the social environment in cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans). Repeated observations of the same females over nine years allowed for disentanglement of facultative from persistent biases. Females without help did not overproduce daughters, despite female helpers being associated with higher fledgling survival (resource enhancement hypothesis). Instead, females without helpers facultatively overproduced sons —the slower dispersing sex— thereby ensuring long-term helper availability. Furthermore, offspring sex ratio was not biased towards the rarer sex of helpers present in the group or population (resource competition hypothesis). However, females with sex-biased helping produced similarly skewed offspring sex ratios. This among-female association may not be surprising, because helpers are previous seasons’ offspring. Thus, in addition to facultative responses to prevailing social conditions, we found evidence for persistent biases among females. This could potentially explain previous evidence for resource competition/enhancement that have typically been interpreted as facultative responses, highlighting the need for a within-female approach to better understand the adaptiveness of sex-ratio biases.
Significance statement
Under certain conditions, females may benefit from producing a biased offspring sex ratio, but evidence for such effects in vertebrates is weak and inconsistent. Here, using observations of the same females under different social conditions, we show that cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens facultatively biased offspring sex ratio towards sons when living in pairs, thereby ensuring the availability of a workforce to assist in raising future offspring. However, biased offspring sex ratio patterns may also be the result of consistent differences among females. Indeed, we also found evidence for such patterns and suggest that this could be an explanation for previous findings which are often interpreted as facultative responses.
Collapse
|
5
|
Pineaux M, Merkling T, Danchin E, Hatch SA, Leclaire S, Blanchard P. MHC-II distance between parents predicts sex allocation decisions in a genetically monogamous bird. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Theory predicts that parental heritable characteristics should shape sex allocation decisions when their effects on reproduction or survival are offspring sex-dependent. Numerous studies have questioned to what extent characteristics displayed by one of the parents matched theoretical expectations. This contrasts with the handful of studies that investigated whether compatibility between parents could also trigger selective pressures for sex allocation adjustments. We studied the genetically monogamous black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), where previous data revealed that female chicks suffered higher fitness costs from low diversity at genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) than male chicks. We predicted, and found in our dataset, that MHC-similar parents, producing low MHC-diverse offspring, should avoid the production of females. The relation between MHC-distance between parents (i.e. the functional distinctness of their MHC alleles) and offspring sex was not linear, such that MHC-dissimilar parents also overproduced sons. Overall, our results suggest that the genetically monogamous black-legged kittiwake parents flexibly adapt their reproduction and circumvent the costs of suboptimal pairing by manipulating offspring sex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Pineaux
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS. 118 route de Narbonne, Bât. 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS. 118 route de Narbonne, Bât. 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Etienne Danchin
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS. 118 route de Narbonne, Bât. 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, 12850 Mountain Place, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS. 118 route de Narbonne, Bât. 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Pierrick Blanchard
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS. 118 route de Narbonne, Bât. 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fragueira R, Helfenstein F, Fischer K, Beaulieu M. Birds of different morphs use slightly different strategies to achieve similar reproductive performance following heatwave exposure. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2594-2608. [PMID: 34191276 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13564] [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: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Responses to extreme climatic events may differ between individuals of distinct morphs which differ in life-history strategies, resulting in climate change 'winners' and 'losers' within species. We examined the reproductive performance and carry-over effects on offspring of black- and red-headed Gouldian finches Erythrura gouldiae after exposure to simulated heatwaves of moderate or severe intensity. We expected black-headed pairs' reproductive performance to decline after the severe heatwave because only the condition of black-headed females deteriorates during such a heatwave. Supporting the fact that Gouldian finches of different morphs use alternative reproductive strategies, we found that black-headed females initiated egg-laying a month earlier than red-headed females after experiencing a severe heatwave. We also found that this severe heatwave resulted in shorter spermatozoa in males irrespective of their morph. Despite these effects associated with heatwave intensity, the overall reproductive performance of both morphs was not affected by this factor, which was possibly due to an increased nestling provisioning rate by parents after exposure to the severe heatwave. However, offspring still bore the cost of parental exposure to the severe heatwave, as they showed a reduced condition (lower plasma antioxidant capacity and transient lower breathing rate) and higher oxidative damage (at least in fledglings with black-headed parents). These results suggest that inter-morph phenotypic variability in the Gouldian finch does not result in clear differences in reproductive performance following heatwave exposure, despite basal phenotypic differences between morphs. Whether animals using alternative reproductive strategies are, in the end, differently affected by climate changes will likely depend on the capacity of their offspring to recover from altered developmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rita Fragueira
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Fischer
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,German Oceanographic Museum, Stralsund, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
The Adaptive Sex in Stressful Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:628-640. [PMID: 30952545 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The impact of early stress on juvenile development has intrigued scientists for decades, but the adaptive significance of such effects remains an ongoing debate. This debate has largely ignored some characteristics of the offspring, such as their sex, despite strong evolutionary and demographic implications of sex-ratio variation. We review recent studies that examine associations between glucocorticoids (GCs), the main class of stress hormones, and offspring sex. Whereas exposure to GCs at around the time of sex determination in fish consistently produces males, the extent and direction of sex-ratio bias in response to stress vary in reptiles, birds, and mammals. We propose proximate and ultimate explanations for most of these trends.
