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Wright DS, Manel AN, Guachamin-Rosero M, Chamba-Vaca P, Bacquet CN, Merrill RM. Quantifying visual acuity in Heliconius butterflies. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230476. [PMID: 38087940 PMCID: PMC10716659 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heliconius butterflies are well-known for their colourful wing patterns, which advertise distastefulness to potential predators and are used during mate choice. However, the relative importance of different aspects of these signals will depend on the visual abilities of Heliconius and their predators. Previous studies have investigated colour sensitivity and neural anatomy, but visual acuity (the ability to perceive detail) has not been studied in these butterflies. Here, we provide the first estimate of visual acuity in Heliconius: from a behavioural optomotor assay, we found that mean visual acuity = 0.49 cycles-per-degree (cpd), with higher acuity in males than females. We also examined eye morphology and report more ommatidia in male eyes. Finally, we estimated how visual acuity affects Heliconius visual perception compared to a potential avian predator. Whereas the bird predator maintained high resolving power, Heliconius lost the ability to resolve detail at greater distances, though colours may remain salient. These results will inform future studies of Heliconius wing pattern evolution, as well as other aspects in these highly visual butterflies, which have emerged as an important system in studies of adaptation and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shane Wright
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anupama Nayak Manel
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michelle Guachamin-Rosero
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Pamela Chamba-Vaca
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | | | - Richard M. Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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2
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Borrero J, Wright DS, Bacquet CN, Merrill RM. Oviposition behavior is not affected by ultraviolet light in a butterfly with sexually-dimorphic expression of a UV-sensitive opsin. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10243. [PMID: 37408633 PMCID: PMC10318619 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal vision is important for mediating multiple complex behaviors. In Heliconius butterflies, vision guides fundamental behaviors such as oviposition, foraging, and mate choice. Color vision in Heliconius involves ultraviolet (UV), blue and long-wavelength-sensitive photoreceptors (opsins). Additionally, Heliconius possess a duplicated UV opsin, and its expression varies widely within the genus. In Heliconius erato, opsin expression is sexually dimorphic; only females express both UV-sensitive opsins, enabling UV wavelength discrimination. However, the selective pressures responsible for sex-specific differences in opsin expression and visual perception remain unresolved. Female Heliconius invest heavily in finding suitable hostplants for oviposition, a behavior heavily dependent on visual cues. Here, we tested the hypothesis that UV vision is important for oviposition in H. erato and Heliconius himera females by manipulating the availability of UV in behavioral experiments under natural conditions. Our results indicate that UV does not influence the number of oviposition attempts or eggs laid, and the hostplant, Passiflora punctata, does not reflect UV wavelengths. Models of H. erato female vision suggest only minimal stimulation of the UV opsins. Overall, these findings suggest that UV wavelengths do not directly affect the ability of Heliconius females to find suitable oviposition sites. Alternatively, UV discrimination could be used in the context of foraging or mate choice, but this remains to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Borrero
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
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3
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Lorioux-Chevalier U, Tuanama Valles M, Gallusser S, Mori Pezo R, Chouteau M. Unexpected colour pattern variation in mimetic frogs: implication for the diversification of warning signals in the genus Ranitomeya. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:230354. [PMID: 37293365 PMCID: PMC10245201 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Predation is expected to promote uniformity in the warning coloration of defended prey, but also mimicry convergence between aposematic species. Despite selection constraining both colour-pattern and population divergence, many aposematic animals display numerous geographically structured populations with distinct warning signal. Here, we explore the extent of phenotypic variation of sympatric species of Ranitomeya poison frogs and test for theoretical expectations on variation and convergence in mimetic signals. We demonstrate that both warning signal and mimetic convergence are highly variable and are negatively correlated: some localities display high variability and no mimicry while in others the phenotype is fixed and mimicry is perfect. Moreover, variation in warning signals is always present within localities, and in many cases this variation overlaps between populations, such that variation is continuous. Finally, we show that coloration is consistently the least variable element and is likely of greater importance for predator avoidance compared to patterning. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of warning signal diversification and suggest that, like many other locally adapted traits, a combination of standing genetic variation and founding effect might be sufficient to enable divergence in colour pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mario Tuanama Valles
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Stephanie Gallusser
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Ronald Mori Pezo
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica de las Cordilleras Orientales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Mathieu Chouteau
- LEEISA, UAR 3456, Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
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4
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Gauthier J, Meier J, Legeai F, McClure M, Whibley A, Bretaudeau A, Boulain H, Parrinello H, Mugford ST, Durbin R, Zhou C, McCarthy S, Wheat CW, Piron-Prunier F, Monsempes C, François MC, Jay P, Noûs C, Persyn E, Jacquin-Joly E, Meslin C, Montagné N, Lemaitre C, Elias M. First chromosome scale genomes of ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Ithomiini): Comparative models for mimicry genetic studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:872-885. [PMID: 36533297 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ithomiine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Danainae) represent the largest known radiation of Müllerian mimetic butterflies. They dominate by number the mimetic butterfly communities, which include species such as the iconic neotropical Heliconius genus. Recent studies on the ecology and genetics of speciation in Ithomiini have suggested that sexual pheromones, colour pattern and perhaps hostplant could drive reproductive isolation. However, no reference genome was available for Ithomiini, which has hindered further exploration on the genetic architecture of these candidate traits, and more generally on the genomic patterns of divergence. Here, we generated high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies for two Melinaea species, M. marsaeus and M. menophilus, and a draft genome of the species Ithomia salapia. We obtained genomes with a size ranging from 396 to 503 Mb across the three species and scaffold N50 of 40.5 and 23.2 Mb for the two chromosome-scale assemblies. Using collinearity analyses we identified massive rearrangements between the two closely related Melinaea species. An annotation of transposable elements and gene content was performed, as well as a specialist annotation to target chemosensory genes, which is crucial for host plant detection and mate recognition in mimetic species. A comparative genomic approach revealed independent gene expansions in ithomiines and particularly in gustatory receptor genes. These first three genomes of ithomiine mimetic butterflies constitute a valuable addition and a welcome comparison to existing biological models such as Heliconius, and will enable further understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation in butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joana Meier
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Annabel Whibley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anthony Bretaudeau
- BIPAA, IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Hélène Boulain
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hugues Parrinello
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Sam T Mugford
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Chenxi Zhou
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Shane McCarthy
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Florence Piron-Prunier
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Christelle Monsempes
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Christine François
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul Jay
