| 1. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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| 2. |
- Bonnet, Timothee, et al.
(author)
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Genetic variance in fitness indicates rapid contemporary adaptive evolution in wild animals
- 2022
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 376:6596, s. 1012-1016
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore unclear whether adaptive evolution can play a meaningful role in short-term population dynamics. We developed and applied quantitative genetic methods to long-term datasets from 19 wild bird and mammal populations and found that, while estimates vary between populations, additive genetic variance in relative fitness is often substantial and, on average, twice that of previous estimates. We show that these rates of contemporary adaptive evolution can affect population dynamics and hence that natural selection has the potential to partly mitigate effects of current environmental change.
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| 3. |
- Culina, Antica, et al.
(author)
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Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies : The SPI-Birds data hub
- 2021
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In: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 90:9, s. 2147-2160
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The integration and synthesis of the data in different areas of science is drastically slowed and hindered by a lack of standards and networking programmes. Long-term studies of individually marked animals are not an exception. These studies are especially important as instrumental for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the wild. Furthermore, their number and global distribution provides a unique opportunity to assess the generality of patterns and to address broad-scale global issues (e.g. climate change). To solve data integration issues and enable a new scale of ecological and evolutionary research based on long-term studies of birds, we have created the SPI-Birds Network and Database ()-a large-scale initiative that connects data from, and researchers working on, studies of wild populations of individually recognizable (usually ringed) birds. Within year and a half since the establishment, SPI-Birds has recruited over 120 members, and currently hosts data on almost 1.5 million individual birds collected in 80 populations over 2,000 cumulative years, and counting. SPI-Birds acts as a data hub and a catalogue of studied populations. It prevents data loss, secures easy data finding, use and integration and thus facilitates collaboration and synthesis. We provide community-derived data and meta-data standards and improve data integrity guided by the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), and aligned with the existing metadata languages (e.g. ecological meta-data language). The encouraging community involvement stems from SPI-Bird's decentralized approach: research groups retain full control over data use and their way of data management, while SPI-Birds creates tailored pipelines to convert each unique data format into a standard format. We outline the lessons learned, so that other communities (e.g. those working on other taxa) can adapt our successful model. Creating community-specific hubs (such as ours, COMADRE for animal demography, etc.) will aid much-needed large-scale ecological data integration.
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| 4. |
- Mills, James A., et al.
(author)
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Archiving Primary Data : Solutions for Long-Term Studies
- 2015
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In: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-5347 .- 1872-8383. ; 30:10, s. 581-589
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The recent trend for journals to require open access to primary data included in publications has been embraced by many biologists, but has caused apprehension amongst researchers engaged in long-term ecological and evolutionary studies. A worldwide survey of 73 principal investigators (PIs) with long-term studies revealed positive attitudes towards sharing data with the agreement or involvement of the PI, and 93% of PIs have historically shared data. Only 8% were in favor of uncontrolled, open access to primary data while 63% expressed serious concern. We present here their viewpoint on an issue that can have non-trivial scientific consequences. We discuss potential costs of public data archiving and provide possible solutions to meet the needs of journals and researchers.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Radchuk, Viktoriia, et al.
(author)
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Adaptive responses of animals to climate change are most likely insufficient
- 2019
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biological responses to climate change have been widely documented across taxa and regions, but it remains unclear whether species are maintaining a good match between phenotype and environment, i.e. whether observed trait changes are adaptive. Here we reviewed 10,090 abstracts and extracted data from 71 studies reported in 58 relevant publications, to assess quantitatively whether phenotypic trait changes associated with climate change are adaptive in animals. A meta-analysis focussing on birds, the taxon best represented in our dataset, suggests that global warming has not systematically affected morphological traits, but has advanced phenological traits. We demonstrate that these advances are adaptive for some species, but imperfect as evidenced by the observed consistent selection for earlier timing. Application of a theoretical model indicates that the evolutionary load imposed by incomplete adaptive responses to ongoing climate change may already be threatening the persistence of species.
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| 7. |
- Richter-Boix, Alex, et al.
(author)
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Local selection modifies phenotypic divergence among Rana temporaria populations in the presence of gene flow
- 2010
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In: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 19:4, s. 716-731
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In ectotherms, variation in life history traits among populations is common and suggests local adaptation. However, geographic variation itself is not a proof for local adaptation, as genetic drift and gene flow may also shape patterns of quantitative variation. We studied local and regional variation in means and phenotypic plasticity of larval life history traits in the common frog Rana temporaria using six populations from central Sweden, breeding in either open-canopy or partially closed-canopy ponds. To separate local adaptation from genetic drift, we compared differentiation in quantitative genetic traits (Q(ST)) obtained from a common garden experiment with differentiation in presumably neutral microsatellite markers (F-ST). We found that R. temporaria populations differ in means and plasticities of life history traits in different temperatures at local, and in F-ST at regional scale. Comparisons of differentiation in quantitative traits and in molecular markers suggested that natural selection was responsible for the divergence in growth and development rates as well as in temperature-induced plasticity, indicating local adaptation. However, at low temperature, the role of genetic drift could not be separated from selection. Phenotypes were correlated with forest canopy closure, but not with geographical or genetic distance. These results indicate that local adaptation can evolve in the presence of ongoing gene flow among the populations, and that natural selection is strong in this system.
