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Larter LC, Ryan MJ. Female Preferences for More Elaborate Signals Are an Emergent Outcome of Male Chorusing Interactions in Túngara Frogs. Am Nat 2024; 203:92-108. [PMID: 38207138 DOI: 10.1086/727469] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractIn chorusing species, conspecific interference exerts strong selection on signal form and timing to maximize conspicuousness and attractiveness within the signaling milieu. We investigated how túngara frog calling strategies were influenced by varied social environments and male phenotypes and how calling interactions influenced female preferences. When chorusing, túngara frog calls consist of a whine typically followed by one to three chucks. In experimental choruses we saw that as chorus size increased, calls increasingly had their chucks overlapped by the high-amplitude beginning section of other callers' whines. Playback experiments revealed that such overlap reduced the attractiveness of calls to females but that appending additional chucks mitigated this effect. Thus, more elaborate calls were preferred when calls suffered overlap, although they were not preferred when overlap was absent. In response to increasing risk of overlap in larger choruses, males increased call elaboration. However, males overwhelmingly produced two-chuck calls in even the largest choruses, despite our results suggesting that additional chucks would more effectively safeguard calls. Furthermore, aspects of male phenotypes predicted to limit call elaboration had negligible or uncertain effects, suggesting that other constraints are operating. These results highlight how complex interrelations among signal form, signaling interactions, and the social environment shape the evolution of communication in social species.
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2
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Leavell BC, Pantoja-Sánchez H, Vélez V, Hemingway CT, Wilhite K, Halfwerk W, Bernal XE. Ripple effects in a communication network: anti-eavesdropper defence elicits elaborated sexual signals in rival males. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231910. [PMID: 38113943 PMCID: PMC10730286 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emitting conspicuous signals into the environment to attract mates comes with the increased risk of interception by eavesdropping enemies. As a defence, a commonly described strategy is for signallers to group together in leks, diluting each individual's risk. Lekking systems are often highly social settings in which competing males dynamically alter their signalling behaviour to attract mates. Thus, signalling at the lek requires navigating fluctuations in risk, competition and reproductive opportunities. Here, we investigate how behavioural defence strategies directed at an eavesdropping enemy have cascading effects across the communication network. We investigated these behaviours in the túngara frog (Engystomops pustulosus), examining how a calling male's swatting defence directed at frog-biting midges indirectly affects the calling behaviour of his rival. We found that the rival responds to swat-induced water ripples by increasing his call rate and complexity. Then, performing phonotaxis experiments, we found that eavesdropping fringe-lipped bats (Trachops cirrhosus) do not exhibit a preference for a swatting male compared to his rival, but females strongly prefer the rival male. Defences to minimize attacks from eavesdroppers thus shift the mate competition landscape in favour of rival males. By modulating the attractiveness of signalling prey to female receivers, we posit that eavesdropping micropredators likely have an unappreciated impact on the ecology and evolution of sexual communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Leavell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Hoover Pantoja-Sánchez
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Viviana Vélez
- Program of Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Claire T. Hemingway
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kyle Wilhite
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ximena E. Bernal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
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3
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Bullough K, Kuijper B, Caves EM, Kelley LA. Weber's Law. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R992-R993. [PMID: 37816325 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Bullough et al. introduce Weber's Law and proportional processing during perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Bullough
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Eleanor M Caves
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Laura A Kelley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
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4
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Bernal XE, Leavell BC, Page RA. Assessing patterns of eavesdropper risk on sexual signals and the use of meta-analysis in behavioural ecology: a comment on: 'The exploitation of sexual signals by predators: a meta-analysis' White et al. (2022). Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221866. [PMID: 37161325 PMCID: PMC10170210 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ximena E Bernal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Brian C Leavell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
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5
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Summers TC, Ord TJ. Signal detection shapes ornament allometry in functionally convergent Caribbean Anolis and Southeast Asian Draco lizards. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1508-1523. [PMID: 36177770 PMCID: PMC9828585 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14102] [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: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Visual ornaments have long been assumed to evolve hyper-allometry as an outcome of sexual selection. Yet growing evidence suggests many sexually selected morphologies can exhibit other scaling patterns with body size, including hypo-allometry. The large conspicuous throat fan, or dewlap, of arboreal Caribbean Anolis lizards was one ornament previously thought to conform to the classical expectation of hyper-allometry. We re-evaluated this classic example alongside a second arboreal group of lizards that has also independently evolved a functionally equivalent dewlap, the Southeast Asian Draco lizards. Across multiple closely related species in both genera, the Anolis and Draco dewlaps were either isometric or had hypo-allometric scaling patterns. In the case of the Anolis dewlap, variation in dewlap allometry was predicted by the distance of conspecifics and the light environment in which the dewlap was typically viewed. Signal efficacy, therefore, appears to have driven the evolution of hypo-allometry in what was originally thought to be a sexually selected ornament with hyper-allometry. Our findings suggest that other elaborate morphological structures used in social communication might similarly exhibit isometric or hypo-allometric scaling patterns because of environmental constraints on signal detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Summers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Terry J. Ord
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
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6
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Mid-flight prey switching in the fringed-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus). Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01813-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Smit JAH, Cronin AD, van der Wiel I, Oteman B, Ellers J, Halfwerk W. Interactive and independent effects of light and noise pollution on sexual signaling in frogs. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.934661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization drastically changes environmental conditions, including the introduction of sensory pollutants, such as artificial light at night (ALAN) and anthropogenic noise. To settle in urban habitats, animals need to cope with this new sensory environment. On a short timescale, animals might cope with sensory pollutants via behavioral adjustments, such as changes in sexual signaling, which can have important fitness consequences. While ALAN and anthropogenic noise generally co-occur in urban habitats and are known to be able to interact to modify behavioral responses, few studies have addressed their combined impact. Our aim was, therefore, to assess the effects of ALAN, anthropogenic noise, and their interaction on sexual signaling in túngara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus). We observed the calling behavior of frogs in urban and forest areas, and subsequently recorded these frogs in a laboratory set-up while independently manipulating light and noise levels. Frogs in urban areas called with a higher call rate and complexity, which was correlated with local sensory conditions. Furthermore, our lab experiment revealed that ALAN can directly alter sexual signaling independently as well as in combination with anthropogenic noise. Exposure to ALAN alone increased call amplitude, whereas a combination of ALAN and anthropogenic noise interacted to lead to a higher call complexity and amplitude. Overall, the response patterns consistently showed that exposure to ALAN and anthropogenic noise led to more conspicuous sexual signals than expected based on the additive effects of single pollutants. Our results support the notion that urban and forest population differences in sexual signaling can be partially explained by exposure to ALAN and anthropogenic noise. Furthermore, by demonstrating interactive effects between light and noise pollution, our study highlights the importance of examining the effects of multisensory pollution, instead of single pollutants, when trying to understand phenotypic divergence in urbanized vs. natural areas.
