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Pleistocene glaciations and contemporary genetic diversity in a Beringian fish, the broad whitefish, Coregonus nasus (Pallas): inferences from microsatellite DNA variationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The contemporary distribution of genetic variation within and among high latitude populations cannot be fully understood without taking into consideration how species responded to the impacts of Pleistocene glaciations. Broad whitefish, Coregonus nasus, a species endemic to northwest North America and the Arctic coast of Russia, was undoubtedly impacted by such events because its geographic distribution suggests that it survived solely within the Beringian refuge from where it dispersed post-glacially to achieve its current range. We used microsatellite DNA to investigate the role of glaciations in promoting intraspecific ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: L. N. HARRIS, E. B. TAYLOR Source Type: journals

The cost of conflict in aphid societiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Most social aphids are found within plant galls, inside of which clonally-derived family groups feed, and specialized larval castes forego reproduction and perform various cooperative tasks, including group defence. When unrelated aphids move between clones, conditions are ripe for conflict because galls and cooperative defence are shared resources that are vulnerable to exploitation. A key unknown is whether conflict is costly in aphid social groups. We show that diversity within groups is negatively correlated with performance in the North American social aphid, Pemphigus obesinymphae. A substantial fraction of productiv...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 14, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: K. E. GROGAN, V. E. CHHATRE, P. ABBOT Source Type: journals

Social cohesion among kin, gene flow without dispersal and the evolution of population genetic structure in the killer whale (Orcinus orca)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In social species, breeding system and gregarious behavior are key factors influencing the evolution of large-scale population genetic structure. The killer whale is a highly social apex predator showing genetic differentiation in sympatry between populations of foraging specialists (ecotypes), and low levels of genetic diversity overall. Our comparative assessments of kinship, parentage and dispersal reveal high levels of kinship within local populations and ongoing male-mediated gene flow among them, including among ecotypes that are maximally divergent within the mtDNA phylogeny. Dispersal from natal populations was rar...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. PILOT, M. E. DAHLHEIM, A. R. HOELZEL Source Type: journals

Rapid spread of male-killing Wolbachia in the butterfly Hypolimnas bolinaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia can spread through uninfected host populations by increasing the relative fitness of the infected maternal lineage. However, empirical estimates of how fast this process occurs are limited. Here we use nucleotide sequences of male-killing Wolbachia bacteria and co-inherited mitochondria to address this issue in the island butterfly Hypolimnas bolina. We show that infected specimens scattered throughout the species range harbour the same Wolbachia and mitochondrial DNA as inferred from 6337 bp of the bacterial genome and 2985 bp of the mitochondrial genome, suggesting this strain of ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A. DUPLOUY, G. D. D. HURST, S. L. O'NEILL, S. CHARLAT Source Type: journals

Demography and the tragedy of the commonsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Individual success in group-structured populations has two components. First, an individual gains by outcompeting its neighbours for local resources. Second, an individual's share of group success must be weighted by the total productivity of the group. The essence of sociality arises from the tension between selfish gains against neighbours and the associated loss that selfishness imposes by degrading the efficiency of the group. Without some force to modulate selfishness, the natural tendencies of self interest typically degrade group performance to the detriment of all. This is the tragedy of the commons. Kin selection ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S. A. FRANK Source Type: journals

Effect of male age on sperm traits and sperm competition success in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Deleterious mutations can accumulate in the germline with age, decreasing the genetic quality of sperm and imposing a cost on female fitness. If these mutations also affect sperm competition ability or sperm production, then females will benefit from polyandry as it incites sperm competition and, consequently, minimizes the mutational load in the offspring. We tested this hypothesis in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a species characterized by polyandry and intense sperm competition, by investigating whether age affects post-copulatory male traits and sperm competition success. Females did not discriminate between old and...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. GASPARINI, I. A. M. MARINO, C. BOSCHETTO, A. PILASTRO Source Type: journals