Collapse
|
8
|
Hurley LL, Rowe M, Griffith SC. Differential sperm-egg interactions in experimental pairings between two subspecies and their hybrids in a passerine bird. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11725-11732. [PMID: 30598770 PMCID: PMC6303703 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Speciation research has largely overlooked reproductive barriers acting between copulation and the formation of the zygote (i.e., postmating, prezygotic [PMPZ] barriers), especially in internally fertilizing vertebrates. Nonetheless, it is becoming clear that PMPZ reproductive barriers can play a role in the formation and maintenance of species boundaries. We investigated sperm-egg interactions in the recently diverged subspecies pairs of the long-tailed finch, Poephila acuticauda acuticauda and P. a. hecki, to explore potential PMPZ barriers. Specifically, we compared the number of sperm reaching the perivitelline layer (PVL) of the ova, and hence the site of fertilization, in both intra- and inter-subspecies pairings and pairings of F1 hybrid adults with one parental subspecies. Although we found no difference in PVL sperm number among intra- and inter-subspecific pairs, a significantly lower number of sperm reached the site of fertilization in a backcross pairing. As low numbers of PVL sperm appear to be associated with low fertilization success in birds, our findings offer insight into the potential role of postcopulatory processes in limiting gene flow between the subspecies and may help explain the relatively narrow hybrid zone that exists in the wild in this species. Though further work is needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the morphological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying our results, our study supports the role of PMPZ reproductive barriers in avian speciation, even in recently diverged taxa, that may not yet be fully genetically incompatible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura L. Hurley
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Melissah Rowe
- Natural History Museum, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Toomey MB, Marques CI, Andrade P, Araújo PM, Sabatino S, Gazda MA, Afonso S, Lopes RJ, Corbo JC, Carneiro M. A non-coding region near Follistatin controls head colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181788. [PMID: 30282656 PMCID: PMC6191701 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrete colour morphs coexisting within a single population are common in nature. In a broad range of organisms, sympatric colour morphs often display major differences in other traits, including morphology, physiology or behaviour. Despite the repeated occurrence of this phenomenon, our understanding of the genetics that underlie multi-trait differences and the factors that promote the long-term maintenance of phenotypic variability within a freely interbreeding population are incomplete. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a classic polymorphic system in which naturally occurring colour morphs also display differences in aggressivity and reproductive success. We show that the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene. Unlike recent findings in other systems where phenotypic morphs are explained by large inversions containing hundreds of genes (so-called supergenes), we did not identify any structural rearrangements between the two haplotypes using linked-read sequencing technology. Nucleotide divergence between the red and black alleles was high when compared to the remainder of the Z chromosome, consistent with their maintenance as balanced polymorphisms over several million years. Our results illustrate how pleiotropic phenotypes can arise from simple genetic variation, probably regulatory in nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cristiana I Marques
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro M Araújo
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Stephen Sabatino
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Małgorzata A Gazda
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J Lopes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Korgan AC, O'Leary E, King JL, Weaver ICG, Perrot TS. Effects of paternal high-fat diet and rearing environment on maternal investment and development of defensive responses in the offspring. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018. [PMID: 29518693 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Paternal preconception risk factors (e.g. stress, diet, drug use) correlate with metabolic dysfunction in offspring, which is often comorbid with depressive and anxiety-like phenotypes. Detection of these risk factors or deleterious phenotypes informs a female about prevailing ecological demands, in addition to potential adverse environment-induced phenotypes that may be disseminated to her offspring. We examined whether a F0 male rat's prior exposure to an obesogenic high-fat diet (HFD) influences a female's attraction towards a male, subsequent mother-infant interactions and the development of defensive (emotional) responses in the F1 offspring. Females displayed less interest in the HFD exposed F0 males relative to control diet-exposed F0 males. Dams that reared F1 offspring in larger, semi-naturalistic housing provided more licking and grooming and active arched-back-nursing behavior. However, some of these effects interacted with paternal experience. F0 HFD and maternal rearing environment revealed sex-dependent, between group differences in F1 offspring wean weight, juvenile social interactions and anxiety-like behavior in adolescence. Our results show for the first time in mammals that male exposure to HFD may contribute to stable behavioral variation among females in courtship, maternal care, even when the females are not directly exposed to a HFD, and anxiety-like behavior in F1 offspring. Furthermore, when offspring were exposed to a predatory threat, hypothalamic Crf gene regulation was influenced by early housing. These results, together with our previous findings, suggest that paternal experience and maternal rearing conditions can influence maternal behavior and development of defensive responses of offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Austin C Korgan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth O'Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jillian L King
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ian C G Weaver
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada; Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tara S Perrot