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Baker CA, McKellar C, Pang R, Nern A, Dorkenwald S, Pacheco DA, Eckstein N, Funke J, Dickson BJ, Murthy M. Neural network organization for courtship-song feature detection in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3317-3333.e7. [PMID: 35793679 PMCID: PMC9378594 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Animals communicate using sounds in a wide range of contexts, and auditory systems must encode behaviorally relevant acoustic features to drive appropriate reactions. How feature detection emerges along auditory pathways has been difficult to solve due to challenges in mapping the underlying circuits and characterizing responses to behaviorally relevant features. Here, we study auditory activity in the Drosophila melanogaster brain and investigate feature selectivity for the two main modes of fly courtship song, sinusoids and pulse trains. We identify 24 new cell types of the intermediate layers of the auditory pathway, and using a new connectomic resource, FlyWire, we map all synaptic connections between these cell types, in addition to connections to known early and higher-order auditory neurons-this represents the first circuit-level map of the auditory pathway. We additionally determine the sign (excitatory or inhibitory) of most synapses in this auditory connectome. We find that auditory neurons display a continuum of preferences for courtship song modes and that neurons with different song-mode preferences and response timescales are highly interconnected in a network that lacks hierarchical structure. Nonetheless, we find that the response properties of individual cell types within the connectome are predictable from their inputs. Our study thus provides new insights into the organization of auditory coding within the Drosophila brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa A Baker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Claire McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Rich Pang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Nils Eckstein
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA; Institute of Neuroinformatics UZH/ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Funke
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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9
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Neural activities in music frogs reveal call variations and phylogenetic relationships within the genus Nidirana. Commun Biol 2022; 5:550. [PMID: 35668095 PMCID: PMC9170687 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03504-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The characteristics of acoustic signals co-evolve with preferences of the auditory sensory system. However, how the brain perceives call variations and whether it can reveal phylogenetic relationships among signalers remains poorly understood. Here, we recorded the neural signals from the Emei music frogs (Nidirana daunchina) in response to broadcasted calls of five different species of the same genus. We found that responses in terms of the different amplitudes of various event-related potential (ERP) components were correlated with diversification trends in acoustic signals, as well as phylogenetic relationships between N. daunchina and heterospecific callers. Specifically, P2 decreased gradually along the ordinal decline of similarities in acoustic characteristics of calls compared with those from conspecifics. Moreover, P3a amplitudes showed increasing trends in correspondence with callers’ genetic distances from the subject species. These observations collectively support the view that neural activities in music frogs can reflect call variations and phylogenetic relationships within the genus Nidirana. Music frogs have species-specific neural responses to calls of different species of genus Nidirana.
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10
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Little CJ, Rizzuto M, Luhring TM, Monk JD, Nowicki RJ, Paseka RE, Stegen JC, Symons CC, Taub FB, Yen JDL. Movement with meaning: integrating information into meta‐ecology. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea J. Little
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Univ. of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Environmental Science, Simon Fraser Univ. Burnaby BC Canada
| | - Matteo Rizzuto
- Dept of Biology, Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland St. John's NL Canada
| | | | - Julia D. Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale Univ. New Haven CT USA
| | - Robert J. Nowicki
- Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Mote Marine Laboratory Summerland Key FL USA
| | - Rachel E. Paseka
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Univ. of Minnesota Saint Paul MN USA
| | | | - Celia C. Symons
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of California Irvine CA USA
| | - Frieda B. Taub
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Jian D. L. Yen
- School of BioSciences, Univ. of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, and Arthur Rylah Inst. for Environmental Reserach Heidelberg Victoria Australia
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11
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Leavell BC, Beaty LE, McNickle GG, Bernal XE. Eavesdropping micropredators as dynamic limiters of sexual signal elaboration and intrasexual competition. Am Nat 2022; 199:653-665. [DOI: 10.1086/718967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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OUP accepted manuscript. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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Tanner JC, Simmons LW. Spoiled for choice: number of signalers constrains mate choice based on acoustic signals. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal communication mediates social interactions with important fitness consequences for individuals. Receivers use signals to detect and discriminate among potential mates. Extensive research effort has focused on how receiver behavior imposes selection on signalers and signals. However, animals communicate in socially and physically complex environments with important biotic and abiotic features that are often excluded from controlled laboratory experiments, including noise. “Noise” is any factor that prevents signal detection and discrimination. The noise caused by aggregates of acoustic signalers is a well-known impediment to receivers, but how many individual signalers are required to produce the emergent effects of chorus noise on receiver behavior? In Teleogryllus oceanicus, the Australian field cricket, we assayed female preferences for a temporal property of male advertisement signals, the number of long chirp pulses, using two-, four-, six-, and eight-choice phonotaxis experiments. We found that, as the number of individual signalers increased, receivers became less likely to respond phonotactically and less likely to express their well-documented preference for more long chirp pulses. We found that very few individual signalers can create a sufficiently noisy environment, due either to acoustic interference or choice overload, to substantially impair female preference expression. Our results suggest that receivers may not always be able to express their well-documented mating preferences in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C Tanner
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA
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15
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Tison R, Poirier P. Communication as Socially Extended Active Inference: An Ecological Approach to Communicative Behavior. ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10407413.2021.1965480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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16