The evolution of haplodiploidy by male-killing endosymbionts: importance of population structure and endosymbiont mutualismsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Haplodiploid inheritance systems, characterized by male transmission of only their maternally inherited genomic elements, have evolved more than 20 times within the animal kingdom. A number of theoretical studies have argued that infection with certain male-killing endosymbionts can potentially lead to the evolution of haplodiploidy. By explicitly investigating the coevolutionary dynamics between host and endosymbiont, we show that the assumptions of current models cannot explain the evolution of haplodiploidy very well, as the endosymbiont will often go extinct in the long term. Here, we provide two additional mechanisms ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B. Kuijper, I. Pen Source Type: journals

Are plant pathogen populations adapted for encounter with their host? A case study of phenological synchrony between oak and an obligate fungal parasite along an altitudinal gradientEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Biotrophic fungal pathogens are expected to have adapted to their host plants for phenological synchrony, to optimize the possibility of contacts leading to infections. We investigated the patterns and causes of variation in phenological synchrony in the oak-powdery mildew pathosystem, a major disease in natural ecosystems. The study was carried out along an altitudinal gradient, representing a wide temperature range, in mature oak stands. Both sporulation (pathogen infective stage) and oak flushing (host susceptible stage) were delayed with increasing elevation, but with a significantly different sensitivity for the two s...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 7, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M.-L. DESPREZ-LOUSTAU, Y. VITASSE, S. DELZON, X. CAPDEVIELLE, B. MARÇAIS, A. KREMER Source Type: journals

When assumptions on visual system evolution matter: nestling colouration and parental visual performance in birdsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we show that when these assumptions are not upheld, conclusions may be strongly affected. To illustrate this purpose, we reanalysed the data of Avilés & Soler (J. Evol. Biol.22: 376[ndash]386, 2009) who demonstrated that nestling gape colouration in altricial birds is associated with visual system. We show that a slight change in analysis methodology leads to opposite conclusions. Such conflicting result raises the problem of applying powerful methods developed for continuous variables to a small sample and a small number of independent events of qualitative visual system shift in comparative analyses. Furt...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. P. RENOULT, A. COURTIOL, F. KJELLBERG Source Type: journals

Nestling coloration is adjusted to parent visual performance in altricial birds irrespective of assumptions on vision system for Laniidae and owls, a reply to Renoult et al.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We have recently published support to the hypothesis that visual systems of parents could affect nestling detectability and, consequently, influences the evolution of nestling colour designs in altricial birds. We provided comparative evidence of an adjustment of nestling colour designs to the visual system of parents that we have found in a comparative study on 22 altricial bird species. In this issue, however, Renoult et al. (J. Evol. Biol., 2009) question some of the assumptions and statistical approaches in our study. Their argumentation relied on two major points: (1) an incorrect assignment of vision system to four o...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. M. AVILÉS, J. J. SOLER Source Type: journals

Morphological evolution in Tropidurinae squamates: an integrated view along a continuum of ecological settingsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study provides evidence for morphological adaptations associated with substrate usage in Tropidurinae, and suggests that opposite morphological profiles might evolve associated with the use of surfaces energetically and functionally contrasting, possibly leading to trade-offs. (Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology)
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. B. GRIZANTE, C. A. NAVAS, T. GARLAND Jr, T. KOHLSDORF Source Type: journals

Opposites attract: MHC-associated mate choice in a polygynous primateEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We investigated reproduction in a semi-free-ranging population of a polygynous primate, the mandrill, in relation to genetic relatedness and male genetic characteristics, using neutral microsatellite and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotyping. We compared genetic dissimilarity to the mother and genetic characteristics of the sire with all other potential sires present at the conception of each offspring (193 offspring for microsatellite genetics, 180 for MHC). The probability that a given male sired increased as pedigree relatedness with the mother decreased, and overall genetic dissimilarity and MHC dissimilari...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. M. SETCHELL, M. J. E. CHARPENTIER, K. M. ABBOTT, E. J. WICKINGS, L. A. KNAPP Source Type: journals