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada; Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pérez i de Lanuza G, Ábalos J, Bartolomé A, Font E. Through the eye of a lizard: hue discrimination in a lizard with ventral polymorphic coloration. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.169565. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.169565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Colour polymorphisms are thought to be maintained by complex evolutionary processes some of which require that the colours of the alternative morphs function as chromatic signals to conspecifics. Unfortunately, a key aspect of this hypothesis has rarely been studied: whether the study species perceives its own colour variation as discrete rather than continuous. The European common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) presents a striking colour polymorphism: the ventral surface of adults of both sexes may be coloured orange, white, yellow, or with a mosaic of scales combining two colours (orange-white, orange-yellow). Here we use a discrimination learning paradigm to test if P. muralis is capable of discriminating colour stimuli designed to match the ventral colours of conspecifics. We trained 20 lizards to eat from colour-coded wells bored in wooden blocks. Blocks had four colour-coded wells (orange, white, yellow, and an achromatic control), but only one contained food (mealworm larvae). After six trials, the lizards performed significantly better than expected by chance, showing a decrease in both the number of wells explored and the latency to finding the food. Using visual modelling techniques we found that, based on their spectral properties and the lizards’ cone sensitivities, the ventral colours of P. muralis correspond to discrete rather than continuous colour categories, and that colour discriminability (i.e. distance in perceptual space) varies depending on the morphs compared, which may have implications for signal detection and discrimination. These results suggest that P. muralis can discriminate hue differences matching their own ventral colour variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Javier Ábalos
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Alicia Bartolomé
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Enrique Font
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cayuela H, Léna JP, Lengagne T, Kaufmann B, Mondy N, Konecny L, Dumet A, Vienney A, Joly P. Relatedness predicts male mating success in a pond-breeding amphibian. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
13
|
Song Z, Liu Y, Booksmythe I, Ding C. Effects of individual-based preferences for colour-banded mates on sex allocation in zebra finches. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
14
|
Lehtonen TK. Parental coordination with respect to color polymorphism in a crater lake fish. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
15
|
Morán P, Labbé L, Garcia de Leaniz C. The male handicap: male-biased mortality explains skewed sex ratios in brown trout embryos. Biol Lett 2016; 12:20160693. [PMID: 27928001 PMCID: PMC5206587 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile sex ratios are often assumed to be equal for many species with genetic sex determination, but this has rarely been tested in fish embryos due to their small size and absence of sex-specific markers. We artificially crossed three populations of brown trout and used a recently developed genetic marker for sexing the offspring of both pure and hybrid crosses. Sex ratios (SR = proportion of males) varied widely one month after hatching ranging from 0.15 to 0.90 (mean = 0.39 ± 0.03). Families with high survival tended to produce balanced or male-biased sex ratios, but SR was significantly female-biased when survival was low, suggesting that males sustain higher mortality during development. No difference in SR was found between pure and hybrid families, but the existence of sire × dam interactions suggests that genetic incompatibility may play a role in determining sex ratios. Our findings have implications for animal breeding and conservation because skewed sex ratios will tend to reduce effective population size and bias selection estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Morán
- Universidad de Vigo, Vigo 36310, Spain
| | - L Labbé
- IFREMER-INRA, BP 117, 29450 Sizun, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bolton PE, Rollins LA, Brazill-Boast J, Kim KW, Burke T, Griffith SC. The colour of paternity: extra-pair paternity in the wild Gouldian finch does not appear to be driven by genetic incompatibility between morphs. J Evol Biol 2016; 30:174-190. [PMID: 27758066 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In socially monogamous species, individuals can use extra-pair paternity and offspring sex allocation as adaptive strategies to ameliorate costs of genetic incompatibility with their partner. Previous studies on domesticated Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) demonstrated a genetic incompatibility between head colour morphs, the effects of which are more severe in female offspring. Domesticated females use differential sex allocation, and extra-pair paternity with males of compatible head colour, to reduce fitness costs associated with incompatibility in mixed-morph pairings. However, laboratory studies are an oversimplification of the complex ecological factors experienced in the wild and may only reflect the biology of a domesticated species. This study aimed to examine the patterns of parentage and sex ratio bias with respect to colour pairing combinations in a wild population of the Gouldian finch. We utilized a novel PCR assay that allowed us to genotype the morph of offspring before the morph phenotype develops and to explore bias in morph paternity and selection at the nest. Contrary to previous findings in the laboratory, we found no effect of pairing combinations on patterns of extra-pair paternity, offspring sex ratio or selection on morphs in nestlings. In the wild, the effect of morph incompatibility is likely much smaller, or absent, than was observed in the domesticated birds. Furthermore, the previously studied domesticated population is genetically differentiated from the wild population, consistent with the effects of domestication. It is possible that the domestication process fostered the emergence (or enhancement) of incompatibility between colour morphs previously demonstrated in the laboratory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P E Bolton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - L A Rollins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - J Brazill-Boast
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - K-W Kim
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - T Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lehnert SJ, Heath DD, Devlin RH, Pitcher TE. Post-spawning sexual selection in red and white Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
|
18
|
Kim KW, Griffith SC, Burke T. Linkage mapping of a polymorphic plumage locus associated with intermorph incompatibility in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae). Heredity (Edinb) 2016; 116:409-16. [PMID: 26786066 PMCID: PMC4806697 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2015.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphism is known to facilitate speciation but the genetic basis of animal pigmentation and how colour polymorphisms contribute to speciation is poorly understood. Restricted recombination may promote linkage disequilibrium between the colour locus and incompatibility genes. Genomic rearrangement and the position of relevant loci within a chromosome are important factors that influence the frequency of recombination. Therefore, it is important to know the position of the colour locus, gene order and recombination landscape of the chromosome to understand the mechanism that generates incompatibilities between morphs. Recent studies showed remarkable pre- and postzygotic incompatibilities between sympatric colour morphs of the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), in which head feather colour is genetically determined by a single sex-linked locus, Red. We constructed a genetic map for the Z chromosome of the Gouldian finch (male-specific map distance=131 cM), using 618 captive-bred birds and 34 microsatellite markers, to investigate the extent of inter- and intraspecific genomic rearrangements and variation in recombination rate within the Z chromosome. We refined the location of the Red locus to a ~7.2-cM interval in a region with a moderate recombination rate but outside the least-recombining, putative centromeric region. There was no evidence of chromosome-wide genomic rearrangements between the chromosomes carrying the red or black alleles with the current marker resolution. This work will contribute to identifying the causal gene, which will in turn enable alternative explanations for the association between incompatibility and colouration, such as fine-scale linkage disequilibrium, genomic rearrangements and pleiotropy, to be tested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K-W Kim