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Clapp N, Reichert MS. Arginine vasotocin affects motivation to call, but not calling plasticity, in Cope's gray treefrog Hyla chrysoscelis. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 192:115-125. [PMID: 34401940 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01399-1] [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: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to respond to competition is critical for social behaviors involved in mating, territoriality and foraging. Physiological mechanisms of competitive social behaviors may determine not only baseline behavior, but possibly also the plasticity of the response to competition. We examined the effects of the neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT), which is implicated in social behavior in non-mammalian vertebrates, on both spontaneous acoustic advertisement calling behavior and the plastic response to a simulated competitive challenge in Cope's gray treefrogs, Hyla chrysoscelis. We injected males either with AVT or a saline control and then analyzed recordings of spontaneous calling prior to playback, playback of average advertisement calls, playback of highly competitive advertisement calls, and spontaneous calling after playback. We found a tendency for AVT-treated males to be more likely to resume calling, and AVT males had higher call rates than control males, although they did not differ in pulse number or call effort. There were no differences between the AVT and control treatments in the plasticity of calling behavior in response to simulated competitors. Our results generally align with other studies on how AVT affects anuran vocalizations, and suggest that its primary effect is on motivation to call, with less of an effect on plasticity in response to competition. Nevertheless, these effects on call motivation are significant, because mating success is often determined more by participation in the chorus than by the values of specific call characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Clapp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater, 74078, USA.,Health Sciences Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater, 74078, USA.
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17
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Dixit T, Caves EM, Spottiswoode CN, Horrocks NPC. Why and how to apply Weber's Law to coevolution and mimicry. Evolution 2021; 75:1906-1919. [PMID: 34165186 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In mimicry systems, receivers discriminate between the stimuli of models and mimics. Weber's Law of proportional processing states that receiver discrimination is based on proportional, not absolute, differences between stimuli. Weber's Law operates in a variety of taxa and modalities, yet it has largely been ignored in the context of mimicry, despite its potential relevance to whether receivers can discriminate models from mimics. Specifically, Weber's Law implies that for a given difference in stimulus magnitude between a model and mimic, as stimulus magnitudes increase, the mimic will be less discriminable from their model. This implies that mimics should benefit when stimulus magnitudes are high, and that high stimulus magnitudes will reduce selection for mimetic fidelity. Whether models benefit from high stimulus magnitudes depends on whether mimicry is honest or deceptive. We present four testable predictions about evolutionary trajectories of models and mimics based on this logic. We then provide a framework for testing whether receiver discrimination adheres to Weber's Law and illustrate it using coevolutionary examples and case studies from avian brood parasitism. We conclude that, when studying mimicry systems, researchers should consider whether receiver perception conforms to Weber's Law, because it could drive stimulus evolution in counterintuitive directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmay Dixit
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor M Caves
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Claire N Spottiswoode
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Nicholas P C Horrocks
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.,Current Address: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
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18
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Ord TJ, Blazek K, White TE, Das I. Conspicuous animal signals avoid the cost of predation by being intermittent or novel: confirmation in the wild using hundreds of robotic prey. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210706. [PMID: 34102889 PMCID: PMC8187999 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Social animals are expected to face a trade-off between producing a signal that is detectible by mates and rivals, but not obvious to predators. This trade-off is fundamental for understanding the design of many animal signals, and is often the lens through which the evolution of alternative communication strategies is viewed. We have a reasonable working knowledge of how conspecifics detect signals under different conditions, but how predators exploit conspicuous communication of prey is complex and hard to predict. We quantified predation on 1566 robotic lizard prey that performed a conspicuous visual display, possessed a conspicuous ornament or remained cryptic. Attacks by free-ranging predators were consistent across two contrasting ecosystems and showed robotic prey that performed a conspicuous display were equally likely to be attacked as those that remained cryptic. Furthermore, predators avoided attacking robotic prey with a fixed, highly visible ornament that was novel at both locations. These data show that it is prey familiarity-not conspicuousness-that determine predation risk. These findings replicated across different predator-prey communities not only reveal how conspicuous signals might evolve in high predation environments, but could help resolve the paradox of aposematism and why some exotic species avoid predation when invading new areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J. Ord
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katrina Blazek
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Indraneil Das
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
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19
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Baugh AT, Gall MD, Silver SC, Bee MA. Moderately elevated glucocorticoids increase mate choosiness but do not affect sexual proceptivity or preferences in female gray treefrogs. Horm Behav 2021; 130:104950. [PMID: 33556376 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are rarely studied in the context of female mate choice, despite the expression of receptors for these products in sexual, sensory and decision-making brain areas. Here we investigated the effects of GC concentrations on three aspects of female sexual behavior in breeding Cope's gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis): proceptivity-a measure of sexual motivation, intraspecific mate preferences, and mate choosiness. To our knowledge this is the first experimental study on the endocrine basis of mate choosiness. We predicted that mate choosiness-forfeiting an initial mate preference to pursue a suddenly more attractive mate-would be particularly impacted by elevated GCs with moderate GC levels associated with greater choosiness. We found support for this predicted inverted-U relationship. Females in the control group (no injection) showed no change in choosiness across timepoints. In contrast, females in the vehicle, Low (20 ng g-1) and High (180 ng g-1) corticosterone groups exhibited a nominal decline in choosiness after injection, suggesting that the experience of injection has little or perhaps slightly suppressive effects on female choosiness. Females in the moderate dose group (60 ng g-1), however, exhibited a significant increase (>100%) in choosiness. Further, we found no effect of elevated GCs on sexual proceptivity or the species-typical preference for longer calls. These findings may reflect a buffering of primary sensory areas in the brain against elevated GCs. The recruitment of other cognitive processes during active decision-making, however, may facilitate GC modulation of mate choosiness, thereby promoting tactical plasticity at this critical life history juncture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Baugh
