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Matsuo M, Kamei Y, Fukamachi S. Behavioural red-light sensitivity in fish according to the optomotor response. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210415. [PMID: 34386255 PMCID: PMC8334835 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Various procedures have been adopted to investigate spectral sensitivity of animals, e.g. absorption spectra of visual pigments, electroretinography, optokinetic response, optomotor response (OMR) and phototaxis. The use of these techniques has led to various conclusions about animal vision. However, visual sensitivity should be evaluated consistently for a reliable comparison. In this study, we retrieved behavioural data of several fish species using a single OMR procedure and compared their sensitivities to near-infrared light. Besides cavefish that lack eyes, some species were not appropriate for the OMR test because they either stayed still or changed swimming direction frequently. Eight of 13 fish species tested were OMR positive. Detailed analyses using medaka, goldfish, zebrafish, guppy, stickleback and cichlid revealed that all the fish were sensitive to light at a wavelength greater than or equal to 750 nm, where the threshold wavelengths varied from 750 to 880 nm. Fish opsin repertoire affected the perception of red light. By contrast, the copy number of long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) genes did not necessarily improve red-light sensitivity. While the duplication of LWS and other cone opsin genes that has occurred extensively during fish evolution might not aid increasing spectral sensitivity, it may provide some other advantageous ophthalmic function, such as enhanced spectral discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megumi Matsuo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kamei
- Spectrography and Bioimaging Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shoji Fukamachi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan
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2
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Hiermes M, Reher S, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats. I. mate preferences of wild-caught females. Curr Zool 2021; 67:299-308. [PMID: 34616922 PMCID: PMC8488994 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) A signals (320-400 nm) are important in mate choice in numerous species. The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly, but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions. Generally, those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver. A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment, especially in aquatic habitats, as the visibility of signals, and thus costs and benefits, are instantaneously influenced by it. Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied, there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths. We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types (tea-stained and clear-water lakes), possessing great variation in their UV transmission. In 2 treatments, tea-stained and clear-water, preferences for males viewed under UV-present (UV+) and UV-absent (UV-) conditions were tested. A preference for males under UV+ conditions was found for females from both habitat types, thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback's mate choice decisions. However, females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV+ conditions under clear-water test conditions. Moreover, reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity (higher in clear-water males) and hue (more red shifted in clear-water males) while no significant differences in UV coloration were found. The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions. Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
| | - Stephanie Reher
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, Functional Ecology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, Bonn, 53115, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
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3
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Mobley RB, Boughman JW. Variation in the Sensory Space of Three-spined Stickleback Populations. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 61:50-61. [PMID: 33382869 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The peripheral sensory systems, whose morphological attributes help determine the acquisition of distinct types of information, provide a means to quantitatively compare multiple modalities of a species' sensory ecology. We used morphological metrics to characterize multiple sensory modalities-the visual, olfactory, and mechanosensory lateral line sensory systems-for Gasterosteus aculeatus, the three-spined stickleback, to compare how sensory systems vary in animals that evolve in different ecological conditions. We hypothesized that the dimensions of sensory organs and correlations among sensory systems vary in populations adapted to marine and freshwater environments, and have diverged further among freshwater lake-dwelling populations. Our results showed that among environments, fish differed in which senses are relatively elaborated or reduced. When controlling for body length, littoral fish had larger eyes, more neuromasts, and smaller olfactory tissue area than pelagic or marine populations. We also found differences in the direction and magnitude of correlations among sensory systems for populations even within the same habitat type. Our data suggest that populations take different trajectories in how visual, olfactory, and lateral line systems respond to their environment. For the populations we studied, sensory modalities do not conform in a predictable way to the ecological categories we assigned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Mobley
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, BEACON, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Janette W Boughman
