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Zimmermann H, Bose APH, Eisner H, Henshaw JM, Ziegelbecker A, Richter F, Bračun S, Katongo C, Fritzsche K, Sefc KM. Seasonal variation in cuckoldry rates in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Variabilichromis moorii. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2371-2383. [PMID: 37325485 PMCID: PMC10261196 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mating patterns in animal populations can respond to environmental conditions and consequently vary across time. To examine this variation in nature, studies must include temporal replicates from the same population. Here, we report temporal variation in genetic parentage in the socially monogamous cichlid Variabilichromis moorii from Lake Tanganyika, using samples of broods and their brood-tending parents that were collected across five field trips from the same study population. The sampled broods were either spawned during the dry season (three field trips) or during the rainy season (two trips). In all seasons, we detected substantial rates of extra-pair paternity, which were ascribed to cuckoldry by bachelor males. Paternity shares of brood-tending males were consistently higher, and the numbers of sires per brood were consistently lower, in broods that were spawned in the dry seasons compared to broods from the rainy seasons. In contrast, the strength of size-assortative pairing in our V. moorii population did not vary temporally. Seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, such as water turbidity, are proposed as a mechanism behind variable cuckolder pressure. Our data demonstrate the utility of long-term monitoring to improve our understanding of animal mating patterns. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aneesh P. H. Bose
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Helgit Eisner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jonathan M. Henshaw
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Florian Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sandra Bračun
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Cyprian Katongo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Karoline Fritzsche
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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2
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Bose APH, Koch L, Dabernig-Heinz J, Grimm J, Sefc KM, Jordan A. Patterns of sex-biased dispersal are consistent with social and ecological constraints in a group-living cichlid fish. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:21. [PMID: 35236283 PMCID: PMC8889715 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01980-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex-biased dispersal is a common and widespread phenomenon that can fundamentally shape the genetic structure of the social environments in which animals live. For animals that live in and move between social groups, sex-biased dispersal can result in an asymmetry in the degree of relatedness among cohabiting males and females, which can have strong implications for their social evolution. In this study, we measured the relatedness structure within and across groups of a wild population of Neolamprologus multifasciatus, a highly-social, shell-dwelling cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. In total, we genotyped 812 fish from 128 social groups at 20 microsatellite loci. Neolamprologus multifasciatus live at high densities, and also experience strong ecological constraints on free movement throughout their habitat. At the same time, they exhibit sex differences in the degree of reproductive competition within their groups and this makes them an excellent model system for studying the factors associated with sex-biased dispersal. RESULTS Social groups of N. multifasciatus consist of multiple males and females living together. We found that cohabiting females were unrelated to one another (Lynch-Ritland estimates of relatedness = 0.045 ± 0.15, average ± SD), while males shared much higher, albeit variable, levels of relatedness to other males in their groups (0.23 ± 0.27). We uncovered a pronounced decline in relatedness between males living in separate groups as the spatial separation between them increased, a pattern that was not evident in females. Female dispersal was also markedly constrained by the distribution and availability of nearby territories to which they could emigrate. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate female-biased dispersal in N. multifasciatus. Our study also highlights how the spatial distribution of suitable dispersal destinations can influence the movement decisions of animals. We also emphasize how sex-biased dispersal can influence the relatedness structure of the social environment in which individuals interact and compete with one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneesh P H Bose
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Lukas Koch
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Alex Jordan
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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3
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Schons RF, Vitt S, Thünken T. Environmental habituation and sexual composition affect juveniles' shoaling activity in a cichlid fish (Pelvicachromis taeniatus). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:1307-1317. [PMID: 34184282 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Group living is widespread in animals, and many fishes form shoals. Examining within-group interactions in fishes may contribute to the general understanding of dynamic social structures in animals. The sex ratio of a group has been shown to influence grouping decisions of fishes and can be expected to affect behaviour at group level. Behavioural experiments usually involve relatively short acclimatisation times, although the establishment of environmental habituation in fishes is understudied. This study tests whether the sex ratio and long-term habituation to experimental conditions influence general shoal performance (activity parameters, density) and responses of shoals to an acoustic-mechanical disturbance cue in juveniles of the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus via individual tracking. The disturbance consisted of a defined hit against the experimental tank, which caused sudden noise and water movement. We found that a higher proportion of females increases shoal activity (swimming speed and distance covered), suggesting that female P. taeniatus are more active than males. Furthermore, shoal activity declined when shoals habituated to the experimental settings and with the time that the shoals were grouped together, which may reflect intensified group member familiarity. Moreover, behavioural changes after disturbance were weaker when individuals were kept with their group longer and more familiar to the experimental conditions. For prey species, lower activity might be beneficial under natural conditions due to lower conspicuousness of the group. We did not find any significant effects of the investigated factors on shoal density (mean interindividual distance) and speed synchronisation. The results indicate that sexual composition, familiarity between shoal members and habituation to the experimental environment affect shoal performance in a cichlid fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieke F Schons