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
| | - Megan D Gall
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Stewart C Silver
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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20
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Mazorra-Alonso M, Tomás G, Soler JJ. Microbially Mediated Chemical Ecology of Animals: A Review of Its Role in Conspecific Communication, Parasitism and Predation. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:274. [PMID: 33801728 PMCID: PMC8065758 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts are nowadays considered of pivotal importance for animal life. Among the many processes where microorganisms are involved, an emerging research avenue focuses on their major role in driving the evolution of chemical communication in their hosts. Volatiles of bacterial origin may underlie chemical communication and the transfer of social information through signals, as well as inadvertent social information. We reviewed the role of microorganisms in animal communication between conspecifics, and, because the microbiome may cause beneficial as well as deleterious effects on their animal hosts, we also reviewed its role in determining the outcome of the interactions with parasites and predators. Finally, we paid special attention to the hypothetical role of predation and parasitism in driving the evolution of the animal microbiome. We highlighted the novelty of the theoretical framework derived from considering the microbiota of animals in scenarios of communication, parasitism, and predation. We aimed to encourage research in these areas, suggesting key predictions that need to be tested to better understand what is one of the main roles of bacteria in animal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazorra-Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Gustavo Tomás
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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21
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Gan S, Bai S, Chen C, Zou Y, Sun Y, Zhao J, Rong J. Hydroxypropyl cellulose enhanced ionic conductive double-network hydrogels. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 181:418-425. [PMID: 33781814 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ionic conductive hydrogels with both high-performance in conductivity and mechanical properties have received increasing attention due to their unique potential in artificial soft electronics. Here, a dual physically cross-linked double network (DN) hydrogel with high ionic conductivity and tensile strength was fabricated by a facile approach. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) biopolymer fibers were embedded in a poly (vinyl alcohol)‑sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogel, and then the prestretched PVA-HPC/SA composite hydrogel was immersed in a CaCl2 solution to prepare PVA-HPCT/SA-Ca DN hydrogels. The obtained composite hydrogel has an excellent tensile strength up to 1.4 MPa. Importantly, the synergistic effect of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and prestretching reduces the migration resistance of ions in the hydrogel, and the conductivity reaches 3.49 S/ m. In addition, these composite hydrogels are noncytotoxic, and they have a low friction coefficient and an excellent wear resistance. Therefore, PVA-HPCT/SA-Ca DN hydrogels have potential applications in nerve replacement materials and biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuchun Gan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Shihang Bai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yongliang Zou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yingjuan Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jianhao Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jianhua Rong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China.
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22
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Abstract
One hundred fifty years ago Darwin published The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, in which he presented his theory of sexual selection with its emphasis on sexual beauty. However, it was not until 50 y ago that there was a renewed interest in Darwin’s theory in general, and specifically the potency of mate choice. Darwin suggested that in many cases female preferences for elaborately ornamented males derived from a female’s taste for the beautiful, the notion that females were attracted to sexual beauty for its own sake. Initially, female mate choice attracted the interest of behavioral ecologists focusing on the fitness advantages accrued through mate choice. Subsequent studies focused on sensory ecology and signal design, often showing how sensory end organs influenced the types of traits females found attractive. Eventually, investigations of neural circuits, neurogenetics, and neurochemistry uncovered a more complete scaffolding underlying sexual attraction. More recently, research inspired by human studies in psychophysics, behavioral economics, and neuroaesthetics have provided some notion of its higher-order mechanisms. In this paper, I review progress in our understanding of Darwin’s conjecture of “a taste for the beautiful” by considering research from these diverse fields that have conspired to provide unparalleled insight into the chooser’s mate choices.
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23
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Kime NM, Goutte S, Ryan MJ. Arginine vasotocin affects vocal behavior but not selective responses to conspecific calls in male túngara frogs. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104891. [PMID: 33197465 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its homolog arginine vasopressin (AVP) modulate social behavior, including social communication. In anuran amphibians, male-male competition and female mate choice rely heavily on acoustic signaling. Behavioral experiments show that AVT influences motivation to call and vocal production. It may also influence how males process and respond to socially relevant auditory stimuli, but few studies have explored this possibility in this taxon. Túngara frogs produce a "whine" that is used for species recognition; in competition with other males they append one or more attractive "chucks" to the whine. Frequency modulation in the whine is an important cue for recognizing conspecifics, and gating of conspecific signals begins in the auditory midbrain. We used dynamic playback experiments to investigate the effects of exogenous AVT on males' responses to stimuli with species-typical and altered frequency modulation. We used avoidance of call overlap as evidence that a male recognizes a stimulus as salient and the production of attractive chucks as evidence of his competitive response to a proximate rival. We used call rate, whine duration, and whine frequency as measures of motivation and motor production. Males responded selectively to a stimulus with species-typical frequency modulation. Following treatment with AVT, they increased call rate and altered whines and chucks in a way that suggests increased air flow during the whine. We did not, however, find evidence that treatment with AVT alters the salience of frequency modulation in recognizing and responding to acoustic signals, at least for the stimuli used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Kime
- Department of Biological Sciences, Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711, USA.
| | - Sandra Goutte
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, 45 rue d'Ulm, Paris, France.
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway Avenue C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama.