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, BEACON, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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4
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Carleton KL, Escobar-Camacho D, Stieb SM, Cortesi F, Marshall NJ. Seeing the rainbow: mechanisms underlying spectral sensitivity in teleost fishes. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb193334. [PMID: 32327561 PMCID: PMC7188444 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.193334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Among vertebrates, teleost eye diversity exceeds that found in all other groups. Their spectral sensitivities range from ultraviolet to red, and the number of visual pigments varies from 1 to over 40. This variation is correlated with the different ecologies and life histories of fish species, including their variable aquatic habitats: murky lakes, clear oceans, deep seas and turbulent rivers. These ecotopes often change with the season, but fish may also migrate between ecotopes diurnally, seasonally or ontogenetically. To survive in these variable light habitats, fish visual systems have evolved a suite of mechanisms that modulate spectral sensitivities on a range of timescales. These mechanisms include: (1) optical media that filter light, (2) variations in photoreceptor type and size to vary absorbance and sensitivity, and (3) changes in photoreceptor visual pigments to optimize peak sensitivity. The visual pigment changes can result from changes in chromophore or changes to the opsin. Opsin variation results from changes in opsin sequence, opsin expression or co-expression, and opsin gene duplications and losses. Here, we review visual diversity in a number of teleost groups where the structural and molecular mechanisms underlying their spectral sensitivities have been relatively well determined. Although we document considerable variability, this alone does not imply functional difference per se. We therefore highlight the need for more studies that examine species with known sensitivity differences, emphasizing behavioral experiments to test whether such differences actually matter in the execution of visual tasks that are relevant to the fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Carleton
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | | | - Sara M Stieb
- Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 QLD, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 QLD, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 QLD, Australia
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5
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Vitt S, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Differential investment in pre- and post-mating male sexual traits in response to prolonged exposure to ambient UVB radiation in a fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:136341. [PMID: 31931223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing UVB radiation (UVB) reaching earth's surface following stratospheric ozone depletion is linked to serious consequences for organisms. While studies have focused on direct cytocidal and immunomodulatory effects of UVB, indirect consequences for fitness-related life-history traits are largely unexplored, although knowledge is needed to understand organismal responses to climate change. The present study investigates the effects of developmental exposure to enhanced, but ecologically relevant, ambient UVB levels on growth (body size), parental behavior (nest-building), fitness-enhancing traits of pre-mating (sexual ornamentation) and post-mating (sperm traits) sexual selection as well as their interrelationships in male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Moreover, potentially underlying direct UVB effects, testicular antioxidant capacity (TAC) and testes and skin melanization were quantified. Juvenile full-siblings were split into two groups and raised until adulthood in a semi-natural set-up under light conditions including either natural (UVBnormal) or elevated UVB levels (UVBenhanced). When becoming reproductive, males were kept individually before data collection took place at their reproductive peak. The results showed that males from the UVBenhanced-group were smaller than their brothers from the UVBnormal-treatment, whereas no treatment differences were observed for sexual ornamentation, sperm traits and TAC. Moreover, UVB-stressed males built their nests faster and the relationship between body size and nest size was negative for UVBenhanced-males while being positive for UVBnormal-males. These results demonstrate that, depending on physical state, UVB-stressed males adjusted their behavior to some extent. Additionally, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and post-mating traits was found for UVBenhanced-males, i.e. the intensity of their breeding coloration was negatively correlated with sperm number whereas this relationship was reversed for UVBnormal-males, thus showing an interaction between pre- and post-mating traits regarding exposure treatment. The interaction provides first experimental evidence that differential allocation to energetically demanding pre- and post-mating components of male fitness is triggered by a key environmental stressor of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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6
