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Rometsch SJ, Torres-Dowdall J, Meyer A. Evolutionary dynamics of pre- and postzygotic reproductive isolation in cichlid fishes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190535. [PMID: 32654645 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes are exceptionally species-rich, speciated at explosive rates and, hence, are a model system in speciation research. Yet, their reproductive isolating barriers have, so far, not been comprehensively studied. Here, we review current knowledge on pre- and postzygotic mechanisms in cichlids. While premating isolation is the norm in cichlids, its strength varies across lineages and with the geographical setting. Moreover, manipulations of ambient conditions tended to reduce assortative mating among closely related species, suggesting that premating isolation in cichlids is often fragile and context dependent. The observed lack of complete reproductive isolation is supported by past and present hybridization events that have contributed to diversity by creating novel allelic combinations. On the other hand, our meta-analysis highlights that intrinsic postzygotic isolation might accumulate faster than assumed. Mild forms of genetic incompatibilities, such as sex ratio distortion, can already be observed among closely related species. Therefore, cessation of gene flow by strong reproductive isolation in cichlids requires a combination of premating prezygotic isolation supplemented with intrinsic and extrinsic postzygotic barriers. Further, we suggest crucial next steps to improve our knowledge about reproductive barriers in cichlids to understand the evolutionary dynamics of pre- and postzygotic isolation mechanisms during adaptive radiations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards the completion of speciation: the evolution of reproductive isolation beyond the first barriers'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina J Rometsch
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Julián Torres-Dowdall
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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2
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Aubier TG, Kokko H, Joron M. Coevolution of male and female mate choice can destabilize reproductive isolation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5122. [PMID: 31719522 PMCID: PMC6851176 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12860-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual interactions play an important role in the evolution of reproductive isolation, with important consequences for speciation. Theoretical studies have focused on the evolution of mate preferences in each sex separately. However, mounting empirical evidence suggests that premating isolation often involves mutual mate choice. Here, using a population genetic model, we investigate how female and male mate choice coevolve under a phenotype matching rule and how this affects reproductive isolation. We show that the evolution of female preferences increases the mating success of males with reciprocal preferences, favouring mutual mate choice. However, the evolution of male preferences weakens indirect selection on female preferences and, with weak genetic drift, the coevolution of female and male mate choice leads to periodic episodes of random mating with increased hybridization (deterministic 'preference cycling' triggered by stochasticity). Thus, counterintuitively, the process of establishing premating isolation proves rather fragile if both male and female mate choice contribute to assortative mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Aubier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE - UMR 5175 - CNRS, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, Université Paul Valéry, 1919 route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier 5, France.
- 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
| | - Mathieu Joron
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE - UMR 5175 - CNRS, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, Université Paul Valéry, 1919 route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier 5, France.
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3
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Atsumi K, Kishida O, Koizumi I. Visual preference of males for conspecific mates in mutually ornamented fish: possible support for the species recognition hypothesis. J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00610-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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4
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Van Steenberge M, Raeymaekers JAM, Hablützel PI, Vanhove MPM, Koblmüller S, Snoeks J. Delineating species along shifting shorelines: Tropheus (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from the southern subbasin of Lake Tanganyika. Front Zool 2018; 15:42. [PMID: 30459820 PMCID: PMC6234679 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0287-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Species delineation is particularly challenging in taxa with substantial intra-specific variation. In systematic studies of fishes, meristics and linear measurements that describe shape are often used to delineate species. Yet, little is known about the taxonomic value of these two types of morphological characteristics. Here, we used Tropheus (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from the southern subbasin of Lake Tanganyika to test which of these types of characters best matched genetic lineages that could represent species in this group of stenotypic rock-dwelling cichlids. We further investigated intra-population variation in morphology. By linking this to a proxy of a population's age, we could assess the evolutionary stability of different kinds of morphological markers. RESULTS Morphological data was collected from 570 specimens originating from 86 localities. An AFLP approach revealed the presence of five lineages in the southern subbasin: T. moorii, T. brichardi, T. sp. 'maculatus', T. sp. 'Mpimbwe' and T. sp. 'red', which we consider to represent distinct species. Although both types of morphological data supported this classification, a comparison of PST-values that describe inter-population morphological differentiation, revealed a better correspondence between the taxon delineation based on AFLP data and the patterns revealed by an analysis of meristics than between the AFLP-based taxon delineation and the patterns revealed by an analysis of shape. However, classifying southern populations of Tropheus was inherently difficult as they contained a large amount of clinal variation, both in genetic and in morphological data, and both within and among species. A scenario is put forward to explain the current-day distribution of the species and colour varieties and the observed clinal variation across the subbasin's shoreline. Additionally, we observed that variation in shape was larger in populations from shallow shores whereas populations from steep shores were more variable in meristics. This difference is explained in terms of the different timescales at which small and large scale lake level fluctuations affected populations of littoral cichlids at steep and shallow shores. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed meristics to be more evolutionary stable, and of higher taxonomic value for species delimitation in Tropheus, than linear measurements that describe shape. These results should be taken into account when interpreting morphological differences between populations of highly stenotypic species, such as littoral cichlids from the Great East African Lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Van Steenberge