Genetic diversity, population structure and sex-biased dispersal in three co-evolving speciesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Genetic diversity and spatial structure of populations are important for antagonistic coevolution. We investigated genetic variation and population structure of three closely related European ant species: the social parasite Harpagoxenus sublaevis and its two host species Leptothorax acervorum and Leptothorax muscorum. We sampled populations in 12 countries and analysed eight microsatellite loci and an mtDNA sequence. We found high levels of genetic variation in all three species, only slightly less variation in the host L. muscorum. Using a newly introduced measure of differentiation (Jost's Dest), we detected strong popu...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 4, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S. FOITZIK, S. BAUER, S. LAURENT, P. S. PENNINGS Source Type: journals

The evolutionary consequence of the individualistic response to climate changeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The Quaternary fossil record has abundant evidence for ecologically nonanalogue communities made up of combinations of modern taxa not seen in sympatry today. A brief review of the literature detailing these nonanalogue communities is given with a discussion of their various proposed causes. The individualistic, Gleasonian, response of species to climate and environmental change is favoured by many. The degree to which communities are nonanalogue appears to increase with greater time depth, and this progressive process is a necessary outcome of the individualistic response of species to climate change through time. In addi...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 3, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. R. STEWART Source Type: journals

Contrasting patterns of phenotypic variation linked to chromosomal inversions in native and colonizing populations of Drosophila subobscuraEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In fewer than two decades after invading the Americas, the fly Drosophila subobscura evolved latitudinal clines for chromosomal inversion frequencies and wing size that are parallel to the long-standing ones in native Palearctic populations. By sharp contrast, wing shape clines also evolved in the New World, but the relationship with latitude was opposite to that in the Old World. Previous work has suggested that wing trait differences among individuals are partially due to the association between chromosomal inversions and particular alleles which influence the trait under consideration. Furthermore, it is well documented...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 3, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: I. FRAGATA, J. BALANYÀ, C. REGO, M. MATOS, E. L. REZENDE, M. SANTOS Source Type: journals

Female nutritional status determines the magnitude and sign of responses to a male ejaculate signal in Drosophila melanogasterEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Ejaculate chemicals transferred from males to females during mating cause significant changes in female behaviour and physiology, but the causes of phenotypic variation in these responses is little understood. We tested here the effect of adult female nutrition on the response of female Drosophila melanogaster to a specific ejaculate component, the sex peptide (SP), which is of interest because of its effects on female egg laying, sexual receptivity, feeding rate, immune responses and potential role in mediating sexual conflict. We exposed adult females to five different diets and kept them continuously with males that did...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 3, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. FRICKE, A. BRETMAN, T. CHAPMAN Source Type: journals

Loudness of birdsong is related to the body size, syntax and phonology of passerine speciesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Songs of passerines are generally complex, long-range acoustic signals, and are highly diverse across species. This diversity must nevertheless be shaped by the capabilities of the avian vocal physiology. For example, within species, loudness has been shown to trade-off with aspects of song complexity. Here, I ask if such trade-offs with loudness influenced the evolutionary diversification of song among passerines. Comparing perceived song loudness across > 140 European and North American species showed that loudness is positively related to body size and to singing with simple trilled syntax, and negatively related to asp...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - November 3, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: G. C. CARDOSO Source Type: journals

WWDD? (What Would Darwin Do?)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology)
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 31, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: ALLEN J. MOORE Source Type: journals

Examining the social landscapes of alternative reproductive strategiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Social environments are inherently dynamic, often changing depending on the frequency and outcomes of conspecific interactions [ndash] they can be simultaneously the targets and agents of selection. Understanding how organisms settle in heterogeneous social environments and the effects this has on reproductive success is vital to our understanding of the selective forces at work in wild populations. From an intensive behavioural and ecological study of territoriality in the polymorphic white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), we demonstrate that males of the two morphs inhabit social niches that correspond to their...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: V. A. FORMICA, E. M. TUTTLE Source Type: journals

