| 1. |
- Corral-Lopez, Alberto, 1984-, et al.
(author)
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Evolution of schooling drives changes in neuroanatomy and motion characteristics across predation contexts in guppies
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One of the most spectacular displays of social behavior is the synchronized movements that many animal groups perform to travel, forage and escape from predators. However, elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying the evolution of collective behaviors, as well as their fitness effects, remains challenging. Here, we study collective motion patterns with and without predation threat and predator inspection behavior in guppies experimentally selected for divergence in polarization, an important ecological driver of coordinated movement in fish. We find that groups from artificially selected lines remain more polarized than control groups in the presence of a threat. Neuroanatomical measurements of polarization-selected individuals indicate changes in brain regions previously suggested to be important regulators of perception, fear and attention, and motor response. Additional visual acuity and temporal resolution tests performed in polarization-selected and control individuals indicate that observed differences in predator inspection and schooling behavior should not be attributable to changes in visual perception, but rather are more likely the result of the more efficient relay of sensory input in the brain of polarization-selected fish. Our findings highlight that brain morphology may play a fundamental role in the evolution of coordinated movement and anti-predator behavior.
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| 2. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, 1984-, et al.
(author)
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Functional convergence of genomic and transcriptomic architecture underlies schooling behaviour in a live-bearing fish
- 2024
-
In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-334X. ; 8:1, s. 98-110
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The organization and coordination of fish schools provide a valuable model to investigate the genetic architecture of affiliative behaviours and dissect the mechanisms underlying social behaviours and personalities. Here we used replicate guppy selection lines that vary in schooling propensity and combine quantitative genetics with genomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the genetic basis of sociability phenotypes. We show that consistent with findings in collective motion patterns, experimental evolution of schooling propensity increased the sociability of female, but not male, guppies when swimming with unfamiliar conspecifics. This finding highlights a relevant link between coordinated motion and sociability for species forming fission–fusion societies in which both group size and the type of social interactions are dynamic across space and time. We further show that alignment and attraction, the two major traits forming the sociability personality axis in this species, showed heritability estimates at the upper end of the range previously described for social behaviours, with important variation across sexes. The results from both Pool-seq and RNA-seq data indicated that genes involved in neuron migration and synaptic function were instrumental in the evolution of sociability, highlighting a crucial role of glutamatergic synaptic function and calcium-dependent signalling processes in the evolution of schooling.
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| 3. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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Brain size does not impact shoaling dynamics in unfamiliar groups of guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
- 2018
-
In: Behavioural Processes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0376-6357 .- 1872-8308. ; 147, s. 13-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Collective movement is achieved when individuals adopt local rules to interact with their neighbours. How the brain processes information about neighbours' positions and movements may affect how individuals interact in groups. As brain size can determine such information processing it should impact collective animal movement. Here we investigate whether brain size affects the structure and organisation of newly forming fish shoals by quantifying the collective movement of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from large- and small-brained selection lines, with known differences in learning and memory. We used automated tracking software to determine shoaling behaviour of single-sex groups of eight or two fish and found no evidence that brain size affected the speed, group size, or spatial and directional organisation of fish shoals. Our results suggest that brain size does not play an important role in how fish interact with each other in these types of moving groups of unfamiliar individuals. Based on these results, we propose that shoal dynamics are likely to be governed by relatively basic cognitive processes that do not differ in these brain size selected lines of guppies.
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| 4. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Evolution of brain region volumes during artificial selection for relative brain size
- 2017
-
In: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 71:12, s. 2942-2951
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The vertebrate brain shows an extremely conserved layout across taxa. Still, the relative sizes of separate brain regions vary markedly between species. One interesting pattern is that larger brains seem associated with increased relative sizes only of certain brain regions, for instance telencephalon and cerebellum. Till now, the evolutionary association between separate brain regions and overall brain size is based on comparative evidence and remains experimentally untested. Here, we test the evolutionary response of brain regions to directional selection on brain size in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) selected for large and small relative brain size. In these animals, artificial selection led to a fast response in relative brain size, while body size remained unchanged. We use microcomputer tomography to investigate how the volumes of 11 main brain regions respond to selection for larger versus smaller brains. We found no differences in relative brain region volumes between large- and small-brained animals and only minor sex-specific variation. Also, selection did not change allometric scaling between brain and brain region sizes. Our results suggest that brain regions respond similarly to strong directional selection on relative brain size, which indicates that brain anatomy variation in contemporary species most likely stem from direct selection on key regions.
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| 5. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Rapid evolution of coordinated and collective movement in response to artificial selection
- 2020
-
In: Science Advances. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 2375-2548. ; 6:49
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Collective motion occurs when individuals use social interaction rules to respond to the movements and positions of their neighbors. How readily these social decisions are shaped by selection remains unknown. Through artificial selection on fish (guppies, Poecilia reticulata) for increased group polarization, we demonstrate rapid evolution in how individuals use social interaction rules. Within only three generations, groups of polarization-selected females showed a 15% increase in polarization, coupled with increased cohesiveness, compared to fish from control lines. Although lines did not differ in their physical swimming ability or exploratory behavior, polarization-selected fish adopted faster speeds, particularly in social contexts, and showed stronger alignment and attraction responses to multiple neighbors. Our results reveal the social interaction rules that change when collective behavior evolves.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Tsuboi, Masahito, et al.
(author)
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Comparative support for the expensive tissue hypothesis : Big brains are correlated with smaller gut and greater parental investment in Lake Tanganyika cichlids
- 2015
-
In: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 69:1, s. 190-200
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The brain is one of the most energetically expensive organs in the vertebrate body. Consequently, the energetic requirements of encephalization are suggested to impose considerable constraints on brain size evolution. Three main hypotheses concerning how energetic constraints might affect brain evolution predict covariation between brain investment and (1) investment into other costly tissues, (2) overall metabolic rate, and (3) reproductive investment. To date, these hypotheses have mainly been tested in homeothermic animals and the existing data are inconclusive. However, there are good reasons to believe that energetic limitations might play a role in large-scale patterns of brain size evolution also in ectothermic vertebrates. Here, we test these hypotheses in a group of ectothermic vertebrates, the Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes. After controlling for the effect of shared ancestry and confounding ecological variables, we find a negative association between brain size and gut size. Furthermore, we find that the evolution of a larger brain is accompanied by increased reproductive investment into egg size and parental care. Our results indicate that the energetic costs of encephalization may be an important general factor involved in the evolution of brain size also in ectothermic vertebrates.