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - T Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Douhard M, Festa-Bianchet M, Coltman DW, Pelletier F. Paternal reproductive success drives sex allocation in a wild mammal. Evolution 2016; 70:358-68. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Douhard
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - David W. Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Paternal calorie restriction prior to conception alters anxiety-like behavior of the adult rat progeny. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 64:1-11. [PMID: 26571216 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The maternal environment influences a broad range of phenotypic outcomes for offspring, with anxiety-like behavior being particularly susceptible to maternal environmental perturbations. Much less is known regarding paternal environmental influences. To investigate this, adult male rats were exposed to 25% calorie restriction (CR) or glucocorticoid elevation (CORT; 200 μg/ml of corticosterone in drinking water) for ∼ 6 weeks prior to breeding. Elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), predator odor (cat urine), and acoustic startle/pre-pulse inhibition (AS/PPI) were characterised in the adult male offspring. Plasma concentrations of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRF), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and serum leptin were characterised in both sires and offspring. Maternal care received by litters was additionally observed. Expectedly, CR and CORT treatment attenuated weight gain, whilst only CR induced anxiolytic behavior in the EPM. The adult offspring sired by CR males also demonstrated a reduction in weight gain, food intake and serum leptin levels when compared to controls. Moreover, CR offspring demonstrated an anxiolytic-like profile in the EPM and OF, enhanced habituation to the AS pulse, reduced PPI, but no alteration to predator odor induced defensiveness compared to control. CORT offspring failed to demonstrate any behavioral differences from controls, however, exhibited a trend towards reduced ACTH and leptin concentration. Collectively, the results indicate that a reduction in calories in males prior to conception can affect the behavior of adult offspring. The phenotypic transmission of CR experiences from fathers to the progeny could potentially be mediated epigenetically. The role of glucocorticoid elevation and maternal care are also discussed.
Collapse
|
21
|
Tuttle EM, Bergland AO, Korody ML, Brewer MS, Newhouse DJ, Minx P, Stager M, Betuel A, Cheviron ZA, Warren WC, Gonser RA, Balakrishnan CN. Divergence and Functional Degradation of a Sex Chromosome-like Supergene. Curr Biol 2016; 26:344-50. [PMID: 26804558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge in biology is to understand the genetic basis of adaptation. One compelling idea is that groups of tightly linked genes (i.e., "supergenes" [1, 2]) facilitate adaptation in suites of traits that determine fitness. Despite their likely importance, little is known about how alternate supergene alleles arise and become differentiated, nor their ultimate fate within species. Herein we address these questions by investigating the evolutionary history of a supergene in white-throated sparrows, Zonotrichia albicollis. This species comprises two morphs, tan and white, that differ in pigmentation and components of social behavior [3-5]. Morph is determined by alternative alleles at a balanced >100-Mb inversion-based supergene, providing a unique system for studying gene-behavior relationships. Using over two decades of field data, we document near-perfect disassortative mating among morphs, as well as the fitness consequences of rare assortative mating. We use de novo whole-genome sequencing coupled with population- and phylogenomic data to show that alternate supergene alleles are highly divergent at over 1,000 genes and that these alleles originated prior to the split of Z. albicollis from its sister species and may be polymorphic in Z. albicollis due to a past hybridization event. We provide evidence that the "white" allele may be degrading, similar to neo-Y/W sex chromosomes. We further show that the "tan" allele has surprisingly low levels of genetic diversity yet does not show several canonical signatures of recurrent positive selection. We discuss these results in the context of the origin, molecular evolution, and possible fate of this remarkable polymorphism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elaina M Tuttle
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, 600 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Alan O Bergland
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
| | - Marisa L Korody
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, 600 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA
| | - Michael S Brewer
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Daniel J Newhouse
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Patrick Minx
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Campus Box 8501, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Maria Stager
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Adam Betuel
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, 600 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Campus Box 8501, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Rusty A Gonser
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, 600 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Booksmythe I, Mautz B, Davis J, Nakagawa S, Jennions MD. Facultative adjustment of the offspring sex ratio and male attractiveness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:108-134. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Isobel Booksmythe
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Brian Mautz
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jacqueline Davis
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street CB2 3EB Cambridge U.K
