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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage brightness influence extra-pair mating success in female Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor)? CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that ornamental traits displayed by female birds may reflect aspects of their quality, and function during competitive interactions and (or) social mate attraction; however, less is known about how such traits influence extra-pair paternity. In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), plumage brightness of females signals their quality and may be related to extra-pair paternity if it enables them to invade the territories of other females to seek extra-pair copulations and (or) if potential extra-pair mates perceive their plumage brightness as attractive. Therefore, to examine whether the plumage brightness displayed by females influence rates of extra-pair paternity and the number of sires per brood, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of females relative to controls. Our results showed that plumage brightness treatment of the female did not influence the number of extra-pair offspring in nests or the likelihood of a brood containing extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of extra-pair males siring offspring within the broods of females did not differ by plumage brightness treatment. Although extra-pair paternity has been shown to be beneficial for female Tree Swallows, our results suggest that plumage brightness of females does not influence their ability to engage in extra-pair mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Pap PL, Fülöp A, Adamkova M, Cepak J, Michalkova R, Safran RJ, Stermin AN, Tomasek O, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Wilkins MR, Albrecht T. Selection on multiple sexual signals in two Central and Eastern European populations of the barn swallow. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11277-11287. [PMID: 31641472 PMCID: PMC6802025 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in intensity and targets of sexual selection on multiple traits has been suggested to play a major role in promoting phenotypic differentiation between populations, although the divergence in selection may depend on year, local conditions or age. In this study, we quantified sexual selection for two putative sexual signals across two Central and East European barn swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica) populations from Czech Republic and Romania over multiple years. We then related these differences in selection to variation in sexual characters among barn swallow populations. Our results show that tail length and ventral coloration vary between populations, sexes, and age classes (first-time breeders vs. experienced birds). We found that selection on tail length was stronger in first-time breeders than in experienced birds and in males than in females in the Romanian population, while these differences between age groups and sexes were weak in Czech birds. We suggest that the populational difference in selection on tail length might be related to the differences in breeding conditions. Our results show that ventral coloration is darker (i.e., has lower brightness) in the Romanian than in the Czech population, and in experienced birds and males compared with first-time breeders and females, respectively. The sexual difference in ventral coloration may suggest sexual selection on this trait, which is supported by the significant directional selection of ventral coloration in first-time breeding males on laying date. However, after controlling for the confounding effect of wing length and tarsus length, the partial directional selection gradient on this trait turned nonsignificant, suggesting that the advantage of dark ventral coloration in early breeding birds is determined by the correlated traits of body size. These findings show that ventral coloration may be advantageous over the breeding season, but the underlying mechanism of this relationship is not clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Marie Adamkova
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | | | - Romana Michalkova
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Oldrich Tomasek
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
| | | | - Tomas Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
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Michálková R, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Kreisinger J, Albrecht T. Extra-pair paternity patterns in European barn swallows Hirundo rustica are best explained by male and female age rather than male ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2725-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Saino N, Albetti B, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Costanzo A, Mariani J, Parolini M, Romano A, Rubolini D, Formenti G, Gianfranceschi L, Bollati V. Inter-generational resemblance of methylation levels at circadian genes and associations with phenology in the barn swallow. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6505. [PMID: 31019206 PMCID: PMC6482194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42798-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression can occur via epigenetic effects as mediated by DNA methylation. The potential for epigenetic effects to be transmitted across generations, thus modulating phenotypic variation and affecting ecological and evolutionary processes, is increasingly appreciated. However, the study of variation in epigenomes and inter-generational transmission of epigenetic alterations in wild populations is at its very infancy. We studied sex- and age-related variation in DNA methylation and parent-offspring resemblance in methylation profiles in the barn swallows. We focused on a class of highly conserved ‘clock’ genes (clock, cry1, per2, per3, timeless) relevant in the timing of activities of major ecological importance. In addition, we considerably expanded previous analyses on the relationship between methylation at clock genes and breeding date, a key fitness trait in barn swallows. We found positive assortative mating for methylation at one clock locus. Methylation varied between the nestling and the adult stage, and according to sex. Individuals with relatively high methylation as nestlings also had high methylation levels when adults. Extensive parent-nestling resemblance in methylation levels was observed. Occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations allowed to disclose evidence hinting at a prevalence of paternal germline or sperm quality effects over common environment effects in generating father-offspring resemblance in methylation. Finally, we found an association between methylation at the clock poly-Q region, but not at other loci, and breeding date. We thus provided evidence for sex-dependent variation and the first account of parent-offspring resemblance in methylation in any wild vertebrate. We also showed that epigenetics may influence phenotypic plasticity of timing of life cycle events, thus having a major impact on fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Benedetta Albetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Mariani
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Formenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bollati
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy.
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