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Bâtiment 360, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | | | - Emma Persyn
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, St Pierre, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Camille Meslin
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Marianne Elias
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
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5
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Hausmann AE, Freire M, Alfthan SA, Kuo CY, Linares M, McMillan O, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C, Merrill RM. Does sexual conflict contribute to the evolution of novel warning patterns? J Evol Biol 2023; 36:563-578. [PMID: 36702779 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Why warning patterns are so diverse is an enduring evolutionary puzzle. Because predators associate particular patterns with unpleasant experiences, an individual's predation risk should decrease as the local density of its warning pattern increases, promoting pattern monomorphism. Distasteful Heliconius butterflies are known for their diversity of warning patterns. Here, we explore whether interlocus sexual conflict can contribute to their diversification. Male Heliconius use warning patterns as mating cues, but mated females may suffer costs if this leads to disturbance, favouring novel patterns. Using simulations, we show that under our model conditions drift alone is unlikely to cause pattern diversification, but that sexual conflict can assist such a process. We also find that genetic architecture influences the evolution of male preferences, which track changes in warning pattern due to sexual selection. When male attraction imposes costs on females, this affects the speed at which novel pattern alleles increase. In two experiments, females laid fewer eggs with males present. However, although males in one experiment showed less interest in females with manipulated patterns, we found no evidence that female colouration mitigates sex-specific costs. Overall, male attraction to conspecific warning patterns may impose an unrecognized cost on Heliconius females, but further work is required to determine this experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Hausmann
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Marília Freire
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Sara A Alfthan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Chi-Yun Kuo
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Carolina Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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6
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Maisonneuve L, Smadi C, Llaurens V. Evolutionary origins of sexual dimorphism: Lessons from female-limited mimicry in butterflies. Evolution 2022; 76:2404-2423. [PMID: 36005294 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The striking female-limited mimicry observed in some butterfly species is a text-book example of sexually dimorphic trait submitted to intense natural selection. Two main evolutionary hypotheses, based on natural and sexual selection respectively, have been proposed. Predation pressure favoring mimicry toward defended species could be higher in females because of their slower flight, and thus overcome developmental constraints favoring the ancestral trait that limits the evolution of mimicry in males but not in females. Alternatively, the evolution of mimicry in males could be limited by female preference for non-mimetic males. However, the evolutionary origin of female preference for non-mimetic males remains unclear. Here, we hypothesize that costly sexual interactions between individuals from distinct sympatric species might intensify because of mimicry, therefore promoting female preference for non-mimetic trait. Using a mathematical model, we compare the evolution of female-limited mimicry when assuming either alternative selective hypotheses. We show that the patterns of divergence of male and female trait from the ancestral traits can differ between these selection regimes. We specifically highlight that divergence in female trait is not a signature of the effect of natural selection. Our results also evidence why female-limited mimicry is more frequently observed in Batesian mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Maisonneuve
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Charline Smadi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM, France, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, 38402.,Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut Fourier, Gières, 38610, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France
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7
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Pereira Martins AR, Martins LP, Ho W, McMillan WO, Ready JS, Barrett R. Scale-dependent environmental effects on phenotypic distributions in Heliconius butterflies. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9286. [PMID: 36177141 PMCID: PMC9471044 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying the relative importance of different mechanisms responsible for the emergence and maintenance of phenotypic diversity can be challenging, as multiple selective pressures and stochastic events are involved in these processes. Therefore, testing how environmental conditions shape the distribution of phenotypes can offer important insights on local adaptation, divergence, and speciation. The red-yellow Müllerian mimicry ring of Heliconius butterflies exhibits a wide diversity of color patterns across the Neotropics and is involved in multiple hybrid zones, making it a powerful system to investigate environmental drivers of phenotypic distributions. Using the distantly related Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene co-mimics and a multiscale distribution approach, we investigated whether distinct phenotypes of these species are associated with different environmental conditions. We show that Heliconius red-yellow phenotypic distribution is strongly driven by environmental gradients (especially thermal and precipitation variables), but that phenotype and environment associations vary with spatial scale. While co-mimics are usually predicted to occur in similar environments at large spatial scales, patterns at local scales are not always consistent (i.e., different variables are best predictors of phenotypic occurrence in different locations) or congruent (i.e., co-mimics show distinct associations with environment). We suggest that large-scale analyses are important for identifying how environmental factors shape broad mimetic phenotypic distributions, but that local studies are essential to understand the context-dependent biotic, abiotic, and historical mechanisms driving finer-scale phenotypic transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda R. Pereira Martins
- Redpath MuseumMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada,Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Lucas P. Martins
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | | | | | - Jonathan S. Ready
- Instituto de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal do ParáBelémBrazil
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8
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Betancourth-Cundar M, Palacios-Rodriguez P. Reproductive behaviors promote ecological and phenotypic sexual differentiation in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10207-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTerritoriality and parental care are complex reproductive behaviors found in many taxa from insects to mammals. Parental care can be carried out by the female, the male, or both, depending on the species. Territoriality, in contrast, is predominantly displayed by males. Different selective pressures imposed on individuals from the sex performing territorial or parental care behaviors may also lead to sexual differentiation in other life-history traits. Due to their territorial behavior and their diversity of parental care behaviors, Neotropical poison frogs are an excellent study system to investigate whether behavioral traits can influence sexual differentiation in intrinsic or extrinsic traits of individuals. Here, we evaluate whether territorial and parental care behaviors mediate sexual differentiation in ecological (habitat use) and phenotypic (coloration, morphology) traits in the critically endangered Lehmann’s poison frog (Oophaga lehmanni), a species in which males defend territories while females provide parental care. We found sex differences in habitat use and morphological traits, but not in coloration. Males use trunks and green leaves as perches more frequently and are found on higher substrates, than females. We found no sex differences in body size, but females have longer arms than males, which is probably associated with their parental duties (climbing trees to feed the tadpoles). Altogether, our results provide evidence that selection pressures act differently on male and female traits, and that territoriality and parental care may promote the evolution of sexual differentiation in dendrobatids. Long-term wildlife observations are essential to identify important life-history traits and to evaluate hypotheses about the behavioral ecology and conservation of this and other vertebrate species.
