| 1. |
- Reinke, Beth A, et al.
(författare)
-
Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science. - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 376:6600, s. 1459-1466
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.
|
|
| 2. |
- Fargevieille, Amélie, et al.
(författare)
-
Propagule size and sex ratio influence colonisation dynamics after introduction of a non-native lizard
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 91:4, s. 845-857
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The composition of founding populations plays an important role in colonisation dynamics and can influence population growth during early stages of biological invasion. Specifically, founding populations with small propagules (i.e. low number of founders) are vulnerable to the Allee effect and have reduced likelihood of establishment compared to those with large propagules. The founding sex ratio can also impact establishment via its influence on mating success and offspring production.Our goal was to test the effects of propagule size and sex ratio on offspring production and annual population growth following introductions of a non-native lizard species (Anolis sagrei). We manipulated propagule composition on nine small islands, then examined offspring production, population growth and survival rate of founders and their descendants encompassing three generations.By the third reproductive season, per capita offspring production was higher on islands seeded with a relatively large propagule size, but population growth was not associated with propagule size. Propagule sex ratio did not affect offspring production, but populations with a female-biased propagule had positive growth, whereas those with a male-biased propagule had negative growth in the first year. Populations were not affected by propagule sex ratio in subsequent years, possibly due to rapid shifts towards balanced (or slightly female biased) population sex ratios.Overall, we show that different components of population fitness have different responses to propagule size and sex ratio in ways that could affect early stages of biological invasion. Despite these effects, the short life span and high fecundity of A. sagrei likely helped small populations to overcome Allee effects and enabled all populations to successfully establish.Our rare experimental manipulation of propagule size and sex ratio can inform predictions of colonisation dynamics in response to different compositions of founding populations, which is critical in the context of population ecology and invasion dynamics.
|
|
| 3. |
- Butler, Geraldine, et al.
(författare)
-
Evolution of pathogenicity and sexual reproduction in eight Candida genomes.
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 459:7247, s. 657-62
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Candida species are the most common cause of opportunistic fungal infection worldwide. Here we report the genome sequences of six Candida species and compare these and related pathogens and non-pathogens. There are significant expansions of cell wall, secreted and transporter gene families in pathogenic species, suggesting adaptations associated with virulence. Large genomic tracts are homozygous in three diploid species, possibly resulting from recent recombination events. Surprisingly, key components of the mating and meiosis pathways are missing from several species. These include major differences at the mating-type loci (MTL); Lodderomyces elongisporus lacks MTL, and components of the a1/2 cell identity determinant were lost in other species, raising questions about how mating and cell types are controlled. Analysis of the CUG leucine-to-serine genetic-code change reveals that 99% of ancestral CUG codons were erased and new ones arose elsewhere. Lastly, we revise the Candida albicans gene catalogue, identifying many new genes.
|
|
| 4. |
- Kahrl, Ariel F., et al.
(författare)
-
Selection on Sperm Count, but Not on Sperm Morphology or Velocity, in a Wild Population of Anolis Lizards
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4409. ; 10:9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sperm competition is a widespread phenomenon that shapes male reproductive success. Ejaculates present many potential targets for postcopulatory selection (e.g., sperm morphology, count, and velocity), which are often highly correlated and potentially subject to complex multivariate selection. Although multivariate selection on ejaculate traits has been observed in laboratory experiments, it is unclear whether selection is similarly complex in wild populations, where individuals mate frequently over longer periods of time. We measured univariate and multivariate selection on sperm morphology, sperm count, and sperm velocity in a wild population of brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei). We conducted a mark-recapture study with genetic parentage assignment to estimate individual reproductive success. We found significant negative directional selection and negative quadratic selection on sperm count, but we did not detect directional or quadratic selection on any other sperm traits, nor did we detect correlational selection on any trait combinations. Our results may reflect pressure on males to produce many small ejaculates and mate frequently over a six-month reproductive season. This study is the first to measure multivariate selection on sperm traits in a wild population and provides an interesting contrast to experimental studies of external fertilizers, which have found complex multivariate selection on sperm phenotypes.
|
|
| 5. |
- Kustra, Matthew C., et al.
(författare)
-
Sperm morphology and count vary with fine-scale changes in local density in a wild lizard population
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0029-8549 .- 1432-1939. ; 191:3, s. 555-564
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given that sperm production can be costly, theory predicts that males should optimally adjust the quantity and/or quality of their sperm in response to their social environment to maximize their paternity success. Although experiments demonstrate that males can alter their ejaculates in response to manipulations of the social environment and studies show that ejaculate traits covary with social environment across populations, it is unknown whether individual variation in sperm traits corresponds to natural variation found within wild populations. Using an island population of brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei), we tested the prediction that sperm traits (sperm count, sperm morphology, sperm velocity) respond to natural variation in the risk of sperm competition, as inferred from the local density and operational sex ratio (OSR) of conspecifics. We found that males living in high-density areas of the island produced relatively larger sperm midpieces, smaller sperm heads, and lower sperm counts. Sperm traits were unrelated to OSR after accounting for the covariance between OSR and density. Our findings broaden the implications of sperm competition theory to intrapopulation social environment variation by showing that sperm count and sperm morphology vary with fine-scale differences in density within a single wild population.
|
|
| 6. |
- De Lisle, Stephen P, et al.
(författare)
-
Climatic factors and species range position predict sexually antagonistic selection across taxa
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 1471-2970 .- 0962-8436. ; 373:1757
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sex differences in selection are ubiquitous in sexually reproducing organisms. When the genetic basis of traits is shared between the sexes, such sexually antagonistic selection (SAS) creates a potential constraint on adaptive evolution. Theory and laboratory experiments suggest that environmental variation and the degree of local adaptation may all affect the frequency and intensity of SAS. Here, we capitalize on a large database of over 700 spatially or temporally replicated estimates of sex-specific phenotypic selection from wild populations, combined with data on microclimates and geographical range information. We performed a meta-analysis to test three predictions from SAS theory, that selection becomes more concordant between males and females: (1) in more stressful environments, (2) in more variable environments and (3) closer to the edge of the species' range. We find partial empirical support for all three predictions. Within-study analyses indicate SAS decreases in extreme environments, as indicated by a relationship with maximum temperature, minimum precipitation and evaporative potential (PET). Across studies, we found that the average level of SAS at high latitudes was lower, where environmental conditions are typically less stable. Finally, we found evidence for reduced SAS in populations that are far from the centre of their geographical range. However, and notably, we also found some evidence of reduced average strength of selection in these populations, which is in contrast to predictions from classical theoretical models on range limit evolution. Our results suggest that environmental lability and species range position predictably influence sex-specific selection and sexual antagonism in the wild.This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences'.
|
|