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Vitt S, Mehlis-Rick M, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Enhanced ambient UVB radiation affects post-mating, but not pre-mating sexual traits in a fish. Oecologia 2019; 190:355-366. [PMID: 31134331 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Organisms inhabiting shallow aquatic habitats currently experience increasing levels of solar ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). UVB causes damage on cellular and molecular levels and can affect associated life-history traits either through direct exposure or indirectly through oxidative stress generation. We examined UVB effects on pre- and post-mating sexual traits in three-spined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Adult, reproductively non-active males were assigned to two exposure treatments under semi-natural conditions in an outdoor experiment; one group received natural radiation (UVBnormal) whilst the other group received additional UVB (UVBenhanced). After two months, colour metrics were used to quantify male breeding colouration as pre-mating trait. At the post-mating stage, sperm morphology, number and movement as well as testes mass were determined. Males did not significantly differ in sexual ornamentation between treatments, but UVBenhanced fish had smaller testes as well as fewer and shorter sperm than UVBnormal fish. Sperm movement was not significantly different between treatments. However, in UVBenhanced males, linear and progressive movement of sperm was positively correlated with sperm morphology (head-to-tail length ratio), whereas in UVBnormal males this relationship was negative (but not significant). Additionally, there was a significant treatment by body condition interaction concerning head-to-tail length ratio, i.e. head-to-tail length ratio increased with condition in UVBnormal males whereas there was no relationship in UVBenhanced fish. Our findings reveal that increased UVB levels influence post-mating fitness-relevant traits in males whilst having no significant impact on pre-mating sexual traits, suggesting selective UVB-effects at the gamete level with consequences for reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Marion Mehlis-Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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7
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Brock CD, Rennison D, Veen T, Bolnick DI. Opsin expression predicts male nuptial color in threespine stickleback. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7094-7102. [PMID: 30073070 PMCID: PMC6065272 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical models of sexual selection suggest that male courtship signals can evolve through the build-up of genetic correlations between the male signal and female preference. When preference is mediated via increased sensitivity of the signal characteristics, correlations between male signal and perception/sensitivity are expected. When signal expression is limited to males, we would expect to find signal-sensitivity correlations in males. Here, we document such a correlation within a breeding population of threespine stickleback mediated by differences in opsin expression. Males with redder nuptial coloration express more long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin, making them more sensitive to orange and red. This correlation is not an artifact of shared tuning to the optical microhabitat. Such correlations are an essential feature of many models of sexual selection, and our results highlight the potential importance of opsin expression variation as a substrate for signal-preference evolution. Finally, these results suggest a potential sensory mechanism that could drive negative frequency-dependent selection via male-male competition and thus maintain variation in male nuptial color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad D. Brock
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at AustinTexas
- Biodiversity Institute & the Department of BotanyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyoming
| | - Diana Rennison
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Thor Veen
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at AustinTexas
- Life SciencesQuest UniversitySquamishBCCanada
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Matsuo M, Ando Y, Kamei Y, Fukamachi S. A semi-automatic and quantitative method to evaluate behavioral photosensitivity in animals based on the optomotor response (OMR). Biol Open 2018; 7:7/6/bio033175. [PMID: 29921705 PMCID: PMC6031347 DOI: 10.1242/bio.033175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The optomotor response (OMR) is a locomotor behavior of animals that is induced by moving repetitive visual stimuli. This characteristic helps animals particularly when stabilizing and maintaining position in schools and herds. Here, we developed a simple but sensitive method for quantifying the OMR using medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model. This method, which simply requires video-recorded behavior, free tracking software, and a generic spreadsheet program, enables the evaluation of spectral sensitivity by researchers with little knowledge about the behavioral characteristics of the test animal or of the OMR. Based on a manual method, we reported previously that wild-type and red-colorblind medaka exhibited an OMR up to λ=830 and 740 nm, respectively. However, the present method, which quantifies the OMR according to three parameters (starting time, duration, and total distance of swimming) that are calculated based on a series of x–y coordinates of the moving fish, supported that conclusion and further indicated that both strains perceive light at even longer wavelengths. This low-cost, quantitative, and semi-automatic method would widen the opportunities to unveil behavioral photosensitivity in animals of interest. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: A semi-automatic analytical method for the assessment of the optomotor response was developed. This procedure was animal friendly and enabled the quantitative evaluation of fish optic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megumi Matsuo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan
| | - Yoriko Ando
- Spectrography and Bioimaging Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kamei
- Spectrography and Bioimaging Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shoji Fukamachi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan
