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Quiroga-Carmona M, Teta P, D’Elía G. The skull variation of the olive field mouse Abrothrix olivacea (Cricetidae: Abrotrichini) is localized and correlated to the ecogeographic features of its geographic distribution. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15200. [PMID: 37077313 PMCID: PMC10108858 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between phenotypic variation and landscape heterogeneity has been extensively studied to understand how the environment influences patterns of morphological variation and differentiation of populations. Several studies had partially addressed intraspecific variation in the sigmodontine rodent Abrothrix olivacea, focusing on the characterization of physiological aspects and cranial variation. However, these had been conducted based on geographically restricted populational samples, and in most cases, the aspects characterized were not explicitly contextualized with the environmental configurations in which the populations occurred. Here, the cranial variation of A. olivacea was characterized by recording twenty cranial measurements in 235 individuals from 64 localities in Argentina and Chile, which widely cover the geographic and environmental distribution of this species. The morphological variation was analyzed and ecogeographically contextualized using multivariate statistical analyses, which also included climatic and ecological variation at the localities where the individuals were sampled. Results indicate that the cranial variation of this species is mostly clustered in localized patterns associated to the types of environments, and that the levels of cranial differentiation are higher among the populations from arid and treeless zones. Additionally, the ecogeographical association of cranial size variation indicate that this species does not follow Bergmann's rule and that island populations exhibit larger cranial sizes compared to their continental counterparts distributed at the same latitudes. These results suggest that cranial differentiation among the populations of this species is not homogeneous throughout its geographic distribution, and that the patterns of morphological differentiation are also not completely consistent with the patterns of genetic structuring that have been described recently. Finally, the analyses performed to ponder morphological differentiation among populations suggest that the contribution of genetic drift in the formation of these patterns can be ruled out among Patagonian populations, and that the selective effect imposed by the environment could better explain them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcial Quiroga-Carmona
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de los Ríos, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de los Ríos, Chile
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
| | - Pablo Teta
- División de Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo D’Elía
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de los Ríos, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de los Ríos, Chile
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2
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Chechi TS, Narasimhan A, Biswas B, Prasad NG. Male mating success evolves in response to increased levels of male-male competition. Evolution 2022; 76:1638-1651. [PMID: 35598115 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Male-biased operational sex ratios can increase male-male competition and can potentially select for both increased pre- and postcopulatory male success. In the present study, using populations of Drosophila melanogaster evolved under male-biased (M) or female-biased (F) sex ratios, we asked whether (a) male mating success can evolve, (b) males are better at mating females that they have coevolved with, (c) males mating success is affected by female mating status, and (d) male mating success is correlated with their courtship effort. We directly competed M and F males for mating with (a) virgin ancestral (common) females, (b) virgin females from the M and F populations, and (c) singly mated females from the M and F populations. We also assessed the courtship frequency of the males when paired with mated M or F females. Our results show that M males, evolving under an increased level of male-male competition, have higher mating success than F males irrespective of the female evolutionary history. However, the difference in mating success is more pronounced if the females had mated before. M males also have a higher courtship frequency than F males, but we did not find any correlation between mating success and courtship frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejinder Singh Chechi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, 140306, India
| | - Aaditya Narasimhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, 140306, India
| | - Broti Biswas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, 140306, India
| | - Nagaraj Guru Prasad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, 140306, India
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4
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Carter MJ, Wilson AJ, Moore AJ, Royle NJ. The role of indirect genetic effects in the evolution of interacting reproductive behaviors in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:998-1009. [PMID: 30805136 PMCID: PMC6374716 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4731] [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: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions can give rise to indirect genetic effects (IGEs), which occur when genes expressed in one individual affect the phenotype of another individual. The evolutionary dynamics of traits can be altered when there are IGEs. Sex often involves indirect effects arising from first-order (current) or second-order (prior) social interactions, yet IGEs are infrequently quantified for reproductive behaviors. Here, we use experimental populations of burying beetles that have experienced bidirectional selection on mating rate to test for social plasticity and IGEs associated with focal males mating with a female either without (first-order effect) or with (second-order effect) prior exposure to a competitor, and resource defense behavior (first-order effect). Additive IGEs were detected for mating rate arising from (first-order) interactions with females. For resource defense behavior, a standard variance partitioning analysis provided no evidence of additive genetic variance-either direct or indirect. However, behavior was predicted by focal size relative to that of the competitor, and size is also heritable. Assuming that behavior is causally dependent on relative size, this implies that both DGEs and IGEs do occur (and may potentially interact). The relative contribution of IGEs may differ among social behaviors related to mating which has consequences for the evolutionary trajectories of multivariate traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio J. Carter
