1
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Unnikrishnan P, Grzesik S, Trojańska M, Klimek B, Plesnar-Bielak A. 6Pgdh polymorphism in wild bulb mite populations: prevalence, environmental correlates and life history trade-offs. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2024:10.1007/s10493-024-00909-4. [PMID: 38597987 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-024-00909-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Genetic polymorphism in key metabolic genes plays a pivotal role in shaping phenotypes and adapting to varying environments. Polymorphism in the metabolic gene 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6Pgdh) in bulb mites, Rhizoglyphus robini is characterized by two alleles, S and F, that differ by a single amino acid substitution and correlate with male reproductive fitness. The S-bearing males demonstrate a reproductive advantage. Although the S allele rapidly fixes in laboratory settings, the persistence of polymorphic populations in the wild is noteworthy. This study examines the prevalence and stability of 6Pgdh polymorphism in natural populations across Poland, investigating potential environmental influences and seasonal variations. We found widespread 6Pgdh polymorphism in natural populations, with allele frequencies varying across locations and sampling dates but without clear geographical or seasonal clines. This widespread polymorphism and spatio-temporal variability may be attributed to population demography and gene flow between local populations. We found some correlation between soil properties, particularly cation content (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) and 6Pgdh allele frequencies, showcasing the connection between mite physiology and soil characteristics and highlighting the presence of environment-dependent balancing selection. We conducted experimental fitness assays to determine whether the allele providing the advantage in male-male competition has antagonistic effects on life-history traits and if these effects are temperature-dependent. We found that temperature does not differentially influence development time or juvenile survival in different 6Pgdh genotypes. This study reveals the relationship between genetic variation, environmental factors, and reproductive fitness in natural bulb mite populations, shedding light on the dynamic mechanisms governing 6Pgdh polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Unnikrishnan
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Szymon Grzesik
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Trojańska
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Beata Klimek
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Plesnar-Bielak
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
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2
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Przesmycka K, Radwan J. Small-scale genetic structure of populations of the bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 90:219-226. [PMID: 37498400 PMCID: PMC10406659 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00807-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Bulb mites are an economically significant pest of subterranean parts of plants and a versatile laboratory animal. However, the genetic structure of their populations remains unknown. To fill this gap in our knowledge of their biology, we set up a field experiment in which we allowed mites to colonize onion bulbs, and then determined the genetic structure of colonisers based on a panel of microsatellite loci. We found moderate but significant population structure among sites separated by ca. 20 m (FST range 0.03-0.21), with 7% of genetic variance distributed among sites. Allelic richness within some bulbs was nearly as high as that in the total population, suggesting that colonisation of bulbs was not associated with strong population bottlenecks. The significant genetic structure we observed over small spatial scales seems to reflect limited dispersal of mites in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Przesmycka
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jacek Radwan
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
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3
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Butterworth NJ, Benbow ME, Barton PS. The ephemeral resource patch concept. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 98:697-726. [PMID: 36517934 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ephemeral resource patches (ERPs) - short lived resources including dung, carrion, temporary pools, rotting vegetation, decaying wood, and fungi - are found throughout every ecosystem. Their short-lived dynamics greatly enhance ecosystem heterogeneity and have shaped the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of organisms - from bacteria to insects and amphibians. Despite this, there has been no attempt to distinguish ERPs clearly from other resource types, to identify their shared spatiotemporal characteristics, or to articulate their broad ecological and evolutionary influences on biotic communities. Here, we define ERPs as any distinct consumable resources which (i) are homogeneous (genetically, chemically, or structurally) relative to the surrounding matrix, (ii) host a discrete multitrophic community consisting of species that cannot replicate solely in any of the surrounding matrix, and (iii) cannot maintain a balance between depletion and renewal, which in turn, prevents multiple generations of consumers/users or reaching a community equilibrium. We outline the wide range of ERPs that fit these criteria, propose 12 