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Vitt S, Madge Pimentel I, Thünken T. Presence of same-sex kin promotes explorative behavior in subadult cichlid fish. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
While the importance of kin discrimination, that is, kin recognition and subsequent differential treatment of kin and nonkin, is well established for kin-directed cooperation or altruism, the role of kin discrimination in the context of kin competition and kin avoidance is largely unexplored. Theory predicts that individuals avoiding competition with kin should be favored by natural selection due to indirect fitness benefits. Using an experimental approach, we investigated whether the presence of same-sex kin affects avoidance and explorative behavior in subadult Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a West African cichlid fish with strong intrasexual competition in both sexes. Pelvicachromis taeniatus is capable of recognizing kin using phenotype matching and shows kin discrimination in diverse contexts. When exposed to a same-sex conspecific, both males and females tended to interact less with the related opponent. Moreover, individuals explored a novel environment faster after exposure to kin than to nonkin. This effect was more pronounced in females. Individuals avoiding the proximity of same-sex relatives may reduce kin competition over resources such as mating partners or food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Iris Madge Pimentel
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
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5
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Zimmermann H, Fritzsche K, Henshaw JM, Katongo C, Banda T, Makasa L, Sefc KM, Bose APH. Nest defense in the face of cuckoldry: evolutionary rather than facultative adaptation to chronic paternity loss. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:200. [PMID: 31684856 PMCID: PMC6829816 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1528-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Raising unrelated offspring is typically wasteful of parental resources and so individuals are expected to reduce or maintain low levels of parental effort when their parentage is low. This can involve facultative, flexible adjustments of parental care to cues of lost parentage in the current brood, stabilizing selection for a low level of paternal investment, or an evolutionary reduction in parental investment in response to chronically low parentage. Results We studied parental care in Variabilichromis moorii, a socially monogamous, biparental cichlid fish, whose mating system is characterized by frequent cuckoldry and whose primary form of parental care is offspring defense. We combine field observations with genetic parentage analyses to show that while both parents defend their nest against intruding con- and hetero-specifics, males and females may do so for different reasons. Males in the study group (30 breeding pairs) sired 0–100% (median 83%) of the fry in their nests. Males defended less against immediate threats to the offspring, and more against threats to their territories, which are essential for the males’ future reproductive success. Males also showed no clear relationship between their share of defense and their paternity of the brood. Females, on the other hand, were related to nearly all the offspring under their care, and defended almost equally against all types of threats. Conclusion Overall, males contributed less to defense than females and we suggest that this asymmetry is the result of an evolutionary response by males to chronically high paternity loss in this species. Although most males in the current study group achieved high parentage in their nests, the average paternity in V. moorii, sampled across multiple seasons, is only about 55%. We highlight the importance and complexity of studying nest defense as a form of parental care in systems where defense may serve not only to protect current offspring, but also to ensure future reproductive success by maintaining a territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karoline Fritzsche
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter MS, Moscow, ID, 3051, USA
| | - Jonathan M Henshaw
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter MS, Moscow, ID, 3051, USA
| | - Cyprian Katongo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Taylor Banda
- Lake Tanganyika Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, P. O. Box 420055, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Lawrence Makasa
- Lake Tanganyika Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, P. O. Box 420055, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Aneesh P H Bose
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria. .,Present address: Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
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6
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Golcher-Benavides J, Wagner CE. Playing out Liem's Paradox: Opportunistic Piscivory across Lake Tanganyikan Cichlids. Am Nat 2019; 194:260-267. [PMID: 31318283 DOI: 10.1086/704169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Trophic specialization is a key feature of the diversity of cichlid fish adaptive radiations. However, K. F. Liem observed that even species with highly specialized trophic morphologies have dietary flexibility, enabling them to exploit episodic food resources opportunistically. Evidence for dietary flexibility comes largely from laboratory studies, and it is unclear whether cichlid fishes undergo diet shifts in the wild. We report observations of diet switching by multiple cichlid species in Lake Tanganyika as a consequence of unusual concentrations of schooling juvenile clupeid fishes. Fish species with varying degrees of trophic specialization converged on a single prey: juvenile sardines that are also endemic to Lake Tanganyika (Stolothrissa tanganicae and Limnothrissa miodon). We provide evidence for cichlid species acting as jacks-of-all-trades and discuss this evidence in the framework of Liem's classic paradox: that trophic specialization does not preclude dietary flexibility.