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| 8. |
- Tsuboi, Masahito, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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Evolution of brain-body allometry in Lake Tanganyika cichlids.
- 2016
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In: Evolution. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 70:7, s. 1559-1568
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brain size is strongly associated with body size in all vertebrates. This relationship has been hypothesized to be an important constraint on adaptive brain size evolution. The essential assumption behind this idea is that static (i.e., within species) brain-body allometry has low ability to evolve. However, recent studies have reported mixed support for this view. Here, we examine brain-body static allometry in Lake Tanganyika cichlids using a phylogenetic comparative framework. We found considerable variation in the static allometric intercept, which explained the majority of variation in absolute and relative brain size. In contrast, the slope of the brain-body static allometry had relatively low variation, which explained less variation in absolute and relative brain size compared to the intercept and body size. Further examination of the tempo and mode of evolution of static allometric parameters confirmed these observations. Moreover, the estimated evolutionary parameters indicate that the limited observed variation in the static allometric slope could be a result of strong stabilizing selection. Overall, our findings suggest that the brain-body static allometric slope may represent an evolutionary constraint in Lake Tanganyika cichlids.
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| 9. |
- Bloch, Natasha I., et al.
(author)
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Different mating contexts lead to extensive rewiring of female brain coexpression networks in the guppy
- 2021
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In: Genes, Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 1601-1848 .- 1601-183X. ; 20:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the basis of behavior requires dissecting the complex waves of gene expression that underlie how the brain processes stimuli and produces an appropriate response. In order to determine the dynamic nature of the neurogenomic network underlying mate choice, we use transcriptome sequencing to capture the female neurogenomic response in two brain regions involved in sensory processing and decision-making under different mating and social contexts. We use differential coexpression (DC) analysis to evaluate how gene networks in the brain are rewired when a female evaluates attractive and nonattractive males, greatly extending current single-gene approaches to assess changes in the broader gene regulatory network. We find the brain experiences a remarkable amount of network rewiring in the different mating and social contexts we tested. Further analysis indicates the network differences across contexts are associated with behaviorally relevant functions and pathways, particularly learning, memory and other cognitive functions. Finally, we identify the loci that display social context-dependent connections, revealing the basis of how relevant neurological and metabolic pathways are differentially recruited in distinct social contexts. More broadly, our findings contribute to our understanding of the genetics of mating and social behavior by identifying gene drivers behind behavioral neural processes, illustrating the utility of DC analysis in neurosciences and behavior.
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| 10. |
- Bloch, Natasha, I, et al.
(author)
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Early neurogenomic response associated with variation in guppy female mate preference
- 2018
-
In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; 2:11, s. 1772-1781
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the evolution of mate choice requires dissecting the mechanisms of female preference, particularly how these differ among social contexts and preference phenotypes. Here, we studied the female neurogenomic response after only 10 min of mate exposure in both a sensory component (optic tectum) and a decision-making component (telencephalon) of the brain. By comparing the transcriptional response between females with and without preferences for colourful males, we identified unique neurogenomic elements associated with the female preference phenotype that are not present in females without preference. A network analysis revealed different properties for this response at the sensory-processing and the decision-making levels, and we show that this response is highly centralized in the telencephalon. Furthermore, we identified an additional set of genes that vary in expression across social contexts, beyond mate evaluation. We show that transcription factors among these loci are predicted to regulate the transcriptional response of the genes we found to be associated with female preference.
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| 11. |
- Boussard, Annika, et al.
(author)
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Brain size does not predict learning strategies in a serial reversal learning test
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 223:15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reversal learning assays are commonly used across a wide range of taxa to investigate associative learning and behavioural flexibility. In serial reversal learning, the reward contingency in a binary discrimination is reversed multiple times. Performance during serial reversal learning varies greatly at the interspecific level, as some animals adopt a rule-based strategy that enables them to switch quickly between reward contingencies. A larger relative brain size, generating enhanced learning ability and increased behavioural flexibility, has been proposed to be an important factor underlying this variation. Here, we experimentally tested this hypothesis at the intraspecific level. We used guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for small and large relative brain size, with matching differences in neuron number, in a serial reversal learning assay. We tested 96 individuals over 10 serial reversals and found that learning performance and memory were predicted by brain size, whereas differences in efficient learning strategies were not. We conclude that variation in brain size and neuron number is important for variation in learning performance and memory, but these differences are not great enough to cause the larger differences in efficient learning strategies observed at higher taxonomic levels.
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| 12. |
- Boussard, Annika, et al.
(author)
-
The link between relative brain size and cognitive ageing in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for variation in brain size
- 2021
-
In: Experimental Gerontology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0531-5565 .- 1873-6815. ; 146
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cognitive ageing is the general process when certain mental skills gradually deteriorate with age. Across species, there is a pattern of a slower brain structure degradation rate in large-brained species. Hence, having a larger brain might buffer the impact of cognitive ageing and positively affect survival at older age. However, few studies have investigated the link between relative brain size and cognitive ageing at the intraspecific level. In particular, experimental data on how brain size affects brain function also into higher age is largely missing. We used 288 female guppies (Poecilia reticulata), artificially selected for large and small relative brain size, to investigate variation in colour discrimination and behavioural flexibility, at 4-6, 12 and 24 months of age. These ages are particularly interesting since they cover the life span from sexual maturation until maximal life length under natural conditions. We found no evidence for a slower cognitive ageing rate in large-brained females in neither initial colour discrimination nor reversal learning. Behavioural flexibility was predicted by large relative brain size in the youngest group, but the effect of brain size disappeared with increasing age. This result suggests that cognitive ageing rate is faster in large-brained female guppies, potentially due to the faster ageing and shorter lifespan in the large-brained selection lines. It also means that cognition levels align across different brain sizes with older age. We conclude that there are cognitive consequences of ageing that vary with relative brain size in advanced learning abilities, whereas fundamental aspects of learning can be maintained throughout the ecologically relevant life span.
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| 13. |
- Buechel, Séverine D., et al.