spatiotemporal characteristics along which ERPs can vary, and synthesise a large body of literature that relates ERP dynamics to ecological and evolutionary theory. We draw this knowledge together and present a new unifying conceptual framework that incorporates how ERPs have shaped the adaptive trajectories of organisms, the structure of ecosystems, and how they can be integrated into biodiversity management and conservation. Future research should focus on how inter- and intra-resource variation occurs in nature - with a particular focus on resource × environment × genotype interactions. This will likely reveal novel adaptive strategies, aid the development of new eco-evolutionary theory, and greatly improve our understanding of the form and function of organisms and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Butterworth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Wellington Road Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney 15 Broadway Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia
| | - M. Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology, Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program Michigan State University 220 Trowbridge Rd East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Philip S. Barton
- Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University University Drive, Mount Helen VIC 3350 Australia
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4
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Wellens KR, Lee SM, Winans JC, Pusey AE, Murray CM. Female chimpanzee associations with male kin: trade-offs between inbreeding avoidance and infanticide protection. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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5
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Canal D, Garamszegi LZ, Rodriguez‐Exposito E, Garcia‐Gonzalez F. Experimental evolution reveals differential evolutionary trajectories in male and female activity levels in response to sexual selection and metapopulation structure. Evolution 2022; 76:1347-1359. [PMID: 35483712 PMCID: PMC9320835 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Behavior is central to interactions with the environment and thus has significant consequences for individual fitness. Sexual selection and demographic processes have been shown to independently shape behavioral evolution. Although some studies have tested the simultaneous effects of these forces, no studies have investigated their interplay in behavioral evolution. We applied experimental evolution in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus to investigate, for the first time, the interactive effects of sexual selection intensity (high [polygamy] vs. minimal [enforced monogamy]) and metapopulation structure (yes/no) on the evolution of movement activity, a crucial behavior involved in multiples functions (e.g., dispersal, predator avoidance, or resource acquisition) and thus, closely related to fitness. We found that the interactive effects of the selection regimes did not affect individual activity, which was assayed under two different environments (absence vs. presence of conspecific cues from both sexes). However, contrasting selection regimes led to sex- and context-dependent divergence in activity. The relaxation of sexual selection favored an increase in female, but not male, movement activity that was consistent between environmental contexts. In contrast, selection associated with the presence/absence of metapopulation structure led to context-dependent responses only in male activity. In environments containing cues from conspecifics, males from selection lines under population subdivision showed increased levels of activity compared to those assayed in an environment devoid of conspecifics cues, whereas the opposite was true for males from panmictic lines. These results underscore that both the effects of sexual selection and population spatial structure may be crucial in shaping sex-specific behavioral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Canal
- Institute of Ecology and BotanyCentre for Ecological ResearchVácrátótH‐2163Hungary,Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSICSeville41092Spain
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Institute of Ecology and BotanyCentre for Ecological ResearchVácrátótH‐2163Hungary,Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSICSeville41092Spain,MTA‐ELTE, Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical BiologyEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestH‐1053Hungary
| | | | - Francisco Garcia‐Gonzalez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSICSeville41092Spain,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWA6009Australia
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6
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Marquez‐Rosado A, Garcia‐Co C, Londoño‐Nieto C, Carazo P. No evidence that relatedness or familiarity modulates male harm in
Drosophila melanogaster