Single and multigenerational responses of body mass to atmospheric oxygen concentrations in Drosophila melanogaster : evidence for roles of plasticity and evolutionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Greater oxygen availability has been hypothesized to be important in allowing the evolution of larger invertebrates during the Earth's history, and across aquatic environments. We tested for evolutionary and developmental responses of adult body size of Drosophila melanogaster to hypoxia and hyperoxia. Individually reared flies were smaller in hypoxia, but hyperoxia had no effect. In each of three oxygen treatments (hypoxia, normoxia or hyperoxia) we reared three replicate lines of flies for seven generations, followed by four generations in normoxia. In hypoxia, responses were due primarily to developmental plasticity, as...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. J. KLOK, A. J. HUBB, J. F. HARRISON Source Type: journals

Correction of a bootstrap approach to testing for evolution along lines of least resistanceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Testing for an association between the leading vectors of multivariate trait (co)variation within populations (the 'line of least resistance') and among populations is an important tool for exploring variational bias in evolution. In a recent study of stickleback fish populations, a bootstrap-based test was introduced that takes into account estimation error in both vectors and hence improves the previously available bootstrap method. Because this test was implemented incorrectly, however, I here describe the correct test protocol and provide a reanalysis of the original data set. The application of this new test protocol ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: D. BERNER Source Type: journals

Alternative reproductive tactics and the propensity of hybridizationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One explanation for hybridization between species is the fitness benefits it occasionally confers to the hybridizing individuals. This explanation is possible in species that have evolved alternative male reproductive tactics: individuals with inferior tactics might be more prone to hybridization provided it increases their reproductive success and fitness. Here we experimentally tested whether the propensity of hybridization in the wild depends on male reproductive tactic in Calopteryx splendens damselflies. Counter to our expectation, it was males adopting the superior reproductive tactic (territoriality) that had greate...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: K. TYNKKYNEN, K. J. RAATIKAINEN, M. HÄKKILÄ, E. HAUKILEHTO, J. S. KOTIAHO Source Type: journals

Selection on life-history traits and genetic population divergence in rotifersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A combination of founder effects and local adaptation [ndash] the Monopolization hypothesis [ndash] has been proposed to reconcile the strong population differentiation of zooplankton dwelling in ponds and lakes and their high dispersal abilities. The role genetic drift plays in genetic differentiation of zooplankton is well documented, but the impact of natural selection has received less attention. Here, we compare differentiation in neutral genetic markers (FST) and in quantitative traits (QST) in six natural populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis to assess the importance of natural selection in explaining gen...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S. CAMPILLO, E. M. GARCÍA-ROGER, M. J. CARMONA, A. GÓMEZ, M. SERRA Source Type: journals

Evidence for small scale variation in the vertebrate brain: mating strategy and sex affect brain size and structure in wild brown trout (Salmo trutta)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The basis for our knowledge of brain evolution in vertebrates rests heavily on empirical evidence from comparative studies at the species level. However, little is still known about the natural levels of variation and the evolutionary causes of differences in brain size and brain structure within-species, even though selection at this level is an important initial generator of macroevolutionary patterns across species. Here, we examine how early life-history decisions and sex are related to brain size and brain structure in wild populations using the existing natural variation in mating strategies among wild brown trout (S...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: N. KOLM, A. GONZALEZ-VOYER, D. BRELIN, S. WINBERG Source Type: journals

Phylogenetic determinants of potential host shifts in fungal pathogensEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Understanding what determines the host range of pathogens and the potential for host shifts is of critical importance to controlling their introductions into new environments. The phylogeny of the hosts has been shown to be important: pathogens are more likely to be infectious on hosts closely related to their host-of-origin because of the similar host environments that is shared by descent. The importance of pathogen phylogenies for predicting host range has never been investigated, although a pathogen should also be able to exploit a new host that its close relative can infect. We performed cross-inoculations using a pla...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: D. M. de VIENNE, M. E. HOOD, T. GIRAUD Source Type: journals