(author)
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Artificial selection on male genitalia length alters female brain size
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 283:1843
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Male harassment is a classic example of how sexual conflict over mating leads to sex-specific behavioural adaptations. Females often suffer significant costs from males attempting forced copulations, and the sexes can be in an arms race over male coercion. Yet, despite recent recognition that divergent sex-specific interests in reproduction can affect brain evolution, sexual conflict has not been addressed in this context. Here, we investigate whether artificial selection on a correlate of male success at coercion, genital length, affects brain anatomy in males and females. We analysed the brains of eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), which had been artificially selected for long or short gonopodium, thereby mimicking selection arising from differing levels of male harassment. By analogy to how prey species often have relatively larger brains than their predators, we found that female, but not male, brain size was greater following selection for a longer gonopodium. Brain subregion volumes remained unchanged. These results suggest that there is a positive genetic correlation between male gonopodium length and female brain size, which is possibly linked to increased female cognitive ability to avoid male coercion. We propose that sexual conflict is an important factor in the evolution of brain anatomy and cognitive ability.
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| 14. |
- Buechel, Séverine D., et al.
(author)
-
Brain size affects performance in a reversal-learning test
- 2018
-
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 285:1871
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has become increasingly clear that a larger brain can confer cognitive benefits. Yet not all of the numerous aspects of cognition seem to be affected by brain size. Recent evidence suggests that some more basic forms of cognition, for instance colour vision, are not influenced by brain size. We therefore hypothesize that a larger brain is especially beneficial for distinct and gradually more complex aspects of cognition. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the performance of brain size selected female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in two distinct aspects of cognition that differ in cognitive complexity. In a standard reversal-learning test we first investigated basic learning ability with a colour discrimination test, then reversed the reward contingency to specifically test for cognitive flexibility. We found that large-brained females outperformed small-brained females in the reversed-learning part of the test but not in the colour discrimination part of the test. Large-brained individuals are hence cognitively more flexible, which probably yields fitness benefits, as they may adapt more quickly to social and/or ecological cognitive challenges. Our results also suggest that a larger brain becomes especially advantageous with increasing cognitive complexity. These findings corroborate the significance of brain size for cognitive evolution.
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| 15. |
- Chen, Yu-Chia, et al.
(author)
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Expression change in Angiopoietin-1 underlies change in relative brain size in fish
- 2015
-
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 282:1810
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brain size varies substantially across the animal kingdom and is often associated with cognitive ability; however, the genetic architecture underpinning natural variation in these key traits is virtually unknown. In order to identify the genetic architecture and loci underlying variation in brain size, we analysed both coding sequence and expression for all the loci expressed in the telencephalon in replicate populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for large and small relative brain size. A single gene, Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), a regulator of angiogenesis and suspected driver of neural development, was differentially expressed between large-and small-brain populations. Zebra fish (Danio rerio) morphants showed that mild knock down of Ang-1 produces a small-brained phenotype that could be rescued with Ang-1 mRNA. Translation inhibition of Ang-1 resulted in smaller brains in larvae and increased expression of Notch-1, which regulates differentiation of neural stem cells. In situ analysis of newborn large-and small-brained guppies revealed matching expression patterns of Ang-1 and Notch-1 to those observed in zebrafish larvae. Taken together, our results suggest that the genetic architecture affecting brain size in our population may be surprisingly simple, and Ang-1 may be a potentially important locus in the evolution of vertebrate brain size and cognitive ability.
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| 16. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, et al.
(author)
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Brain size affects responsiveness in mating behaviour to variation in predation pressure and sex ratio
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : Wiley. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 33:2, s. 165-177
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite ongoing advances in sexual selection theory, the evolution of mating decisions remains enigmatic. Cognitive processes often require simultaneous processing of multiple sources of information from environmental and social cues. However, little experimental data exist on how cognitive ability affects such fitness-associated aspects of behaviour. Using advanced tracking techniques, we studied mating behaviours of guppies artificially selected for divergence in relative brain size, with known differences in cognitive ability, when predation threat and sex ratio was varied. In females, we found a general increase in copulation behaviour in when the sex ratio was female biased, but only large-brained females responded with greater willingness to copulate under a low predation threat. In males, we found that small-brained individuals courted more intensively and displayed more aggressive behaviours than large-brained individuals. However, there were no differences in female response to males with different brain size. These results provide further evidence of a role for female brain size in optimal decision-making in a mating context. In addition, our results indicate that brain size may affect mating display skill in male guppies. We suggest that it is important to consider the association between brain size, cognitive ability and sexual behaviour when studying how morphological and behavioural traits evolve in wild populations.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, et al.
(author)
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Female brain size affects the assessment of male attractiveness during mate choice
- 2017
-
In: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 3:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mate choice decisions are central in sexual selection theory aimed to understand how sexual traits evolve and their role in evolutionary diversification. We test the hypothesis that brain size and cognitive ability are important for accurate assessment of partner quality and that variation in brain size and cognitive ability underlies variation in mate choice. We compared sexual preference in guppy female lines selected for divergence in relative brain size, which we have previously shown to have substantial differences in cognitive ability. In a dichotomous choice test, large-brained and wild-type females showed strong preference for males with color traits that predict attractiveness in this species. In contrast, small-brained females showed no preference for males with these traits. In-depth analysis of optomotor response to color cues and gene expression of key opsins in the eye revealed that the observed differences were not due to differences in visual perception of color, indicating that differences in the ability to process indicators of attractiveness are responsible. We thus provide the first experimental support that individual variation in brain size affects mate choice decisions and conclude that differences in cognitive ability may be an important underlying mechanism behind variation in female mate choice.
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| 20. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, et al.
(author)
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No association between brain size and male sexual behavior in the guppy
- 2015
-
In: Current Zoology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1674-5507 .- 2396-9814. ; 61:2, s. 265-273
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal behavior is remarkably variable at all taxonomic levels. Over the last decades, research on animal behavior has focused on understanding ultimate processes. Yet, it has progressively become more evident that to fully understand behavioral variation, ultimate explanations need to be complemented with proximate ones. In particular, the mechanisms generating variation in sexual behavior remain an open question. Variation in aspects of brain morphology has been suggested as a plausible mechanism underlying this variation. However, our knowledge of this potential association is based almost exclusively on comparative analyses. Experimental studies are needed to establish causality and bridge the gap between micro-and macroevolutionary mechanisms concerning the link between brain and sexual behavior. We used male guppies that had been artificially selected for large or small relative brain size to study this association. We paired males with females and scored the full known set of male and female sexual behaviors described in guppies. We found several previously demonstrated associations between male traits, male behavior and female behavior. Females responded more strongly towards males that courted more and males with more orange coloration. Also, larger males and males with less conspicuous coloration attempted more coerced copulations. However, courting, frequency of coerced copulation attempts, total intensity of sexual behavior, and female response did not differ between large-and small-brained males. Our data suggest that relative brain size is an unlikely mechanism underlying variation in sexual behavior of the male guppy. We discuss these findings in the context of the conditions under which relative brain size might affect male sexual behavior
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, et al.