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9
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Montejo-Kovacevich G, Meier JI, Bacquet CN, Warren IA, Chan YF, Kucka M, Salazar C, Rueda-M N, Montgomery SH, McMillan WO, Kozak KM, Nadeau NJ, Martin SH, Jiggins CD. Repeated genetic adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4676. [PMID: 35945236 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32316-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated evolution can provide insight into the mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to novel or changing environments. Here we study adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies, Heliconius erato and H. melpomene, which have repeatedly and independently adapted to montane habitats on either side of the Andes. We sequenced 518 whole genomes from altitudinal transects and found many regions differentiated between highland (~ 1200 m) and lowland (~ 200 m) populations. We show repeated genetic differentiation across replicate populations within species, including allopatric comparisons. In contrast, there is little molecular parallelism between the two species. By sampling five close relatives, we find that a large proportion of divergent regions identified within species have arisen from standing variation and putative adaptive introgression from high-altitude specialist species. Taken together our study supports a role for both standing genetic variation and gene flow from independently adapted species in promoting parallel local adaptation to the environment. Here, the authors study adaptation to altitude in 518 whole genomes from two species of tropical butterflies. They find repeated genetic differentiation within species, little molecular parallelism between these species, and introgression from closely related species, concluding that standing genetic variation promotes parallel local adaptation.
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10
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Cama B, Ehlers S, Szczerbowski D, Thomas-Oates J, Jiggins CD, Schulz S, McMillan WO, Dasmahapatra KK. Exploitation of an ancestral pheromone biosynthetic pathway contributes to diversification in Heliconius butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220474. [PMID: 35892212 PMCID: PMC9326301 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During courtship, male butterflies of many species produce androconial secretions containing male sex pheromones (MSPs) that communicate species identity and affect female choice. MSPs are thus likely candidates as reproductive barriers, yet their role in speciation remains poorly studied. Although Heliconius butterflies are a model system in speciation, their MSPs have not been investigated from a macroevolutionary perspective. We use GC/MS to characterize male androconial secretions in 33 of the 69 species in the Heliconiini tribe. We found these blends to be species-specific, consistent with a role in reproductive isolation. We detected a burst in blend diversification rate at the most speciose genus, Heliconius; a consequence of Heliconius and Eueides species using a fatty acid (FA) metabolic pathway to unlock more complex blends than basal Heliconiini species, whose secretions are dominated by plant-like metabolites. A comparison of 10 sister species pairs demonstrates a striking positive correlation between blend dissimilarity and range overlap, consistent with character displacement or reinforcement in sympatry. These results demonstrate for the first time that MSP diversification can promote reproductive isolation across this group of butterflies, showcasing how implementation of an ancestral trait, the co-option of the FA metabolic pathway for pheromone production, can facilitate rapid speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Cama
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Stephanie Ehlers
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, Braunschweig 38106, Germany
| | - Daiane Szczerbowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, Braunschweig 38106, Germany
| | - Jane Thomas-Oates
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, Braunschweig 38106, Germany
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11
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Dalbosco Dell'Aglio D, Mena S, Mauxion R, McMillan WO, Montgomery S. Divergence in Heliconius flight behaviour is associated with local adaptation to different forest structures. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:727-737. [PMID: 35157315 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Micro-habitat choice plays a major role in shaping local patterns of biodiversity. In butterflies, stratification in flight height has an important role in maintaining community diversity. Despite its presumed importance, the role of behavioural shifts in early stages of speciation in response to differences in habitat structure is yet to be established. 2. Here, we investigated variation in flight height behaviour in two closely related Heliconius species, H. erato cyrbia and H. himera, which produce viable hybrids but are isolated across an environmental gradient, spanning lowland wet forest to high altitude scrub forest. Speciation in this pair is associated with strong assortative mating, but ecological isolation and local adaptation are also considered essential for complete reproductive isolation. 3. We quantified differences in flight height and forest structure across the environmental gradient and test the importance of resource distribution in explaining flight behaviour. We then use common garden experiments to test whether differences in flight height reflect individual responses to resource distribution or genetically determined shifts in foraging behaviour. 4. We found that the two species fly at different heights in the wild, and demonstrate that this can be explained by differences in the vertical distribution of plant resources. In both the wild and captivity, H. himera choose to fly lower and feed at lower positions, closely mirroring differences in resource availability in the wild. 5. Given expectations that foraging efficiency contributes to survival and reproductive success, we suggest that foraging behaviour may reflect local adaptation to divergent forest structures. Our results highlight the potential role of habitat-dependent divergence in behaviour during the early stages of speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastián Mena
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Rémi Mauxion
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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12
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Lindstedt C, Bagley R, Calhim S, Jones M, Linnen C. The impact of life stage and pigment source on the evolution of novel warning signal traits. Evolution 2022; 76:554-572. [PMID: 35103303 PMCID: PMC9304160 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of how novel warning color traits evolve in natural populations is largely based on studies of reproductive stages and organisms with endogenously produced pigmentation. In these systems, genetic drift is often required for novel alleles to overcome strong purifying selection stemming from frequency‐dependent predation and positive assortative mating. Here, we integrate data from field surveys, predation experiments, population genomics, and phenotypic correlations to explain the origin and maintenance of geographic variation in a diet‐based larval pigmentation trait in the redheaded pine sawfly (Neodiprion lecontei), a pine‐feeding hymenopteran. Although our experiments confirm that N. lecontei larvae are indeed aposematic—and therefore likely to experience frequency‐dependent predation—our genomic data do not support a historical demographic scenario that would have facilitated the spread of an initially deleterious allele via drift. Additionally, significantly elevated differentiation at a known color locus suggests that geographic variation in larval color is currently maintained by selection. Together, these data suggest that the novel white morph likely spread via selection. However, white body color does not enhance aposematic displays, nor is it correlated with enhanced chemical defense or immune function. Instead, the derived white‐bodied morph is disproportionately abundant on a pine species with a reduced carotenoid content relative to other pine hosts, suggesting that bottom‐up selection via host plants may have driven divergence among populations. Overall, our results suggest that life stage and pigment source can have a substantial impact on the evolution of novel warning signals, highlighting the need to investigate diverse aposematic taxa to develop a comprehensive understanding of color variation in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Robin Bagley