Detecting positive selection in the budding yeast genomeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we examined the adaptive evolution of coding and promoter regions in three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. First, using a maximum-likelihood approach, we identified 76 positively selected genes (PSG) whose coding regions likely have undergone positive selection in the recent past. These genes show significant bias in terms of biological function and they show over-representation of charged amino acids at positively selected sites. Next, using recent data on yeast transcription-start sites to define core-promoter regions, we identified 31 positively selected promoters, and their corresponding genes are sign...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Y. LI, H. LIANG, Z. GU, Z. LIN, W. GUAN, L. ZHOU, Y. LI, W.-H. LI Source Type: journals

A clarification of Pouydebat et al., 2008, evolution of grasping among anthropoidsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Several statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) do not adequately represent views of authors cited, in part because they reflect confusion in the literature about terminology regarding precision gripping. We address these problems, by tracing definitions of precision grips through the literature on manipulative behaviour and identifying the grip that is central to the Pouydebat et al. (2008) study. This allows us to offer a clarification of the statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) regarding the sequence of appearance of human grip capabilities and possible morphological correlates to these capabilities in extant species. (S...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. W. MARZKE, E. POUYDEBAT, M. LAURIN, P. GORCE, V. BELS Source Type: journals

Sib-mating in the ant Plagiolepis pygmaea: adaptative inbreeding?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Multiple functional queens in a colony (polygyny) and multiple mating by queens (polyandry) in social insects challenge kin selection, because they dilute inclusive fitness benefits from helping. Colonies of the ant Plagiolepis pygmaea brash contain several hundreds of multiply mated queens. Yet, within-colony relatedness remains unexpectedly high. This stems from low male dispersal, extensive mating among relatives and adoption of young queens in the natal colony. We investigated whether inbreeding results from workers expelling foreign males, and/or from preferential mating between related partners. Our data show that wo...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: N. THURIN, S. ARON Source Type: journals

Temporal variation of heterozygosity-based assortative mating and related benefits in a lesser kestrel populationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we analyse mating patterns in relation to heterozygosity in a lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) population intensively monitored over six study years (2002[ndash]2007). The magnitude of heterozygosity-based assortative mating varied over time, being particularly patent in the last study years (2006, 2007). We have found evidence that this mating pattern entails both direct and indirect-genetic benefits. Clutch size increased with female heterozygosity and more heterozygous males raised a higher number of fledglings particularly in those years when the strength of the heterozygosity-based assortative mating was ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. ORTEGO, G. CALABUIG, R. BONAL, A. MUÑOZ, J. M. APARICIO, P. J. CORDERO Source Type: journals

Sperm competition and the evolution of the sperm hook in house miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Sperm morphology varies considerably both between and within species. The sperm of many muroid rodents bear an apical hook at the proximal end of the head. The curvature of the sperm hook varies greatly across species, however the adaptive significance of the sperm hook is currently not known. In wood mice the apical hooks intertwine to form sperm 'trains', which exhibit faster swimming velocities than single cells. Thus, it has been suggested that if sperm 'trains' were advantageous in a competitive situation, then the apical sperm hook might be an evolutionary product of selection via sperm competition. A comparative stu...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: R. C. FIRMAN, L. W. SIMMONS Source Type: journals

Selective abortion and the evolution of genomic imprintingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Mothers can determine which genotypes of offspring they will produce through selective abortion or selective implantation. This process can, at some loci, favour matching between maternal and offspring genotype whereas at other loci mismatching may be favoured (e.g. MHC, HLA). Genomic imprinting generally renders gene expression monoallelic and could thus be adaptive at loci where matching or mismatching is beneficial. This hypothesis, however, remains unexplored despite evidence that loci known to play a role in genetic compatibility may be imprinted. We develop a simple model demonstrating that, when matching is benefici...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. B. WOLF, R. HAGER Source Type: journals

Co-evolution of plumage characteristics and winter sociality in New and Old World sparrowsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Understanding the evolution of phenotypic diversity, including the stunning array of avian plumage characters, is a central goal of evolutionary biology. Here, we applied a comparative analysis to test factors associated with the origin and maintenance of black chest and throat patches, which in some taxa are referred to as 'badges-of-status'. Specifically, we tested whether the evolution of black colour patches in Old and New World sparrows is consistent with a signalling function during the nonbreeding season or breeding season. We found no positive associations between patch evolution and polygyny or summer sociality. I...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: E. A. TIBBETTS, R. J. SAFRAN Source Type: journals

