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Croft DP, Weiss MN, Nielsen MLK, Grimes C, Cant MA, Ellis S, Franks DW, Johnstone RA. Kinship dynamics: patterns and consequences of changes in local relatedness. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211129. [PMID: 34403632 PMCID: PMC8370800 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that patterns of local relatedness can change over time in predictable ways, a process termed kinship dynamics. Kinship dynamics may occur at the level of the population or social group, where the mean relatedness across all members of the population or group changes over time, or at the level of the individual, where an individual's relatedness to its local group changes with age. Kinship dynamics are likely to have fundamental consequences for the evolution of social behaviour and life history because they alter the inclusive fitness payoffs to actions taken at different points in time. For instance, growing evidence suggests that individual kinship dynamics have shaped the evolution of menopause and age-specific patterns of helping and harming. To date, however, the consequences of kinship dynamics for social evolution have not been widely explored. Here we review the patterns of kinship dynamics that can occur in natural populations and highlight how taking a kinship dynamics approach has yielded new insights into behaviour and life-history evolution. We discuss areas where analysing kinship dynamics could provide new insight into social evolution, and we outline some of the challenges in predicting and quantifying kinship dynamics in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren P. Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael N. Weiss
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Center for Whale Research, Friday Harbour, WA, USA
| | - Mia L. K. Nielsen
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Charli Grimes
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael A. Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Daniel W. Franks
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, UK
| | - Rufus A. Johnstone
- Behaviour and Evolution Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Dawson Pell FSE, Senar JC, Franks DW, Hatchwell BJ. Fine-scale genetic structure reflects limited and coordinated dispersal in the colonial monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1531-1544. [PMID: 33502033 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The genetic structure of animal populations has considerable behavioural, ecological and evolutionary implications and may arise from various demographic traits. Here, we use observational field data and molecular genetics to determine the genetic structure of an invasive population of monk parakeets, Myiopsitta monachus, at a range of spatial scales, and investigate the demographic processes that generate the observed structure. Monk parakeets construct large nests that can house several pairs occupying separate chambers; these nests are often aggregated within nesting trees. We determined patterns of relatedness within compound nests, within nesting trees and between trees. Spatial autocorrelation analyses of pairwise genetic relatedness revealed fine-scale genetic structure with relatives of both sexes spatially clustered within, but not beyond, nesting trees. In addition, males were more related to males sharing their compound nests than to other males occupying the same nesting tree. By contrast, males and females within compound nests were not significantly more closely related than elsewhere in the same tree, and we found no evidence for inbreeding. Adults showed high breeding site fidelity between years despite considerable disturbance of nest sites. Natal dispersal was female-biased, but dispersal distances were relatively short with some natal philopatry observed in both sexes. Sibling coalitions, typically of males, were observed amongst both philopatric and dispersing birds. Our results show significant clustering of kin within compound nests and nesting trees resulting from limited and coordinated natal dispersal, with subsequent breeding site fidelity. The resulting genetic structure has implications for social behaviour in this unusual parrot species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel W Franks
- Department of Biology and Department of Computer Science, The University of York, York, UK
| | - Ben J Hatchwell
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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3
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Gould GM, Carter GG, Augustine JK. Divergent color signals from homologous unfeathered ornaments in two congeneric grouse. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11833-11847. [PMID: 31695891 PMCID: PMC6822034 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Color-based visual signals are important aspects of communication throughout the animal kingdom. Individuals evaluate color to obtain information about age and condition and to behave accordingly. Birds display a variety of striking, conspicuous colors and make ideal subjects for the study of color signaling. While most studies of avian color focus on plumage, bare unfeathered body parts also display a wide range of color signals. Mate choice and intrasexual competitive interactions are easily observed in lekking grouse, which also signal with prominent unfeathered color patches. Most male grouse have one pair of colorful bare part ornaments (combs), and males of several species also have inflatable air sacs in their throat. Previous studies have mostly focused on comb color and size, but little is known about the signaling role of air sac color. We measured comb size and the color properties of combs and air sacs in the Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), and investigated whether these properties varied with age and mass. We found that mass predicted color properties of air sacs and that age predicted comb size in the Greater Prairie-Chicken, suggesting that these ornaments indicate condition dependence. No conclusive relationships between color and age or size were detected in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Color properties of both ornaments differed between the two species. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms that link condition to color and whether the information advertised by color signals from these ornaments is intended for males, females, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M. Gould
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Jacqueline K. Augustine
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State University at LimaLimaOHUSA
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4