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7
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Li XY, Kokko H. Sex-biased dispersal: a review of the theory. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:721-736. [PMID: 30353655 PMCID: PMC7379701 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is ubiquitous throughout the tree of life: factors selecting for dispersal include kin competition, inbreeding avoidance and spatiotemporal variation in resources or habitat suitability. These factors differ in whether they promote male and female dispersal equally strongly, and often selection on dispersal of one sex depends on how much the other disperses. For example, for inbreeding avoidance it can be sufficient that one sex disperses away from the natal site. Attempts to understand sex‐specific dispersal evolution have created a rich body of theoretical literature, which we review here. We highlight an interesting gap between empirical and theoretical literature. The former associates different patterns of sex‐biased dispersal with mating systems, such as female‐biased dispersal in monogamous birds and male‐biased dispersal in polygynous mammals. The predominant explanation is traceable back to Greenwood's (1980) ideas of how successful philopatric or dispersing individuals are at gaining mates or the resources required to attract them. Theory, however, has developed surprisingly independently of these ideas: models typically track how immigration and emigration change relatedness patterns and alter competition for limiting resources. The limiting resources are often considered sexually distinct, with breeding sites and fertilizable females limiting reproductive success for females and males, respectively. We show that the link between mating system and sex‐biased dispersal is far from resolved: there are studies showing that mating systems matter, but the oft‐stated association between polygyny and male‐biased dispersal is not a straightforward theoretical expectation. Here, an important understudied factor is the extent to which movement is interpretable as an extension of mate‐searching (e.g. are matings possible en route or do they only happen after settling in new habitat – or can females perhaps move with stored sperm). We also point out other new directions for bridging the gap between empirical and theoretical studies: there is a need to build Greenwood's influential yet verbal explanation into formal models, which also includes the possibility that an individual benefits from mobility as it leads to fitness gains in more than one final breeding location (a possibility not present in models with a very rigid deme structure). The order of life‐cycle events is likewise important, as this impacts whether a departing individual leaves behind important resources for its female or male kin, or perhaps both, in the case of partially overlapping resource use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yi Li
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Bose APH, Zimmermann H, Henshaw JM, Fritzsche K, Sefc KM. Brood-tending males in a biparental fish suffer high paternity losses but rarely cuckold. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4309-4321. [PMID: 30182504 PMCID: PMC6221093 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Extra‐pair paternity within socially monogamous mating systems is well studied in birds and mammals but rather neglected in other animal taxa. In fishes, social monogamy has evolved several times but few studies have investigated the extent to which pair‐bonded male fish lose fertilizations to cuckolders and gain extra‐pair fertilizations themselves. We address this gap and present genetic paternity data collected from a wild population of Variabilichromis moorii, a socially monogamous African cichlid with biparental care of offspring. We show that brood‐tending, pair‐bonded males suffer exceptionally high paternity losses, siring only 63% of the offspring produced by their female partners on average. The number of cuckolders per brood ranged up to nine and yet, surprisingly, brood‐tending males in the population were rarely the culprits. Brood‐tending males sired very few extra‐pair offspring, despite breeding in close proximity to one another. While unpaired males were largely responsible for the cuckoldry, pair‐bonded males still enjoyed higher fertilization success than individual unpaired males. We discuss these results in the context of ecological and phenotypic constraints on cuckoldry and the fitness payoffs of alternative male tactics. Our study provides new insights into how pair‐bonded males handle the trade‐off between securing within‐pair and extra‐pair reproduction.
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9
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Lehtonen TK, Elmer KR, Lappalainen M, Meyer A. Genetic evidence for panmixia in a colony-breeding crater lake cichlid fish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1166. [PMID: 29348515 PMCID: PMC5773479 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fine-scaled genetic structuring, as seen for example in many lacustrine fish, typically relates to the patterns of migration, habitat use, mating system or other ecological factors. Because the same processes can also affect the propensity of population differentiation and divergence, assessments of species from rapidly speciating clades, or with particularly interesting ecological traits, can be especially insightful. For this study, we assessed the spatial genetic relationships, including the genetic evidence for sex-biased dispersal, in a colony-breeding cichlid fish, Amphilophus astorquii, endemic to Crater Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua, using 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci (n = 123 individuals from three colonies). We found no population structure in A. astorquii either within colonies (no spatial genetic autocorrelation, r ~0), or at the lake-wide level (pairwise population differentiation FST = 0-0.013 and no clustering), and there was no sex-bias (male and female AIc values bounded 0) to this lack of genetic structure. These patterns may be driven by the colony-breeding reproductive behaviour of A. astorquii. The results suggest that strong philopatry or spatial assortative mating are unlikely to explain the rapid speciation processes associated with the history of this species in Lake Apoyo.