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Calsbeek R, Duryea MC, Goedert D, Bergeron P, Cox RM. Intralocus sexual conflict, adaptive sex allocation, and the heritability of fitness. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1975-85. [PMID: 26310599 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Intralocus sexual conflict arises when selection favours alternative fitness optima in males and females. Unresolved conflict can create negative between-sex genetic correlations for fitness, such that high-fitness parents produce high-fitness progeny of their same sex, but low-fitness progeny of the opposite sex. This cost of sexual conflict could be mitigated if high-fitness parents bias sex allocation to produce more offspring of their same sex. Previous studies of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) show that viability selection on body size is sexually antagonistic, favouring large males and smaller females. However, sexual conflict over body size may be partially mitigated by adaptive sex allocation: large males sire more sons than daughters, whereas small males sire more daughters than sons. We explored the evolutionary implications of these phenomena by assessing the additive genetic (co)variance of fitness within and between sexes in a wild population. We measured two components of fitness: viability of adults over the breeding season, and the number of their progeny that survived to sexual maturity, which includes components of parental reproductive success and offspring viability (RS(V) ). Viability of parents was not correlated with adult viability of their sons or daughters. RS(V) was positively correlated between sires and their offspring, but not between dams and their offspring. Neither component of fitness was significantly heritable, and neither exhibited negative between-sex genetic correlations that would indicate unresolved sexual conflict. Rather, our results are more consistent with predictions regarding adaptive sex allocation in that, as the number of sons produced by a sire increased, the adult viability of his male progeny increased.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Calsbeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - M C Duryea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - D Goedert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.,CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - P Bergeron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - R M Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bowers EK, Forsman AM, Masters BS, Johnson BGP, Johnson LS, Sakaluk SK, Thompson CF. Increased extra-pair paternity in broods of aging males and enhanced recruitment of extra-pair young in a migratory bird. Evolution 2015; 69:2533-41. [PMID: 26258950 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite keen interest in extra-pair mating in birds, its adaptive significance remains unresolved. Here, we use a multi-year dataset to test whether traits of a female's social mate influence her propensity to produce extra-pair offspring in a population of house wrens, and whether producing extra-pair young has consequences for a female's fitness through effects on offspring survival. Females were most likely to produce extra-pair offspring when paired with old males and when paired with males on poor-quality territories, although this latter effect was marginally nonsignificant. Among offspring, the cutaneous immunity of within-pair young decreased as the age of their sires increased, but cutaneous immunity of extra-pair young was not affected by the age of their extra-pair sires or by the age of the males rearing them. Extra-pair offspring were more likely than within-pair offspring to return as breeding adults to the local population, with extra-pair sons being more likely to return as a breeder for multiple years. Our findings support the hypothesis that females produce extra-pair offspring to enhance their inclusive fitness beyond what they are capable of given the male with which they are socially paired.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120.
| | - Anna M Forsman
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853
| | - Brian S Masters
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, 21252
| | - Bonnie G P Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, 21252
| | - L Scott Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, 21252
| | - Scott K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120
| | - Charles F Thompson
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4120
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Rando OJ, Simmons RA. I'm eating for two: parental dietary effects on offspring metabolism. Cell 2015; 161:93-105. [PMID: 25815988 PMCID: PMC4465102 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
It has long been understood that the pathogenesis of complex diseases such as diabetes includes both genetic and environmental components. More recently, it has become clear that not only does an individual's environment influence their own metabolism, but in some cases, the environment experienced by their parents may also contribute to their risk of metabolic disease. Here, we review the evidence that parental diet influences metabolic phenotype in offspring in mammals and provide a current survey of our mechanistic understanding of these effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Rebecca A Simmons
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wei Y, Yang CR, Wei YP, Ge ZJ, Zhao ZA, Zhang B, Hou Y, Schatten H, Sun QY. Enriched environment-induced maternal weight loss reprograms metabolic gene expression in mouse offspring. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:4604-4619. [PMID: 25555918 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.605642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The global prevalence of weight loss is increasing, especially in young women. However, the extent and mechanisms by which maternal weight loss affects the offspring is still poorly understood. Here, using an enriched environment (EE)-induced weight loss model, we show that maternal weight loss improves general health and reprograms metabolic gene expression in mouse offspring, and the epigenetic alterations can be inherited for at least two generations. EE in mothers induced weight loss and its associated physiological and metabolic changes such as decreased adiposity and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Relative to controls, their offspring exhibited improved general health such as reduced fat accumulation, decreased plasma and hepatic lipid levels, and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Maternal weight loss altered gene expression patterns in the liver of offspring with coherent down-regulation of genes involved in lipid and cholesterol biosynthesis. Epigenomic profiling of offspring livers revealed numerous changes in cytosine methylation depending on maternal weight loss, including reproducible changes in promoter methylation over several key lipid biosynthesis genes, correlated with their expression patterns. Embryo transfer studies indicated that oocyte alteration in response to maternal metabolic conditions is a strong factor in determining metabolic and epigenetic changes in offspring. Several important lipid metabolism-related genes have been identified to partially inherit methylated alleles from oocytes. Our study reveals a molecular and mechanistic basis of how maternal lifestyle modification affects metabolic changes in the offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanchang Wei
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Cai-Rong Yang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yan-Ping Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changyi People's Hospital, Weifang 261300, China
| | - Zhao-Jia Ge
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhen-Ao Zhao
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China, and
| | - Yi Hou
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Heide Schatten
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Qing-Yuan Sun
- From the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Crean AJ, Bonduriansky R. What is a paternal effect? Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:554-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
28
|