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA.,Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University at Lima, Lima, OH, 45804, USA
| | - Sara Calhim
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Mackenzie Jones
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
| | - Catherine Linnen
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
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13
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Boussens‐Dumon G, Llaurens V. Sex, competition and mimicry: an eco‐evolutionary model reveals unexpected impacts of ecological interactions on the evolution of phenotypes in sympatry. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Boussens‐Dumon
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle – CP50 Paris France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Inst. de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité (UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/SU/EPHE/UA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle – CP50 Paris France
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14
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Maisonneuve L, Beneteau T, Joron M, Smadi C, Llaurens V. When Do Opposites Attract? A Model Uncovering the Evolution of Disassortative Mating. Am Nat 2021; 198:625-641. [PMID: 34648401 DOI: 10.1086/716509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDisassortative mating is a rare form of mate preference that promotes the persistence of polymorphism. While the evolution of assortative mating and its consequences for trait variation and speciation have been extensively studied, the conditions enabling the evolution of disassortative mating are still poorly understood. Mate preferences increase the risk of missing mating opportunities, a cost that can be compensated by a greater fitness of offspring. Heterozygote advantage should therefore promote the evolution of disassortative mating, which maximizes the number of heterozygous offspring. From the analysis of a two-locus diploid model with one locus controlling the mating cue under viability selection and the other locus coding for the level of disassortative preference, we show that heterozygote advantage and negative frequency-dependent viability selection acting at the cue locus promote the evolution of disassortative preferences. We predict conditions of evolution of disassortative mating coherent with selection regimes acting on traits observed in the wild. We also show that disassortative mating generates sexual selection, which disadvantages heterozygotes at the cue locus, limiting the evolution of disassortative preferences. Altogether, our results partially explain why this behavior is rare in natural populations.
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15
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Chazot N, Blandin P, Debat V, Elias M, Condamine FL. Punctuational ecological changes rather than global factors drive species diversification and the evolution of wing phenotypes in Morpho butterflies. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1592-1607. [PMID: 34449944 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Assessing the relative importance of geographical and ecological drivers of evolution is paramount to understand the diversification of species and traits at the macroevolutionary scale. Here, we use an integrative approach, combining phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology and quantified phenotypes to investigate the drivers of both species and phenotypic diversification of the iconic Neotropical butterfly genus Morpho. We generated a time-calibrated phylogeny for all known species and inferred historical biogeography. We fitted models of time-dependent (accounting for rate heterogeneity across the phylogeny) and paleoenvironment-dependent diversification (accounting for global effect on the phylogeny). We used geometric morphometrics to assess variation of wing size and shape across the tree and investigated their dynamics of evolution. We found that the diversification of Morpho is best explained when considering variable diversification rates across the tree, possibly associated with lineages occupying different microhabitat conditions. First, a shift from understory to canopy was characterized by an increased speciation rate partially coupled with an increasing rate of wing shape evolution. Second, the occupation of dense bamboo thickets accompanying a major host-plant shift from dicotyledons towards monocotyledons was associated with a simultaneous diversification rate shift and an evolutionary 'jump' of wing size. Our study points to a diversification pattern driven by punctuational ecological changes instead of a global driver or biogeographic history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Chazot
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick Blandin
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Debat
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Fabien L Condamine
- CNRS, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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16
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Van Belleghem SM, Cole JM, Montejo-Kovacevich G, Bacquet CN, McMillan WO, Papa R, Counterman BA. Selection and isolation define a heterogeneous divergence landscape between hybridizing Heliconius butterflies. Evolution 2021; 75:2251-2268. [PMID: 34019308 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hybridizing species provide a powerful system to identify the processes that shape genomic variation and maintain species boundaries. However, complex histories of isolation, gene flow, and selection often generate heterogeneous genomic landscapes of divergence that complicate reconstruction of the speciation history. Here, we explore patterns of divergence to reconstruct recent speciation in the erato clade of Heliconius butterflies. We focus on the genomic landscape of divergence across three contact zones of the species H. erato and H. himera. We show that these hybridizing species have an intermediate level of divergence in the erato clade, which fits with their incomplete levels of reproductive isolation. Using demographic modeling and the relationship between admixture and divergence with recombination rate variation, we reconstruct histories of gene flow, selection, and demographic change that explain the observed patterns of genomic divergence. We find that periods of isolation and selection within populations, followed by secondary contact with asymmetrical gene flow are key factors in shaping the heterogeneous genomic landscapes. Collectively, these results highlight the effectiveness of demographic modeling and recombination rate estimates to disentangling the distinct contributions of gene flow and selection to patterns of genomic divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jared M Cole
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | | | | | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.,Molecular Sciences and Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
| | - Brian A Counterman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Alabama, USA
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17