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Affiliation(s)
- T K Lehtonen
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - K R Elmer
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - M Lappalainen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - A Meyer
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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10
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Lee HJ, Heim V, Meyer A. Genetic evidence for prevalence of alloparental care in a socially monogamous biparental cichlid fish, Perissodus microlepis, from Lake Tanganyika supports the "selfish shepherd effect" hypothesis. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:2843-53. [PMID: 27217943 PMCID: PMC4863010 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Alloparental care – care for unrelated young – is rare in animals, and its ecological or evolutionary advantages or, alternative maladaptive nature, remain unclear. We investigate alloparental care in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis from Lake Tanganyika that exhibits bi‐parental care. In a genetic parentage analysis, we discovered a surprisingly high percentage of alloparental care represented by brood mixing, extra‐pair paternity and extra‐pair maternity in all broods that we investigated. The percentage of nondescendant juveniles of other parents, i.e., brood mixing, ranged from 5% to 57% (mean = 28%). The distribution of genetic parentage also suggests that this socially monogamous species has, in fact, polygamous mating system. The prevalence of genetically mixed broods can be best explained by two, not mutually exclusive hypotheses on farming‐out and fostering behaviors. In the majority of broods, the sizes of the parents’ own (descendant) offspring were significantly larger than those of the adopted (nondescendant) juveniles, supporting the ‘selfish shepherd effect’ hypothesis, i.e., that foster parents preferentially accept unrelated “smaller or not larger” young since this would tend to lower the predation risks for their own larger offspring. There was also a tendency for larger parents particularly mothers, more so than smaller parents, to care predominantly for their own offspring. Larger parents might be better at defending against cuckoldry and having foreign young dumped into their broods through farming‐out behavior. This result might argue for maladaptive effects of allopatric care for the foster parents that only larger and possibly more experienced pairs can guard against. It needs to be determined why, apparently, the ability to recognize one's own young has not evolved in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk Je Lee
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary Biology Department of Biology University of Konstanz 78457 Konstanz Germany; Department of Biological Science College of Science and Engineering Sangji University Wonju 220-702 Korea
| | - Valentin Heim
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary Biology Department of Biology University of Konstanz 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary Biology Department of Biology University of Konstanz 78457 Konstanz Germany
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11
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Anderson C, Werdenig A, Koblmüller S, Sefc KM. Same school, different conduct: rates of multiple paternity vary within a mixed-species breeding school of semi-pelagic cichlid fish (Cyprichromis spp.). Ecol Evol 2016; 6:37-45. [PMID: 26811772 PMCID: PMC4716499 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating system variability is known to exist between and within species, often due to environmental influences. An open question is whether, vice versa, similar environmental conditions entail congruent mating behavior, for example in terms of multiple paternity, in species or populations sharing largely comparable breeding modes. This study employed microsatellite markers to investigate the incidence of multiple paternity in Cyprichromis coloratus and Cyprichromis leptosoma, two sympatric, closely related, mouthbrooding Lake Tanganyika cichlids with similar ecological and behavioral characteristics including the formation of open‐water schools. Mouthbrooding females of both species were collected from the same mixed‐species breeding school at the same time, minimizing environmental variation during courtship and mating. In C. coloratus, four of 12 broods had more than one sire, with a mean of 1.33 reconstructed sires per brood. C. leptosoma exhibited multiple paternity in 18 of 22 broods, with a mean of 2.59 or 2.86 reconstructed sires per brood according to the programs gerud and colony, respectively. In addition, two broods were found to contain offspring transplanted from another brood. There was no significant difference in brood size between species, but mean sire number did differ significantly. Hence, substantial similarity in reproductive behavior along with shared environmental conditions during courtship and spawning did not lead to equal rates of polyandry or sneaking in the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb Anderson
- Institute of Zoology University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Alexandra Werdenig
- Institute of Zoology University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Zoology University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz Austria
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12
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Böhne A, Sengstag T, Salzburger W. Comparative transcriptomics in East African cichlids reveals sex- and species-specific expression and new candidates for sex differentiation in fishes. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 6:2567-85. [PMID: 25364805 PMCID: PMC4202336 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females of the same species differ largely in gene expression, which accounts for most of the morphological and physiological differences and sex-specific phenotypes. Here, we analyzed sex-specific gene expression in the brain and the gonads of cichlid fishes from Lake Tanganyika belonging to four different lineages, so-called tribes (Eretmodini, Ectodini, Haplochromini, and Lamprologini), using the outgroup Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as reference. The comparison between male and female brains revealed few differences between the sexes, consistent in all investigated species. The gonads, on the other hand, showed a large fraction of differentially expressed transcripts with the majority of them showing the same direction of expression in all four species. All here-studied cichlids, especially the three investigated mouth-breeding species, showed a trend toward more male- than female biased transcripts. Transcripts, which were female-biased in expression in all four species, were overrepresented on linkage group (LG)1 in the reference genome and common male-biased transcripts showed accumulation on LG23, the presumable sex chromosomes of the Nile tilapia. Sex-specific transcripts contained candidate genes for sex determination and differentiation in fishes,especially members of the transforming growth factor-b-superfamily and the Wnt-pathway and also prominent members of the sox-, dm-domain-, and high mobility group-box families. We further confirmed our previous finding on species/lineage-specific gene expression shifts in the sex steroid pathway, including synthesizing enzymes as the aromatase cyp19a1 and estrogen and androgen receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Böhne