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Grillet M, Ferveur JF, Everaerts C. Behavioural elements and sensory cues involved in sexual isolation between Drosophila melanogaster strains. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172060. [PMID: 29892393 PMCID: PMC5990781 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sensory cues exchanged during courtship are crucial for mate choice: if they show intraspecific divergence, this may cause or reinforce sexual isolation between strains, ultimately leading to speciation. There is a strong asymmetric sexual isolation between Drosophila melanogaster females from Zimbabwe (Z) and males from all other populations (M). While M and Z flies of both sexes show different cuticular pheromones, this variation is only partly responsible for the intraspecific isolation effect. Male acoustic signals are also partly involved in sexual isolation. We examined strain-specific courtship behaviour sequences to determine which body parts and sensory appendages may be involved in sexual isolation. Using two strains representative of the Z- and M-types, we manipulated sensory cues and the social context; we then measured the consequence of these manipulations on courtship and copulation. Our data suggest that Z females mated best with males whose sensory characteristics matched those of Z males in both quantity and quality. M females were less choosy and much less influenced by the sensory and social contexts. Differences in emission and reception of sensory signals seen between Z and M flies may lead to the concerted evolution of multiple sensory channel, thereby shaping a population-specific mate recognition system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRA, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
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10
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Mehlis M, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Dynamic resource allocation between pre- and postcopulatory episodes of sexual selection determines competitive fertilization success. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151279. [PMID: 26490787 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous mating systems, male reproductive success depends on both mate-acquisition traits (precopulatory) and sperm competitive abilities (postcopulatory). Empirical data on the interaction between these traits are inconsistent; revealing positive, negative or no relationships. It is generally expected that the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits is mediated by environmental conditions. To test how dietary resource availability affects sexual ornamentation, sperm quality and their interrelationship in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), full-sibling groups were raised under three conditions differing in food quantity and/or quality (i.e. carotenoid content): (i) high-quantity/high-quality, (ii) high-quantity/low-quality or (iii) low-quantity/low-quality. After 1 year of feeding, food-restricted males developed a more intense breeding coloration and faster sperm compared with their well-fed brothers, indicating that they allocated relatively more in pre- and postcopulatory traits. Moreover, they outcompeted their well-fed, carotenoid-supplemented brothers in sperm competition trials with equal numbers of competing sperm, suggesting that food-restricted males maximize their present reproductive success. This may result in reduced future reproductive opportunities as food-restricted males suffered from a higher mortality, had an overall reduced body size, and sperm number available for fertilization. In accordance with theory, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits was observed in food-restricted males, whereas well-fed males were able to allocate to both traits resulting in a significantly positive relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
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11
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Kim SY, Velando A. Genetic conflict between sexual signalling and juvenile survival in the three-spined stickleback. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:52. [PMID: 26924796 PMCID: PMC4770703 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0613-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Secondary sexual traits and mating preferences may evolve in part because the offspring of attractive males inherit attractiveness and other genetically correlated traits such as fecundity and viability. A problem regarding these indirect genetic mechanisms is how sufficient genetic variation in the traits subject to sexual selection is maintained within a population. Here we explored the additive genetic correlations between carotenoid-based male ornament colouration, female fecundity and juvenile survival rate in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to test the possibility that attractiveness genes reduce important fitness components in the bearers not expressing the sexual trait. Results Male sexual attractiveness (i.e., red nuptial colouration) as well as female fecundity and juvenile viability showed heritable variations in the three-spined stickleback. Thus, females can gain indirect benefits by mating with an attractive male. There was a strong positive genetic correlation between female fecundity and juvenile viability. However, red sexual signal of male sticklebacks was negatively genetically correlated with juvenile survival, suggesting genetic conflict between attractiveness and viability. There was no significant correlation between attractiveness of brothers and fecundity of sisters, suggesting no intra-locus sexual conflict. Conclusions The negative effects of mating with a colourful male on offspring viability may contribute to maintaining the heritable variation under strong directional sexual selection. The strength of indirect sexual selection may be weaker than previously thought due to the hidden genetic conflicts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0613-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sin-Yeon Kim
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain.
| | - Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain.
