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Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Ripollés-Lobo M, Bartolomé E, Perdomo-González DI, Valera M. The Relevance of the Expected Value of the Proportion of Arabian Genes in Genetic Evaluations for Eventing Competitions. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1973. [PMID: 37370483 DOI: 10.3390/ani13121973] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arabian horse is a generally reliable sport horse, and continues to be a remarkable endurance horse, so the relevance of the expected value of the proportion of Arabian genes (EV%AG) in horses participating in eventing could be a relevant factor. A total of 1089 horses participating in eventing (8866 records) were used. A GLM revealed that the EV%AG was significant in dressage, show jumping and cross-country. A BLUP genetic evaluation was computed with five genetic models (without the EV%AG (0) using as a covariate (A), as a fixed effect (B), with variance heterogeneity, and in genetic groups without (C) and with (D)). Dressage heritability ranged from 0.103 to 0.210, show jumping ranged from 0.117 to 0.203 and cross-country ranged from 0.070 to 0.099. The lowest DIC value was used as a criterion of fitness. The best fits (those which included variance heterogeneity) showed fewer than two points of difference in DIC values. The highest average estimated breeding value in dressage, show jumping and cross-country was found for horses with an expected value of the proportion of Arabian genes of 0%, ≥1% to <25%, and 100%, respectively. Therefore, the best way to model the EV%AG effect seems to be by considering the variance heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Sánchez-Guerrero
- Departamento de Agronomía, ETSIA, Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Carretera de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - María Ripollés-Lobo
- Departamento de Agronomía, ETSIA, Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Carretera de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ester Bartolomé
- Departamento de Agronomía, ETSIA, Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Carretera de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Mercedes Valera
- Departamento de Agronomía, ETSIA, Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Carretera de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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2
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Nafstad ÅM, Rønning B, Aase K, Ringsby TH, Hagen IJ, Ranke PS, Kvalnes T, Stawski C, Räsänen K, Saether BE, Muff S, Jensen H. Spatial variation in the evolutionary potential and constraints of basal metabolic rate and body mass in a wild bird. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:650-662. [PMID: 36811205 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14164] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
An organism's energy budget is strongly related to resource consumption, performance, and fitness. Hence, understanding the evolution of key energetic traits, such as basal metabolic rate (BMR), in natural populations is central for understanding life-history evolution and ecological processes. Here we used quantitative genetic analyses to study evolutionary potential of BMR in two insular populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We obtained measurements of BMR and body mass (Mb ) from 911 house sparrows on the islands of Leka and Vega along the coast of Norway. These two populations were the source populations for translocations to create an additional third, admixed 'common garden' population in 2012. With the use of a novel genetic group animal model concomitant with a genetically determined pedigree, we differentiate genetic and environmental sources of variation, thereby providing insight into the effects of spatial population structure on evolutionary potential. We found that the evolutionary potential of BMR was similar in the two source populations, whereas the Vega population had a somewhat higher evolutionary potential of Mb than the Leka population. BMR was genetically correlated with Mb in both populations, and the conditional evolutionary potential of BMR (independent of body mass) was 41% (Leka) and 53% (Vega) lower than unconditional estimates. Overall, our results show that there is potential for BMR to evolve independently of Mb , but that selection on BMR and/or Mb may have different evolutionary consequences in different populations of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ådne M Nafstad
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bernt Rønning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kenneth Aase
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ingerid J Hagen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Peter S Ranke
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Katja Räsänen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylän, Finland
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Stefanie Muff
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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3
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Archambeau J, Garzón MB, Barraquand F, Miguel MD, Plomion C, González-Martínez SC. Combining climatic and genomic data improves range-wide tree height growth prediction in a forest tree. Am Nat 2022; 200:E141-E159. [DOI: 10.1086/720619] [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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4
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Aase K, Jensen H, Muff S. Genomic estimation of quantitative genetic parameters in wild admixed populations. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Aase
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Stefanie Muff
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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5
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Genetic variation for upper thermal tolerance diminishes within and between populations with increasing acclimation temperature in Atlantic salmon. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:455-466. [PMID: 34446857 PMCID: PMC8551234 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00469-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations may counteract lasting temperature changes or recurrent extremes through plasticity or adaptation. However, it remains underexplored how outbreeding, either naturally, unintentionally, or facilitated, may modify a local response potential and whether genotype-by-environment interactions or between-trait correlations can restrict this potential. We quantified population differences and outbreeding effects, within-population genetic variation, and plasticity of these, for thermal performance proxy traits using 32 pedigreed wild, domesticated, and wild-domesticated Atlantic salmon families reared under common-garden conditions. Following exposure to ambient cold (11.6 °C) or ~4° and ~8° warmer summer temperatures, populations differed notably for body length and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and for thermal plasticity of length, condition, and CTmax, but not for haematocrit. Line-cross analysis suggested mostly additive and some dominant outbreeding effects on means and solely additive outbreeding effects on plasticity. Heritability was detected for all traits. However, with increasing acclimation temperature, differences in CTmax between populations and CTmax heritability diminished, and CTmax breeding values re-ranked. Furthermore, CTmax and body size were negatively correlated at the genetic and phenotypic levels, and there was indirect evidence for a positive correlation between growth potential and thermal performance breadth for growth. Thus, population differences (including those between wild and domesticated populations) in thermal performance and plasticity may present a genetic resource in addition to the within-population genetic variance to facilitate, or impede, thermal adaptation. However, unfavourable genotype-by-environment interactions and negative between-trait correlations may generally hamper joint evolution in response to an increase in average temperature and temporary extremes.