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Kinship and familiarity mitigate costs of social conflict between Seychelles warbler neighbors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9036-E9045. [PMID: 29073100 PMCID: PMC5664493 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704350114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, animals must compete with their neighbors for access to limited resources. Since conflict over resources can be extremely costly in terms of time, energy, and reproductive success, investigating how individuals resolve conflict is crucial to understanding the evolution of social behaviors. In the Seychelles warbler, we demonstrate two mechanisms by which individuals minimize costs of conflict and show the benefits individuals gain from doing so. Birds that live near relatives or familiar individuals invest less energy in defending and maintaining territory borders and also show less aging-related signs of physiological damage. Our results suggest that conflict between neighbors can be mitigated by kin-selected benefits of sharing resources with relatives but also through direct mutual benefits of cooperation. Because virtually all organisms compete with others in their social environment, mechanisms that reduce conflict between interacting individuals are crucial for the evolution of stable families, groups, and societies. Here, we tested whether costs of social conflict over territorial space between Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) are mitigated by kin-selected (genetic relatedness) or mutualistic (social familiarity) mechanisms. By measuring longitudinal changes in individuals’ body mass and telomere length, we demonstrated that the fitness costs of territoriality are driven by a complex interplay between relatedness, familiarity, local density, and sex. Physical fights were less common at territory boundaries shared between related or familiar males. In line with this, male territory owners gained mass when living next to related or familiar males and also showed less telomere attrition when living next to male kin. Importantly, these relationships were strongest in high-density areas of the population. Males also had more rapid telomere attrition when living next to unfamiliar male neighbors, but mainly when relatedness to those neighbors was also low. In contrast, neither kinship nor familiarity was linked to body mass or telomere loss in female territory owners. Our results indicate that resolving conflict over territorial space through kin-selected or mutualistic pathways can reduce both immediate energetic costs and permanent somatic damage, thus providing an important mechanism to explain fine-scale population structure and cooperation between different social units across a broad range of taxa.
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5
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No behavioural response to kin competition in a lekking species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2154-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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6
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Wenzel MA, Douglas A, James MC, Redpath SM, Piertney SB. The role of parasite-driven selection in shaping landscape genomic structure in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Mol Ecol 2015; 25:324-41. [PMID: 26578090 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Landscape genomics promises to provide novel insights into how neutral and adaptive processes shape genome-wide variation within and among populations. However, there has been little emphasis on examining whether individual-based phenotype-genotype relationships derived from approaches such as genome-wide association (GWAS) manifest themselves as a population-level signature of selection in a landscape context. The two may prove irreconcilable as individual-level patterns become diluted by high levels of gene flow and complex phenotypic or environmental heterogeneity. We illustrate this issue with a case study that examines the role of the highly prevalent gastrointestinal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis in shaping genomic signatures of selection in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Individual-level GWAS involving 384 SNPs has previously identified five SNPs that explain variation in T. tenuis burden. Here, we examine whether these same SNPs display population-level relationships between T. tenuis burden and genetic structure across a small-scale landscape of 21 sites with heterogeneous parasite pressure. Moreover, we identify adaptive SNPs showing signatures of directional selection using F(ST) outlier analysis and relate population- and individual-level patterns of multilocus neutral and adaptive genetic structure to T. tenuis burden. The five candidate SNPs for parasite-driven selection were neither associated with T. tenuis burden on a population level, nor under directional selection. Similarly, there was no evidence of parasite-driven selection in SNPs identified as candidates for directional selection. We discuss these results in the context of red grouse ecology and highlight the broader consequences for the utility of landscape genomics approaches for identifying signatures of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius A Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Alex Douglas
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Marianne C James
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Steve M Redpath
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Stuart B Piertney
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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Wenzel MA, James MC, Douglas A, Piertney SB. Genome-wide association and genome partitioning reveal novel genomic regions underlying variation in gastrointestinal nematode burden in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:4175-92. [PMID: 26179597 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the genetic architecture underlying complex phenotypes is a notoriously difficult problem that often impedes progress in understanding adaptive eco-evolutionary processes in natural populations. Host-parasite interactions are fundamentally important drivers of evolutionary processes, but a lack of understanding of the genes involved in the host's response to chronic parasite insult makes it particularly difficult to understand the mechanisms of host life history trade-offs and the adaptive dynamics involved. Here, we examine the genetic basis of gastrointestinal nematode (Trichostrongylus tenuis) burden in 695 red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) individuals genotyped at 384 genome-wide SNPs. We first use genome-wide association to identify individual SNPs associated with nematode burden. We then partition genome-wide heritability to identify chromosomes with greater heritability than expected from gene content, due to harbouring a multitude of additive SNPs with individually undetectable effects. We identified five SNPs on five chromosomes that accounted for differences of up to 556 worms per bird, but together explained at best 4.9% of the phenotypic variance. These SNPs were closely linked to genes representing a range of physiological processes including the immune system, protein degradation and energy metabolism. Genome partitioning indicated genome-wide heritability of up to 29% and three chromosomes with excess heritability of up to 4.3% (total 8.9%). These results implicate SNPs and novel genomic regions underlying nematode burden in this system and suggest that this phenotype is somewhere between being based on few large-effect genes (oligogenic) and based on a large number of genes with small individual but large combined effects (polygenic).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius A Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Marianne C James