flies from a wild population. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8803. [PMID: 35432938 PMCID: PMC8995922 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection frequently promotes the evolution of aggressive behaviors that help males compete against their rivals, but which may harm females and hamper their fitness. Kin selection theory predicts that optimal male–male competition levels can be reduced when competitors are more genetically related to each other than to the population average, contributing to resolve this sexual conflict. Work in Drosophila melanogaster has spearheaded empirical tests of this idea, but studies so far have been conducted in laboratory‐adapted populations in homogeneous rearing environments that may hamper kin recognition, and used highly skewed sex ratios that may fail to reflect average natural conditions. Here, we performed a fully factorial design with the aim of exploring how rearing environment (i.e., familiarity) and relatedness affect male–male aggression, male harassment, and overall male harm levels in flies from a wild population of Drosophila melanogaster, under more natural conditions. Namely, we (a) manipulated relatedness and familiarity so that larvae reared apart were raised in different environments, as is common in the wild, and (b) studied the effects of relatedness and familiarity under average levels of male–male competition in the field. We show that, contrary to previous findings, groups of unrelated‐unfamiliar males were as likely to fight with each other and harass females than related‐familiar males and that overall levels of male harm to females were similar across treatments. Our results suggest that the role of kin selection in modulating sexual conflict is yet unclear in Drosophila melanogaster, and call for further studies that focus on natural populations and realistic socio‐sexual and ecological environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Marquez‐Rosado
- Ethology Lab Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Clara Garcia‐Co
- Ethology Lab Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Claudia Londoño‐Nieto
- Ethology Lab Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Pau Carazo
- Ethology Lab Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
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7
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Hitchcock TJ, Gardner A. Sex-biased demography modulates male harm across the genome. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212237. [PMID: 34933602 PMCID: PMC8692969 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an explosion of theoretical and empirical interest in the role that kin selection plays in shaping patterns of sexual conflict, with a particular focus on male harming traits. However, this work has focused solely on autosomal genes, and as such it remains unclear how demography modulates the evolution of male harm loci occurring in other portions of the genome, such as sex chromosomes and cytoplasmic elements. To investigate this, we extend existing models of sexual conflict for application to these different modes of inheritance. We first analyse the general case, revealing how sex-specific relatedness, reproductive value and the intensity of local competition combine to determine the potential for male harm. We then analyse a series of demographically explicit models, to assess how dispersal, overlapping generations, reproductive skew and the mechanism of population regulation affect sexual conflict across the genome, and drive conflict between nuclear and cytoplasmic genes. We then explore the effects of sex biases in these demographic parameters, showing how they may drive further conflicts between autosomes and sex chromosomes. Finally, we outline how different crossing schemes may be used to identify signatures of these intragenomic conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andy Gardner
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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8
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Lymbery SJ, Tomkins JL, Buzatto BA, Hosken DJ. Kin-mediated plasticity in alternative reproductive tactics. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211069. [PMID: 34344179 PMCID: PMC8334832 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditional strategies occur when the relative fitness pay-off from expressing a given phenotype is contingent upon environmental circumstances. This conditional strategy model underlies cases of alternative reproductive tactics, in which individuals of one sex employ different means to obtain reproduction. How kin structure affects the expression of alternative reproductive tactics remains unexplored. We address this using the mite Rhizoglyphus echinopus, in which large males develop into aggressive 'fighters' and small males develop into non-aggressive 'scramblers.' Because only fighters kill their rivals, they should incur a greater indirect fitness cost when competing with their relatives, and thus fighter expression could be reduced in the presence of relatives. We raised mites in full-sibling or mixed-sibship groups and found that fighters were more common at higher body weights in full-sibling groups, not less common as we predicted (small individuals were almost exclusively scramblers in both treatments). This result could be explained if relatedness and cue variability are interpreted signals of population density, since fighters are more common at low densities in this species. Alternatively, our results may indicate that males compete more intensely with relatives in this species. We provide the first evidence of kin-mediated plasticity in the expression of alternative reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. Lymbery
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, UK
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Joseph L. Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Bruno A. Buzatto
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences (E8C 209), Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J. Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, UK
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9