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland
- *Corresponding author: E-mail:
| | - Thierry Sengstag
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and sciCORE Computing Center, University of Basel, Switzerland
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Schaedelin FC, van Dongen WFD, Wagner RH. Mate choice and genetic monogamy in a biparental, colonial fish. Behav Ecol 2015; 26:782-788. [PMID: 26023276 PMCID: PMC4433329 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a rare case of genetic monogamy in a biparental fish species. Males and females paired assortatively by size, which is compatible with mutual mate choice. Mate choice in monogamous species is interesting because both sexes provide essential parental care, making males, as well as females, choosy. Social monogamy in the form of biparental care is well known from a variety of species, but uncommon in fish. In socially monogamous species, in which both sexes provide essential parental care, males as well as females are expected to be choosy. Whereas hundreds of studies have examined monogamy in biparental birds, only several such studies exist in fish. We examined mate choice in the biparental, colonial cichlid fish Neolamprologus caudopunctatus in Lake Tanganyika, Zambia. We genotyped more than 350 individuals at 11 microsatellite loci to investigate their mating system. We found no extrapair paternity, identifying this biparental fish as genetically monogamous. Breeders paired randomly according to their genetic similarity, suggesting a lack of selection against inbreeding avoidance. We further found that breeders paired assortatively by body size, a criterion of quality in fish, suggesting mutual mate choice. In a subsequent mate preference test in an aquarium setup, females showed a strong preference for male size by laying eggs near the larger of 2 males in 13 of 14 trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska C Schaedelin
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
| | - Wouter F D van Dongen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
| | - Richard H Wagner
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
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van Dongen WFD, Wagner RH, Moodley Y, Schaedelin FC. Sex biases in kin shoaling and dispersal in a cichlid fish. Oecologia 2014; 176:965-74. [PMID: 25231372 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3079-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Animal dispersal is associated with diverse costs and benefits that vary among individuals based on phenotype and ecological conditions. For example, females may disperse when males benefit more from defending territories in familiar environments. Similarly, size differences in dispersal propensity may occur when dispersal costs are size-dependent. When individuals do disperse, they may adopt behavioral strategies that minimize dispersal costs. Dispersing fish, for example, may travel within shoals to reduce predation risks. Further, kin shoaling may augment inclusive fitness by reducing predation of relatives. However, studies are lacking on the role of kin shoaling in dispersal. We explored how sex and size influence dispersal and kin shoaling in the cichlid Neolamprologus caudopunctatus. We microsatellite genotyped over 900 individuals from two populations separated by a potential dispersal barrier, and documented patterns of population structure, migration and within-shoal relatedness. Genetic differentiation across the barrier was greater for smaller than larger fish, suggesting larger fish had dispersed longer distances. Females exhibited weaker genetic differentiation and 11 times higher migration rates than males, indicating longer-distance female-biased dispersal. Small females frequently shoaled with siblings, possibly offsetting dispersal costs associated with higher predation risks. In contrast, small males appeared to avoid kin shoaling, possibly to avoid local resource competition. In summary, long-distance dispersal in N. caudopunctatus appears to be female-biased, and kin-based shoaling by small females may represent a behavioral adaptation that reduces dispersal costs. Our study appears to be the first to provide evidence that sex differences in dispersal influence sex differences in kin shoaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter F D van Dongen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria,
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Verba JT, Rabello Neto JG, Zuanon J, Farias I. Evidence of multiple paternity and cooperative parental care in the so called monogamous silver arowana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum (Osteoglossiformes: Osteoglossidae). NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1590/s1679-62252014000100015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Monogamy is rare in fishes and is usually associated with elaborate parental care. When parental care is present in fishes, it is usually the male that is responsible, and it is believed that there is a relationship between the high energetic investment and the certainty of paternity (except in the case of sneaker males). Osteoglossum bicirrhosum is considered a monogamous fish, and has particular behavioral traits that permit the study of mating systems and parental care, such as male mouthbrooding. We investigated the genetic relationships of males with the broods found in their oral cavities in Osteoglossum samples collected in a natural environment in the lower Purus river basin, Amazonas, Brazil. Fourteen broods were analyzed for parentage (268 young and 14 adult males) using eight microsatellite loci. The results indicate that eleven broods show a monogamous system. In one brood, however, approximately 50% of the young were genetically compatible with being offspring of another male, and in another two broods, none of the subsampled young were compatible with the genotypes of the brooding male. The result of this first brood may be explained by the extra-parental contribution of a sneaker male, whereas cooperative parental care may explain the result in the other two broods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Tovar Verba