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12
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Hiermes M, Rick IP, Mehlis M, Bakker TCM. The dynamics of color signals in male threespine sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. Curr Zool 2016; 62:23-31. [PMID: 29491887 PMCID: PMC5804133 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zov009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Body coloration and color patterns are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom and vary between and within species. Recent studies have dealt with individual dynamics of various aspects of coloration, as it is in many cases a flexible trait and changes in color expression may be context-dependent. During the reproductive phase, temporal changes of coloration in the visible spectral range (400–700 nm) have been shown for many animals but corresponding changes in the ultraviolet (UV) waveband (300–400 nm) have rarely been studied. Threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus males develop conspicuous orange–red breeding coloration combined with UV reflectance in the cheek region. We investigated dynamics of color patterns including UV throughout a male breeding cycle, as well as short-term changes in coloration in response to a computer-animated rival using reflectance spectrophotometry and visual modeling, to estimate how colors would be perceived by conspecifics. We found the orange–red component of coloration to vary during the breeding cycle with respect to hue (theta/R50) and intensity (achieved chroma/red chroma). Furthermore, color intensity in the orange–red spectral part (achieved chroma) tended to be increased after the presentation of an artificial rival. Dynamic changes in specific measures of hue and intensity in the UV waveband were not found. In general, the orange–red component of the signal seems to be dynamic with respect to color intensity and hue. This accounts in particular for color changes during the breeding cycle, presumably to signal reproductive status, and with limitations as well in the intrasexual context, most likely to signal dominance or inferiority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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13
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Context-dependent dynamic UV signaling in female threespine sticklebacks. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17474. [PMID: 26658986 PMCID: PMC4674694 DOI: 10.1038/srep17474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Color signals, including ultraviolet (UV) signals, are widespread throughout the animal kingdom and color changes can be influenced by reproductive and motivational state. However, studies on dynamic changes of UV signals are scarce. Three spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) that show intraspecific UV communication were used to study dynamic UV signaling in females. Reflectance measurements were taken from the distended abdomen, which serves as signal of female fecundity and readiness to spawn for courting males, and the melanized dorsal region. Scans were taken during egg maturation as well as before and after stimulation with a male to investigate context-dependent color changes. We used a physiological model of vision to determine how females might be perceived by conspecifics and quantified chromatic contrasts among both body regions and between body regions and the background for all stages. Females showed a significant increase in abdominal UV intensity during egg maturation and in response to a courting male. Measures of chromatic contrast among body regions (abdomen vs. dorsal region) and against the background (abdomen vs. background) were also increased during egg maturation and in response to the male stimulus (abdomen vs. background). Our results provide evidence for dynamic UV signaling in females in a reproductive context.