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Present address:
Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la VidaUniversidad Andrés BelloRepública 440SantiagoChile
| | | | - Allen J. Moore
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Present address:
Department of EntomologyCollege of Agricultural and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGA30602‐7503USA
| | - Nick J. Royle
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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5
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Edenbrow M, Bleakley BH, Darden SK, Tyler CR, Ramnarine IW, Croft DP. The Evolution of Cooperation: Interacting Phenotypes among Social Partners. Am Nat 2017; 189:630-643. [PMID: 28514638 DOI: 10.1086/691386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Models of cooperation among nonkin suggest that social assortment is important for the evolution of cooperation. Theory predicts that interacting phenotypes, whereby an individual's behavior depends on the behavior of its social partners, can drive such social assortment. We measured repeated indirect genetic effects (IGEs) during cooperative predator inspection in eight populations of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) that vary in their evolutionary history of predation. Four broad patterns emerged that were dependent on river, predation history, and sex: (i) current partner behavior had the largest effect on focal behavior, with fish from low-predation habitats responding more to their social partners than fish from high-predation habitats; (ii) different focal/partner behavior combinations can generate cooperation; (iii) some high-predation fish exhibited carryover effects across social partners; and (iv) high-predation fish were more risk averse. These results provide the first large-scale comparison of interacting phenotypes during cooperation across wild animal populations, highlighting the potential importance of IGEs in maintaining cooperation. Intriguingly, while focal fish responded strongly to current social partners, carryover effects between social partners suggest generalized reciprocity (in which one helps anyone if helped by someone) may contribute to the evolution of cooperation in some, but not all, populations of guppies.
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6
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Travers LM, Simmons LW, Garcia-Gonzalez F. Lifetime changes in phenotypic expression and evolutionary potential of female mating traits in Drosophila melanogaster. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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7
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Fritzsche K, Booksmythe I, Arnqvist G. Sex Ratio Bias Leads to the Evolution of Sex Role Reversal in Honey Locust Beetles. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2522-2526. [PMID: 27593373 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The reversal of conventional sex roles was enigmatic to Darwin, who suggested that it may evolve when sex ratios are female biased [1]. Here we present direct evidence confirming Darwin's hypothesis. We investigated mating system evolution in a sex-role-reversed beetle (Megabruchidius dorsalis) using experimental evolution under manipulated sex ratios and food regimes. In female-biased populations, where reproductive competition among females was intensified, females evolved to be more attractive and the sex roles became more reversed. Interestingly, female-specific mating behavior evolved more rapidly than male-specific mating behavior. We show that sexual selection due to reproductive competition can be strong in females and can target much the same traits as in males of species with conventional mating systems. Our study highlights two central points: the role of ecology in directing sexual selection and the role that females play in mating system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Fritzsche
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Isobel Booksmythe
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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8
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Perry JC, Joag R, Hosken DJ, Wedell N, Radwan J, Wigby S. Experimental evolution under hyper-promiscuity in Drosophila melanogaster. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:131. [PMID: 27311887 PMCID: PMC4910217 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0699-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of partners that individuals mate with over their lifetime is a defining feature of mating systems, and variation in mate number is thought to be a major driver of sexual evolution. Although previous research has investigated the evolutionary consequences of reductions in the number of mates, we know little about the costs and benefits of increased numbers of mates. Here, we use a genetic manipulation of mating frequency in Drosophila melanogaster to create a novel, highly promiscuous mating system. We generated D. melanogaster populations in which flies were deficient for the sex peptide receptor (SPR) gene - resulting in SPR- females that mated more frequently - and genetically-matched control populations, and allowed them to evolve for 55 generations. At several time-points during this experimental evolution, we assayed behavioural, morphological and transcriptional reproductive phenotypes expected to evolve in response to increased population mating frequencies. RESULTS We found that males from the high mating frequency SPR- populations evolved decreased ability to inhibit the receptivity of their mates and decreased copulation duration, in line with predictions of decreased per-mating investment with increased sperm competition. Unexpectedly, SPR- population males also evolved weakly increased sex peptide (SP) gene expression. Males from SPR- populations initially (i.e., before experimental evolution) exhibited more frequent courtship and faster time until mating relative to controls, but over evolutionary time these differences diminished or reversed. CONCLUSIONS In response to experimentally increased mating frequency, SPR- males evolved behavioural responses consistent with decreased male post-copulatory investment at each mating and decreased overall pre-copulatory performance. The trend towards increased SP gene expression might plausibly relate to functional differences in the two domains of the SP protein. Our study highlights the utility of genetic manipulations of animal social and sexual environments coupled with experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Perry