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Brazil
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No experimental evidence for sneaking in a west african cichlid fish with extremely long sperm. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2014; 2013:714304. [PMID: 24386589 PMCID: PMC3872403 DOI: 10.1155/2013/714304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Alternative reproductive tactics are widespread in fishes, increasing the potential for sperm competition. Sperm competition has enormous impact on both variation in sperm numbers and sperm size. In cichlids, the sperm competition risk is very divergent and longer sperm are usually interpreted as adaptation to sperm competition. Here we examined whether sneaking tactics exist in Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a socially monogamous cichlid with biparental brood care from West Africa. The small testis indicates low gonadal investment which is typical for genetically monogamous species. In contrast, sperm length with up to 85 μm is extraordinarily long. We examined the reproductive behaviour of ten groups with a male-biased sex ratio under semi-natural conditions via continuous video recording. We recorded spawning site preferences and correlates of reproductive success and conducted paternity tests using microsatellites. Safe breeding sites that could be successfully defended were preferred. All offspring could be assigned to their parents and no multiple paternities were detected. Body size of spawning pairs predicted their spawning probability and offspring hatching rate suggesting benefits from mating with large individuals. Our study suggests low risk of sperm competition under the given conditions in P. taeniatus and thus first evidence for genetic monogamy in a substrate breeding cichlid.
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Amcoff M, Gonzalez-Voyer A, Kolm N. Evolution of egg dummies in Tanganyikan cichlid fishes: the roles of parental care and sexual selection. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:2369-82. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Amcoff
- Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - A. Gonzalez-Voyer
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group; Estación Biológica de Doñana; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC); Sevilla Spain
| | - N. Kolm
- Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
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18
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References. Mol Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/9780470979365.refs] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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SEFC KRISTINAM, HERMANN CAROLINEM, TABORSKY BARBARA, KOBLMÜLLER STEPHAN. Brood mixing and reduced polyandry in a maternally mouthbrooding cichlid with elevated among-breeder relatedness. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:2805-15. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05573.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Chiang TY, Lee TW, Hsu KC, Kuo CH, Lin DY, Lin HD. Population Structure in the Endangered Cyprinid FishPararasbora moltrechtiin Taiwan, Based on Mitochondrial and Microsatellite DNAs. Zoolog Sci 2011; 28:642-51. [DOI: 10.2108/zsj.28.642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Sefc KM. Mating and Parental Care in Lake Tanganyika's Cichlids. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2011; 2011:470875. [PMID: 21822482 PMCID: PMC3142683 DOI: 10.4061/2011/470875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cichlid fishes of Lake Tanganyika display a variety of mating and parental care behaviors, including polygamous and monogamous mouthbrooding and substrate breeding, cooperative breeding, as well as various alternative reproductive tactics such as sneaking and piracy. Moreover, reproductive behaviors sometimes vary within species both in space and in time. Here, I survey reports on mating and parenting behaviors of Lake Tanganyika cichlid species and address the evolution of mating and parental care patterns and sexual dimorphism. Notes on measures of sexual selection intensity and the difficulties of defining mating systems and estimating selection intensities at species level conclude the essay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M. Sefc
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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23
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Mable BK, Alexandrou MA, Taylor MI. Genome duplication in amphibians and fish: an extended synthesis. J Zool (1987) 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00829.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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TATARENKOV A, HEALEY CIM, AVISE JC. Microgeographic population structure of green swordail fish: genetic differentiation despite abundant migration. Mol Ecol 2009; 19:257-68. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04464.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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SEFC KM, HERMANN CM, KOBLMÜLLER S. Mating system variability in a mouthbrooding cichlid fish from a tropical lake. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:3508-17. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04295.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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26