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Alex Douglas
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Stuart B Piertney
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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8
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Wenzel MA, Piertney SB. Digging for gold nuggets: uncovering novel candidate genes for variation in gastrointestinal nematode burden in a wild bird species. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:807-25. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. A. Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen UK
| | - S. B. Piertney
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen UK
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Anderson HB, Madsen J, Woodin SJ, van der Wal R. Where to settle in a rapidly expanding bird colony: a case study on colony expansion in High Arctic breeding geese. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1845-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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10
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Wenzel MA, Piertney SB. Fine-scale population epigenetic structure in relation to gastrointestinal parasite load in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4256-73. [PMID: 24943398 PMCID: PMC4282444 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modification of cytosine methylation states can be elicited by environmental stresses and may be a key process affecting phenotypic plasticity and adaptation. Parasites are potent stressors with profound physiological and ecological effects on their host, but there is little understanding in how parasites may influence host methylation states. Here, we estimate epigenetic diversity and differentiation among 21 populations of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) in north-east Scotland and test for association of gastrointestinal parasite load (caecal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis) with hepatic genome-wide and locus-specific methylation states. Following methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP), 129 bands, representing 73 methylation-susceptible and 56 nonmethylated epiloci, were scored across 234 individuals. The populations differed significantly in genome-wide methylation levels and were also significantly epigenetically (FSC = 0.0227; P < 0.001) and genetically (FSC = 0.0058; P < 0.001) differentiated. Parasite load was not associated with either genome-wide methylation levels or epigenetic differentiation. Instead, we found eight disproportionately differentiated epilocus-specific methylation states (FST outliers) using bayescan software and significant positive and negative association of 35 methylation states with parasite load from bespoke generalized estimating equations (GEE), simple logistic regression (sam) and Bayesian environmental analysis (bayenv2). Following Sanger sequencing, genome mapping and geneontology (go) annotation, some of these epiloci were linked to genes involved in regulation of cell cycle, signalling, metabolism, immune system and notably rRNA methylation, histone acetylation and small RNAs. These findings demonstrate an epigenetic signature of parasite load in populations of a wild bird and suggest intriguing physiological effects of parasite-associated cytosine methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius A Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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11
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Martínez-Padilla J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Mougeot F, Ludwig SC, Redpath SM. Experimentally elevated levels of testosterone at independence reduce fitness in a territorial bird. Ecology 2014; 95:1033-44. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1905.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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12
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Hörnell‐Willebrand M, Willebrand T, Smith AA. Seasonal movements and dispersal patterns: Implications for recruitment and management of willow ptarmigan (
Lagopus lagopus
). J Wildl Manage 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hörnell‐Willebrand
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesHedmark University CollegeN‐2480EvenstadNorway
| | - Tomas Willebrand
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural SciencesHedmark University CollegeN‐2480EvenstadNorway
| | - Adam A. Smith
- Game & Wildlife Conservation TrustThe Control Tower, Perth AirportPerthshirePH2 6PLScotland
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Martínez-Padilla J, Redpath SM, Zeineddine M, Mougeot F. Insights into population ecology from long-term studies of red grouseLagopus lagopus scoticus. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:85-98. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Martínez-Padilla
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; Department of Evolutionary Biology; José Guitérrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Steve M. Redpath
- ACES; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Zoology Building Tillydrone Av. Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Mohammed Zeineddine
- ACES; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Zoology Building Tillydrone Av. Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - François Mougeot
- EEZA-CSIC; La Cañada de San Urbano; 04120 Almeria Spain
- IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n 13005 Ciuada Real Spain