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Keagy J, Lettieri L, Boughman JW. Male competition fitness landscapes predict both forward and reverse speciation. Ecol Lett 2015; 19:71-80. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Keagy
- Department of Integrative Biology and BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Liliana Lettieri
- Department of Integrative Biology and BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Janette W. Boughman
- Department of Integrative Biology and BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
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15
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Renoult JP, Kelber A, Schaefer HM. Colour spaces in ecology and evolutionary biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:292-315. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julien P. Renoult
- Institute of Arts Creations Theories & Aesthetics, CNRS-University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne; 47 r. des bergers 75015 Paris France
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology; Lund University; Helgonavägen 3 22362 Lund Sweden
| | - H. Martin Schaefer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Hauptstrasse 1 79104 Freiburg Germany
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16
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Population-Specific Covariation between Immune Function and Color of Nesting Male Threespine Stickleback. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126000. [PMID: 26039044 PMCID: PMC4454680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple biological processes can generate sexual selection on male visual signals such as color. For example, females may prefer colorful males because those males are more readily detected (perceptual bias), or because male color conveys information about male quality and associated direct or indirect benefits to females. For example, male threespine stickleback often exhibit red throat coloration, which females prefer both because red is more visible in certain environments, and red color is correlated with male immune function and parasite load. However, not all light environments favor red nuptial coloration: more tannin-stained water tends to favor the evolution of a melanic male phenotype. Do such population differences in stickleback male color, driven by divergent light environments, lead to changes in the relationship between color and immunity? Here, we show that, within stickleback populations, multiple components of male color (brightness and hue of four body parts) are correlated with multiple immune variables (ROS production, phagocytosis rates, and lymphocyte:leukocyte ratios). Some of these color-immune associations persist across stickleback populations with very different male color patterns, whereas other color-immune associations are population-specific. Overall, lakes with red males exhibit stronger color-immune covariance while melanic male populations exhibit weak if any color-immune associations. Our finding that color-immunity relationships are labile implies that any evolution of male color traits (e.g., due to female perceptual bias in a given light environment), can alter the utility of color as an indicator of male quality.
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17
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Fowler-Finn KD, Rodríguez RL. The causes of variation in the presence of genetic covariance between sexual traits and preferences. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:498-510. [PMID: 25808899 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Mating traits and mate preferences often show patterns of tight correspondence across populations and species. These patterns of apparent coevolution may result from a genetic association between traits and preferences (i.e. trait-preference genetic covariance). We review the literature on trait-preference covariance to determine its prevalence and potential biological relevance. Of the 43 studies we identified, a surprising 63% detected covariance. We test multiple hypotheses for factors that may influence the likelihood of detecting this covariance. The main predictor was the presence of genetic variation in mate preferences, which is one of the three main conditions required for the establishment of covariance. In fact, 89% of the nine studies where heritability of preference was high detected covariance. Variables pertaining to the experimental methods and type of traits involved in different studies did not greatly influence the detection of trait-preference covariance. Trait-preference genetic covariance appears to be widespread and therefore represents an important and currently underappreciated factor in the coevolution of traits and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey D Fowler-Finn
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, 3507 Laclede Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63103-2010, U.S.A
| | - Rafael L Rodríguez
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lapham Hall, 3209 N. Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53201, U.S.A
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18
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Wright DS, Pierotti MER, Rundle HD, McKinnon JS. Conspicuous female ornamentation and tests of male mate preference in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120723. [PMID: 25806520 PMCID: PMC4373685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection drives the evolution of exaggerated male ornaments in many animal species. Female ornamentation is now acknowledged also to be common but is generally less well understood. One example is the recently documented red female throat coloration in some threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations. Although female sticklebacks often exhibit a preference for red male throat coloration, the possibility of sexual selection on female coloration has been little studied. Using sequential and simultaneous mate choice trials, we examined male mate preferences for female throat color, as well as pelvic spine color and standard length, using wild-captured threespine sticklebacks from the Little Campbell River, British Columbia. In a multivariate analysis, we found no evidence for a population-level mate preference in males, suggesting the absence of directional sexual selection on these traits arising from male mate choice. Significant variation was detected among males in their preference functions, but this appeared to arise from differences in their mean responsiveness across mating trials and not from variation in the strength (i.e., slope) of their preference, suggesting the absence of individual-level preferences as well. When presented with conspecific intruder males, male response decreased as intruder red throat coloration increased, suggesting that males can discriminate color and other aspects of phenotype in our experiment and that males may use these traits in intrasexual interactions. The results presented here are the first to explicitly address male preference for female throat color in threespine sticklebacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shane Wright