(author)
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On the role of body size, brain size, and eye size in visual acuity
- 2017
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In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 71:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The visual system is highly variable across species, and such variability is a key factor influencing animal behavior. Variation in the visual system, for instance, can influence the outcome of learning tasks when visual stimuli are used. We illustrate this issue in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for large and small relative brain size with pronounced behavioral differences in learning experiments and mate choice tests. We performed a study of the visual system by quantifying eye size and optomotor response of large-brained and small-brained guppies. This represents the first experimental test of the link between brain size evolution and visual acuity. We found that female guppies have larger eyes than male guppies, both in absolute terms and in relation to their body size. Likewise, individuals selected for larger brains had slightly larger eyes but not better visual acuity than small-brained guppies. However, body size was positively associated with visual acuity. We discuss our findings in relation to previous macroevolutionary studies on the evolution of brain morphology, eye morphology, visual acuity, and ecological variables, while stressing the importance of accounting for sensory abilities in behavioral studies.
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| 23. |
- Corral-López, Alberto, et al.
(author)
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Selection for relative brain size affects context-dependent male preference for, but not discrimination of, female body size in guppies
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 221:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding what drives animal decisions is fundamental in evolutionary biology, and mate choice decisions are arguably some of the most important in any individual's life. As cognitive ability can impact decision making, elucidating the link between mate choice and cognitive ability is necessary to fully understand mate choice. To experimentally study this link, we used guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for divergence in relative brain size and with previously demonstrated differences in cognitive ability. A previous test in our female guppy selection lines demonstrated the impact of brain size and cognitive ability on information processing during female mate choice decisions. Here, we evaluated the effect of brain size and cognitive ability on male mate choice decisions. Specifically, we investigated the preference of large-brained, small-brained and non-selected guppy males for female body size, a key indicator of female fecundity in this species. For this, male preference was quantified in dichotomous choice tests when presented with dyads of females with small, medium and large body size differences. All types of males showed a preference for larger females but no effect of brain size was found in the ability to discriminate between differently sized females. However, we found that non-selected and large-brained males, but not small-brained males, showed a context-dependent preference for larger females depending on the difference in female size. Our results have two important implications. First, they provide further evidence that male mate choice also occurs in a species in which secondary sexual omamentation is present only in males. Second, they show that brain size and cognitive ability have important effects on individual variation in mating preference and sexually selected traits.
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| 24. |
- de Boer, Raissa A., et al.
(author)
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Meta-analytic evidence that animals rarely avoid inbreeding
- 2021
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In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; :5, s. 949-964
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animals are usually expected to avoid mating with relatives (kin avoidance) as incestuous mating can lead to the expression of inbreeding depression. Yet, theoretical models predict that unbiased mating with regards to kinship should be common, and that under some conditions, the inclusive fitness benefits associated with inbreeding can even lead to a preference for mating with kin. This mismatch between empirical and theoretical expectations generates uncertainty as to the prevalence of inbreeding avoidance in animals. Here, we synthesized 677 effect sizes from 139 experimental studies of mate choice for kin versus non-kin in diploid animals, representing 40 years of research, using a meta-analytical approach. Our meta-analysis revealed little support for the widely held view that animals avoid mating with kin, despite clear evidence of publication bias. Instead, unbiased mating with regards to kinship appears widespread across animals and experimental conditions. The significance of a variety of moderators was explored using meta-regressions, revealing that the degree of relatedness and prior experience with kin explained some variation in the effect sizes. Yet, we found no difference in kin avoidance between males and females, choice and no-choice experiments, mated and virgin animals or between humans and animals. Our findings highlight the need to rethink the widely held view that inbreeding avoidance is a given in experimental studies.
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| 25. |
- De Waele, Hannah, et al.
(author)
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Jumping out of trouble : evidence for a cognitive map in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
- 2022
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In: Behavioral Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 33:6, s. 1161-1169
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spatial cognitive abilities allow individuals to remember the location of resources such as food patches, predator hide-outs, or shelters. Animals typically incorporate learned spatial information or use external environmental cues to navigate their surroundings. A spectacular example of how some fishes move is through aerial jumping. For instance, fish that are trapped within isolated pools, cut off from the main body of water during dry periods, may jump over obstacles and direct their jumps to return to safe locations. However, what information such re-orientation behavior during jumping is based on remains enigmatic. Here we combine a lab and field experiment to test if guppies (Poecilia reticulata) incorporate learned spatial information and external environmental cues (visual and auditory) to determine where to jump. In a spatial memory assay we found that guppies were more likely to jump towards deeper areas, hence incorporating past spatial information to jump to safety. In a matched versus mismatched spatial cue experiment in the field, we found that animals only showed directed jumping when visual and auditory cues matched. We show that in unfamiliar entrapments guppies direct their jumps by combining visual and auditory cues, whereas in familiar entrapments they use a cognitive map. We hence conclude that jumping behavior is a goal-directed behavior, guided by different sources of information and involving important spatial cognitive skills.
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| 26. |
- Eckerström-Liedholm, Simon, 1988-, et al.
(author)
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Fast life-histories are associated with larger brain size in killifishes
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Comparative studies suggest a negative relationship between pace of life-history, and relative energetic investment into brain size. However, since brain size typically evolves as a correlated response to selection on body size, any lag in brain size evolution will result in a shift in relative brain size (e.g. small body – large relative brain size).Coevolution between body size and life-history hence has the potential to drive secondary associations between relative brain size and life-history, when body size is correlated with life history. However, as far as we know, the relationship between relative brain size and life-history strategy has not been examined in systems that simultaneously present marked contrasts in life-history but no concordant shifts in body size. Using a common garden approach, we test the association between relative brain size and life-history in 21 species of killifish; a study system that fulfils the aforementioned requirements. Contrary to the prediction that brain size evolves through energetic trade-offs with life-history, we found that adults, but not juveniles, of fast-living species had larger relative brain sizes. Rather than an energetic link to life-history, our results suggest that fast- and slow-living species differ in terms of how cognitively demanding environments they inhabit are, or alternatively in the ontogenetic timing of somatic vs. neural growth.