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Alda F, García J, García JT, Suárez-Seoane S. Local genetic structure on breeding grounds of a long-distance migrant passerine: the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) in Spain. J Hered 2012; 104:36-46. [PMID: 23008445 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/ess071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breeding site fidelity can be determined by environmental features, which depending on their heterogeneous distribution may shape the genetic landscape of a population. We used 10 microsatellite loci to study the genetic variation of 83 bluethroats (Luscinia svecica azuricollis) across 14 localities within the Spanish breeding population and assess the relative influence of different habitat characteristics (physiography and vegetation) on genetic differentiation. Based on the genetic variation of this population, we identified 3 geographically consistent genetic clusters that on average showed a higher genetic differentiation than among other north European populations, even those belonging to different subspecies. The inferred genetic clusters occurred in geographic areas that significantly differed in elevation. The highest genetic differentiation was observed between sites at different mountain ranges, as well as between the highest altitude sites in the northeastern locale, whereas vegetation type did not explain a significant percentage of genetic variation. The lack of correlation between geographic and genetic distances suggests that this pattern of genetic structure cannot be explained as a consequence of isolation by distance. Finally, we discuss the importance of preserving areas encompassing high environmental and genetic variation as a means of preserving evolutionary processes and adaptive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Alda
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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15
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Vergara P, Redpath SM, Martínez-Padilla J, Mougeot F. Environmental conditions influence red grouse ornamentation at a population level. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01974.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Vergara
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Tillydrone Av.; Aberdeen; AB24 2TZ; UK
| | - Stephen M. Redpath
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen & The James Hutton Institute; Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES); Tillydrone Av.; Aberdeen; AB24 2TZ; UK
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Martinez-Padilla J, Vergara P, Mougeot F, Redpath SM. Parasitized mates increase infection risk for partners. Am Nat 2012; 179:811-20. [PMID: 22617268 DOI: 10.1086/665664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Individuals can gain fitness benefits and costs through their mates. However, studies on sexual selection have tended to focus on genetic benefits. A potentially widespread cost of pairing with a parasitized mate is that doing so will increase an individual's parasite abundance. Such a cost has been overlooked in systems in which parasites are indirectly transmitted. We manipulated the abundance of the nematode parasite Trichostrongylus tenuis, an indirectly transmitted parasite, within pairs of wild red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus in spring. Parasite levels were correlated within pairs before the experiment. We removed parasites from males, females, or both members of the pair and evaluated individual parasite uptake over the subsequent breeding period. At the end of the breeding season, an individual's parasite abundance was greater when its mate had not been initially purged of parasites. This cost appeared to be greater for males. We discuss the implications of our results in relation to the costs that parasites may have on sexual selection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Martinez-Padilla
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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17
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Fishman DJ, Craik SR, Zadworny D, Titman RD. Spatial-genetic structuring in a red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) colony in the Canadian Maritimes. Ecol Evol 2011; 1:107-18. [PMID: 22393488 PMCID: PMC3287296 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Revised: 06/22/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustering of kin is widespread across the animal kingdom and two of the primary mechanisms underlying the formation of these patterns in adult kin are (1) philopatric tendencies and (2) actively maintained kin associations. Using polymorphic microsatellites, we had set out to characterize the level of genetic-spatial organization within a colony of female red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) breeding on a series of small barrier islands in Kouchibouguac National Park, NB, Canada. Additionally, using nesting data from this colony, we explored possibilities for the existence of kin associations and/or cooperative interactions between these individuals; specifically in the form of the synchronization of breeding activities (i.e., incubation initiation). Our results include: (1) the detection of broad-scale genetic structuring over the entire colony, as females nesting on separate islands were to some extent genetically distinct; (2) the detection of weak, yet significant, positive spatial autocorrelation of kin at the fine scale, but only in the more densely-populated areas of this colony; and (3) the synchrony of breeding activities among proximally nesting females, apart from any factors of relatedness. While these results confirm the existence of genetic-spatial organization within this colony, the underlying mechanisms producing such a signal are inconclusive.
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18
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Vergara P, Martínez-Padilla J, Redpath SM, Mougeot F. The ornament–condition relationship varies with parasite abundance at population level in a female bird. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:897-902. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0833-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 07/31/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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19
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Warren P, Baines D. Evaluation of the distance sampling technique to survey red grouseLagopus lagopus scoticuson moors in northern England. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.2981/10-085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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20
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Webster LMI, Paterson S, Mougeot F, Martinez-Padilla J, Piertney SB. Transcriptomic response of red grouse to gastro-intestinal nematode parasites and testosterone: implications for population dynamics. Mol Ecol 2010; 20:920-31. [PMID: 21073676 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04906.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A central issue in ecology is in understanding the relative influences of intrinsic and extrinsic effects on population regulation. Previous studies on the cyclic population dynamics of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) have emphasized the destabilizing effects of either nematode parasites or territorial behaviour and aggression. The potential interacting effects of these processes, mediated through density-dependent, environmentally induced alterations of host immunocompetence influencing susceptibility to parasites have not been considered. Male red grouse at high density are more aggressive, associated with increased testosterone, which potentially could lead to reduced immunocompetence at a stage when parasites are most prevalent. This could depress individual condition, breeding performance and survival and thus drive or contribute to overall reductions in population size. Here, we characterize the transcriptomic response of grouse to nematode parasite infection and investigate how this is subsequently affected by testosterone, using a microarray approach contrasting red grouse with high and low parasite load at both high and low testosterone titre. A suite of 52 transcripts showed a significant level of up-regulation to either chronic parasite load or experimental parasite infection. Of these, 51 (98%) showed a reduced level of expression under conditions of high parasite load and high testosterone. The genes up-regulated by parasites and then down-regulated at high testosterone titre were not necessarily associated with immune response, as might be intuitively expected. The results are discussed in relation to the fitness and condition of individual red grouse and factors influencing the regulation of abundance in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M I Webster