- Vertebrates Section, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Operational Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Pascal István Hablützel
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Maarten Pieterjan Maria Vanhove
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 17, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Jos Snoeks
- Vertebrates Section, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Do male fish prefer them big and colourful? Non-random male courtship effort in a viviparous fish with negligible paternal investment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2385-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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6
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Hablützel PI, Grégoir AF, Vanhove MPM, Volckaert FAM, Raeymaekers JAM. Weak link between dispersal and parasite community differentiation or immunogenetic divergence in two sympatric cichlid fishes. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:5451-5466. [PMID: 27596520 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Geographical isolation, habitat variation and trophic specialization have contributed to a large extent to the astonishing diversity of cichlid fishes in the Great East African lakes. Because parasite communities often vary across space and environments, parasites can accompany and potentially enhance cichlid species diversification. However, host dispersal may reduce opportunities for parasite-driven evolution by homogenizing parasite communities and allele frequencies of immunity genes. To test for the relationships between parasite community variation, host dispersal and parasite-induced host evolution, we studied two sympatric cichlid species with contrasting dispersal capacities along the shores of southern Lake Tanganyika. Whereas the philopatric Tropheus moorii evolved into several genetically differentiated colour morphs, Simochromis diagramma is phenotypically rather uniform across its distribution range and shows only weak population structure. Populations of both species were infected with divergent parasite communities and harbour differentiated variant pools of an important set of immune genes, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The overall extent of geographical variation of parasites and MHC genes was similar between host species. This indicates that immunogenetic divergence among populations of Lake Tanganyika cichlids can occur even in species that are strongly dispersing. However, because this also includes species that are phenotypically uniform, parasite-induced evolution may not represent a key factor underlying species diversification in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- P I Hablützel
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Ch. de Bériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - A F Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. de Bériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M P M Vanhove
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Ch. de Bériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - F A M Volckaert
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Ch. de Bériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - J A M Raeymaekers
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Ch. de Bériotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Jacobs LE, Vega A, Dudgeon S, Kaiser K, Robertson JM. Local not vocal: assortative female choice in divergent populations of red-eyed treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas(Hylidae: Phyllomedusinae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah E. Jacobs
- Department of Biology; California State University, Northridge; Northridge CA 91330-8303 USA
| | - Andres Vega
- AMBICOR; 400 E., 75 S., 75 E. de la Municipalidad de Tibas Tibas Costa Rica
| | - Steven Dudgeon
- Department of Biology; California State University, Northridge; Northridge CA 91330-8303 USA
| | - Kristine Kaiser
- Department of Biology; California State University, Northridge; Northridge CA 91330-8303 USA
| | - Jeanne M. Robertson
- Department of Biology; California State University, Northridge; Northridge CA 91330-8303 USA
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8
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Anderson C, Jones R, Moscicki M, Clotfelter E, Earley RL. Seeing orange: breeding convict cichlids exhibit heightened aggression against more colorful intruders. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2085-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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9
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Hermann CM, Brudermann V, Zimmermann H, Vollmann J, Sefc KM. Female preferences for male traits and territory characteristics in the cichlid fish Tropheus moorii. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2015; 748:61-74. [PMID: 25983339 PMCID: PMC4430825 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-014-1892-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Female mate preferences for male traits and resource characteristics affect trait evolution and diversification. Here, we test the effects of male body traits and territory characteristics on within-population female preferences and on population-assortative mating in the cichlid Tropheus moorii. Within-population preferences of females were independent of male body size, coloration and territory size but were strongly dependent on territory quality and co-varied with male courtship activity. Courtship activity of individual males was contingent on the quality of their assigned territory, and therefore, courtship may not only indicate intrinsic male quality. On the basis of these results we suggest that female preferences for high-quality territories reinforce the outcome of malemale competition and ensure male mating success. Mating preferences of females for males of their own color variant (ascertained in a previous experiment) were not overturned when males of another color variant were presented in a superior territory, indicating that within- and between-population mate preferences of females depend on different cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Hermann
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Verena Brudermann
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Holger Zimmermann
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Johann Vollmann
- Division of Plant Breeding, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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10