Sexual selection and condition-dependenceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The handicap theory of sexual selection suggests that females prefer mates who display extravagant ornaments that advertise their quality or condition. It is often assumed that as such ornamental traits undergo sexually-selected exaggeration, they must inevitably become more sensitive to condition, and thus more informative. Here, we show that this is not necessarily the case. Depending on the precise form of the relationship between trait size and cost, expression may become more or less condition-dependent as the trait undergoes exaggeration, or may remain unchanged. This leads us to question how much of the information ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 27, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: R. A. JOHNSTONE, S. A. RANDS, M. R. EVANS Source Type: journals

The ontogeny of cross-sex genetic correlations: an analysis of patternsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The independent evolution of males and females is typically constrained by shared genetic variance. Despite substantial research, we still know little about the evolution of cross-sex genetic covariance and its standardized measure, the cross-sex genetic correlation (rMF). In particular, it is unclear if rMF tend to vary with age. We compiled 28 traits for which ontogenetic trends in rMF were documented. Decreases in rMF with age were observed significantly more often than increases and the mean effect size for the relationship between rMF and age was large and negative. This suggests that sexual dimorphism (SD) may typica...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 26, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. POISSANT, D. W. COLTMAN Source Type: journals

Clinal variation in post-winter male fertility retention; an adaptive overwintering strategy in Drosophila melanogasterEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we test for the maintenance of fertility in overwintering males from the eastern Australian D. melanogaster cline. Males from southern temperate populations maintained in field cages in temperate Melbourne had a higher fertility in spring compared with males from tropical locations. Temperate males successfully inseminated more females, and there were also more offspring produced per inseminated female. The resulting linear post-winter fertility clines were unrelated to male body size. In contrast, there was no clinal variation for fertility in nonoverwintering males held in the laboratory. The cline in over...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: L. RAKO, N. A. POULSEN, J. SHIRRIFFS, A. A. HOFFMANN Source Type: journals

Basal metabolic rate and risk-taking behaviour in birdsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) constitutes the minimal metabolic rate in the zone of thermo-neutrality, where heat production is not elevated for temperature regulation. BMR thus constitutes the minimum metabolic rate that is required for maintenance. Interspecific variation in BMR in birds is correlated with food habits, climate, habitat, flight activity, torpor, altitude, and migration, although the selective forces involved in the evolution of these presumed adaptations are not always obvious. I suggest that BMR constitutes the minimum level required for maintenance, and that variation in this minimum level reflects the fit...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 12, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A. P. MØLLER Source Type: journals

Intergenomic epistasis causes asynchronous hatch times in whitefish hybrids, but only when parental ecotypes differEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigates effects of ecological vs. genetic disparity of parental species on the presence of endogenous selection (deformation and mortality rates) and potential sources of exogenous selection (growth rates and hatch timing) on hybrids. Hybrid embryonic development is analysed in a common-garden full-sib cross of three species belonging to two different ecotypes within the Coregonus lavaretus species flock in the central Alpine region of Europe. Although hatch timing was similar across the three species, embryonic growth rates and egg sizes differed between ecotypes. This led to a mismatch between embryonic g...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 12, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: P. J. WOODS, R. MÜLLER, O. SEEHAUSEN Source Type: journals

Influence of learning on range expansion and adaptation to novel habitatsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Learning has been postulated to 'drive' evolution, but its influence on adaptive evolution in heterogeneous environments has not been formally examined. We used a spatially explicit individual-based model to study the effect of learning on the expansion and adaptation of a species to a novel habitat. Fitness was mediated by a behavioural trait (resource preference), which in turn was determined by both the genotype and learning. Our findings indicate that learning substantially increases the range of parameters under which the species expands and adapts to the novel habitat, particularly if the two habitats are separated b...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. SUTTER, T. J. KAWECKI Source Type: journals