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
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Quintela M, Berlin S, Wang B, Höglund J. Genetic diversity and differentiation among Lagopus lagopus populations in Scandinavia and Scotland: evolutionary significant units confirmed by SNP markers. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:2380-93. [PMID: 20636891 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04648.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in four Scandinavian populations of willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) and two Scottish populations of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) were assessed at 13 protein-coding loci. We found high levels of diversity, with one substitution every 55 bp as an average and a total of 76 unlinked parsimony informative SNPs. Different estimators of genetic diversity such as: number of synonymous and non-synonymous sites, average number of alleles, number and percentage of polymorphic loci, mean nucleotide diversity (pi(s), pi(a)) and gene diversity at synonymous and non-synonymous sites showed higher diversity in the northern populations compared to southern ones. Strong levels of purifying selection found in all the populations together with neutrality tests conforming to neutral expectations agree with large effective population sizes. Assignment tests reported a clear distinction between Scandinavian and Scottish grouse suggesting the existence of two different evolutionary significant units. The divergence time between willow and red grouse ranging between 12 500 and 125 000 years, in conjunction with the presence of 'specific' markers for each subspecies prompt a reassessment of the taxonomical status of the Scottish red grouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Quintela
- Population Biology and Conservation Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
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22
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Hatchwell BJ. Cryptic Kin Selection: Kin Structure in Vertebrate Populations and Opportunities for Kin-Directed Cooperation. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01732.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Sonsthagen SA, Talbot SL, Lanctot RB, McCracken KG. Do common eiders nest in kin groups? Microgeographic genetic structure in a philopatric sea duck. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:647-57. [PMID: 20074318 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04495.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We investigated local genetic associations among female Pacific common eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) nesting in a stochastic Arctic environment within two groups of barrier islands (Simpson Lagoon and Mikkelsen Bay) in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Nonrandom genetic associations were observed among nesting females using regional spatial autocorrelation analyses for distance classes up to 1000 m in Simpson Lagoon. Nearest-neighbour analyses identified clusters of genetically related females with positive lr values observed for 0-13% and 0-7% of the comparisons in Simpson Lagoon and Mikkelsen Bay, respectively, across years. These results indicate that a proportion of females are nesting in close proximity to more genetically related individuals, albeit at low frequency. Such kin groupings may form through active association between relatives or through natal philopatry and breeding site fidelity. Eiders nest in close association with driftwood, which is redistributed annually by seasonal storms. Yet, genetic associations were still observed. Microgeographic structure may thus be more attributable to kin association than natal philopatry and site fidelity. However, habitat availability may also influence the level of structure observed. Regional structure was present only within Simpson Lagoon and this island group includes at least three islands with sufficient driftwood for colonies, whereas only one island at Mikkelsen Bay has these features. A long-term demographic study is needed to understand more fully the mechanisms that lead to fine-scale genetic structure observed in common eiders breeding in the Beaufort Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Sonsthagen
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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24
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Viblanc VA, Arnaud CM, Dobson FS, Murie JO. Kin selection in Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus): littermate kin provide individual fitness benefits. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 277:989-94. [PMID: 19939839 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since W. D. Hamilton's seminal work on the evolution of sociality, a large body of research has accumulated on how kin selection might explain the evolution of cooperation in many group-living species. Our study examined the evolutionary basis of philopatry and cooperation; specifically, whether individuals benefit from the presence of close kin. We applied an individual fitness approach to a 16-year study of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) to investigate potential causal paths by which the presence of kin might act on individual fitness. Our results indicate that individual fitness benefits resulted from associations of philopatric female kin, and support the hypothesis that increased tolerance of proximity of kin is a proximate mechanism for these benefits. The major life-history influence of kin on individual fitness was through improved reproductive success, and this benefit may have been owing to philopatric settlement of kin that were recognized through familiarization in the natal burrow. Thus, we demonstrated an evolutionary basis necessary for ongoing kin-selected cooperation in Columbian ground squirrels, though the mechanism of familiarity may determine which kin individuals benefit from cooperative behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Viblanc
- Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, IPHC, UMR 7178 CNRS, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
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25
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Matthysen E, Van Overveld T, Van de Casteele T, Adriaensen F. Family movements before independence influence natal dispersal in a territorial songbird. Oecologia 2009; 162:591-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1483-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2008] [Accepted: 10/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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LEE JINWON, JANG BYOUNGSOON, DAWSON DEBORAHA, BURKE TERRY, HATCHWELL BENJ. Fine-scale genetic structure and its consequence in breeding aggregations of a passerine bird. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:2728-39. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04228.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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27
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Chapman DS, Cornell SJ, Kunin WE. Interactions between harvesting, noise and territoriality in a model of red grouse population cycles. J Anim Ecol 2009; 78:476-84. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01496.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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LEBIGRE C, ALATALO RV, FORSS HE, SIITARI H. Low levels of relatedness on black grouse leks despite male philopatry. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:4512-21. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03926.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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29
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Witting L. Inevitable evolution: back toThe Originand beyond the 20th Century paradigm of contingent evolution by historical natural selection. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2008; 83:259-94. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2008.00043.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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PIERTNEY STUARTB, LAMBIN XAVIER, MACCOLL ANDREWDC, LOCK KERRY, BACON PHILIPJ, DALLAS JOHNF, LECKIE FIONA, MOUGEOT FRANCOIS, RACEY PAULA, REDPATH STEVE, MOSS ROBERT. Temporal changes in kin structure through a population cycle in a territorial bird, the red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:2544-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03778.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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Veliz D, Duchesne P, Bourget E, Bernatchez L. Genetic evidence for kin aggregation in the intertidal acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides). Mol Ecol 2006; 15:4193-202. [PMID: 17054512 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.03078.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is generally assumed that larvae of benthic species are thoroughly mixed in the plankton and distributed randomly at settlement. Yet, it has also been hypothesized that a combination of larval gregarious behaviour coupled with particular oceanographic conditions may prevent larvae from mixing completely, and result in nonrandom spatial distributions following settlement. Using microsatellite markers, the main objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of statistical connections between relatedness and settlement in the intertidal acorn barnacle from the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. A second objective was to test the hypothesis that patches of kin-related individuals came from a common parental site. Our results indicated that a significant number of barnacles within a given sample were more closely related than expected by chance despite the enormous potential for admixture during the planktonic phase. Thus, eight out of 37 samples analysed had relatedness values significantly higher than expected from random settlement. Moreover, analyses of sibship network construction and network complexity tests provided evidence for the occurrence of networks within several samples that were characterized by strong connections among individuals. Thus, nonrandom planktonic dispersal associated with relatively stable oceanic currents, as well as additional ecological factors to be rigorously investigated (e.g. behavioural mechanisms), may be more important in determining patterns of genetic structure in marine benthic invertebrates than generally assumed. Therefore, documenting genetic patterns associated with kin aggregation should be a fruitful and an important avenue for future studies in marine invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Veliz
- Québec Océan, Université Laval, Département de Biologie, Québec City, Québec, Canada G1K 7P4
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32
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Wang XM, Cao LR, Liu ZS, Fang SG. Mitochondrial DNA variation and matrilineal structure in blue sheep populations of Helan Mountain, China. CAN J ZOOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1139/z06-137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (5′ hypervariable region, 554 bp) sequences from 71 samples of blue sheep ( Pseudois nayaur Hodgson, 1833) collected from six study localities throughout Helan Mountain Nature Reserve in Ningxia province of China were investigated to analyse distribution patterns of genetic variability, elucidate matrilineal structure, and investigate population history. Haplotype diversity (h) among the 71 samples was estimated to be 0.792 ± 0.037, and nucleotide diversity (Π) was relatively low (0.00392 ± 0.00046). A χ2contingency analysis of all mtDNA haplotype frequencies revealed that these haplotypes were distributed in a nonrandom fashion among study localities (χ2= 86.205, P = 0.092). Additional evidence of matrilineal structure was provided by the finding that a significant amount (9.02%; P < 0.01) of mtDNA variation was partitioned among different localities in the study area. We conclude that blue sheep of Helan Mountain Nature Reserve are structured spatially along matrilines. Pairwise computations of Φstand an AMOVA indicated that some sampling localities are differentiated relative to a random collection of genotypes and reflected differences in the spatial distribution of genetic variation. Isolation-by-distance (IBD) models (Mantel tests) revealed no obvious association between genetic differentiation and geographical distance. These results could be a basis for the development of suitable management strategies for conservation purposes. This work represents the first analysis of blue sheep mitochondrial control region DNA to be performed from a population genetics perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ming Wang
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road N, Shanghai 200062, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Genetics and Reproductive Biology for Endangered Wildlife of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