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| 27. |
- Fischer, Stefan, et al.
(author)
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Rearing-Group Size Determines Social Competence and Brain Structure in a Cooperatively Breeding Cichlid
- 2015
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In: American Naturalist. - : University of Chicago Press. - 0003-0147 .- 1537-5323. ; 186:1, s. 123-140
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Social animals can greatly benefit from well-developed social skills. Because the frequency and diversity of social interactions often increase with the size of social groups, the benefits of advanced social skills can be expected to increase with group size. Variation in social skills often arises during ontogeny, depending on early social experience. Whether variation of social-group sizes affects development of social skills and related changes in brain structures remains unexplored. We investigated whether, in a cooperatively breeding cichlid, early group size (1) shapes social behavior and social skills and (2) induces lasting plastic changes in gross brain structures and (3) whether the development of social skills is confined to a sensitive ontogenetic period. Rearing-group size and the time juveniles spent in these groups interactively influenced the development of social skills and the relative sizes of four main brain regions. We did not detect a sensitive developmental period for the shaping of social behavior within the 2-month experience phase. Instead, our results suggest continuous plastic behavioral changes over time. We discuss how developmental effects on social behavior and brain architecture may adaptively tune phenotypes to their current or future environments.
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| 28. |
- Fong, Stephanie, et al.
(author)
-
Plastic changes in brain morphology in relation to learning and environmental enrichment in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 222:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the common assumption that the brain is malleable to surrounding conditions mainly during ontogeny, plastic neural changes can occur also in adulthood. One of the driving forces responsible for alterations in brain morphology is increasing environmental complexity that may demand enhanced cognitive abilities (e.g. attention, memory and learning). However, studies looking at the relationship between brain morphology and learning are scarce. Here, we tested the effects of both learning and environmental enrichment on neural plasticity in guppies (Poecilia reticulata), by means of either a reversal-learning test or a spatial-learning test. Given considerable evidence supporting environmentally induced plastic alterations, two separate control groups that were not subjected to any cognitive test were included to account for potential changes induced by the experimental setup alone. We did not find any effect of learning on any of our brain measurements. However, we found strong evidence for an environmental effect, where fish given access to the spatial-learning environment had larger relative brain size and optic tectum size in relation to those exposed to the reversal-learning environment. Our results demonstrate the plasticity of the adult brain to respond adaptively mainly to environmental conditions, providing support for the environmental enhancement theory.
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| 29. |
- Fong, Stephanie, 1990-, et al.
(author)
-
Rapid mosaic brain evolution under artificial selection for relative telencephalon size in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The vertebrate brain displays enormous morphological variation and the quest to understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of this variation has spurred over a century of research. The mosaic brain evolution hypothesis, stating that brain regions can evolve relatively independently, is a highly influential idea in this research field. Here we provide the first experimental support for this hypothesis through an artificial selection experiment in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). After three generations of selection on relative telencephalon volume in replicated up-selected, down-selected and control selection lines, we found substantial overall changes in relative telencephalon size (i.e. relative to brain size), but no changes in other brain regions. The differences were not evident at birth but present at the time of sexual maturation. There was a non-significant trend towards asymmetry in the response to selection in both sexes, with larger changes occurring during upwards selection as opposed to downwards selection. Our results demonstrate that independent evolutionary changes in specific brain regions can be an important mechanism during cognitive evolution.
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| 30. |
- Fong, Stephanie, et al.
(author)
-
Rapid mosaic brain evolution under artificial selection for relative telencephalon size in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
- 2021
-
In: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 7:46
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mosaic brain evolution hypothesis, stating that brain regions can evolve relatively independently during cognitive evolution, is an important idea to understand how brains evolve with potential implications even for human brain evolution. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence for this hypothesis through an artificial selection experiment in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). After four generations of selection on relative telencephalon volume (relative to brain size), we found substantial changes in telencephalon size but no changes in other regions. Further comparisons revealed that up-selected lines had larger telencephalon, while down-selected lines had smaller telencephalon than wild Trinidadian populations. Our results support that independent evolutionary changes in specific brain regions through mosaic brain evolution can be important facilitators of cognitive evolution.
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| 31. |
- Hayward, A., et al.
(author)
-
Evolutionary associations between host traits and parasite load : insights from Lake Tanganyika cichlids
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : WILEY. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 30:6, s. 1056-1067
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parasite diversity and abundance (parasite load) vary greatly among host species. However, the influence of host traits on variation in parasitism remains poorly understood. Comparative studies of parasite load have largely examined measures of parasite species richness and are predominantly based on records obtained from published data. Consequently, little is known about the relationships between host traits and other aspects of parasite load, such as parasite abundance, prevalence and aggregation. Meanwhile, understanding of parasite species richness may be clouded by limitations associated with data collation from multiple independent sources. We conducted a field study of Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes and their helminth parasites. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic comparative framework, we tested evolutionary associations between five key host traits (body size, gut length, diet breadth, habitat complexity and number of sympatric hosts) predicted to influence parasitism, together with multiple measures of parasite load. We find that the number of host species that a particular host may encounter due to its habitat preferences emerges as a factor of general importance for parasite diversity, abundance and prevalence, but not parasite aggregation. In contrast, body size and gut size are positively related to aspects of parasite load within, but not between species. The influence of host phylogeny varies considerably among measures of parasite load, with the greatest influence exerted on parasite diversity. These results reveal that both host morphology and biotic interactions are key determinants of host-parasite associations and that consideration of multiple aspects of parasite load is required to fully understand patterns in parasitism.
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| 32. |
- Herbert-Read, James E., et al.