Kokko H, Griffith SC, Pryke SR. The hawk-dove game in a sexually reproducing species explains a colourful polymorphism of an endangered bird. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:rspb.2014.1794. [PMID: 25209943 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The hawk-dove game famously introduced strategic game theory thinking into biology and forms the basis of arguments for limited aggression in animal populations. However, aggressive 'hawks' and peaceful 'doves', with strategies inherited in a discrete manner, have never been documented in a real animal population. Thus, the applicability of game-theoretic arguments to real populations might be contested. Here, we show that the head-colour polymorphism of red and black Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) provides a real-life example. The aggressive red morph is behaviourally dominant and successfully invades black populations, but when red 'hawks' become too common, their fitness is severely compromised (via decreased parental ability). We also investigate the effects of real-life deviations, particularly sexual reproduction, from the simple original game, which assumed asexual reproduction. A protected polymorphism requires mate choice to be sufficiently assortative. Assortative mating is adaptive for individuals because of genetic incompatibilities affecting hybrid offspring fitness, but by allowing red 'hawks' to persist, it also leads to significantly reduced population sizes. Because reductions in male contributions to parental care are generally known to lead to lower population productivity in birds, we expect zero-sum competition to often have wide ranging population consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Kokko
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, Wallotstrasse 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Sarah R Pryke
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kindsvater HK, Alonzo SH. Females allocate differentially to offspring size and number in response to male effects on female and offspring fitness. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20131981. [PMID: 24478292 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Female investment in offspring size and number has been observed to vary with the phenotype of their mate across diverse taxa. Recent theory motivated by these intriguing empirical patterns predicted both positive (differential allocation) and negative (reproductive compensation) effects of mating with a preferred male on female investment. These predictions, however, focused on total reproductive effort and did not distinguish between a response in offspring size and clutch size. Here, we model how specific paternal effects on fitness affect maternal allocation to offspring size and number. The specific mechanism by which males affect the fitness of females or their offspring determines whether and how females allocated differentially. Offspring size is predicted to increase when males benefit offspring survival, but decrease when males increase offspring growth rate. Clutch size is predicted to increase when males contribute to female resources (e.g. with a nuptial gift) and when males increase offspring growth rate. The predicted direction and magnitude of female responses vary with female age, but only when per-offspring paternal benefits decline with clutch size. We conclude that considering specific paternal effects on fitness in the context of maternal life-history trade-offs can help explain mixed empirical patterns of differential allocation and reproductive compensation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Holly K Kindsvater
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, , PO Box 208106, New Haven, CT 06520, USA, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, , Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada , V5A 1S6
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rios-Cardenas O, Brewer J, Morris MR. Maternal investment in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus: support for the differential allocation hypothesis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82723. [PMID: 24349348 PMCID: PMC3857246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The differential allocation hypothesis predicts that reproductive investment will be influenced by mate attractiveness, given a cost to reproduction and a tradeoff between current and future reproduction. We tested the differential allocation hypothesis in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus, where males have genetically influenced (patroclinous inheritance) alternative mating tactics (ARTs) maintained by a tradeoff between being more attractive to females (mature later as larger courting males) and a higher probability of reaching sexual maturity (mature earlier as smaller sneaker males). Males in X. multilineatus do not provide parental care or other resources to the offspring. Allelic variation and copy number of the Mc4R gene on the Y-chromosome influences the size differences between males, however there is no variation in this gene on the X-chromosome. Therefore, to determine if mothers invested more in offspring of the larger courter males, we examined age to sexual maturity for daughters. We confirmed a tradeoff between number of offspring and female offspring’s age to sexual maturity, corroborating that there is a cost to reproduction. In addition, the ART of their fathers significantly influenced the age at which daughters reached sexual maturity, suggesting increased maternal investment to daughters of courter males. The differential allocation we detected was influenced by how long the wild-caught mother had been in the laboratory, as there was a brood order by father genotype (ART) interaction. These results suggest that females can adjust their reproductive investment strategy, and that differential allocation is context specific. We hypothesize that one of two aspects of laboratory conditions produced this shift: increased female condition due to higher quality diet, and/or assessment of future mating opportunities due to isolation from males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Rios-Cardenas
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- * E-mail:
| | - Jason Brewer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Molly R. Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Bell SC, Owens IPF, Lord AM. Quality of breeding territory mediates the influence of paternal quality on sex ratio bias in a free-living bird population. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
|
32
|
Sardell RJ, DuVal EH. Differential allocation in a lekking bird: females lay larger eggs and are more likely to have male chicks when they mate with less related males. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 281:20132386. [PMID: 24225457 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The differential allocation hypothesis predicts increased investment in offspring when females mate with high-quality males. Few studies have tested whether investment varies with mate relatedness, despite evidence that non-additive gene action influences mate and offspring genetic quality. We tested whether female lekking lance-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) adjust offspring sex and egg volume in response to mate attractiveness (annual reproductive success, ARS), heterozygosity and relatedness. Across 968 offspring, the probability of being male decreased with increasing parental relatedness but not father ARS or heterozygosity. This correlation tended to diminish with increasing lay-date. Across 162 offspring, egg volume correlated negatively with parental relatedness and varied with lay-date, but was unrelated to father ARS or heterozygosity. Offspring sex and egg size were unrelated to maternal age. Comparisons of maternal half-siblings in broods with no mortality produced similar results, indicating differential allocation rather than covariation between female quality and relatedness or sex-specific inbreeding depression in survival. As males suffer greater inbreeding depression, overproducing females after mating with related males may reduce fitness costs of inbreeding in a system with no inbreeding avoidance, while biasing the sex of outbred offspring towards males may maximize fitness via increased mating success of outbred sons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Sardell