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6
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Saatoglu D, Niskanen AK, Kuismin M, Ranke PS, Hagen IJ, Araya-Ajoy YG, Kvalnes T, Pärn H, Rønning B, Ringsby TH, Saether BE, Husby A, Sillanpää MJ, Jensen H. Dispersal in a house sparrow metapopulation: An integrative case study of genetic assignment calibrated with ecological data and pedigree information. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4740-4756. [PMID: 34270821 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal has a crucial role determining ecoevolutionary dynamics through both gene flow and population size regulation. However, to study dispersal and its consequences, one must distinguish immigrants from residents. Dispersers can be identified using telemetry, capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods, or genetic assignment methods. All of these methods have disadvantages, such as high costs and substantial field efforts needed for telemetry and CMR surveys, and adequate genetic distance required in genetic assignment. In this study, we used genome-wide 200K Single Nucleotide Polymorphism data and two different genetic assignment approaches (GSI_SIM, Bayesian framework; BONE, network-based estimation) to identify the dispersers in a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) metapopulation sampled over 16 years. Our results showed higher assignment accuracy with BONE. Hence, we proceeded to diagnose potential sources of errors in the assignment results from the BONE method due to variation in levels of interpopulation genetic differentiation, intrapopulation genetic variation and sample size. We show that assignment accuracy is high even at low levels of genetic differentiation and that it increases with the proportion of a population that has been sampled. Finally, we highlight that dispersal studies integrating both ecological and genetic data provide robust assessments of the dispersal patterns in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilan Saatoglu
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Alina K Niskanen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Markku Kuismin
- Research Unit of Mathematical Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Peter S Ranke
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ingerid J Hagen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yimen G Araya-Ajoy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Pärn
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bernt Rønning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arild Husby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mikko J Sillanpää
- Research Unit of Mathematical Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland.,Infotech Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Chang LYL, Palanca-Castan N, Neira D, Palacios AG, Acosta ML. Ocular Health of Octodon degus as a Clinical Marker for Age-Related and Age-Independent Neurodegeneration. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:665467. [PMID: 33927598 PMCID: PMC8076605 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.665467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The aging process and age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are very heterogeneous and multifactorial, making it challenging to diagnose the disease based solely on genetic, behavioral tests, or clinical history. It is yet to be explained what ophthalmological tests relate specifically to aging and AD. To this end, we have selected the common degu (Octodon degus) as a model for aging which develops AD-like signs to conduct ophthalmological screening methods that could be clinical markers of aging and AD. We investigated ocular health using ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, intraocular pressure (IOP), and pupillary light reflex (PLR). The results showed significant presence of cataracts in adult degus and IOP was also found to increase significantly with advancing age. Age had a significant effect on the maximum pupil constriction but other pupil parameters changed in an age-independent manner (PIPR retention index, resting pupil size, constriction velocity, redilation plateau). We concluded that degus have underlying factors at play that regulate PLR and may be connected to sympathetic, parasympathetic, and melanopsin retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) deterioration. This study provides the basis for the use of ocular tests as screening methods for the aging process and monitoring of neurodegeneration in non-invasive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Y-L Chang
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Palanca-Castan
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Neira
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adrian G Palacios
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Santiago, Chile
| | - Monica L Acosta
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,New Zealand National Eye Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Brain Research New Zealand-Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Reid JM, Arcese P, Nietlisbach P, Wolak ME, Muff S, Dickel L, Keller LF. Immigration counter-acts local micro-evolution of a major fitness component: Migration-selection balance in free-living song sparrows. Evol Lett 2021; 5:48-60. [PMID: 33552535 PMCID: PMC7857281 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing adaptive evolution, and resulting “evolutionary rescue” of declining populations, requires additive genetic variation in fitness. Such variation can be increased by gene flow resulting from immigration, potentially facilitating evolution. But, gene flow could in fact constrain rather than facilitate local adaptive evolution if immigrants have low additive genetic values for local fitness. Local migration‐selection balance and micro‐evolutionary stasis could then result. However, key quantitative genetic effects of natural immigration, comprising the degrees to which gene flow increases the total local additive genetic variance yet counteracts local adaptive evolutionary change, have not been explicitly quantified in wild populations. Key implications of gene flow for population and evolutionary dynamics consequently remain unclear. Our quantitative genetic analyses of long‐term data from free‐living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) show that mean breeding value for local juvenile survival to adulthood, a major component of fitness, increased across cohorts more than expected solely due to drift. Such micro‐evolutionary change should be expected given nonzero additive genetic variance and consistent directional selection. However, this evolutionary increase was counteracted by negative additive genetic effects of recent immigrants, which increased total additive genetic variance but prevented a net directional evolutionary increase in total additive genetic value. These analyses imply an approximate quantitative genetic migration‐selection balance in a major fitness component, and hence demonstrate a key mechanism by which substantial additive genetic variation can be maintained yet decoupled from local adaptive evolutionary change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics NTNU Trondheim Norway.,School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Peter Arcese
- Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Pirmin Nietlisbach
- School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University Normal Illinois USA
| | - Matthew E Wolak
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alaska USA
| | - Stefanie Muff
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics NTNU Trondheim Norway.,Department of Mathematical Sciences NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | - Lisa Dickel
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | - Lukas F Keller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology & Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland.,Zoological Museum University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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9
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Selle ML, Steinsland I, Powell O, Hickey JM, Gorjanc G. Spatial modelling improves genetic evaluation in smallholder breeding programs. Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:69. [PMID: 33198636 PMCID: PMC7670695 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-00588-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breeders and geneticists use statistical models to separate genetic and environmental effects on phenotype. A common way to separate these effects is to model a descriptor of an environment, a contemporary group or herd, and account for genetic relationship between animals across environments. However, separating the genetic and environmental effects in smallholder systems is challenging due to small herd sizes and weak genetic connectedness across herds. We hypothesised that accounting for spatial relationships between nearby herds can improve genetic evaluation in smallholder systems. Furthermore, geographically referenced environmental covariates are increasingly available and could model underlying sources of spatial relationships. The objective of this study was therefore, to evaluate the potential of spatial modelling to improve genetic evaluation in dairy cattle smallholder systems. METHODS We performed simulations and real dairy cattle data analysis to test our hypothesis. We modelled environmental variation by estimating herd and spatial effects. Herd effects were considered independent, whereas spatial effects had distance-based covariance between herds. We compared these models using pedigree or genomic data. RESULTS The results show that in smallholder systems (i) standard models do not separate genetic and environmental effects accurately, (ii) spatial modelling increases the accuracy of genetic evaluation for phenotyped and non-phenotyped animals, (iii) environmental covariates do not substantially improve the accuracy of genetic evaluation beyond simple distance-based relationships between herds, (iv) the benefit of spatial modelling was largest when separating the genetic and environmental effects was challenging, and (v) spatial modelling was beneficial when using either pedigree or genomic data. CONCLUSIONS We have demonstrated the potential of spatial modelling to improve genetic evaluation in smallholder systems. This improvement is driven by establishing environmental connectedness between herds, which enhances separation of genetic and environmental effects. We suggest routine spatial modelling in genetic evaluations, particularly for smallholder systems. Spatial modelling could also have a major impact in studies of human and wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L Selle
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Ingelin Steinsland
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Owen Powell
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Hickey
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gregor Gorjanc
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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10
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Reid JM, Arcese P. Recent immigrants alter the quantitative genetic architecture of paternity in song sparrows. Evol Lett 2020; 4:124-136. [PMID: 32313688 PMCID: PMC7156105 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying additive genetic variances and cross‐sex covariances in reproductive traits, and identifying processes that shape and maintain such (co)variances, is central to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of reproductive systems. Gene flow resulting from among‐population dispersal could substantially alter additive genetic variances and covariances in key traits in recipient populations, thereby altering forms of sexual conflict, indirect selection, and evolutionary responses. However, the degree to which genes imported by immigrants do in fact affect quantitative genetic architectures of key reproductive traits and outcomes is rarely explicitly quantified. We applied structured quantitative genetic analyses to multiyear pedigree, pairing, and paternity data from free‐living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to quantify the differences in mean breeding values for major sex‐specific reproductive traits, specifically female extra‐pair reproduction and male paternity loss, between recent immigrants and the previously existing population. We thereby quantify effects of natural immigration on the means, variances, and cross‐sex covariance in total additive genetic values for extra‐pair paternity arising within the complex socially monogamous but genetically polygynandrous reproductive system. Recent immigrants had lower mean breeding values for male paternity loss, and somewhat lower values for female extra‐pair reproduction, than the local recipient population, and would therefore increase the emerging degree of reproductive fidelity of social pairings. Furthermore, immigration increased the variances in total additive genetic values for these traits, but decreased the magnitudes of the negative cross‐sex genetic covariation and correlation below those evident in the existing population. Immigration thereby increased the total additive genetic variance but could decrease the magnitude of indirect selection acting on sex‐specific contributions to paternity outcomes. These results demonstrate that dispersal and resulting immigration and gene flow can substantially affect quantitative genetic architectures of complex local reproductive systems, implying that comprehensive theoretical and empirical efforts to understand mating system dynamics will need to incorporate spatial population processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics NTNU Trondheim Norway.,School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen United Kingdom
| | - Peter Arcese
- Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
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