Inbreeding depression in an asexual population of Mimulus guttatusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we estimate genetic variation and genetic load for a predominately asexual population of Mimulus guttatus, and then compare our results to other studies of predominately sexually reproducing (outcrossing and selfing) populations of M. guttatus. The asexual population had low levels of heterozygosity (He = 0.03) and low (but significantly non-zero) inbreeding load, especially when compared with other M. guttatus populations. This differs greatly from the sexual populations of Mimulus that display substantial inbreeding depression. We discuss a variety of reasons why we see such low load in this study and sugg...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: T. N. MARRIAGE, J. K. KELLY Source Type: journals

The interaction of multiple environmental stressors affects adaptation to a novel habitat in the natterjack toad Bufo calamitaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The potential to adapt to novel environmental conditions is a key area of interest for evolutionary biology. However, the role of multiple selection pressures on adaptive responses has rarely been investigated in natural populations. In Sweden, the natterjack toad Bufo calamita inhabits two separate distribution areas, one in southernmost Sweden and one on the west coast. We characterized the larval habitat in terms of pond size and salinity in the two areas, and found that the western populations are more affected by both desiccation risk and pond salinity than the southern populations. In a common garden experiment manip...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B. ROGELL, M. HOFMAN, M. EKLUND, A. LAURILA, J. HÖGLUND Source Type: journals

Age-dependent mutational effects curtail the evolution of senescence by antagonistic pleiotropyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One of the two main hypotheses to account for ageing is antagonistic pleiotropy (AP). This model requires alleles that increase vital rates (reproduction or survival) at early age at the expense of vital rates at late age. An important focus of evolutionary studies has been to assess the relative abundance of AP-type aging alleles that arise through mutation. Here, we develop theory that predicts that senescence per se reduces the probability that these alleles arise by mutation. A direct result is that these mutations should arise with extremely low frequencies in already senescing populations. This has profound implicati...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. A. MOORAD, D. W. HALL Source Type: journals

Routes to indirect fitness in cooperatively breeding vertebrates: kin discrimination and limited dispersalEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hamilton demonstrated that the evolution of cooperative behaviour is favoured by high relatedness, which can arise through kin discrimination or limited dispersal (population viscosity). These two processes are likely to operate with limited overlap: kin discrimination is beneficial when variation in relatedness is higher, whereas limited dispersal results in less variable and higher average relatedness, reducing selection for kin discrimination. However, most empirical work on eukaryotes has focused on kin discrimination. To address this bias, we analysed how kin discrimination and limited dispersal interact to shape help...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. K. CORNWALLIS, S. A. WEST, A. S. GRIFFIN Source Type: journals

Path analysis of natural selection via survival and fecundity across contrasting environments in Avena barbataEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We employed path analysis to analyse natural selection through two major fitness components in each of three contrasting environments. Using a randomized block design, 188 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) derived from a cross between contrasting ecotypes of Avena barbata were planted in common gardens in the greenhouse, and in two field sites typical of each ecotype's native habitat. Individuals were monitored for germination phenology, early growth, survival, final size, flowering phenology, reproductive allocation, fecundity and lifetime reproductive success. The variance/covariance matrix of the RIL (genotype) means was ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: R. G. LATTA, C. McCAIN Source Type: journals

Natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintains differentiation among micro-allopatric populationsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Local adaptation to divergent environmental conditions can promote population genetic differentiation even in the absence of geographic barriers and hence lead to speciation. But what mechanisms contribute to reproductive isolation among diverging populations? We tested for natural and sexual selection against immigrants in a fish species inhabiting (and adapting to) nonsulphidic surface habitats, sulphidic surface habitats and a sulphidic cave. Gene flow is strong among sample sites situated within the same habitat type, but low among divergent habitat types. Our results indicate that females of both sulphidic populations...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. TOBLER, R. RIESCH, C. M. TOBLER, T. SCHULZ-MIRBACH, M. PLATH Source Type: journals