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Coleman S, Harlin‐Cognato A, Jones A. Reproductive Isolation, Reproductive Mode, and Sexual Selection: Empirical Tests of the Viviparity‐Driven Conflict Hypothesis. Am Nat 2009; 173:291-303. [DOI: 10.1086/596542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Johansson H, Surget-Groba Y, Thorpe RS. Microsatellite data show evidence for male-biased dispersal in the Caribbean lizard Anolis roquet. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:4425-32. [PMID: 18803592 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03923.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key component of an organism's life history and differences in dispersal between sexes appear to be widespread in vertebrates. However, most predictions of sex-biased dispersal have been based on observations of social structure in birds and mammals and more data are needed on other taxa to test whether these predictions apply in other organisms. Caribbean anole lizards are important model organisms in various biological disciplines, including evolutionary biology. However, very little is known about their dispersal strategies despite the importance of dispersal for population structure and dynamics. Here we use nine microsatellite markers to assess signatures of sex-biased dispersal on two spatial sampling scales in Anolis roquet, an anole endemic to the island of Martinique. Significantly higher gene diversity (H(S)) and lower mean assignment value (mAIC) was found in males on the larger spatial sampling scale. Significant heterozygote deficit (F(IS)), lower population differentiation (F(ST)), mAIC and variance of assignment index (vAIC) was found in males on the smaller spatial scale. The observation of male biased dispersal conform with expectations based on the polygynous mating system of Anolis roquet, and contributes to an explanation of the contrasting patterns of genetic structure between maternal and biparental markers that have been reported previously in this, and other anoline, species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Johansson
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
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28
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CANO JM, MÄKINEN HS, MERILÄ J. Genetic evidence for male-biased dispersal in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Mol Ecol 2008; 17:3234-42. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03837.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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29
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SEFC KRISTINAM, MATTERSDORFER KARIN, STURMBAUER CHRISTIAN, KOBLMÜLLER STEPHAN. High frequency of multiple paternity in broods of a socially monogamous cichlid fish with biparental nest defence. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:2531-43. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03763.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Kvarnemo C, Moore GI, Jones AG. Sexually selected females in the monogamous Western Australian seahorse. Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:521-5. [PMID: 17476772 PMCID: PMC1766380 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of sexual selection in monogamous species have hitherto focused on sexual selection among males. Here, we provide empirical documentation that sexual selection can also act strongly on females in a natural population with a monogamous mating system. In our field-based genetic study of the monogamous Western Australian seahorse, Hippocampus subelongatus, sexual selection differentials and gradients show that females are under stronger sexual selection than males: mated females are larger than unmated ones, whereas mated and unmated males do not differ in size. In addition, the opportunity for sexual selection (variance in mating success divided by its mean squared) for females is almost three times that for males. These results, which seem to be generated by a combination of a male preference for larger females and a female-biased adult sex ratio, indicate that substantial sexual selection on females is a potentially important but under-appreciated evolutionary phenomenon in monogamous species.
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Abstract
Sex-biased dispersal is an almost ubiquitous feature of mammalian life history, but the evolutionary causes behind these patterns still require much clarification. A quarter of a century since the publication of seminal papers describing general patterns of sex-biased dispersal in both mammals and birds, we review the advances in our theoretical understanding of the evolutionary causes of sex-biased dispersal, and those in statistical genetics that enable us to test hypotheses and measure dispersal in natural populations. We use mammalian examples to illustrate patterns and proximate causes of sex-biased dispersal, because by far the most data are available and because they exhibit an enormous diversity in terms of dispersal strategy, mating and social systems. Recent studies using molecular markers have helped to confirm that sex-biased dispersal is widespread among mammals and varies widely in direction and intensity, but there is a great need to bridge the gap between genetic information, observational data and theory. A review of mammalian data indicates that the relationship between direction of sex-bias and mating system is not a simple one. The role of social systems emerges as a key factor in determining intensity and direction of dispersal bias, but there is still need for a theoretical framework that can account for the complex interactions between inbreeding avoidance, kin competition and cooperation to explain the impressive diversity of patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Lawson Handley
- Theoretical and Molecular Population Genetics Group, Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
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32
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Liebgold EB, Cabe PR, Jaeger RG, Leberg PL. Multiple paternity in a salamander with socially monogamous behaviour. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:4153-60. [PMID: 17054509 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.03076.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the majority of birds and mammals, social monogamy is not congruent with genetic monogamy. No research to date has compared social and genetic monogamy in amphibians. We analysed paternity in clutches of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus), a species in which social monogamy has been demonstrated in the laboratory, and 28% of individuals in the forest are found in male-female pairs in the noncourtship season. We collected 16 clutches of eggs of P. cinereus in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and collected tail clippings from attending mothers. We genotyped embryos and adults at five microsatellite loci in order to analyse paternity of clutches. Most clutches (84.6%) had multiple sires, with two to three sires per clutch. In this study, 25% of clutches had males in addition to females attending eggs. None of the mothers of these clutches were genetically monogamous. All attending males sired some of the offspring in the clutch that they attended (between 9% and 50%) but never sired a majority in that clutch. We conclude that, at least in this population, social monogamy in P. cinereus is not concomitant with genetic monogamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric B Liebgold
- Department of Biology, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-2451, USA.