(author)
-
How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish
- 2017
-
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : ROYAL SOC. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 284:1861
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Predation is thought to shape the macroscopic properties of animal groups, making moving groups more cohesive and coordinated. Precisely how predation has shaped individuals' fine-scale social interactions in natural populations, however, is unknown. Using high-resolution tracking data of shoaling fish (Poecilia reticulata) from populations differing in natural predation pressure, we show how predation adapts individuals' social interaction rules. Fish originating from high predation environments formed larger, more cohesive, but not more polarized groups than fish from low predation environments. Using a new approach to detect the discrete points in time when individuals decide to update their movements based on the available social cues, we determine how these collective properties emerge from individuals' microscopic social interactions. We first confirm predictions that predation shapes the attraction-repulsion dynamic of these fish, reducing the critical distance at which neighbours move apart, or come back together. While we find strong evidence that fish align with their near neighbours, we do not find that predation shapes the strength or likelihood of these alignment tendencies. We also find that predation sharpens individuals' acceleration and deceleration responses, implying key perceptual and energetic differences associated with how individuals move in different predation regimes. Our results reveal how predation can shape the social interactions of individuals in groups, ultimately driving differences in groups' collective behaviour.
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| 33. |
- Herczeg, Gábor, et al.
(author)
-
Brain size predicts behavioural plasticity in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) : An experiment
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : Wiley. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 32:3, s. 218-226
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding how animal personality (consistent between-individual behavioural differences) arises has become a central topic in behavioural sciences. This endeavour is complicated by the fact that not only the mean behaviour of individuals (behavioural type) but also the strength of their reaction to environmental change (behavioural plasticity) varies consistently. Personality and cognitive abilities are linked, and we suggest that behavioural plasticity could also be explained by differences in brain size (a proxy for cognitive abilities), since accurate decisions are likely essential to make behavioural plasticity beneficial. We test this idea in guppies (Poecilia reticulata), artificially selected for large and small brain size, which show clear cognitive differences between selection lines. To test whether those lines differed in behavioural plasticity, we reared them in groups in structurally enriched environments and then placed adults individually into empty tanks, where we presented them daily with visual predator cues and monitored their behaviour for 20 days with video-aided motion tracking. We found that individuals differed consistently in activity and risk-taking, as well as in behavioural plasticity. In activity, only the large-brained lines demonstrated habituation (increased activity) to the new environment, whereas in risk-taking, we found sensitization (decreased risk-taking) in both brain size lines. We conclude that brain size, potentially via increasing cognitive abilities, may increase behavioural plasticity, which in turn can improve habituation to novel environments. However, the effects seem to be behaviour-specific. Our results suggest that brain size likely explains some of the variation in behavioural plasticity found at the intraspecific level.
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| 34. |
- Herczeg, Gábor, et al.
(author)
-
Yes, correct context is indeed the key : An answer to Haave-Audet et al. 2019
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : Wiley. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 32:12, s. 1450-1455
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We published a study recently testing the link between brain size and behavioural plasticity using brain size selected guppy (Poecilia reticulata) lines (2019, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 32, 218-226). Only large-brained fish showed habituation to a new, but actually harmless environment perceived as risky, by increasing movement activity over the 20-day observation period. We concluded that Our results suggest that brain size likely explains some of the variation in behavioural plasticity found at the intraspecific level. In a commentary published in the same journal, Haave-Audet et al. challenged the main message of our study, stating that (a) relative brain size is not a suitable proxy for cognitive ability and (b) habituation measured by us is likely not adaptive and costly. In our response, we first show that a decade's work has proven repeatedly that relative brain size is indeed positively linked to cognitive performance in our model system. Second, we discuss how switching from stressed to unstressed behaviour in stressful situations without real risk is likely adaptive. Finally, we point out that the main cost of behavioural plasticity in our case is the development and maintenance of the neural system needed for information processing, and not the expression of plasticity. We hope that our discussion with Haave-Audet et al. helps clarifying some central issues in this emerging research field.
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| 35. |
- Huang, Chun Hua, et al.
(author)
-
Investigating the role of body size, ecology, and behavior in anuran eye size evolution
- 2019
-
In: Evolutionary Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0269-7653 .- 1573-8477. ; 33:4, s. 585-598
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vertebrate eye size typically scales hypoallemetrically with body size-as animals grow larger their eyes get relatively smaller. Additionally, eye size is highly variable across species, and such variability often reflects functional adaptations to differences in behavior and/or ecology. The selective pressures underlying the evolution of eye size are especially well studied in birds, mammals, and fishes. However, whether similar scaling rules and selective pressures also underlie the evolution of eye size in amphibians remains enigmatic. Variation in eye size is intimately linked with variation in brain anatomy, as the retina is ontogenetically part of the brain. Eye size may therefore coevolve with brain size. Here we use phylogenetic comparative methods to study interspecific variation in eye volume across 44 species of anurans from 8 families from the Hengduan Mountains, China. We relate this variation to key factors known to impact eye size evolution in other vertebrate taxa such as body mass, habitat use, defense strategy and foraging mobility. We found that also in anurans eyes size scaled hypoallometrically with body mass. However, neither of the behavioral or ecological factors explained any variation in relative eye size in our sample. Whether this is representative for other frog species needs to be clarified. We therefore conclude that eye size in frogs is tightly linked to body mass evolution but that, at least in the species investigated here, none of our tested ecological and behavioral factors have a strong influence on eye size evolution.
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| 36. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
A larger brain confers a benefit in a spatial mate search learning task in male guppies
- 2015
-
In: Behavioral Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 26:2, s. 527-532
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brain size varies dramatically among vertebrates, and selection for increased cognitive abilities is thought to be the key force underlying the evolution of a large brain. Indeed, numerous comparative studies suggest positive relationships between cognitively demanding aspects of behavior and brain size controlled for body size. However, experimental evidence for the link between relative brain size and cognitive ability is surprisingly scarce and to date stems from a single study on brain size selected guppies (Poecilia reticulata), where large-brained females were shown to outperform small-brained females in a numerical learning assay. Because the results were inconclusive for males in that study, we here use a more ecologically relevant test of male cognitive ability to investigate whether or not a relatively larger brain increases cognitive ability also in males. We compared mate search ability of these artificially selected large-and small-brained males in a maze and found that large-brained males were faster at learning to find a female in a maze. Large-brained males decreased the time spent navigating the maze faster than small-brained males and were nearly twice as fast through the maze after 2 weeks of training. Our results support that relatively larger brains are better also for males in some contexts, which further substantiates that variation in vertebrate brain size is generated through the balance between energetic costs and cognitive benefits.