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24
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Jones PL, Divoll TJ, Dixon MM, Aparicio D, Cohen G, Mueller UG, Ryan MJ, Page RA. Sensory ecology of the frog-eating bat, Trachops cirrhosus, from DNA metabarcoding and behavior. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Metabarcoding of prey DNA from fecal samples can be used to design behavioral experiments to study the foraging behavior and sensory ecology of predators. The frog-eating bat, Trachops cirrhosus, eavesdrops on the mating calls of its anuran prey. We captured wild T. cirrhosus and identified prey remains in the bats’ fecal samples using DNA metabarcoding of two gene regions (CO1 and 16S). Bats were preying on frogs previously unknown in their diet, such as species in the genus Pristimantis, which occurred in 29% of T. cirrhosus samples. Twenty-three percent of samples also contained DNA of Anolis lizards. We additionally report apparently rare predation events on hummingbirds and heterospecific bats. We used results from metabarcoding to design acoustic and 3D model stimuli to present to bats in behavioral experiments. We show predatory responses by T. cirrhosus to the calls of the frog Pristimantis taeniatus and to the rustling sounds of anoles moving through leaf-litter, as well as attacks on a stuffed hummingbird and a plastic anole model. The combination of species-specific dietary information from metabarcoding analyses with behavioral responses to prey cues provides a unique window into the foraging ecology of predators that are difficult to observe in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy J Divoll
- Technology Solutions, SWCA Environmental Consultants, 15 Research Dr, Amherst, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
| | - M May Dixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Dineilys Aparicio
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Gregg Cohen
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Ulrich G Mueller
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
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25
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LaBarbera K, Nelson PB, Bee MA. Mate choice and the ‘opposite miss’ to Weber's law: proportional processing governs signal preferences in a treefrog. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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26
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Wilkins MR, Odom KJ, Benedict L, Safran RJ. Analysis of female song provides insight into the evolution of sex differences in a widely studied songbird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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27
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Tanner JC, Bee MA. Inconsistent sexual signaling degrades optimal mating decisions in animals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax3957. [PMID: 32440536 PMCID: PMC7228747 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Like political stump speeches and product advertisements, animal signals are highly repetitive and function to persuade receivers to adopt behaviors benefiting the signaler. And like potential constituents and consumers, receivers assess signals to inform their behavioral decisions. However, inconsistency in sexual signals is widespread and potentially injects uncertainty into mating decisions. Here, we show that females fail to make optimal mating decisions based on assessments of signal quality due to inconsistency in signal production. Natural levels of inconsistency markedly reduced female preference expression for a nonarbitrary signal of male quality. Inconsistency reshaped preferences even more profoundly than the better-known impediment of ambient noise. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of how inconsistent messaging degrades optimal decision-making in animals, with implications for understanding signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C. Tanner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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28
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Flores V, Carter GG, Halczok TK, Kerth G, Page RA. Social structure and relatedness in the fringe-lipped bat ( Trachops cirrhosus). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192256. [PMID: 32431896 PMCID: PMC7211832 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
General insights into the causes and effects of social structure can be gained from comparative analyses across socially and ecologically diverse taxa, such as bats, but long-term data are lacking for most species. In the neotropical fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus, social transmission of foraging behaviour is clearly demonstrated in captivity, yet its social structure in the wild remains unclear. Here, we used microsatellite-based estimates of relatedness and records of 157 individually marked adults from 106 roost captures over 6 years, to infer whether male and female T. cirrhosus have preferred co-roosting associations and whether such associations were influenced by relatedness. Using a null model that controlled for year and roosting location, we found that both male and female T. cirrhosus have preferred roosting partners, but that only females demonstrate kin-biased association. Most roosting groups (67%) contained multiple females with one or two reproductive males. Relatedness patterns and recapture records corroborate genetic evidence for female philopatry and male dispersal. Our study adds to growing evidence that many bats demonstrate preferred roosting associations, which has the potential to influence social information transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Flores
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tanja K. Halczok
- Greifswald University, Zoological Institute and Museum, Soldmannstr. 14, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Greifswald University, Zoological Institute and Museum, Soldmannstr. 14, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rachel A. Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
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29
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Dougherty LR. Designing mate choice experiments. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:759-781. [PMID: 32022418 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The important role that mate choice plays in the lives of animals is matched by the large and active research field dedicated to studying it. Researchers work on a wide range of species and behaviours, and so the experimental approaches used to measure animal mate choice are highly variable. Importantly, these differences are often not purely cosmetic; they can strongly influence the measurement of choice, for example by varying the behaviour of animals during tests, the aspects of choice actually measured, and statistical power. Consideration of these effects are important when comparing results among studies using different types of test, or when using laboratory results to predict animal behaviour in natural populations. However, these effects have been underappreciated by the mate choice literature to date. I focus on five key experimental considerations that may influence choice: (i) should mating be allowed to occur, or should a proxy behavioural measure of preference be used instead? (ii) Should subjects be given a choice of options? (iii) Should each subject be tested more than once, either with the same or different stimuli? (iv) When given a choice, how many options should the subject choose between? (v) What form should the experimental stimuli take? I discuss the practical advantages and disadvantages of common experimental approaches, and how they may influence the measurement of mate choice in systematic ways. Different approaches often influence the ability of animals to perceive and compare stimuli presented during tests, or the perceived costs and benefits of being choosy. Given that variation in the design of mate choice experiments is likely unavoidable, I emphasise that there is no single 'correct' approach to measuring choice across species, although ecological relevance is crucial if the aim is to understand how choice acts in natural populations. I also highlight the need for quantitative estimates of the sizes of potentially important effects, without which we cannot make informed design decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
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30
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Sun X, Zhao L, Chen Q, Wang J, Cui J. Auditory sensitivity changes with diurnal temperature variation in little torrent frogs (Amolops torrentis). BIOACOUSTICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2019.1662845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Sun