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, , 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Gilby AJ, Mainwaring MC, Griffith SC. Incubation behaviour and hatching synchrony differ in wild and captive populations of the zebra finch. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
34
|
Tagirov M, Rutkowska J. Chimeric embryos—potential mechanism of avian offspring sex manipulation. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
35
|
Lim JP, Brunet A. Bridging the transgenerational gap with epigenetic memory. Trends Genet 2013; 29:176-86. [PMID: 23410786 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2012.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is textbook knowledge that inheritance of traits is governed by genetics, and that the epigenetic modifications an organism acquires are largely reset between generations. Recently, however, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has emerged as a rapidly growing field, providing evidence suggesting that some epigenetic changes result in persistent phenotypes across generations. Here, we survey some of the most recent examples of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals, ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans, and describe approaches and limitations to studying this phenomenon. We also review the current body of evidence implicating chromatin modifications and RNA molecules in mechanisms underlying this unconventional mode of inheritance and discuss its evolutionary implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana P Lim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Neff BD, Svensson EI. Polyandry and alternative mating tactics. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120045. [PMID: 23339236 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species in the animal kingdom are characterized by alternative mating tactics (AMTs) within a sex. In males, such tactics include mate guarding versus sneaking behaviours, or territorial versus female mimicry. Although AMTs can occur in either sex, they have been most commonly described in males. This sex bias may, in part, reflect the increased opportunity for sexual selection that typically exists in males, which can result in a higher probability that AMTs evolve in that sex. Consequently, females and polyandry can play a pivotal role in governing the reproductive success associated with male AMTs and in the evolutionary dynamics of the tactics. In this review, we discuss polyandry and the evolution of AMTs. First, we define AMTs and review game theoretical and quantitative genetic approaches used to model their evolution. Second, we review several examples of AMTs, highlighting the roles that genes and environment play in phenotype expression and development of the tactics, as well as empirical approaches to differentiating among the mechanisms. Third, ecological and genetic constraints to the evolution of AMTs are discussed. Fourth, we speculate on why female AMTs are less reported on in the literature than male tactics. Fifth, we examine the effects of AMTs on breeding outcomes and female fitness, and as a source, and possibly also a consequence, of sexual conflict. We conclude by suggesting a new model for the evolution of AMTs that incorporates both environmental and genetic effects, and discuss some future avenues of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D Neff
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
The once popular and then heretical idea that ancestral environment can affect the phenotype of future generations is coming back into vogue due to advances in the field of epigenetic inheritance. How paternal environmental conditions influence the phenotype of progeny is now a tractable question, and researchers are exploring potential mechanisms underlying such effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Pérez i de Lanuza G, Font E, Carazo P. Color-assortative mating in a color-polymorphic lacertid lizard. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
39
|
Maternal effects on begging behaviour: an experimental demonstration of the effects of laying sequence, hatch order, nestling sex and brood size. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1407-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
40
|
Male transmission ratio distortion supports MHC-linked cryptic female choice in the lesser kestrel (Aves: Falconidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1401-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
41
|
Pryke SR, Rollins LA. Mothers adjust offspring sex to match the quality of the rearing environment. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4051-7. [PMID: 22859597 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that mothers should adjust offspring sex ratios when the expected fitness gains or rearing costs differ between sons and daughters. Recent empirical work has linked biased offspring sex ratios to environmental quality via changes in relative maternal condition. It is unclear, however, whether females can manipulate offspring sex ratios in response to environmental quality alone (i.e. independent of maternal condition). We used a balanced within-female experimental design (i.e. females bred on both low- and high-quality diets) to show that female parrot finches (Erythrura trichroa) manipulate primary offspring sex ratios to the quality of the rearing environment, and not to their own body condition and health. Individual females produced an unbiased sex ratio on high-quality diets, but over-produced sons in poor dietary conditions, even though they maintained similar condition between diet treatments. Despite the lack of sexual size dimorphism, such sex ratio adjustment is in line with predictions from sex allocation theory because nutritionally stressed foster sons were healthier, grew faster and were more likely to survive than daughters. These findings suggest that mothers may adaptively adjust offspring sex ratios to optimally match their offspring to the expected quality of the rearing environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Pryke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Squires ZE, Wong BBM, Norman MD, Stuart-Fox D. Multiple fitness benefits of polyandry in a cephalopod. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37074. [PMID: 22615896 PMCID: PMC3353885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sex differences in reproductive investment play a crucial role in sexual conflict. One intriguing aspect of sexual conflict is the evolution of female multiple mating (polyandry), particularly in systems where females receive no obvious direct benefits from males, and where mating is highly costly. Here, theory predicts that polyandrous females can increase their reproductive success by taking advantage of the genetic benefits of mating with multiple males. Cephalopods provide a model system for addressing this question, as all species mate multiply. Here we examine differences in reproductive success between monandrous, multiply mated (to the same male) and polyandrous female dumpling squid (Euprymna tasmanica). Methodology/Principal Findings We mated females in the laboratory with two different males (polyandrous; controlling for mating order), or with a single male (monandrous). To control for mating frequency, we mated monandrous females either once (monandrous 1), or with the same male twice (monandrous 2), and measured reproductive success for each of the three treatments (polyandrous, monandrous 1, monandrous 2). Females mated to two different males produced eggs faster and had larger hatchlings relative to egg mass than females mated once with a single male. Conclusions/Significance The benefits of polyandry demonstrated here are the first, to our knowledge, in any cephalopod. These benefits may outweigh the significant costs associated with mating and help to explain how multiple mating has evolved (or is maintained) in this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe E Squires