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Jesus College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Richa Joag
- University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | | | - Jacek Radwan
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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9
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Debelle A, Ritchie MG, Snook RR. Sexual selection and assortative mating: an experimental test. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1307-16. [PMID: 26970522 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mate choice and mate competition can both influence the evolution of sexual isolation between populations. Assortative mating may arise if traits and preferences diverge in step, and, alternatively, mate competition may counteract mating preferences and decrease assortative mating. Here, we examine potential assortative mating between populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura that have experimentally evolved under either increased ('polyandry') or decreased ('monogamy') sexual selection intensity for 100 generations. These populations have evolved differences in numerous traits, including a male signal and female preference traits. We use a two males: one female design, allowing both mate choice and competition to influence mating outcomes, to test for assortative mating between our populations. Mating latency shows subtle effects of male and female interactions, with females from the monogamous populations appearing reluctant to mate with males from the polyandrous populations. However, males from the polyandrous populations have a significantly higher probability of mating regardless of the female's population. Our results suggest that if populations differ in the intensity of sexual selection, effects on mate competition may overcome mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Debelle
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - M G Ritchie
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - R R Snook
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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10
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Bárbaro M, Mira MS, Fragata I, Simões P, Lima M, Lopes-Cunha M, Kellen B, Santos J, Varela SAM, Matos M, Magalhães S. Evolution of mating behavior between two populations adapting to common environmental conditions. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1609-17. [PMID: 25937905 PMCID: PMC4409410 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations from the same species may be differentiated across contrasting environments, potentially affecting reproductive isolation among them. When such populations meet in a novel common environment, this isolation may be modified by biotic or abiotic factors. Curiously, the latter have been overlooked. We filled this gap by performing experimental evolution of three replicates of two populations of Drosophila subobscura adapting to a common laboratorial environment, and simulated encounters at three time points during this process. Previous studies showed that these populations were highly differentiated for several life-history traits and chromosomal inversions. First, we show initial differentiation for some mating traits, such as assortative mating and male mating rate, but not others (e.g., female mating latency). Mating frequency increased during experimental evolution in both sets of populations. The assortative mating found in one population remained constant throughout the adaptation process, while disassortative mating of the other population diminished across generations. Additionally, differences in male mating rate were sustained across generations. This study shows that mating behavior evolves rapidly in response to adaptation to a common abiotic environment, although with a complex pattern that does not correspond to the quick convergence seen for life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Bárbaro
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mário S Mira
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês Fragata
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Simões
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Margarida Lima
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel Lopes-Cunha
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Kellen
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Josiane Santos
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana A M Varela
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Margarida Matos
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
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11
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Debelle A, Ritchie MG, Snook RR. Evolution of divergent female mating preference in response to experimental sexual selection. Evolution 2014; 68:2524-33. [PMID: 24931497 PMCID: PMC4262321 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection is predicted to drive the coevolution of mating signals and preferences (mating traits) within populations, and could play a role in speciation if sexual isolation arises due to mating trait divergence between populations. However, few studies have demonstrated that differences in mating traits between populations result from sexual selection alone. Experimental evolution is a promising approach to directly examine the action of sexual selection on mating trait divergence among populations. We manipulated the opportunity for sexual selection (low vs. high) in populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Previous studies on these experimental populations have shown that sexual selection manipulation resulted in the divergence between sexual selection treatments of several courtship song parameters, including interpulse interval (IPI) which markedly influences male mating success. Here, we measure female preference for IPI using a playback design to test for preference divergence between the sexual selection treatments after 130 generations of experimental sexual selection. The results suggest that female preference has coevolved with male signal, in opposite directions between the sexual selection treatments, providing direct evidence of the ability of sexual selection to drive the divergent coevolution of mating traits between populations. We discuss the implications in the context sexual selection and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Debelle
- Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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12
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Immonen E, Snook RR, Ritchie MG. Mating system variation drives rapid evolution of the female transcriptome in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2186-201. [PMID: 25360260 PMCID: PMC4201433 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between the sexes are believed to be a potent source of selection on sex-specific evolution. The way in which sexual interactions influence male investment is much studied, but effects on females are more poorly understood. To address this deficiency, we examined gene expression in virgin female Drosophila pseudoobscura following 100 generations of mating system manipulations in which we either elevated polyandry or enforced monandry. Gene expression evolution following mating system manipulation resulted in 14% of the transcriptome of virgin females being altered. Polyandrous females elevated expression of a greater number of genes normally enriched in ovaries and associated with mitosis and meiosis, which might reflect female investment into reproductive functions. Monandrous females showed a greater number of genes normally enriched for expression in somatic tissues, including the head and gut and associated with visual perception and metabolism, respectively. By comparing our data with a previous study of sex differences in gene expression in this species, we found that the majority of the genes that are differentially expressed between females of the selection treatments show female-biased expression in the wild-type population. A striking exception is genes associated with male-specific reproductive tissues (in D. melanogaster), which are upregulated in polyandrous females. Our results provide experimental evidence for a role of sex-specific selection arising from differing sexual interactions with males in promoting rapid evolution of the female transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Immonen
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews Dyers Brae House, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TH, U.K ; Department of Ecology and Genetics (Animal Ecology), Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University Norbyvägen 18 D, Uppsala, 752 36, Sweden
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Michael G Ritchie
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews Dyers Brae House, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TH, U.K
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13
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Snook RR, Gidaszewski NA, Chapman T, Simmons LW. Sexual selection and the evolution of secondary sexual traits: sex comb evolution in Drosophila. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:912-8. [PMID: 23496332 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection can drive rapid evolutionary change in reproductive behaviour, morphology and physiology. This often leads to the evolution of sexual dimorphism, and continued exaggerated expression of dimorphic sexual characteristics, although a variety of other alternative selection scenarios exist. Here, we examined the evolutionary significance of a rapidly evolving, sexually dimorphic trait, sex comb tooth number, in two Drosophila species. The presence of the sex comb in both D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura is known to be positively related to mating success, although little is yet known about the sexually selected benefits of sex comb structure. In this study, we used experimental evolution to test the idea that enhancing or eliminating sexual selection would lead to variation in sex comb tooth number. However, the results showed no effect of either enforced monogamy or elevated promiscuity on this trait. We discuss several hypotheses to explain the lack of divergence, focussing on sexually antagonistic coevolution, stabilizing selection via species recognition and nonlinear selection. We discuss how these are important, but relatively ignored, alternatives in understanding the evolution of rapidly evolving sexually dimorphic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
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14
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Hall MD, Lailvaux SP, Brooks RC. Sex-specific evolutionary potential of pre- and postcopulatory reproductive interactions in the field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus. Evolution 2013; 67:1831-7. [PMID: 23730774 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mate choice often depends on the properties of both sexes, such as the preference and responsiveness of the female and the sexual display traits of the male. Quantitative genetic studies, however, traditionally explore the outcome of an interaction between males and females based solely on the genotype of one sex, treating the other sex as a source of environmental variance. Here, we use a half-sib breeding design in the field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus, to estimate the additive genetic contribution of both partners to three steps of the mate choice process: the time taken to mate; the duration of spermatophore attachment; and the intensity of mate guarding. Rather than each sex contributing equally to the interactions, we found that genetic variation for latency to mate and spermatophore attachment was sex-specific, and in the case of mate-guarding intensity, largely absent. For a given interaction, genetic variation in one sex also appears to be largely independent of the other, and is also uncorrelated with the other traits. We discuss how pre- and postcopulatory interactions have the potential to evolve as an interacting phenotype, but that any coevolution between these traits, due to sexual selection or sexual conflict, may be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Hall
- University of Basel, Zoological Institute, Vesalgasse 1, Basel, Switzerland.