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Longhui Zhao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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31
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Ryan MJ, Akre KL, Baugh AT, Bernal XE, Lea AM, Leslie C, Still MB, Wylie DC, Rand AS. Nineteen Years of Consistently Positive and Strong Female Mate Preferences despite Individual Variation. Am Nat 2019; 194:125-134. [DOI: 10.1086/704103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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32
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33
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Dixon MM, Hulgard K, Ratcliffe JM, Page RA. Habituation and ecological salience: insights into the foraging ecology of the fringed-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2700-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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34
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Effects of information load on response times in frogs and bats: mate choice vs. prey choice. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2726-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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35
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Smit JAH, Loning H, Ryan MJ, Halfwerk W. Environmental constraints on size-dependent signaling affects mating and rival interactions. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Advertisement signals can convey information about a sender’s characteristics, such as body size. The reliability of signals, however, can be reduced when signal production is partially dependent on the environment. Here, we assess the effect of display-site properties on the production, attractiveness and honesty of sexual signals. We recorded male túngara frogs (Physalaemus pustulosus) while manipulating water levels in order to constrain calling. We found that water level affected male call properties in a size-dependent manner, with call amplitude being less affected in smaller males when forced to call in shallow water. Next, we tested how size-dependent and display-site-dependent signaling affected female choice and rival competition. Both males and females showed the strongest response to the call of a large male when he was calling at the deepest water levels. However, females showed no preference for large over small males when both were recorded in shallow water levels, or, depending on the call rate and timing of calls, even preferred small males. Likewise, males responded equally to large and small rivals recorded calling during shallow water level trials. Our experiments show that display-site properties can influence signal production and attractiveness in a size-dependent manner. These results can have important consequences for the evolution of signaling, as small males may be able to use their size to their advantage when selecting appropriate display sites and thereby outcompete large males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A H Smit
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo Loning
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
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36
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Lechner A, Schlößer HA, Thelen M, Wennhold K, Rothschild SI, Gilles R, Quaas A, Siefer OG, Huebbers CU, Cukuroglu E, Göke J, Hillmer A, Gathof B, Meyer MF, Klussmann JP, Shimabukuro-Vornhagen A, Theurich S, Beutner D, von Bergwelt-Baildon M. Tumor-associated B cells and humoral immune response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2019; 8:1535293. [PMID: 30723574 PMCID: PMC6350680 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1535293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
B lymphocytes are important players in immune responses to cancer. However, their composition and function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not been well described. Here, we analyzed B cell subsets in HNSCC (n = 38), non-cancerous mucosa (n = 14) and peripheral blood from HNSCC patients (n = 38) and healthy controls (n = 20) by flow cytometry. Intratumoral B cells contained high percentages of activated (CD86+), antigen-presenting (CD86+/CD21-) and memory B cells (IgD-/CD27+). T follicular helper cells (CD4+/CXCR5+/CD45RA-/CCR7-) as key components of tertiary lymphoid structures and plasma cells made up high percentages of the lymphocyte infiltrate. Percentages of regulatory B cell varied depending on the regulatory phenotype. Analysis of humoral immune responses against 23 tumor-associated antigens (TAA) showed reactivity against at least one antigen in 56% of HNSCC patients. Reactivity was less frequent in human papillomavirus associated (HPV+) patients and healthy controls compared to HPV negative (HPV-) HNSCC. Likewise, patients with early stage HNSCC or MHC-I loss on tumor cells had low TAA responses. Patients with TAA responses showed CD4+ dominated T cell infiltration compared to mainly CD8+ T cells in tumors without detected TAA response. To summarize, our data demonstrates different immune infiltration patterns in relation to serological TAA response detection and the presence of B cell subpopulations in HNSCC that can engage in tumor promoting and antitumor activity. In view of increasing use of immunotherapeutic approaches, it will be important to include B cells into comprehensive phenotypic and functional analyses of tumor-associated lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Lechner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans A. Schlößer
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wennhold
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sacha I. Rothschild
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ramona Gilles
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oliver G. Siefer
- Jean-Uhrmacher-Institute for Clinical ENT Research, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian U. Huebbers
- Jean-Uhrmacher-Institute for Clinical ENT Research, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Engin Cukuroglu
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Göke
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore
- National Cancer Centre, Singapore
| | - Axel Hillmer
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Birgit Gathof
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Moritz F. Meyer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens P. Klussmann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Shimabukuro-Vornhagen
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sebastian Theurich
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cancer- and Immunometabolism Research Group, Dept. I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk Beutner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Georg August University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- Cologne Interventional Immunology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Georg August University, Goettingen, Germany
- Partner Site, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Ryan MJ, Page RA, Hunter KL, Taylor RC. ‘Crazy love’: nonlinearity and irrationality in mate choice. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Adaptive changes in sexual signalling in response to urbanization. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 3:374-380. [PMID: 30532046 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0751-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Urbanization can cause species to adjust their sexual displays, because the effectiveness of mating signals is influenced by environmental conditions. Despite many examples that show that mating signals in urban conditions differ from those in rural conditions, we do not know whether these differences provide a combined reproductive and survival benefit to the urban phenotype. Here we show that male túngara frogs have increased the conspicuousness of their calls, which is under strong sexual and natural selection by signal receivers, as an adaptive response to city life. The urban phenotype consequently attracts more females than the forest phenotype, while avoiding the costs that are imposed by eavesdropping bats and midges, which we show are rare in urban areas. Finally, we show in a translocation experiment that urban frogs can reduce risk of predation and parasitism when moved to the forest, but that forest frogs do not increase their sexual attractiveness when moved to the city. Our findings thus reveal that urbanization can rapidly drive adaptive signal change via changes in both natural and sexual selection pressures.