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Rodriguez‐Exposito E, Garcia‐Gonzalez F. Metapopulation structure modulates sexual antagonism. Evol Lett 2021; 5:344-358. [PMID: 34367660 PMCID: PMC8327942 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the far-reaching evolutionary implications of sexual conflict, the effects of metapopulation structure, when populations are subdivided into several demes connected to some degree by migration, on sexual conflict dynamics are unknown. Here, we used experimental evolution in an insect model system, the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, to assess the independent and interacting effects of selection histories associated with mating system (monogamy vs. polygamy) and population subdivision on sexual conflict evolution. We confirm traditional predictions from sexual conflict theory by revealing increased resistance to male harm in females from populations with a history of intense sexual selection (polygamous populations) compared to females from populations with a history of relaxed sexual selection (monogamous populations). However, selection arising from metapopulation structure reversed the classic pattern of sexually antagonistic coevolution and led to reduced resistance in females from polygamous populations. These results underscore that population spatial structure moderates sexual selection and sexual conflict, and more broadly, that the evolution of sexual conflict is contingent on ecological context. The findings also have implications for population dynamics, conservation biology, and biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Rodriguez‐Exposito
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD‐CSIC)Isla de la CartujaSevillaSpain
- Current address: Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA‐CSIC)Santa Cruz de TenerifeSpain
| | - F. Garcia‐Gonzalez
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD‐CSIC)Isla de la CartujaSevillaSpain
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
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10
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R Rodrigues L, Torralba Sáez M, Alpedrinha J, Lefèvre S, Brengues M, Magalhães S, Duncan AB. Consequences of population structure for sex allocation and sexual conflict. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:525-536. [PMID: 33314358 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Both sex allocation and sexual conflict can be modulated by spatial structure. However, how the interplay between the type of dispersal and the scale of competition simultaneously affects these traits in sub-divided populations is rarely considered. We investigated sex allocation and sexual conflict evolution in meta-populations of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae evolving under budding (pairing females from the same patch) or random (pairing females from different patches) dispersal and either local (fixed sampling from each subpopulation) or global (sampling as a function of subpopulation productivity) competition. Females evolving under budding dispersal produced less female-biased offspring sex ratios than those from the random dispersal selection regimes, contradicting theoretical predictions. In contrast, the scale of competition did not strongly affect sex allocation. Offspring sex ratio and female fecundity were unaffected by the number of mates, but female fecundity was highest when their mates evolved under budding dispersal, suggesting these males inflict less harm than those evolving under random dispersal. This work highlights that population structure can impact the evolution of sex allocation and sexual conflict. Moreover, selection on either trait may reciprocally affect the evolution of the other, for example via effects on fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor R Rodrigues
- cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mario Torralba Sáez
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - João Alpedrinha
- cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sophie Lefèvre
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Alison B Duncan
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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11
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Faria GS, Gardner A, Carazo P. Kin discrimination and demography modulate patterns of sexual conflict. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1141-1148. [PMID: 32451427 PMCID: PMC7610387 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1214-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in the overlap between kin selection and sexual selection, particularly concerning how kin selection can put the brakes on harmful sexual conflict. However, there remains a significant disconnect between theory and empirical research. Whilst empirical work has focused on kin-discriminating behaviour, theoretical models have assumed indiscriminating behaviour. Additionally, theoretical work makes particular demographic assumptions that constrain the relationship between genetic relatedness and the scale of competition, and it is not clear that these assumptions reflect the natural setting in which sexual conflict has been empirically studied. Here, we plug this gap between current theoretical and empirical understanding by developing a mathematical model of sexual conflict that incorporates kin discrimination and different patterns of dispersal. We find that kin discrimination and group dispersal inhibit harmful male behaviours at an individual level, but kin discrimination intensifies sexual conflict at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo S Faria
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. .,Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, France.