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Egger B, Obermüller B, Phiri H, Sturmbauer C, Sefc KM. Monogamy in the maternally mouthbrooding Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish Tropheus moorii. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:1797-802. [PMID: 16790413 PMCID: PMC1634779 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Supported by evidence for assortative mating and polygynandry, sexual selection through mate choice was suggested as the main force driving the evolution of colour diversity of haplochromine cichlids in Lakes Malawi and Victoria. The phylogenetically closely related tribe Tropheini of Lake Tanganyika includes the genus Tropheus, which comprises over 100 colour variants currently classified into six morphologically similar, polyphyletic species. To assess the potential for sexual selection in this sexually monochromatic maternal mouthbrooder, we used microsatellite-based paternity inference to investigate the mating system of Tropheus moorii. In contrast to haplochromines in Lake Malawi, multiple paternity is rare or even absent in broods of T. moorii. Eighteen of the 19 analysed families were consistent with genetic monogamy, while either a mutation or more than one sire explained the genotype of one offspring in another brood. We discuss the differences in breeding behaviour between T. moorii and the Lake Malawi haplochromines, and evaluate additional factors or alternatives to sexual selection as promoters of colour diversification. A preliminary survey of other Tropheini species suggested that multiple paternity is infrequent in the entire tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Egger
- Department of Zoology, University of GrazUniversitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Beate Obermüller
- Department of Zoology, University of GrazUniversitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Harris Phiri
- Fisheries Research Division, Department of Research and Specialist Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and FisheriesPO Box 55, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Department of Zoology, University of GrazUniversitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Department of Zoology, University of GrazUniversitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Author for correspondence ()
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34
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Consuegra S, García de Leániz C. Fluctuating sex ratios, but no sex-biased dispersal, in a promiscuous fish. Evol Ecol 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-006-9001-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
In contrast to the polygynous mating systems typically displayed by most reptilian taxa, long-term genetic monogamy appears to be widespread within a lineage of group-living Australian scincid lizards, the Egernia group. We have recently shown that White's skink, Egernia whitii, lives in small but temporally stable social aggregations. Here, we examine the mating system, spatial organization, and dispersal patterns of E. whitii using behavioural field studies and data from four microsatellite loci. Parentage analysis of E. whitii litters revealed that its mating system is characterized by both polygyny and monogamy. Polygyny was the predominant mating system but within-season social and genetic monogamy was common (36-45% of breeding pairs). The incidence of between-season monogamy in E. whitii was rare compared to that reported for its congeners. Low levels of multiple paternity (12% of litters) and extra-group paternity (16%) were detected. Social groups are generally comprised of closely related individuals, but breeding pairs were not more closely related compared to other potential mates. Spatial autocorrelation analyses revealed significant positive local genetic structure over 50 m, which was consistent for all age-sex classes. There was no clear and consistent evidence for sex-biased dispersal, with assignment tests (mean assignment index) and relatedness analyses suggesting female-biased dispersal, but spatial autocorrelation analyses indicating a trend for male-biased dispersal. We discuss the implication of our results in regard to the factors promoting the evolution of monogamy within the Egernia group.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Chapple
- School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
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Coria-Avila GA, Ouimet AJ, Pacheco P, Manzo J, Pfaus JG. Olfactory Conditioned Partner Preference in the Female Rat. Behav Neurosci 2005; 119:716-25. [PMID: 15998192 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.119.3.716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Paced copulation induces conditioned place preference in female rats. The authors examined whether associating almond-scented males with paced copulation induces conditioned partner preference. The paired group received 4 paced copulations with almond-scented males and 4 nonpaced copulations with unscented males sequentially at 4-day intervals. The unpaired group received the opposite order of association, whereas the randomly paired group received random associations. A 4th group received a single pairing. On the final test, females were placed into an open field with 2 males, 1 scented and 1 unscented. Females in the paired group solicited the scented male more frequently, and most chose the scented male for their 1st ejaculation. Thus, an odor paired with paced copulation elicits conditioned partner preference in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Bekkevold D, Hansen MM, Mensberg KLD. Genetic detection of sex-specific dispersal in historical and contemporary populations of anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta. Mol Ecol 2004; 13:1707-12. [PMID: 15140113 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2004.02156.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The study of sex-biased dispersal has attracted considerable attention in birds and mammals, but less in other taxa, including fishes. We analysed sex-specific dispersal in historical (1910s and 1950s) and contemporary (1990s) samples of anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta. We tested the hypothesis that dispersal is unbiased using information from microsatellite DNA and applying an assignment index for 11 temporally and spatially separated samples. Our results are most consistent with brown trout dispersal being male biased, and provide no evidence of female bias. We found no evidence that dispersal patterns changed over time, indicating that stocking with hatchery strains did not affect sex-specific dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorte Bekkevold
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000 Arhus C, Denmark.
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