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15
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Hunt J, Snook RR, Mitchell C, Crudgington HS, Moore AJ. Sexual selection and experimental evolution of chemical signals in Drosophila pseudoobscura. J Evol Biol 2012; 25:2232-41. [PMID: 22984915 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02603.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Revised: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Our expectations for the evolution of chemical signals in response to sexual selection are uncertain. How are chemical signals elaborated? Does sexual selection result in complexity of the composition or in altered quantities of expression? We addressed this in Drosophila pseudoobscura by examining male and female cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) after 82 generations of elevated (E) sexual selection or relaxed sexual selection through monogamy (M). The CH profile consisted of 18 different components. We extracted three eigenvectors using principal component analysis that explained 72% of the variation. principal component (PC)1 described the amount of CHs produced, PC2 the trade-off between short- and long-chain CHs and PC3 the trade-off between apparently arbitrary CHs. In both sexes, the amount of CHs produced was greater in flies from the E treatment. PC3 was also higher, indicating that sexual selection also influenced the evolution of CH composition. The sexes differed in all three PCs, indicating substantial sexual dimorphism in this species, although the magnitude of this dimorphism was not increased as a result of our experimental evolution. Collectively, our work provides direct evidence that sexual selection plays an important role in the evolution of CHs in D. pseudoobscura and that both increased quantity and overall composition are targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
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MACHADO LUCIANAPB, MATEUS ROGÉRIOP, SENE FABIOM, MANFRIN MAURAH. Microsatellite allele sequencing in population analyses of the South American cactophilic species Drosophila antonietae (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01441.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Snook RR, Bacigalupe LD, Moore AJ. The quantitative genetics and coevolution of male and female reproductive traits. Evolution 2010; 64:1926-34. [PMID: 20100215 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.00958.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Studies of experimental sexual selection have tested the effect of variation in the intensity of sexual selection on male investment in reproduction, particularly sperm. However, in several species, including Drosophila pseudoobscura, no sperm response to experimental evolution has occurred. Here, we take a quantitative genetics approach to examine whether genetic constraints explain the limited evolutionary response. We quantified direct and indirect genetic variation, and genetic correlations within and between the sexes, in experimental populations of D. pseudoobscura. We found that sperm number may be limited by low heritability and evolvability whereas sperm quality (length) has moderate V(A) and CV(A) but does not evolve. Likewise, the female reproductive tract, suggested to drive the evolution of sperm, did not respond to experimental sexual selection even though there was sufficient genetic variation. The lack of genetic correlations between the sexes supports the opportunity for sexual conflict over investment in sperm by males and their storage by females. Our results suggest no absolute constraint arising from a lack of direct or indirect genetic variation or patterns of genetic covariation. These patterns show why responses to experimental evolution are hard to predict, and why research on genetic variation underlying interacting reproductive traits is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
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Crudgington HS, Fellows S, Snook RR. Increased opportunity for sexual conflict promotes harmful males with elevated courtship frequencies. J Evol Biol 2009; 23:440-6. [PMID: 20039999 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01907.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mating systems have a profound influence on the probability of conflict occurring between the sexes. Promiscuity is predicted to generate sexual conflict, thereby driving the evolution of male traits that harm females, whereas monogamy is expected to foster reproductive cooperation, thus rendering such traits redundant. We tested these predictions using experimentally evolved Drosophila pseudoobscura subject to different mating systems. Female survival was not influenced by the mating system treatment of her partner. However, females continuously housed with males evolving under elevated opportunities for female promiscuity produced fewer total progeny, but a relatively greater number of progeny early in their lives, than females housed with males evolving under obligate monogamy. We also found that promiscuous males courted females more frequently than monogamous males. Variation in male courtship frequency and progeny production patterns among treatments reinforces the critical importance of mating system variation for sexual conflict, during both pre- and post-copulatory interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Crudgington
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Snook RR, Brüstle L, Slate J. A TEST AND REVIEW OF THE ROLE OF EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE ON EXPERIMENTAL SEXUAL SELECTION PATTERNS. Evolution 2009; 63:1923-33. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00682.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Crudgington HS, Fellows S, Badcock NS, Snook RR. Experimental manipulation of sexual selection promotes greater male mating capacity but does not alter sperm investment. Evolution 2009; 63:926-38. [PMID: 19236477 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00601.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection theory makes clear predictions regarding male spermatogenic investment. To test these predictions we used experimental sexual selection in Drosophila pseudoobscura, a sperm heteromorphic species in which males produce both fertile and sterile sperm, the latter of which may function in postmating competition. Specifically, we determined whether the number and size of both sperm types, as well as relative testis mass and accessory gland size, increased with increased sperm competition risk and whether any fitness benefits could accrue from such changes. We found no effect of sexual selection history on either the number or size of either sperm morph, or on relative testis mass. However, males experiencing a greater opportunity for sexual selection evolved the largest accessory glands, had the greatest mating capacity, and sired the most progeny. These findings suggest that sterile sperm are not direct targets of sexual selection and that accessory gland size, rather than testis mass, appears to be an important determinant of male reproductive success. We briefly review the data from experimental sexual selection studies and find that testis mass may not be a frequent target of postcopulatory sexual selection and, even when it is, the resulting changes do not always improve fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen S Crudgington
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Western Bank, University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
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