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Firmino AAP, Pinheiro DH, Moreira-Pinto CE, Antonino JD, Macedo LLP, Martins-de-Sa D, Arraes FBM, Coelho RR, Fonseca FCDA, Silva MCM, Engler JDA, Silva MS, Lourenço-Tessutti IT, Terra WR, Grossi-de-Sa MF. RNAi-Mediated Suppression of Laccase2 Impairs Cuticle Tanning and Molting in the Cotton Boll Weevil ( Anthonomus grandis). Front Physiol 2020; 11:591569. [PMID: 33329040 PMCID: PMC7717984 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.591569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is the most economically important pest of cotton in Brazil. Pest management programs focused on A. grandis are based mostly on the use of chemical insecticides, which may cause serious ecological impacts. Furthermore, A. grandis has developed resistance to some insecticides after their long-term use. Therefore, alternative control approaches that are more sustainable and have reduced environmental impacts are highly desirable to protect cotton crops from this destructive pest. RNA interference (RNAi) is a valuable reverse genetics tool for the investigation of gene function and has been explored for the development of strategies to control agricultural insect pests. This study aimed to evaluate the biological role of the Laccase2 (AgraLac2) gene in A. grandis and its potential as an RNAi target for the control of this insect pest. We found that AgraLac2 is expressed throughout the development of A. grandis with significantly higher expression in pupal and adult developmental stages. In addition, the immunolocalization of the AgraLac2 protein in third-instar larvae using specific antibodies revealed that AgraLac2 is distributed throughout the epithelial tissue, the cuticle and the tracheal system. We also verified that the knockdown of AgraLac2 in A. grandis resulted in an altered cuticle tanning process, molting defects and arrested development. Remarkably, insects injected with dsAgraLac2 exhibited defects in cuticle hardening and pigmentation. As a consequence, the development of dsAgraLac2-treated insects was compromised, and in cases of severe phenotypic defects, the insects subsequently died. On the contrary, insects subjected to control treatments did not show any visible phenotypic defects in cuticle formation and successfully molted to the pupal and adult stages. Taken together, our data indicate that AgraLac2 is involved in the cuticle tanning process in A. grandis and may be a promising target for the development of RNAi-based technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Augusto Pereira Firmino
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | | | - Clidia Eduarda Moreira-Pinto
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - José Dijair Antonino
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,Departamento de Agronomia/Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Diogo Martins-de-Sa
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Barbosa Monteiro Arraes
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology - INCT PlantStress Biotech - Embrapa, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Fernando Campos de Assis Fonseca
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Maria Cristina Mattar Silva
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology - INCT PlantStress Biotech - Embrapa, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Janice de Almeida Engler
- National Institute of Science and Technology - INCT PlantStress Biotech - Embrapa, Brasília, Brazil.,Département Santé des Plantes et Environnement, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique and Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | | | | | | | - Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sa
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology - INCT PlantStress Biotech - Embrapa, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Biological Sciences, Catholic University o Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
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18
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Perini S, Rafajlović M, Westram AM, Johannesson K, Butlin RK. Assortative mating, sexual selection, and their consequences for gene flow in Littorina. Evolution 2020; 74:1482-1497. [PMID: 32472616 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
When divergent populations are connected by gene flow, the establishment of complete reproductive isolation usually requires the joint action of multiple barrier effects. One example where multiple barrier effects are coupled consists of a single trait that is under divergent natural selection and also mediates assortative mating. Such multiple-effect traits can strongly reduce gene flow. However, there are few cases where patterns of assortative mating have been described quantitatively and their impact on gene flow has been determined. Two ecotypes of the coastal marine snail, Littorina saxatilis, occur in North Atlantic rocky-shore habitats dominated by either crab predation or wave action. There is evidence for divergent natural selection acting on size, and size-assortative mating has previously been documented. Here, we analyze the mating pattern in L. saxatilis with respect to size in intensively sampled transects across boundaries between the habitats. We show that the mating pattern is mostly conserved between ecotypes and that it generates both assortment and directional sexual selection for small male size. Using simulations, we show that the mating pattern can contribute to reproductive isolation between ecotypes but the barrier to gene flow is likely strengthened more by sexual selection than by assortment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Perini
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden
| | - Marina Rafajlović
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | | | - Kerstin Johannesson
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden
| | - Roger K Butlin
- Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, 45296, Sweden.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S102TN, United Kingdom
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19
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González-Rojas MF, Darragh K, Robles J, Linares M, Schulz S, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C. Chemical signals act as the main reproductive barrier between sister and mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200587. [PMID: 32370676 PMCID: PMC7282924 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour pattern is the main trait that drives mate recognition between Heliconius species that are phylogenetically close. However, when this cue is compromised such as in cases of mimetic, sympatric and closely related species, alternative mating signals must evolve to ensure reproductive isolation and species integrity. The closely related species Heliconius melpomene malleti and H. timareta florencia occur in the same geographical region, and despite being co-mimics, they display strong reproductive isolation. In order to test which cues differ between species, and potentially contribute to reproductive isolation, we quantified differences in the wing phenotype and the male chemical profile. As expected, the wing colour pattern was indistinguishable between the two species, while the chemical profile of the androconial and genital males' extracts showed marked differences. We then conducted behavioural experiments to study the importance of these signals in mate recognition by females. In agreement with our previous results, we found that chemical blends and not wing colour pattern drive the preference of females for conspecific males. Also, experiments with hybrid males and females suggested an important genetic component for both chemical production and preference. Altogether, these results suggest that chemicals are the major reproductive barrier opposing gene flow between these two sister and co-mimic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F González-Rojas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - K Darragh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - J Robles
- Department of Chemistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - M Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - S Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - C Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - C Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
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20
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Darragh K, Montejo‐Kovacevich G, Kozak KM, Morrison CR, Figueiredo CME, Ready JS, Salazar C, Linares M, Byers KJRP, Merrill RM, McMillan WO, Schulz S, Jiggins CD. Species specificity and intraspecific variation in the chemical profiles of Heliconius butterflies across a large geographic range. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3895-3918. [PMID: 32489619 PMCID: PMC7244815 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In many animals, mate choice is important for the maintenance of reproductive isolation between species. Traits important for mate choice and behavioral isolation are predicted to be under strong stabilizing selection within species; however, such traits can also exhibit variation at the population level driven by neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes. Here, we describe patterns of divergence among androconial and genital chemical profiles at inter- and intraspecific levels in mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Most variation in chemical bouquets was found between species, but there were also quantitative differences at the population level. We found a strong correlation between interspecific chemical and genetic divergence, but this correlation varied in intraspecific comparisons. We identified "indicator" compounds characteristic of particular species that included compounds already known to elicit a behavioral response, suggesting an approach for identification of candidate compounds for future behavioral studies in novel systems. Overall, the strong signal of species identity suggests a role for these compounds in species recognition, but with additional potentially neutral variation at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Darragh