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Sefc KM, Hermann CM, Steinwender B, Brindl H, Zimmermann H, Mattersdorfer K, Postl L, Makasa L, Sturmbauer C, Koblmüller S. Asymmetric dominance and asymmetric mate choice oppose premating isolation after allopatric divergence. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1549-62. [PMID: 25937900 PMCID: PMC4409405 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating promotes reproductive isolation and allows allopatric speciation processes to continue in secondary contact. As mating patterns are determined by mate preferences and intrasexual competition, we investigated male–male competition and behavioral isolation in simulated secondary contact among allopatric populations. Three allopatric color morphs of the cichlid fish Tropheus were tested against each other. Dyadic male–male contests revealed dominance of red males over bluish and yellow-blotch males. Reproductive isolation in the presence of male–male competition was assessed from genetic parentage in experimental ponds and was highly asymmetric among pairs of color morphs. Red females mated only with red males, whereas the other females performed variable degrees of heteromorphic mating. Discrepancies between mating patterns in ponds and female preferences in a competition-free, two-way choice paradigm suggested that the dominance of red males interfered with positive assortative mating of females of the subordinate morphs and provoked asymmetric hybridization. Between the nonred morphs, a significant excess of negative assortative mating by yellow-blotch females with bluish males did not coincide with asymmetric dominance among males. Hence, both negative assortative mating preferences and interference of male–male competition with positive assortative preferences forestall premating isolation, the latter especially in environments unsupportive of competition-driven spatial segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Caroline M Hermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Bernd Steinwender
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Hanna Brindl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karin Mattersdorfer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisbeth Postl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lawrence Makasa
- Department of Fisheries, Lake Tanganyika Research Unit PO Box 55, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
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11
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McLean CA, Stuart-Fox D, Moussalli A. Phylogeographic structure, demographic history and morph composition in a colour polymorphic lizard. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2123-37. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. A. McLean
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Vic. Australia
- Sciences Department; Museum Victoria; Carlton Gardens Vic. Australia
| | - D. Stuart-Fox
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - A. Moussalli
- Sciences Department; Museum Victoria; Carlton Gardens Vic. Australia
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12
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Bastiaans E, Bastiaans MJ, Morinaga G, Castañeda Gaytán JG, Marshall JC, Bane B, de la Cruz FM, Sinervo B. Female preference for sympatric vs. allopatric male throat color morphs in the mesquite lizard (Sceloporus grammicus) species complex. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93197. [PMID: 24718297 PMCID: PMC3981705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphic sexual signals are often associated with alternative reproductive behaviors within populations, and the number, frequency, or type of morphs present often vary among populations. When these differences lead to assortative mating by population, the study of such polymorphic taxa may shed light on speciation mechanisms. We studied two populations of a lizard with polymorphic throat color, an important sexual signal. Males in one population exhibit orange, yellow, or blue throats; whereas males in the other exhibit orange, yellow, or white throats. We assessed female behavior when choosing between allopatric and sympatric males. We asked whether females discriminated more when the allopatric male was of an unfamiliar morph than when the allopatric male was similar in coloration to the sympatric male. We found that female rejection of allopatric males relative to sympatric males was more pronounced when males in a pair were more different in throat color. Our findings may help illuminate how behavioral responses to color morph differences between populations with polymorphic sexual signals contribute to reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bastiaans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Mary Jane Bastiaans
- Nanooptical Materials, Incorporated, Carson, California, United States of America
| | - Gen Morinaga
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | | | - Jonathon C. Marshall
- Department of Zoology, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, United States of America
| | - Brendan Bane
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Fausto Méndez de la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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13
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Selz OM, Pierotti MER, Maan ME, Schmid C, Seehausen O. Female preference for male color is necessary and sufficient for assortative mating in 2 cichlid sister species. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
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14
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Maan ME, Sefc KM. Colour variation in cichlid fish: developmental mechanisms, selective pressures and evolutionary consequences. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2013; 24:516-28. [PMID: 23665150 PMCID: PMC3778878 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cichlid fishes constitute one of the most species-rich families of vertebrates. In addition to complex social behaviour and morphological versatility, they are characterised by extensive diversity in colouration, both within and between species. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying colour variation in this group and the selective pressures responsible for the observed variation. We specifically address the evidence for the hypothesis that divergence in colouration is associated with the evolution of reproductive isolation between lineages. While we conclude that cichlid colours are excellent models for understanding the role of animal communication in species divergence, we also identify taxonomic and methodological biases in the current research effort. We suggest that the integration of genomic approaches with ecological and behavioural studies, across the entire cichlid family and beyond it, will contribute to the utility of the cichlid model system for understanding the evolution of biological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine E. Maan
- University of Groningen, Behavioural Biology, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
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