Reproductive barriers between two sympatric beetle species specialized on different host plantsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Knowledge on interspecific pre- and post-zygotic isolation mechanisms provides insights into speciation patterns. Using crosses (F1 and backcrosses) of two closely related flea beetles species, Altica fragariae and A. viridicyanea, specialized on different hosts in sympatry, we measured: (a) the type of reproductive isolation and (b) the inheritance mode of preference and host-specific performance, using a joint-scaling test. Each species preferred almost exclusively its host plant, creating strong prezygotic isolation between them, and suggesting that speciation may occur at least partly in sympatry. Reproductive isolatio...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - October 5, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: H.-J. XUE, S. MAGALHÃES, W.-Z. LI, X.-K. YANG Source Type: journals

Local adaptation of Ruellia nudiflora (Acanthaceae) to biotic counterparts: complex scenarios revealed when two herbivore guilds are consideredEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study evaluated whether the herb Ruellia nudiflora is locally adapted to a specialist insect seed predator (SP) and insect folivores, and if plant local adaptation (LA) to the former is more likely. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted using three sites in Yucatan (Mexico) (n = 864 plants). A third of the plants of each origin were placed at each site, and we recorded the following during a 9-month period: fruit number, leaf damage, and fruits attacked by SP. Results indicated lack of plant LA for all the variables measured. Instead, seed predation was c. 100% greater for native plants at one study site, s...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - September 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: I. ORTEGÓN-CAMPOS, V. PARRA-TABLA, L. ABDALA-ROBERTS, C. M. HERRERA Source Type: journals

Synergistic and antagonistic interaction between different branches of the immune system is related to melanin-based coloration in nestling tawny owlsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
When exposed to parasites, hosts often mount energetically expensive immune responses, and this may alter resource allocation between competing life history traits including other components of the immune system. Here, we investigated whether a humoral immune challenge towards a vaccine reduces or enhances the cutaneous immune responses towards an injection of lipopolysaccharid (LPS, innate immunity) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, T-cell immunity) in nestling tawny owls in interaction with the degree of plumage melanin-based coloration. The humoral immune challenge enhanced the response to LPS similarly in differently colou...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - September 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. GASPARINI, R. PIAULT, P. BIZE, A. ROULIN Source Type: journals

Parent–offspring conflict and selection on egg size in turtlesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The trade-off between offspring size and number can present a conflict between parents and their offspring. Because egg size is constrained by clutch size, the optimal egg size for offspring fitness may not always be equivalent to that which maximizes parental fitness. We evaluated selection on egg size in three turtle species (Apalone mutica, Chelydra serpentina and Chrysemys picta) to determine if optimal egg sizes differ between offspring and their mothers. Although hatching success was generally greater for larger eggs, the strength and form of selection varied. In most cases, the egg size that maximized offspring fitn...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - September 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: F. J. JANZEN, D. A. WARNER Source Type: journals

Allometry and performance: the evolution of skull form and function in felidsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Allometric patterns of skull-shape variation can have significant impacts on cranial mechanics and feeding performance, but have received little attention in previous studies. Here, we examine the impacts of allometric skull-shape variation on feeding capabilities in the cat family (Felidae) with linear morphometrics and finite element analysis. Our results reveal that relative bite force diminishes slightly with increasing skull size, and that the skulls of the smallest species undergo the least strain during biting. However, larger felids are able to produce greater gapes for a given angle of jaw opening, and they have o...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - September 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: G. J. SLATER, B. VAN VALKENBURGH Source Type: journals

Strong morphological support for the molecular evolutionary tree of placental mammalsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The emerging molecular evolutionary tree for placental mammals differs greatly from morphological trees, leading to repeated suggestions that morphology is uninformative at this level. This view is here refuted empirically, using an extensive morphological and molecular dataset totalling 17 431 characters. When analysed alone, morphology indeed is highly misleading, contradicting nearly every clade in the preferred tree (obtained from the molecular or the combined data). Widespread homoplasy overrides historical signal. However, when added to the molecular data, morphology surprisingly increases support for most clades in ...
Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology - September 22, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. S. Y. LEE, A. B. CAMENS Source Type: journals