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | | | | | - Colin R. Morrison
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
| | | | - Jonathan S. Ready
- Institute for Biological SciencesUniversidade Federal do ParáBelémBrazil
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology ProgramFaculty of Natural Sciences and MathematicsUniversidad del RosarioBogotaColombia
| | - Mauricio Linares
- Biology ProgramFaculty of Natural Sciences and MathematicsUniversidad del RosarioBogotaColombia
| | - Kelsey J. R. P. Byers
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Richard M. Merrill
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyFaculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic ChemistryTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
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21
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Southcott L, Kronforst MR. Female mate choice is a reproductive isolating barrier in Heliconius butterflies. Ethology 2018; 124:862-869. [PMID: 31024190 PMCID: PMC6475913 DOI: 10.1111/eth.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In sexually reproducing organisms, speciation involves the evolution of reproductive isolating mechanisms that decrease gene flow. Premating reproductive isolation, often the result of mate choice, is a major obstacle to gene flow between species because it acts earlier in the life cycle than other isolating barriers. While female choice is often considered the default mode in animal species, research in the butterfly genus Heliconius, a frequent subject of speciation studies, has focused on male mate choice. We studied mate choice by H. cydno females by pairing them with either conspecific males or males of the closely related species H. pachinus. Significantly more intraspecific trials than interspecific trials resulted in mating. Because male courtship rates did not differ between the species when we excluded males that never courted, we attribute this difference to female choice. Females also performed more acceptance behaviours towards conspecific males. Premating isolation between these two species thus entails both male and female mate choice, and female choice may be an important factor in the origin of Heliconius species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Southcott
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Marcus R Kronforst
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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22
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Briolat ES, Burdfield-Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency‐dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator–prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once‐paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Emily R Burdfield-Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - Sarah C Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K.,Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Katja H Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Brett M Seymoure
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, U.S.A.,Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, U.S.A
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, U.S.A
| | - Adam M M Stuckert
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, 1000 E Fifth St, Greenville, NC 27858, U.S.A
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23
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Rojas B, Burdfield-Steel E, De Pasqual C, Gordon S, Hernández L, Mappes J, Nokelainen O, Rönkä K, Lindstedt C. Multimodal Aposematic Signals and Their Emerging Role in Mate Attraction. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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24
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Van Belleghem SM, Baquero M, Papa R, Salazar C, McMillan WO, Counterman BA, Jiggins CD, Martin SH. Patterns of Z chromosome divergence among Heliconius species highlight the importance of historical demography. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3852-3872. [PMID: 29569384 PMCID: PMC6151167 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are disproportionately involved in reproductive isolation and adaptation. In support of such a “large‐X” effect, genome scans between recently diverged populations and species pairs often identify distinct patterns of divergence on the sex chromosome compared to autosomes. When measures of divergence between populations are higher on the sex chromosome compared to autosomes, such patterns could be interpreted as evidence for faster divergence on the sex chromosome, that is “faster‐X”, barriers to gene flow on the sex chromosome. However, demographic changes can strongly skew divergence estimates and are not always taken into consideration. We used 224 whole‐genome sequences representing 36 populations from two Heliconius butterfly clades (H. erato and H. melpomene) to explore patterns of Z chromosome divergence. We show that increased divergence compared to equilibrium expectations can in many cases be explained by demographic change. Among Heliconius erato populations, for instance, population size increase in the ancestral population can explain increased absolute divergence measures on the Z chromosome compared to the autosomes, as a result of increased ancestral Z chromosome genetic diversity. Nonetheless, we do identify increased divergence on the Z chromosome relative to the autosomes in parapatric or sympatric species comparisons that imply postzygotic reproductive barriers. Using simulations, we show that this is consistent with reduced gene flow on the Z chromosome, perhaps due to greater accumulation of incompatibilities. Our work demonstrates the importance of taking demography into account to interpret patterns of divergence on the Z chromosome, but nonetheless provides evidence to support the Z chromosome as a strong barrier to gene flow in incipient Heliconius butterfly species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Van Belleghem
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Biology, Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Panamá, Panama
| | - Margarita Baquero
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology, Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera, Bogota, Colombia
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Panamá, Panama
| | - Brian A Counterman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon H Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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25
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Thurman TJ, Brodie E, Evans E, McMillan WO. Facultative pupal mating in Heliconius erato: Implications for mate choice, female preference, and speciation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1882-1889. [PMID: 29435261 PMCID: PMC5792586 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating systems have broad impacts on how sexual selection and mate choice operate within a species, but studies of mating behavior in the laboratory may not reflect how these processes occur in the wild. Here, we examined the mating behavior of the neotropical butterfly Heliconius erato in the field by releasing larvae and virgin females and observing how they mated. H. erato is considered a pupal-mating species (i.e., males mate with females as they emerge from the pupal case). However, we observed only two teneral mating events, and experimentally released virgins were almost all mated upon recapture. Our study confirms the presence of some pupal-mating behavior in H. erato, but suggests that adult mating is likely the prevalent mating strategy in this species. These findings have important implications for the role of color pattern and female mate choice in the generation of reproductive isolation in this diverse genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. Thurman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityRepublic of Panama