- The State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Li-Rong Cao
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road N, Shanghai 200062, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Genetics and Reproductive Biology for Endangered Wildlife of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
- The State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Zhen-Sheng Liu
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road N, Shanghai 200062, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Genetics and Reproductive Biology for Endangered Wildlife of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
- The State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road N, Shanghai 200062, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Genetics and Reproductive Biology for Endangered Wildlife of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
- The State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, Hangzhou 310029, China
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Matthiopoulos J, Halley JM, Moss R. SOCIALLY INDUCED RED GROUSE POPULATION CYCLES NEED ABRUPT TRANSITIONS BETWEEN TOLERANCE AND AGGRESSION. Ecology 2005. [DOI: 10.1890/04-0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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36
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MOUGEOT FRANÇOIS, PIERTNEY STUARTB, LECKIE FIONA, EVANS SHARON, MOSS ROBERT, REDPATH STEVEM, HUDSON PETERJ. Experimentally increased aggressiveness reduces population kin structure and subsequent recruitment in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. J Anim Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.00947.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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37
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Mougeot F, Dawson A, Redpath SM, Leckie F. Testosterone and autumn territorial behavior in male red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. Horm Behav 2005; 47:576-84. [PMID: 15811360 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2004] [Revised: 11/24/2004] [Accepted: 11/24/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In many bird species, males exhibit territorial aggression outside the breeding season, when testosterone concentrations are low and may not regulate territorial behaviors. The hormonal regulation of aggression at this time of year has only been studied in passerine birds. Here, we investigated the role of testosterone in the regulation of aggression in a non-passerine bird, the red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. Male red grouse are aggressive in early spring when breeding starts, in autumn when they establish territories, and sporadically through much of the winter. We first describe seasonal variations in plasma testosterone concentrations and in the size of males' sexual ornaments, their red combs, which relates to aggressiveness. Testosterone concentrations and comb size were correlated. Both increased in autumn to a peak in October, and then increased again in spring, to a greater peak in early April. Secondly, we experimentally investigated the effects of testosterone, and of an anti-androgen (flutamide) used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (ATD), on autumn territorial behavior. Males were treated with either empty implants, as controls (C-males), testosterone implants (T-males), or with flutamide and ATD implants (FA-males). One month after implanting, both T- and FA-males had higher concentrations of testosterone than C-males. Comb size, aggressive call rate, and response to playbacks of territorial call all significantly increased in T-males. However, the increase in testosterone in FA-males did not increase comb size or aggressive behavior. In the following spring, after the content of implants was used, FA-males had significantly lower testosterone than C-males, and had a reduced seasonal increase in comb size. The results suggest that testosterone plays a significant role in regulating red grouse aggressive behavior in autumn. However, the observation that flutamide and ATD treatment did not reduce territorial behavior, suggests that estradiol may also be involved in the regulation of non-breeding aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Mougeot
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory, Aberdeenshire AB31 4BW, UK.
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38
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Mougeot F, Evans SA, Redpath SM. Interactions between population processes in a cyclic species: parasites reduce autumn territorial behaviour of male red grouse. Oecologia 2005; 144:289-98. [PMID: 15891828 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2004] [Accepted: 03/01/2005] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The causes of population cycles fascinate and perplex ecologist. Most work have focused on single processes, whether extrinsic or intrinsic, more rarely on how different processes might interact to cause or mould the unstable population dynamics. In red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus), two causal mechanisms have been supported: territorial behaviour (changes in autumn aggressiveness) and parasites (parasite induced reduction in fecundity). Here, we report on how these two regulatory processes might interact, by testing whether the parasite suspected to cause the grouse cycles, the nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis, reduces male autumn territorial behaviour. We either treated males with an anthelmintic, to remove parasites (dosed or D-males), or challenged them with infective T. tenuis larvae, to increase parasite intensity (challenged or C-males). We first show that dosing was effective in removing T. tenuis parasites, while parasite intensities increased in challenged birds during the autumn. Because old males initially had more parasites than young males, the treatments generated greater differences in parasite intensity in old than in young males. We also show that various aspects of territorial behaviour (increase in testosterone-dependent comb size in autumn, territorial call rate, likelihood of winning territorial interactions and over-winter survival) were significantly higher in dosed than in challenged males, but in old birds only. Our data thus supported the hypothesis that parasites reduce male aggressiveness during the autumn territorial contests, and could thereby influence recruitment. Our results also highlight that the territorial behaviour of young males, which have fewer parasites, is not as limited by parasites as that of old, previously territorial males. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of the processes regulating red grouse populations and causing their complex, unstable population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franccois Mougeot
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Hill of Brathens, AB31 4BW, Banchory, Scotland, UK.