| | - Andy Gardner
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Pau Carazo
- Ethology lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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12
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Lymbery SJ, Wyber B, Tomkins JL, Simmons LW. No evidence for divergence in male harmfulness or female resistance in response to changes in the opportunity for dispersal. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:966-978. [PMID: 32279381 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The outcome of sexual conflict can depend on the social environment, as males respond to changes in the inclusive fitness payoffs of harmfulness and harm females less when they compete with familiar relatives. Theoretical models also predict that if limited male dispersal predictably enhances local relatedness while maintaining global competition, kin selection can produce evolutionary divergences in male harmfulness among populations. Experimental tests of these predictions, however, are rare. We assessed rates of dispersal in female and male seed beetles Callosobruchus maculatus, a model species for studies of sexual conflict, in an experimental setting. Females dispersed significantly more often than males, but dispersing males travelled just as far as dispersing females. Next, we used experimental evolution to test whether limiting dispersal allowed the action of kin selection to affect divergence in male harmfulness and female resistance. Populations of C. maculatus were evolved for 20 and 25 generations under one of three dispersal regimens: completely free dispersal, limited dispersal and no dispersal. There was no divergence among treatments in female reproductive tract scarring, ejaculate size, mating behaviour, fitness of experimental females mated to stock males or fitness of stock females mated to experimental males. We suggest that this is likely due to insufficient strength of kin selection rather than a lack of genetic variation or time for selection. Limited dispersal alone is therefore not sufficient for kin selection to reduce male harmfulness in this species, consistent with general predictions that limited dispersal will only allow kin selection if local relatedness is independent of the intensity of competition among kin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Blake Wyber
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Joseph L Tomkins
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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13
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Et tu, brother? Kinship and increased nutrition lower the incidence of cannibalism in male bulb mites. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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14
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McDonald GC, Gardner A, Pizzari T. Sexual selection in complex communities: Integrating interspecific reproductive interference in structured populations. Evolution 2019; 73:1025-1036. [PMID: 30941751 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The social structure of populations plays a key role in shaping variation in sexual selection. In nature, sexual selection occurs in communities of interacting species; however, heterospecifics are rarely included in characterizations of social structure. Heterospecifics can influence the reproductive outcomes of intrasexual competition by interfering with intraspecific sexual interactions (interspecific reproductive interference [IRI]). We outline the need for studies of sexual selection to incorporate heterospecifics as part of the social environment. We use simulations to show that classic predictions for the effect of social structure on sexual selection are altered by an interaction between social structure and IRI. This interaction has wide-ranging implications for patterns of sexual conflict and kin-selected reproductive strategies in socially structured populations. Our work bridges the gap between sexual selection research on social structure and IRI, and highlights future directions to study sexual selection in interacting communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant C McDonald
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.,Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, 1077, Hungary
| | - Andy Gardner
- School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
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15
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Fox RJ, Fromhage L, Jennions MD. Sexual selection, phenotypic plasticity and female reproductive output. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180184. [PMID: 30966965 PMCID: PMC6365872 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In a rapidly changing environment, does sexual selection on males elevate a population's reproductive output? If so, does phenotypic plasticity enhance or diminish any such effect? We outline two routes by which sexual selection can influence the reproductive output of a population: a genetic correlation between male sexual competitiveness and female lifetime reproductive success; and direct effects of males on females' breeding success. We then discuss how phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits and/or female responses (e.g. plasticity in mate choice), as the environment changes, might influence how sexual selection affects a population's reproductive output. Two key points emerge. First, condition-dependent expression of male sexual traits makes it likely that sexual selection increases female fitness if reproductively successful males disproportionately transfer genes that are under natural selection in both sexes, such as genes for foraging efficiency. Condition-dependence is a form of phenotypic plasticity if some of the variation in net resource acquisition and assimilation is attributable to the environment rather than solely genetic in origin. Second, the optimal allocation of resources into different condition-dependent traits depends on their marginal fitness gains. As male condition improves, this can therefore increase or, though rarely highlighted, actually decrease the expression of sexually selected traits. It is therefore crucial to understand how condition determines male allocation of resources to different sexually selected traits that vary in their immediate effects on female reproductive output (e.g. ornaments versus coercive behaviour). In addition, changes in the distribution of condition among males as the environment shifts could reduce phenotypic variance in certain male traits, thereby reducing the strength of sexual selection imposed by females. Studies of adaptive evolution under rapid environmental change should consider the possibility that phenotypic plasticity of sexually selected male traits, even if it elevates male fitness, could have a negative effect on female reproductive output, thereby increasing the risk of population extinction. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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Faria GS, Varela SAM, Gardner A. The relation between R. A. Fisher's sexy-son hypothesis and W. D. Hamilton's greenbeard effect. Evol Lett 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/evl3.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo S. Faria