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| 8. |
- Spagopoulou, Foteini, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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“Silver-spoon” natal conditions increase early-life fitness but accelerate reproductive ageing in a wild bird
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Early-life conditions can have long-lasting effects and organisms that experience a poor start in life are often expected to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, individuals raised in high-quality environments can overinvest in early-reproduction resulting in rapid ageing. Here we use long-term experimental manipulation of early-life conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), to show that females raised in a low-competition environment have higher early-life reproduction but lower late-life reproduction than females raised in high-competition environment. We experimentally created either artificially increased (high-competition) or reduced (low-competition) broods. Reproductive success of high-competition females peaked in late-life, when low-competition females were already in steep reproductive decline and suffered from higher mortality rate. Our results demonstrate that “silver spoon” effects can increase female early-life performance at the cost of faster reproductive ageing and increased late-life mortality. These findings support the evolutionary theory of ageing and show that early-life environmental conditions shape reproductive and demographic ageing in nature.
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| 9. |
- Spagopoulou, Foteini, et al.
(author)
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Silver-spoon upbringing improves early-life fitness but promotes reproductive ageing in a wild bird
- 2020
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In: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 23:6, s. 994-1002
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Early-life conditions can have long-lasting effects and organisms that experience a poor start in life are often expected to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, individuals raised in high-quality environments can overinvest in early-reproduction resulting in rapid ageing. Here we use a long-term experimental manipulation of early-life conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), to show that females raised in a low-competition environment (artificially reduced broods) have higher early-life reproduction but lower late-life reproduction than females raised in high-competition environment (artificially increased broods). Reproductive success of high-competition females peaked in late-life, when low-competition females were already in steep reproductive decline and suffered from a higher mortality rate. Our results demonstrate that 'silver-spoon' natal conditions increase female early-life performance at the cost of faster reproductive ageing and increased late-life mortality. These findings demonstrate experimentally that natal environment shapes individual variation in reproductive and actuarial ageing in nature.
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| 10. |
- Teplitsky, Celine, et al.
(author)
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Adaptive plasticity in stressful environments : Acidity constrains inducible defences in Rana arvalis
- 2007
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In: Evolutionary Ecology Research. - 1522-0613 .- 1937-3791. ; 9:3, s. 447-458
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Questions: How do environmental stressors affect the expression of adaptive phenotypicplasticity? Is there inter-population variation in these effects? Hypothesis: Acid stress constrains the expression of inducible defences by decreasinginvestment in defences or by increasing the costs of investment. Organisms originating fromneutral environments suffer more from acid stress than organisms originating from acidenvironments. Organism: Tadpoles of Rana arvalis, originating from two different populations (acid andneutral). This species displays inducible defences in response to insect predators (here dragonflylarvae). Methods: A laboratory experiment with a factorial design crossing two factors: predatorpresence (present vs. absent) and acidity (neutral vs. acid). We tested the effects of experimentaltreatment on tadpole morphology as well as age and size at metamorphosis. Results: Tadpoles from the neutral origin population invested less in inducible defences (tailfin depth) in the acid than in the neutral treatment. In contrast, tadpoles from the acid originpopulation were able to respond equally well to predators in both pH treatments. pH-relatedcosts differed between populations: while tadpoles from the neutral origin population sufferedfrom acid stress in terms of reduced developmental rate, those from the acid origin populationseemed to suffer from neutral stress in terms of reduced size at metamorphosis.
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| 11. |
- Teplitsky, Celine, et al.
(author)
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Assessing Multivariate Constraints to Evolution across Ten Long-Term Avian Studies
- 2014
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:3, s. e90444-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In a rapidly changing world, it is of fundamental importance to understand processes constraining or facilitating adaptation through microevolution. As different traits of an organism covary, genetic correlations are expected to affect evolutionary trajectories. However, only limited empirical data are available. Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigate the extent to which multivariate constraints affect the rate of adaptation, focusing on four morphological traits often shown to harbour large amounts of genetic variance and considered to be subject to limited evolutionary constraints. Our data set includes unique long-term data for seven bird species and a total of 10 populations. We estimate population-specific matrices of genetic correlations and multivariate selection coefficients to predict evolutionary responses to selection. Using Bayesian methods that facilitate the propagation of errors in estimates, we compare (1) the rate of adaptation based on predicted response to selection when including genetic correlations with predictions from models where these genetic correlations were set to zero and (2) the multivariate evolvability in the direction of current selection to the average evolvability in random directions of the phenotypic space. We show that genetic correlations on average decrease the predicted rate of adaptation by 28%. Multivariate evolvability in the direction of current selection was systematically lower than average evolvability in random directions of space. These significant reductions in the rate of adaptation and reduced evolvability were due to a general nonalignment of selection and genetic variance, notably orthogonality of directional selection with the size axis along which most (60%) of the genetic variance is found. Conclusions: These results suggest that genetic correlations can impose significant constraints on the evolution of avian morphology in wild populations. This could have important impacts on evolutionary dynamics and hence population persistence in the face of rapid environmental change.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Teplitsky, Céline, et al.