- Department of Biology and Redpath MuseumMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Emily Brodie
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityRepublic of Panama
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of California‐Davis, One Shields AveDavisCA 95616
| | - Elizabeth Evans
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityRepublic of Panama
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Puerto Rico, Rio PedrasSan JuanPuerto Rico
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26
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Abstract
Among the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), many species in the section Metastriata have intricate ornamentation on the scutum that is often used as a taxonomic character. However, the biological function(s) of this ornamentation remains unknown. Here, we summarize the main functions of color patterns recognized in the animal kingdom-thermoregulation, aposematism, camouflage, aggregation, mate recognition, and sexual signaling-and evaluate the potential of each of these to explain ornamentation in hard ticks. We also note the challenges and uncertainties involved in interpreting ornamentation in ticks as well as potential approaches for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra R Schachat
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
| | - Richard G Robbins
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, MSC, Suitland, MD
| | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
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27
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Darragh K, Vanjari S, Mann F, Gonzalez-Rojas MF, Morrison CR, Salazar C, Pardo-Diaz C, Merrill RM, McMillan WO, Schulz S, Jiggins CD. Male sex pheromone components in Heliconius butterflies released by the androconia affect female choice. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3953. [PMID: 29134139 PMCID: PMC5680698 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific pheromones are known to play an important role in butterfly courtship, and may influence both individual reproductive success and reproductive isolation between species. Extensive ecological, behavioural and genetic studies of Heliconius butterflies have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of speciation. Male pheromones, although long suspected to play an important role, have received relatively little attention in this genus. Here, we combine morphological, chemical and behavioural analyses of male pheromones in the Neotropical butterfly Heliconius melpomene. First, we identify putative androconia that are specialized brush-like scales that lie within the shiny grey region of the male hindwing. We then describe putative male sex pheromone compounds, which are largely confined to the androconial region of the hindwing of mature males, but are absent in immature males and females. Finally, behavioural choice experiments reveal that females of H. melpomene, H. erato and H. timareta strongly discriminate against conspecific males which have their androconial region experimentally blocked. As well as demonstrating the importance of chemical signalling for female mate choice in Heliconius butterflies, the results describe structures involved in release of the pheromone and a list of potential male sex pheromone compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Darragh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
| | - Sohini Vanjari
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
| | - Florian Mann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Maria F. Gonzalez-Rojas
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Colin R. Morrison
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Carolina Pardo-Diaz
- Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Richard M. Merrill
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
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28
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Chouteau M, Llaurens V, Piron-Prunier F, Joron M. Polymorphism at a mimicry supergene maintained by opposing frequency-dependent selection pressures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:8325-9. [PMID: 28673971 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702482114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Explaining the maintenance of adaptive diversity within populations is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology, with important implications for conservation, medicine, and agriculture. Adaptation often leads to the fixation of beneficial alleles, and therefore it erodes local diversity so that understanding the coexistence of multiple adaptive phenotypes requires deciphering the ecological mechanisms that determine their respective benefits. Here, we show how antagonistic frequency-dependent selection (FDS), generated by natural and sexual selection acting on the same trait, maintains mimicry polymorphism in the toxic butterfly Heliconius numata Positive FDS imposed by predators on mimetic signals favors the fixation of the most abundant and best-protected wing-pattern morph, thereby limiting polymorphism. However, by using mate-choice experiments, we reveal disassortative mate preferences of the different wing-pattern morphs. The resulting negative FDS on wing-pattern alleles is consistent with the excess of heterozygote genotypes at the supergene locus controlling wing-pattern variation in natural populations of H. numata The combined effect of positive and negative FDS on visual signals is sufficient to maintain a diversity of morphs displaying accurate mimicry with other local prey, although some of the forms only provide moderate protection against predators. Our findings help understand how alternative adaptive phenotypes can be maintained within populations and emphasize the need to investigate interactions between selective pressures in other cases of puzzling adaptive polymorphism.
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29
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Tarvin RD, Powell EA, Santos JC, Ron SR, Cannatella DC. The birth of aposematism: High phenotypic divergence and low genetic diversity in a young clade of poison frogs. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 109:283-295. [PMID: 28089841 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Rapid radiation coupled with low genetic divergence often hinders species delimitation and phylogeny estimation even if putative species are phenotypically distinct. Some aposematic species, such as poison frogs (Dendrobatidae), have high levels of intraspecific color polymorphism, which can lead to overestimation of species when phenotypic divergence primarily guides species delimitation. We explored this possibility in the youngest origin of aposematism (3-7 MYA) in poison frogs, Epipedobates, by comparing genetic divergence with color and acoustic divergence. We found low genetic divergence (2.6% in the 16S gene) despite substantial differences in color and acoustic signals. While chemical defense is inferred to have evolved in the ancestor of Epipedobates, aposematic coloration evolved at least twice or was lost once in Epipedobates, suggesting that it is evolutionarily labile. We inferred at least one event of introgression between two cryptically colored species with adjacent ranges (E. boulengeri and E. machalilla). We also find evidence for peripheral isolation resulting in phenotypic divergence and potential speciation of the aposematic E. tricolor from the non-aposematic E. machalilla. However, we were unable to estimate a well-supported species tree or delimit species using multispecies coalescent models. We attribute this failure to factors associated with recent speciation including mitochondrial introgression, incomplete lineage sorting, and too few informative molecular characters. We suggest that species delimitation within young aposematic lineages such as Epipedobates will require genome-level molecular studies. We caution against relying solely on DNA barcoding for species delimitation or identification and highlight the value of phenotypic divergence and natural history in delimiting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca D Tarvin
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States.