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews KY16 9TH United Kingdom
| | - Susana A. M. Varela
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; 2780-156 Oeiras Portugal
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa; 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Andy Gardner
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews KY16 9TH United Kingdom
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17
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Sultanova Z, Andic M, Carazo P. The "unguarded-X" and the genetic architecture of lifespan: Inbreeding results in a potentially maladaptive sex-specific reduction of female lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2018; 72:540-552. [PMID: 29336481 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in ageing and lifespan are ubiquitous in nature. The "unguarded-X" hypothesis (UXh) suggests they may be partly due to the expression of recessive mutations in the hemizygous sex chromosomes of the heterogametic sex, which could help explain sex-specific ageing in a broad array of taxa. A prediction central to the UX hypothesis is that inbreeding will decrease the lifespan of the homogametic sex more than the heterogametic sex, because only in the former does inbreeding increase the expression of recessive deleterious mutations. In this study, we test this prediction by examining the effects of inbreeding on the lifespan and fitness of male and female Drosophila melanogaster across different social environments. We found that, across social environments, inbreeding resulted in a greater reduction of female than male lifespan, and that inbreeding effects on fitness did not seem to counterbalance sex-specific effects on lifespan, suggesting the former are maladaptative. Inter- and intra-sexual correlation analyses also allowed us to identify evidence of an underlying joint genetic architecture for inbreeding effects on lifespan. We discuss these results in light of the UXh and other alternative explanations, and suggest that more attention should be paid to the possibility that the "unguarded-X" may play an important role in the evolution of sex-specific lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahida Sultanova
- Behaviour and Evolution unit, Ethology lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Muhammed Andic
- Behaviour and Evolution unit, Ethology lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Pau Carazo
- Behaviour and Evolution unit, Ethology lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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18
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Le Page S, Sepil I, Flintham E, Pizzari T, Carazo P, Wigby S. Male relatedness and familiarity are required to modulate male-induced harm to females in Drosophila. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0441. [PMID: 28794215 PMCID: PMC5563793 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males compete over mating and fertilization, and often harm females in the process. Inclusive fitness theory predicts that increasing relatedness within groups of males may relax competition and discourage male harm of females as males gain indirect benefits. Recent studies in Drosophila melanogaster are consistent with these predictions, and have found that within-group male relatedness increases female fitness, though others have found no effects. Importantly, these studies did not fully disentangle male genetic relatedness from larval familiarity, so the extent to which modulation of harm to females is explained by male familiarity remains unclear. Here we performed a fully factorial design, isolating the effects of male relatedness and larval familiarity on female harm. While we found no differences in male courtship or aggression, there was a significant interaction between male genetic relatedness and familiarity on female reproduction and survival. Relatedness among males increased female lifespan, reproductive lifespan and overall reproductive success, but only when males were familiar. By showing that both male relatedness and larval familiarity are required to modulate female harm, these findings reconcile previous studies, shedding light on the potential role of indirect fitness effects on sexual conflict and the mechanisms underpinning kin recognition in fly populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Le Page
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Irem Sepil
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ewan Flintham
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pau Carazo
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution group, Instituto Cavanilles of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Lymbery SJ, Simmons LW. Males harm females less when competing with familiar relatives. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171984. [PMID: 29142115 PMCID: PMC5719177 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict occurs when reproductive partners have different fitness optima, and can lead to the evolution of traits in one sex that inflict fitness costs on the opposite sex. Recently, it has been proposed that antagonism by males towards females should be reduced when they compete with relatives, because reducing the future productivity of a female would result in an indirect fitness cost for a harmful male. We tested this prediction in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, the males of which harm females with genital spines and pre-copulatory harassment. We compared lifespan, lifetime egg production and lifetime offspring production among females housed with groups of males that varied in their familiarity and relatedness. Females produced significantly more eggs and offspring when grouped with males who were both related and familiar to each other. There was no effect of male relatedness or familiarity on female lifespan. Our results suggest that males plastically adjust their harmfulness towards females in response to changes in inclusive fitness payoffs, and that in this species both genetic relatedness and social familiarity mediate this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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