(author)
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Flexible defense strategies : competition modifies investment in behavioral vs. morphological defenses
- 2007
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In: Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 88:7, s. 1641-1646
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Competition is predicted to affect the expression of inducible defenses, but because costs of behavioral and morphological antipredator defenses differ along resource gradients, its effects on defenses may depend on the traits considered. We tested the predictions from different defense models in tadpoles of the common frog Rana temporaria, which exhibit both types of defenses. In an outdoor experiment, we exposed the tadpoles to nonlethal predators (Aeshna dragonfly larvae) and to a gradient of intraspecific competition. Morphological responses did not follow any of the expected patterns, since investment in defense was not affected by resource level. Instead, tail depth decreased in the absence of predators. Behavioral defenses followed a state-dependent model. Overall, the defense strategy of the tadpoles revealed a shift from morphological and behavioral defenses at low tadpole density to morphological defense only at high density. This difference probably reflects the different efficiency of the defenses. Hiding is an effective means of defense, but it is unsustainable when resources are scarce. Morphological responses become more important with increasing density to compensate for the increase in behavioral risk-taking. Our results indicate that competition can strongly affect reaction norms of inducible defenses and highlight the importance of integrating ecological parameters that affect the cost–benefit balance of phenotypic plasticity.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Urban, Mark C., et al.
(author)
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When and how can we predict adaptive responses to climate change?
- 2024
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In: Evolution Letters. - : Oxford University Press. - 2056-3744. ; 8:1, s. 172-187
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Predicting if, when, and how populations can adapt to climate change constitutes one of the greatest challenges in science today. Here, we build from contributions to the special issue on evolutionary adaptation to climate change, a survey of its authors, and recent literature to explore the limits and opportunities for predicting adaptive responses to climate change. We outline what might be predictable now, in the future, and perhaps never even with our best efforts. More accurate predictions are expected for traits characterized by a well-understood mapping between genotypes and phenotypes and traits experiencing strong, direct selection due to climate change. A meta-analysis revealed an overall moderate trait heritability and evolvability in studies performed under future climate conditions but indicated no significant change between current and future climate conditions, suggesting neither more nor less genetic variation for adapting to future climates. Predicting population persistence and evolutionary rescue remains uncertain, especially for the many species without sufficient ecological data. Still, when polled, authors contributing to this special issue were relatively optimistic about our ability to predict future evolutionary responses to climate change. Predictions will improve as we expand efforts to understand diverse organisms, their ecology, and their adaptive potential. Advancements in functional genomic resources, especially their extension to non-model species and the union of evolutionary experiments and "omics," should also enhance predictions. Although predicting evolutionary responses to climate change remains challenging, even small advances will reduce the substantial uncertainties surrounding future evolutionary responses to climate change. Preventing biological impacts from climate change will require accurate predictions about which species and ecosystems are most at risk and how best to protect them. Despite some progress, most predictive efforts still omit the potential for evolution to mediate climate change impacts. Here, we evaluate what is predictable now, in the future, and likely never based on recent literature, a survey of authors, and authors' contributions to a special issue on climate change evolution. Evidence indicates a growing ability to predict at least some components underlying evolutionary dynamics. For instance, the direct effects of climate change often alter natural selection regimes that could elicit evolutionary responses assuming sufficient additive genetic variation. We found no evidence for an increase or decrease in evolvability under future climate conditions, but we did find an overall moderate level of evolvability. However, the specific genetics underlying potential adaptive changes are still a "black box" that remains difficult to predict. We not only discuss the opportunities afforded by new genomic techniques to elucidate these genetic black boxes but also caution that the costs and limitations of such techniques for many species might not warrant their general practicality. We highlight further progress and challenges in predicting gene flow and population persistence, both of which can facilitate evolutionary rescue. We finish by listing ten activities that are needed to accelerate future progress in predicting climate change evolution. Despite the many complexities, we are relatively optimistic that evolutionary responses to climate change are becoming more accurate through time, especially assuming a more focused effort to fill key knowledge gaps in the coming years.
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