- Zoology Department, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Pryke SR, Astheimer LB, Griffith SC, Buttemer WA. Covariation in life-history traits: differential effects of diet on condition, hormones, behavior, and reproduction in genetic finch morphs. Am Nat 2012; 179:375-90. [PMID: 22322225 DOI: 10.1086/664078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors in determining variation in life-history traits is of central interest to evolutionary biologists, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these traits are still poorly understood. Here we experimentally demonstrate opposing effects of nutritional stress on immune function, endocrine physiology, parental care, and reproduction between red and black head-color morphs of the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae). Although the body condition of black morphs was largely unaffected by diet manipulation, red birds were highly sensitive to dietary changes, exhibiting considerable within-individual changes in condition and immune function. Consequently, nutritionally stressed red birds delayed breeding, produced smaller broods, and reared fewer and lower-quality foster offspring than black morphs. Differences in offspring quality were largely due to morph-specific differences in parental effort: red morphs reduced parental provisioning, whereas black morphs adaptively elevated their provisioning effort to meet the increased nutritional demands of their foster brood. Nutritionally stressed genetic morphs also exhibited divergent glucocorticoid responses. Black morphs showed reduced corticosterone-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations and increased levels of free corticosterone, whereas red morphs exhibited reduced free corticosterone levels and elevated CBG concentrations. These opposing glucocorticoid responses highlight intrinsic differences in endocrine sensitivities and plasticity between genetic morphs, which may underlie the morph-specific differences in condition, behavior, and reproduction and thus ultimately contribute to the evolution and maintenance of color polymorphism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Pryke
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mills SC, Koskela E, Mappes T. Intralocus sexual conflict for fitness: sexually antagonistic alleles for testosterone. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1889-95. [PMID: 22171083 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Intralocus sexual conflict occurs when a trait encoded by the same genetic locus in the two sexes has different optima in males and females. Such conflict is widespread across taxa, however, the shared phenotypic traits that mediate the conflict are largely unknown. We examined whether the sex hormone, testosterone (T), that controls sexual differentiation, contributes to sexually antagonistic fitness variation in the bank vole, Myodes glareolus. We compared (opposite-sex) sibling reproductive fitness in the bank vole after creating divergent selection lines for T. This study shows that selection for T was differentially associated with son versus daughter reproductive success, causing a negative correlation in fitness between full siblings. Our results demonstrate the presence of intralocus sexual conflict for fitness in this small mammal and that sexually antagonistic selection is acting on T. We also found a negative correlation in fitness between parents and their opposite-sex progeny (e.g. father-daughter), highlighting a dilemma for females, as the indirect genetic benefits of selecting reproductively successful males (high T) are lost with daughters. We discuss mechanisms that may mitigate this disparity between progeny quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C Mills
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Finland.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Tschirren B, Postma E, Rutstein AN, Griffith SC. When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1233-40. [PMID: 21957136 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype-phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tschirren
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Pryke SR, Rollins LA, Griffith SC. CONTEXT-DEPENDENT SEX ALLOCATION: CONSTRAINTS ON THE EXPRESSION AND EVOLUTION OF MATERNAL EFFECTS. Evolution 2011; 65:2792-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01391.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
47
|
LOVE OP, WILLIAMS TD. Manipulating developmental stress reveals sex-specific effects of egg size on offspring phenotype. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1497-504. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02282.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
48
|
Slatyer RA, Mautz BS, Backwell PRY, Jennions MD. Estimating genetic benefits of polyandry from experimental studies: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 87:1-33. [PMID: 21545390 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2011.00182.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Slatyer
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Pryke SR, Rollins LA, Buttemer WA, Griffith SC. Maternal stress to partner quality is linked to adaptive offspring sex ratio adjustment. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
50
|
Griffith SC, Pryke SR, Buttemer WA. Constrained mate choice in social monogamy and the stress of having an unattractive partner. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:2798-805. [PMID: 21288942 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In socially monogamous animals, mate choice is constrained by the availability of unpaired individuals in the local population. Here, we experimentally investigate the physiological stress endured by a female (the choosy sex) when pairing with a non-preferred social partner. In two experimental contexts, female Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) socially paired with poor-quality mates had levels of circulating corticosterone that were three to four times higher than those observed in females that were paired with preferred mates. The elevated level of this stress hormone in response to partner quality was observed within 12 h of the experimental introduction and maintained over a period of several weeks. Our findings demonstrate the extent of intra-individual conflict that occurs when individuals are forced to make mate-choice decisions that are not perfectly aligned with mate-choice preferences. The elevated level of corticosterone also suggests a mechanistic route through which females might adaptively manage their responses to intersexual conflict over reproductive investment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|