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| 37. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
A Noninvasive Method to Determine Fat Content in Small Fish Based on Swim Bladder Size Estimation
- 2011
-
In: Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A. - : Wiley. - 1932-5223 .- 1932-5231. ; 315A:7, s. 408-415
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The presence of fat stores in fish is widely used as a correlate of fish health and fitness. Techniques to measure fat content with some accuracy are available for medium-sized and large fish, but apart from morphometric indices, a noninvasive method to determine fat content in small fish has hitherto been lacking. In this study, we introduce a novel method to measure the fat content in live fish that can be applied also to small fish of less than 0.5 g of body mass. This approach relies on a precise measurement of the swim bladder volume, from which fat content can subsequently be deduced. As fat is positively buoyant, fish with larger fat stores require a smaller swim bladder to attain neutral buoyancy. To determine swim bladder volume, we developed a measuring device, which makes use of the differential compressibility of air and water. A fish is placed in a pressure-tight chamber to which a standardized amount of water is added. The resulting change in pressure Delta p is inversely proportional to the volume of the swim bladder. Using juveniles and adults of Simochromis pleurospilus (Nelissen, '78; Pisces: Tropheini) a small cichlid fish, we show that Delta p is tightly related to structural size, mass, and body condition. Most importantly, this approach allows to predict the visceral fat content of small fish more precisely than the six most commonly used morphometric body indices.
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| 38. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Artificial selection on relative brain size in the guppy reveals costs and benefits of evolving a larger brain
- 2013
-
In: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 23:2, s. 168-171
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The large variation in brain size that exists in the animal kingdom has been suggested to have evolved through the balance between selective advantages of greater cognitive ability and the prohibitively high energy demands of a larger brain (the "expensive-tissue hypothesis" [1]). Despite over a century of research on the evolution of brain size, empirical support for the trade-off between cognitive ability and energetic costs is based exclusively on correlative evidence [2], and the theory remains controversial [3, 4]. Here we provide experimental evidence for costs and benefits of increased brain size. We used artificial selection for large and small brain size relative to body size in a live-bearing fish, the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), and found that relative brain size evolved rapidly in response to divergent selection in both sexes. Large-brained females outperformed small-brained females in a numerical learning assay designed to test cognitive ability. Moreover, large-brained lines, especially males, developed smaller guts, as predicted by the expensive-tissue hypothesis [1], and produced fewer offspring. We propose that the evolution of brain size is mediated by a functional trade-off between increased cognitive ability and reproductive performance and discuss the implications of these findings for vertebrate brain evolution.
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| 39. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Artificial Selection on Relative Brain Size Reveals a Positive Genetic Correlation Between Brain Size and Proactive Personality in the Guppy
- 2014
-
In: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 68:4, s. 1139-1149
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal personalities range from individuals that are shy, cautious, and easily stressed (a "reactive" personality type) to individuals that are bold, innovative, and quick to learn novel tasks, but also prone to routine formation (a "proactive" personality type). Although personality differences should have important consequences for fitness, their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated how genetic variation in brain size affects personality. We put selection lines of large- and small-brained guppies (Poecilia reticulata), with known differences in cognitive ability, through three standard personality assays. First, we found that large-brained animals were faster to habituate to, and more exploratory in, open field tests. Large-brained females were also bolder. Second, large-brained animals excreted less cortisol in a stressful situation (confinement). Third, large-brained animals were slower to feed from a novel food source, which we interpret as being caused by reduced behavioral flexibility rather than lack of innovation in the large-brained lines. Overall, the results point toward a more proactive personality type in large-brained animals. Thus, this study provides the first experimental evidence linking brain size and personality, an interaction that may affect important fitness-related aspects of ecology such as dispersal and niche exploration.
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| 40. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Brain size affects female but not male survival under predation threat
- 2015
-
In: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 18:7, s. 646-652
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is remarkable diversity in brain size among vertebrates, but surprisingly little is known about how ecological species interactions impact the evolution of brain size. Using guppies, artificially selected for large and small brains, we determined how brain size affects survival under predation threat in a naturalistic environment. We cohoused mixed groups of small- and large-brained individuals in six semi-natural streams with their natural predator, the pike cichlid, and monitored survival in weekly censuses over 5 months. We found that large-brained females had 13.5% higher survival compared to small-brained females, whereas the brain size had no discernible effect on male survival. We suggest that large-brained females have a cognitive advantage that allows them to better evade predation, whereas large-brained males are more colourful, which may counteract any potential benefits of brain size. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that trophic interactions can affect the evolution of brain size.
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| 41. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Extreme Sexual Brain Size Dimorphism in Sticklebacks : A Consequence of the Cognitive Challenges of Sex and Parenting?
- 2012
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:1, s. e30055-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Selection pressures that act differently on males and females produce numerous differences between the sexes in morphology and behaviour. However, apart from the controversial report that males have slightly heavier brains than females in humans, evidence for substantial sexual dimorphism in brain size is scarce. This apparent sexual uniformity is surprising given that sexually distinct selection pressures are ubiquitous and that brains are one of the most plastic vertebrate organs. Here we demonstrate the highest level of sexual brain size dimorphism ever reported in any vertebrate: male three-spined stickleback of two morphs in an Icelandic lake have 23% heavier brains than females. We suggest that this dramatic sexual size dimorphism is generated by the many cognitively demanding challenges that males are faced in this species, such as an elaborate courtship display, the construction of an ornate nest and a male-only parental care system. However, we consider also alternative explanations for smaller brains in females, such as life-history trade-offs. Our demonstration of unprecedented levels of sexual dimorphism in brain size in the three-spined stickleback implies that behavioural and life-history differences among the sexes can have strong effects also on neural development and proposes new fields of research for understanding brain evolution.
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| 42. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Inside the heads of David and Goliath : environmental effects on brain morphology among wild and growth-enhanced coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
- 2012
-
In: Journal of Fish Biology. - : Wiley. - 0022-1112 .- 1095-8649. ; 81:3, s. 987-1002
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Transgenic and wild-type individual coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch were reared in hatchery and near-natural stream conditions and their brain and structure sizes were determined. Animals reared in the hatchery grew larger and developed larger brains, both absolutely and when controlling for body size. In both environments, transgenics developed relatively smaller brains than wild types. Further, the volume of the optic tectum of both genotypes was larger in the hatchery animals and the cerebellum of transgenics was smaller when reared in near-natural streams. Finally, wild types developed a markedly smaller telencephalon under hatchery conditions. It is concluded that, apart from the environment, genetic factors that modulate somatic growth rate also have a strong influence on brain size and structure.