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michele E. R. Pierotti
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Howard D. Rundle
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S. McKinnon
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
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19
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Greenfield MD, Alem S, Limousin D, Bailey NW. The dilemma of Fisherian sexual selection: Mate choice for indirect benefits despite rarity and overall weakness of trait-preference genetic correlation. Evolution 2014; 68:3524-36. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Greenfield
- Institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte (IRBI); CNRS UMR 7261, Université François; Rabelais de Tours, Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours France
| | - Sylvain Alem
- Research Centre for Psychology; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; Mile End Road London E1 4NS United Kingdom
| | - Denis Limousin
- UPMC Univ Paris 06; UMR 1272, Physiologie de l’Insecte Signalisation et Communication; F-78026 Versailles France
- INRA; UMR 1272, Physiologie de l’Insecte Signalisation et Communication, F-78026; Versailles France
| | - Nathan W. Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity; School of Biology; University of St. Andrews; Fife KY16 9TH United Kingdom
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20
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Rick IP, Mehlis M, Eßer E, Bakker TCM. The influence of ambient ultraviolet light on sperm quality and sexual ornamentation in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Oecologia 2013; 174:393-402. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2773-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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Williams TH, Gumm JM, Mendelson TC. Sexual selection acting on a speciation trait in darters (Percidae: Etheostoma). Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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22
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23
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Mehlis M, Bakker TC. Male reproductive traits of full-sibs of different age classes in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). SPRINGERPLUS 2013; 2:175. [PMID: 23667819 PMCID: PMC3650239 DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The process of ageing is associated with negative effects of mutations acting late in life, which range from those affecting cells to those affecting the whole organism. In many animal taxa, the deterioration of the phenotype with age also affects traits such as males’ primary and secondary sexual characteristics. In three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), males usually reproduce at one or two years of age. To see whether sexual selection has the potential to differ between young and old males, full-sib brothers of different age classes were compared, which were bred and raised under standardised laboratory conditions. During two simulated, successive breeding seasons males were allowed to build their nest in single tanks either in the first (“young males”) or in the second (“old males”) breeding season. A comparison of reproductively active brothers of the first and second breeding season showed that older males produce more but smaller sperm, which might be of lower quality. The fact that older males stored more sperm is size dependent as the results show that larger males possess a greater absolute testis mass, which is inextricably linked to sperm number. However, independent of body size, old males had a lower intensity of red/orange and UV breeding coloration as well as a reduced testis melanisation, which might have consequences in female mate choice and sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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24
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Ronald KL, Fernández-Juricic E, Lucas JR. Taking the sensory approach: how individual differences in sensory perception can influence mate choice. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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25
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Wong RY, Ramsey ME, Cummings ME. Localizing brain regions associated with female mate preference behavior in a swordtail. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50355. [PMID: 23209722 PMCID: PMC3510203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Female mate choice behavior is a critical component of sexual selection, yet identifying the neural basis of this behavior is largely unresolved. Previous studies have implicated sensory processing and hypothalamic brain regions during female mate choice and there is a conserved network of brain regions (Social Behavior Network, SBN) that underlies sexual behaviors. However, we are only beginning to understand the role this network has in pre-copulatory female mate choice. Using in situ hybridization, we identify brain regions associated with mate preference in female Xiphophorus nigrensis, a swordtail species with a female choice mating system. We measure gene expression in 10 brain regions (linked to sexual behavior, reward, sensory integration or other processes) and find significant correlations between female preference behavior and gene expression in two telencephalic areas associated with reward, learning and multi-sensory processing (medial and lateral zones of the dorsal telencephalon) as well as an SBN region traditionally associated with sexual response (preoptic area). Network analysis shows that these brain regions may also be important in mate preference and that correlated patterns of neuroserpin expression between regions co-vary with differential compositions of the mate choice environment. Our results expand the emerging network for female preference from one that focused on sensory processing and midbrain sexual response centers to a more complex coordination involving forebrain areas that integrate primary sensory processing and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y Wong
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
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