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Guo R, Zhang W, Yang Y, Ding J, Yang W, Zhang Y. Variation of fitness and reproductive strategy in male Bufo raddei under environmental heavy metal pollution. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 164:253-260. [PMID: 30121500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution is known to adversely affect amphibian reproduction and survival, however, the knowledge of environmental heavy metal pollution on fitness of male amphibian is largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the variation in fitness of male Bufo raddei, a widespread anuran in northwest China, subjected to long-term heavy metal stress in Baiyin (BY) city. BY is heavily polluted by heavy metals mainly copper, zinc, lead and cadmium; meanwhile, Liujiaxia (LJX), a relatively unpolluted area, was chosen as control. Differences in advertisement call, larynx size, breeding glands size, as well as forearm force during courtship and amplexus in male B. raddei between the two populations were analyzed. The results revealed a competitive advantage in advertisement call in BY population, together with larger breeding glands size and forearm force, which demonstrated a relatively higher fitness. Using skeletochronological analysis, we found that more than 40% of males from BY began to breed at 2 years old, which was only 6.93% for males from LJX. Correspondingly, the average age for all males participate in breeding was younger from BY than from LJX. Not surprisingly, males from BY showed a relatively lower body condition. All these results illustrated males from BY invested more in reproduction to increase fitness at the cost of health and survival. This reproductive trade-off might ultimately influence stability of B. raddei population because of the environmental heavy metal pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Wenya Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
| | - Ying Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Wenzhi Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Yingmei Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
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41
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Rho H, Doty SL, Kim SH. Estimating microbial respiratory CO 2 from endophytic bacteria in rice. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2018; 13:e1500067. [PMID: 30081765 PMCID: PMC6149460 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1500067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Endophytes are symbiotic microbes that live inside host plants. These endophytic symbionts receive photosynthesized carbohydrates from host plants while conferring symbiotic benefits to their host. During photosynthate-fueled respiration, endophytes release CO2 into the intercellular spaces of their host plants in which they reside. We evaluated the possibility for host plants' re-assimilation of microbial respiratory CO2. In planta and in vitro assays were conducted to examine respiratory characteristics of endophyte-symbiotic plants. Endophyte-inoculated plants had a greater in planta respiration rate. In vitro data demonstrated that respiration rates of endophytes are dependent on the total amount of endophytes and the concentration of carbohydrate supply. Assuming the host plant offers sufficient carbohydrates, we estimate that CO2 produced during microbial respiration in planta accounts for about 57% of the CO2 assimilated by the photosynthetic pathways of the symbiotic plant. This suggests that endophytes can produce significant amounts of CO2, which could then be re-assimilated by host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungmin Rho
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sharon Lafferty Doty
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Soo-Hyung Kim
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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42
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Kime NM, Ryan MJ, Wilson PS. Modelling the production of complex calls in the túngara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus). BIOACOUSTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2018.1458249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Kime
- Department of Biological Sciences, Edgewood College, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael J. Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - Preston S. Wilson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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43
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Xue F, Yue X, Fan Y, Cui J, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Fang G. Auditory neural networks involved in attention modulation prefer biologically significant sounds and exhibit sexual dimorphism in anurans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.167775. [PMID: 29361582 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Allocating attention to biologically relevant stimuli in a complex environment is critically important for survival and reproductive success. In humans, attention modulation is regulated by the frontal cortex, and is often reflected by changes in specific components of the event-related potential (ERP). Although brain networks for attention modulation have been widely studied in primates and avian species, little is known about attention modulation in amphibians. The present study aimed to investigate the attention modulation networks in an anuran species, the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina). Male music frogs produce advertisement calls from within underground nest burrows that modify the acoustic features of the calls, and both males and females prefer calls produced from inside burrows. We broadcast call stimuli to male and female music frogs while simultaneously recording electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the telencephalon and mesencephalon. Granger causal connectivity analysis was used to elucidate functional brain networks within the time window of ERP components. The results show that calls produced from inside nests which are highly sexually attractive result in the strongest brain connections; both ascending and descending connections involving the left telencephalon were stronger in males while those in females were stronger with the right telencephalon. Our findings indicate that the frog brain allocates neural attention resources to highly attractive sounds within the window of early components of ERP, and that such processing is sexually dimorphic, presumably reflecting the different reproductive strategies of males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xue
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China.,Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 26 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, People's Republic of China
| | - Xizi Yue
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhu Fan
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China
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44
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Van Ruijssevelt L, Chen Y, von Eugen K, Hamaide J, De Groof G, Verhoye M, Güntürkün O, Woolley SC, Van der Linden A. fMRI Reveals a Novel Region for Evaluating Acoustic Information for Mate Choice in a Female Songbird. Curr Biol 2018; 28:711-721.e6. [PMID: 29478859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Selection of sexual partners is among the most critical decisions that individuals make and is therefore strongly shaped by evolution. In social species, where communication signals can convey substantial information about the identity, state, or quality of the signaler, accurate interpretation of communication signals for mate choice is crucial. Despite the importance of social information processing, to date, relatively little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to sexual decision making and preferences. In this study, we used a combination of whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), immediate early gene expression, and behavior tests to identify the circuits that are important for the perception and evaluation of courtship songs in a female songbird, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Female zebra finches are sensitive to subtle differences in male song performance and strongly prefer the longer, faster, and more stereotyped courtship songs to non-courtship renditions. Using BOLD fMRI and EGR1 expression assays, we uncovered a novel region involved in auditory perceptual decision making located in a sensory integrative region of the avian central nidopallium outside the traditionally studied auditory forebrain pathways. Changes in activity in this region in response to acoustically similar but categorically divergent stimuli showed stronger parallels to behavioral responses than an auditory sensory region. These data highlight a potential role for the caudocentral nidopallium (NCC) as a novel node in the avian circuitry underlying the evaluation of acoustic signals and their use in mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth Van Ruijssevelt
- Bio-Imaging lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Yining Chen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Kaya von Eugen
- AE Biopsychologie, Fakultät für Psychologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Geert De Groof
- Bio-Imaging lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- AE Biopsychologie, Fakultät für Psychologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Sarah C Woolley
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1B1, Canada.