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39
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Fowler AC. Fine-scale spatial structuring in cackling Canada geese related to reproductive performance and breeding philopatry. Anim Behav 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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40
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Mougeot F, Irvine JR, Seivwright L, Redpath SM, Piertney S. Testosterone, immunocompetence, and honest sexual signaling in male red grouse. Behav Ecol 2004. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arh087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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41
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Mougeot F, Redpath SM, Moss R, Matthiopoulos J, Hudson PJ. Territorial behaviour and population dynamics in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. I. Population experiments. J Anim Ecol 2003. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00781.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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43
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Matthiopoulos J, Moss R, Mougeot F, Lambin X, Redpath SM. Territorial behaviour and population dynamics in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. II. Population models. J Anim Ecol 2003. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00780.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abstract
Local genetic structure was studied in lekking white-bearded manakins in a study area on northern Trinidad, West Indies. The study population consisted of nine leks, at which a total of 238 birds were caught. By genotyping the individuals at eight polymorphic microsatellite loci we inferred some males on leks to be related (r = 0.25) as we found an average number of 14.8 half-sib relationships and two full-sib relationships per lek. We found that the sampled birds belonged to one genetic population that was slightly inbred (FIS and FIT = 0.02). Kinship coefficients decreased with increasing geographical distance, indicating that related birds displayed at the same or nearby leks. However, leks did not consist of only one family group because the average genetic distance (aij) between males within leks was higher than when comparing males on leks within close proximity. These patterns suggest limited male dispersal, that some type of kin recognition process between individuals may exist in this species and that males on leks may be more likely to establish themselves as territory-holding birds if a relative is already present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Höglund
- Department of Population Biology/EBC, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-75329, Uppsala, Sweden.
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45
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Abstract
The fine-scale genetic structure of wild animal populations has rarely been analysed, yet is potentially important as a confounding factor in quantitative genetic and allelic association studies, as well as having implications for population dynamics, inbreeding and kin selection. In this study, we examined the extent to which the three spatial subunits, or hefts, of the Village Bay population of Soay sheep (Ovis aries) on St Kilda, Scotland, are genetically structured using data from 20 microsatellite and protein loci. Allele frequencies differed significantly among three hefts in all the study years we considered (1987-2000 inclusive). Small but significantly positive F(ST) and negative F(IS) values were observed in most years, indicating that the hefts are genetically differentiated, and that within each heft there is more observed heterozygosity than would be expected if each were an isolated breeding population. Males showed less fidelity to their natal heft, and as a consequence higher levels of relatedness within hefts were observed among females than among males. There was a significant negative relationship between geographical proximity and relatedness in pairwise comparisons involving females, and on average pairs of females located within 50 m of each other were related at the equivalent level of second cousins. Structure is therefore largely driven by incomplete postnatal dispersal by females. Mating appears to be random with respect to the spatial-genetic substructure of the hefts, and therefore genetic structure does not contribute to the overall rate of inbreeding in the population. However, genetic substructure can lead to allelic associations and generate environmental effects within lineages that have the potential to confound heritability analyses and allelic association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Coltman
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, UK.
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46
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Williams CL, Blejwas K, Johnston JJ, Jaeger MM. TEMPORAL GENETIC VARIATION IN A COYOTE (CANIS LATRANS) POPULATION EXPERIENCING HIGH TURNOVER. J Mammal 2003. [DOI: 10.1644/1545-1542(2003)084<0177:tgviac>2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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47
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Piertney SB. Major histocompatibility complex B-LB gene variation in red grouseLagopus lagopus scoticus. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2003. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.2003.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stuart B. Piertney
- Stuart B. Piertney, NERC Molecular Genetics in Ecology Initiative, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom -
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48
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Witting L. Evolutionary dynamics of exploited populations selected by density dependent competitive interactions. Ecol Modell 2002. [DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3800(02)00172-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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49
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Sherratt JA, Lambin X, Thomas CJ, Sherratt TN. Generation of periodic waves by landscape features in cyclic predator-prey systems. Proc Biol Sci 2002; 269:327-34. [PMID: 11886619 PMCID: PMC1690906 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of models for spatial dynamics of natural populations assume a homogeneous physical environment. However, in practice, dispersing organisms may encounter landscape features that significantly inhibit their movement. We use mathematical modelling to investigate the effect of such landscape features on cyclic predator-prey populations. We show that when appropriate boundary conditions are applied at the edge of the obstacle, a pattern of periodic travelling waves develops, moving out and away from the obstacle. Depending on the assumptions of the model, these waves can take the form of roughly circular 'target patterns' or spirals. This is, to our knowledge, a new mechanism for periodic-wave generation in ecological systems and our results suggest that it may apply quite generally not only to cyclic predator-prey interactions, but also to populations that oscillate for other reasons. In particular, we suggest that it may provide an explanation for the observed pattern of travelling waves in the densities of field voles (Microtus agrestis) in Kielder Forest (Scotland-England border) and of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) on Kerloch Moor (northeast Scotland), which in both cases move orthogonally to any large-scale obstacles to movement. Moreover, given that such obstacles to movement are the rule rather than the exception in real-world environments, our results suggest that complex spatio-temporal patterns such as periodic travelling waves are likely to be much more common in the natural world than has previously been assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Sherratt
- Department of Mathematics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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50
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The kin facilitation hypothesis for red grouse population cycles: territorial dynamics of the family cluster. Ecol Modell 2002. [DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3800(01)00420-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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