| | - Emily A Powell
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States; Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Juan C Santos
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, United States
| | - Santiago R Ron
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David C Cannatella
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States
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30
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Montgomery SH, Merrill RM. Divergence in brain composition during the early stages of ecological specialization in Heliconius
butterflies. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:571-582. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. H. Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment; University College London; London UK
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
| | - R. M. Merrill
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
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31
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Nadeau NJ. Genes controlling mimetic colour pattern variation in butterflies. Curr Opin Insect Sci 2016; 17:24-31. [PMID: 27720070 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Butterfly wing patterns are made up of arrays of coloured scales. There are two genera in which within-species variation in wing patterning is common and has been investigated at the molecular level, Heliconius and Papilio. Both of these species have mimetic relationships with other butterfly species that increase their protection from predators. Heliconius have a 'tool-kit' of five genetic loci that control colour pattern, three of which have been identified at the gene level, and which have been repeatedly used to modify colour pattern by different species in the genus. By contrast, the three Papilio species that have been investigated each have different genetic mechanisms controlling their polymorphic wing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Nadeau
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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32
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Abstract
Wing-pattern mimicry in butterflies has provided an important example of adaptation since Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace proposed evolution by natural selection >150 years ago. The neotropical butterfly genus Heliconius played a central role in the development of mimicry theory and has since been studied extensively in the context of ecology and population biology, behavior, and mimicry genetics. Heliconius species are notable for their diverse color patterns, and previous crossing experiments revealed that much of this variation is controlled by a small number of large-effect, Mendelian switch loci. Recent comparative analyses have shown that the same switch loci control wing-pattern diversity throughout the genus, and a number of these have now been positionally cloned. Using a combination of comparative genetic mapping, association tests, and gene expression analyses, variation in red wing patterning throughout Heliconius has been traced back to the action of the transcription factor optix. Similarly, the signaling ligand WntA has been shown to control variation in melanin patterning across Heliconius and other butterflies. Our understanding of the molecular basis of Heliconius mimicry is now providing important insights into a variety of additional evolutionary phenomena, including the origin of supergenes, the interplay between constraint and evolvability, the genetic basis of convergence, the potential for introgression to facilitate adaptation, the mechanisms of hybrid speciation in animals, and the process of ecological speciation.
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33
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Chazot N, Panara S, Zilbermann N, Blandin P, Le Poul Y, Cornette R, Elias M, Debat V. Morpho morphometrics: Shared ancestry and selection drive the evolution of wing size and shape inMorphobutterflies. Evolution 2016; 70:181-94. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Chazot
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Stephen Panara
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Nicolas Zilbermann
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Patrick Blandin
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Yann Le Poul
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
| | - Vincent Debat
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Sorbonne Universités; 57 rue Cuvier, CP50, F-75005 Paris France
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34
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Supple MA, Papa R, Hines HM, McMillan WO, Counterman BA. Divergence with gene flow across a speciation continuum of Heliconius butterflies. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:204. [PMID: 26403600 PMCID: PMC4582928 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0486-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A key to understanding the origins of species is determining the evolutionary processes that drive the patterns of genomic divergence during speciation. New genomic technologies enable the study of high-resolution genomic patterns of divergence across natural speciation continua, where taxa pairs with different levels of reproductive isolation can be used as proxies for different stages of speciation. Empirical studies of these speciation continua can provide valuable insights into how genomes diverge during speciation. Methods We examine variation across a handful of genomic regions in parapatric and allopatric populations of Heliconius butterflies with varying levels of reproductive isolation. Genome sequences were mapped to 2.2-Mb of the H. erato genome, including 1-Mb across the red color pattern locus and multiple regions unlinked to color pattern variation. Results Phylogenetic analyses reveal a speciation continuum of pairs of hybridizing races and incipient species in the Heliconius erato clade. Comparisons of hybridizing pairs of divergently colored races and incipient species reveal that genomic divergence increases with ecological and reproductive isolation, not only across the locus responsible for adaptive variation in red wing coloration, but also at genomic regions unlinked to color pattern. Discussion We observe high levels of divergence between the incipient species H. erato and H. himera, suggesting that divergence may accumulate early in the speciation process. Comparisons of genomic divergence between the incipient species and allopatric races suggest that limited gene flow cannot account for the observed high levels of divergence between the incipient species. Conclusions Our results provide a reconstruction of the speciation continuum across the H. erato clade and provide insights into the processes that drive genomic divergence during speciation, establishing the H. erato clade as a powerful framework for the study of speciation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0486-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Supple
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá City, Panamá. .,Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. .,Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology and Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, 00931, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá City, Panamá.
| | - Brian A Counterman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, 295 Lee Boulevard, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
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35
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Merrill RM, Dasmahapatra KK, Davey JW, Dell'Aglio DD, Hanly JJ, Huber B, Jiggins CD, Joron M, Kozak KM, Llaurens V, Martin SH, Montgomery SH, Morris J, Nadeau NJ, Pinharanda AL, Rosser N, Thompson MJ, Vanjari S, Wallbank RWR, Yu Q. The diversification of Heliconius butterflies: what have we learned in 150 years? J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1417-38. [PMID: 26079599 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research into Heliconius butterflies has made a significant contribution to evolutionary biology. Here, we review our understanding of the diversification of these butterflies, covering recent advances and a vast foundation of earlier work. Whereas no single group of organisms can be sufficient for understanding life's diversity, after years of intensive study, research into Heliconius has addressed a wide variety of evolutionary questions. We first discuss evidence for widespread gene flow between Heliconius species and what this reveals about the nature of species. We then address the evolution and diversity of warning patterns, both as the target of selection and with respect to their underlying genetic basis. The identification of major genes involved in mimetic shifts, and homology at these loci between distantly related taxa, has revealed a surprising predictability in the genetic basis of evolution. In the final sections, we consider the evolution of warning patterns, and Heliconius diversity more generally, within a broader context of ecological and sexual selection. We consider how different traits and modes of selection can interact and influence the evolution of reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Merrill
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | | - J W Davey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - D D Dell'Aglio
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J J Hanly
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - B Huber
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - M Joron
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier 5, France
| | - K M Kozak
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - V Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - S H Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - J Morris
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - N J Nadeau
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A L Pinharanda
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - N Rosser
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - M J Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - S Vanjari
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R W R Wallbank
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Q Yu
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China
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