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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45
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Corral-López A, Kotrschal A, Kolm N. Selection for relative brain size affects context-dependent male preferences, but not discrimination, of female body size in guppies. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.175240. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.175240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding what drives animal decisions is fundamental in evolutionary biology, and mate choice decisions are arguably some of the most important decisions in any individual's life. As cognitive ability can impact decision-making, elucidating the link between mate choice and cognitive ability is necessary to fully understand mate choice. To experimentally study this link, we used guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for divergence in relative brain size and with previously demonstrated differences in cognitive ability. A previous test in our female guppy selection lines demonstrated the impact of brain size and cognitive ability on information processing during female mate choice decisions. Here we evaluated the effect of brain size and cognitive ability on male mate choice decisions. Specifically, we investigated the preferences of large-brained, small-brained, and non-selected guppy males for female body size, a key indicator of female fecundity in this species. For this, male preferences were quantified in dichotomous choice tests when presented to dyads of females with small, medium and large body size differences. All types of males showed preference for larger females but no effect of brain size was found in the ability to discriminate between differently sized females. However, we found that non-selected and large-brained males, but not small-brained males, showed context-dependent preferences for larger females depending on the difference in female size. Our results have two important implications. First, they provide further evidence that male mate choice occurs also in a species in which secondary sexual ornamentation occurs only in males. Second, they show that brain size and cognitive ability have important effects on individual variation in mating preferences and sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Corral-López
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B. SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B. SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B. SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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46
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Zhu B, Wang J, Sun Z, Yang Y, Wang T, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Cui J. Competitive pressures affect sexual signal complexity in Kurixalus odontotarsus: insights into the evolution of compound calls. Biol Open 2017; 6:1913-1918. [PMID: 29175862 PMCID: PMC5769655 DOI: 10.1242/bio.028928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Male-male vocal competition in anuran species is critical for mating success; however, it is also energetically demanding and highly time-consuming. Thus, we hypothesized that males may change signal elaboration in response to competition in real time. Male serrate-legged small treefrogs (Kurixalus odontotarsus) produce compound calls that contain two kinds of notes, harmonic sounds called ‘A notes’ and short broadband sounds called ‘B notes’. Using male evoked vocal response experiments, we found that competition influences the temporal structure and complexity of vocal signals produced by males. Males produce calls with a higher ratio of notes:call, and more compound calls including more A notes but fewer B notes with contest escalation. In doing so, males minimize the energy costs and maximize the benefits of competition when the level of competition is high. This means that the evolution of sexual signal complexity in frogs may be susceptible to selection for plasticity related to adjusting performance to the pressures of competition, and supports the idea that more complex social contexts can lead to greater vocal complexity. Summary: Competitive pressure influences the temporal structure and complexity of vocal signals. The evolution of sexual signal complexity may be susceptible to selection for plasticity related to adjusting performance to the level of competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
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47
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Stange N, Page RA, Ryan MJ, Taylor RC. Interactions between complex multisensory signal components result in unexpected mate choice responses. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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48
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Halfwerk W, Smit JAH, Loning H, Lea AM, Geipel I, Ellers J, Ryan MJ. Environmental conditions limit attractiveness of a complex sexual signal in the túngara frog. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1891. [PMID: 29192162 PMCID: PMC5709490 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02067-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals choosing particular display sites often balance sexual and natural selection pressures. Here we assess how physical properties of display sites can alter this balance by influencing signal production and attractiveness of the túngara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus). Males that call from very shallow water bodies (few mm depth) benefit from reduced predation risk, but by manipulating water levels, we show that this comes at a cost of reduced attractiveness to females. Our data show that calling from shallower water reduces a male’s ability to float, limits the inflation of his vocal sac, and consequently reduces signal conspicuousness in terms of amplitude and complexity. Our results demonstrate that display site properties can set limits on signal production and attractiveness and may hence influence signal evolution. Signallers may shift between sites or engineer their display location, which can play a crucial role in signal divergence and speciation, particularly in a rapidly changing world. Animal sexual signals should be conspicuous to mates but not to enemies. Here, the authors show that call site properties can set limits on the attractiveness of male frogs' advertisement call, but that males may balance sexual success over predation risk by digging deeper puddles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
| | - Judith A H Smit
- Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo Loning
- Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda M Lea
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Inga Geipel
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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49
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Akopyan M, Kaiser K, Vega A, Savant NG, Owen CY, Dudgeon SR, Robertson JM. Melodic males and flashy females: Geographic variation in male and female reproductive behavior in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas
). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Akopyan
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
| | - Kristine Kaiser
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
- Department of Biology; Pomona College; Claremont CA USA
| | | | - Neha G. Savant
- Department of Biology; Pomona College; Claremont CA USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | | | - Steven R. Dudgeon
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
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50
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Zhu B, Wang J, Zhao L, Chen Q, Sun Z, Yang Y, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Cui J. Male-male competition and female choice are differentially affected by male call acoustics in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3980. [PMID: 29104826 PMCID: PMC5669260 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The evolution of exaggerated vocal signals in anuran species is an important topic. Males and females have both evolved the ability to discriminate communication sounds. However, the nature of sexual dimorphism in cognition and sensory discrimination and in the evolution and limitation of sexual signal exaggeration remain relatively unexplored. Methods In the present study, we used male calls of varied complexity in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus, as probes to investigate how both sexes respond to variations in call complexity and how sex differences in signal discrimination play a role in the evolution of sexual signal exaggeration. The compound calls of male K. odontotarsus consist of a series of one or more harmonic notes (A notes) which may be followed by one or more short broadband notes (B notes). Results Male playback experiments and female phonotaxis tests showed that increasing the number of A notes in stimulus calls elicits increased numbers of response calls by males and increases the attractiveness of the stimulus calls to females. The addition of B notes, however, reduces male calling responses. Moreover, call stimuli which contain only B notes suppress spontaneous male calling responses. Phonotaxis experiments show that females prefer calls with greater numbers of A notes and calls containing both A notes and B notes, but do not prefer calls with only B notes. Discussion Male-male competition and female choice appear to have played different roles in the evolution and limitation of signal complexity in K. odontotarsus. These results provide new insights into how exaggerated compound signals evolve and how signal complexity may be limited in anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Longhui Zhao
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- Ministry of Environmental Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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