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| 43. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Large brains, short life : selection on brain size impacts intrinsic lifespan
- 2019
-
In: Biology Letters. - : The Royal Society. - 1744-9561 .- 1744-957X. ; 15:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The relationship between brain size and ageing is a paradox. The cognitive benefits of large brains should protect from extrinsic mortality and thus indirectly select for slower ageing. However, the substantial energetic cost of neural tissue may also impact the energetic budget of large-brained organisms, causing less investment in somatic maintenance and thereby faster ageing. While the positive association between brain size and survival in the wild is well established, no studies exist on the direct effects of brain size on ageing. Here we test how brain size influences intrinsic ageing in guppy (Poecilia reticulata) brain size selection lines with 12% difference in relative brain size. Measuring survival under benign conditions, we find that large-brained animals live 22% shorter than small-brained animals and the effect is similar in both males and females. Our results suggest a trade-off between investment into brain size and somatic maintenance. This implies that the link between brain size and ageing is contingent on the mechanism of mortality, and selection for positive correlations between brain size and ageing should occur mainly under cognition-driven survival benefits from increased brain size. We show that accelerated ageing can be a cost of evolving a larger brain.
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| 44. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Life-stage specific environments in a cichlid fish : implications for inducible maternal effects
- 2012
-
In: Evolutionary Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0269-7653 .- 1573-8477. ; 26:1, s. 123-137
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Through environmentally induced maternal effects females may fine-tune their offspring's phenotype to the conditions offspring will encounter after birth. If juvenile and adult ecologies differ, the conditions mothers experienced as juveniles may better predict their offspring's environment than the adult females' conditions. Maternal effects induced by the environment experienced by females during their early ontogeny should evolve when three ecological conditions are met: (1) Adult ecology does not predict the postnatal environmental conditions of offspring; (2) Environmental conditions for juveniles are correlated across successive generations; and (3) Juveniles occasionally settle in conditions that differ from the juvenile habitat of their mothers. By combining size-structured population counts, ecological surveys and a genetic analysis of population structure we provide evidence that all three conditions hold for Simochromis pleurospilus, a cichlid fish in which mothers adjust offspring quality to their own juvenile ecology. In particular we show (1) that the spatial niches and the habitat quality differ between juveniles and adults, and we provide genetic evidence (2) that usually fish of successive generations grow up in similar habitats, and (3) that occasional dispersal in populations with a different habitat quality is likely to occur. As adults of many species cannot predict their offspring's environment from ambient cues, life-stage specific maternal effects are likely to be common in animals. It will therefore be necessary to incorporate parental ontogeny in the study of parental effects when juveniles and adults inhabit different environments.
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| 45. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Positive genetic correlation between brain size and sexual traits in male guppies artificially selected for brain size
- 2015
-
In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : Wiley. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 28:4, s. 841-850
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brain size is an energetically costly trait to develop and maintain. Investments into other costly aspects of an organism's biology may therefore place important constraints on brain size evolution. Sexual traits are often costly and could therefore be traded off against neural investment. However, brain size may itself be under sexual selection through mate choice on cognitive ability. Here, we use guppy (Poecilia reticulata) lines selected for large and small brain size relative to body size to investigate the relationship between brain size, a large suite of male primary and secondary sexual traits, and body condition index. We found no evidence for trade-offs between brain size and sexual traits. Instead, larger-brained males had higher expression of several primary and precopulatory sexual traits - they had longer genitalia, were more colourful and developed longer tails than smaller-brained males. Larger-brained males were also in better body condition when housed in single-sex groups. There was no difference in post-copulatory sexual traits between males from the large- and small-brained lines. Our data do not support the hypothesis that investment into sexual traits is an important limiting factor to brain size evolution, but instead suggest that brain size and several sexual traits are positively genetically correlated.
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| 46. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Predation pressure shapes brain anatomy in the wild
- 2017
-
In: Evolutionary Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0269-7653 .- 1573-8477. ; 31:5, s. 619-633
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is remarkable diversity in brain anatomy among vertebrates and evidence is accumulating that predatory interactions are crucially important for this diversity. To test this hypothesis, we collected female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from 16 wild populations and related their brain anatomy to several aspects of predation pressure in this ecosystem, such as the biomass of the four major predators of guppies (one prawn and three fish species), and predator diversity (number of predatory fish species in each site). We found that populations from localities with higher prawn biomass had relatively larger telencephalon size as well as larger brains. Optic tectum size was positively associated with one of the fish predator's biomass and with overall predator diversity. However, both olfactory bulb and hypothalamus size were negatively associated with the biomass of another of the fish predators. Hence, while fish predator occurrence is associated with variation in brain anatomy, prawn occurrence is associated with variation in brain size. Our results suggest that cognitive challenges posed by local differences in predator communities may lead to changes in prey brain anatomy in the wild.
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| 47. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Selection for brain size impairs innate, but not adaptive immune responses
- 2016
-
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 283:1826
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Both the brain and the imnume system are energetically demanding organs, and when natural selection favours increased investment into one, then the size or performance of the other should be reduced. While comparative analyses have attempted to test this potential evolutionary trade-off, the results remain inconclusive. To test this hypothesis, we compared the tissue graft rejection (an assay for measuring innate and acquired immune responses) in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for large and small relative brain size. Individual scales were transplanted between pairs of fish, creating reciprocal allografts, and the rejection reaction was scored over 8 days (before acquired immunity develops). Acquired immune responses were tested two weeks later, when the same pairs of fish received a second set of allografts and were scored again. Compared with large-brained animals, small-brained animals of both sexes mounted a significantly stronger rejection response to the first allograft. The rejection response to the second set of allografts did not differ between large- and small-brained fish. Our results show that selection for large brain size reduced innate immune responses to an allograft, which supports the hypothesis that there is a selective trade-off between investing into brain size and innate immunity.
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| 48. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
Sex-specific plasticity in brain morphology depends on social environment of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata
- 2012
-
In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 66:11, s. 1485-1492
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The vertebrate brain is a remarkably plastic organ, which responds quickly to environmental changes. However, to date, studies investigating plasticity in brain morphology have focused mostly on the physical properties of the surrounding environment, and little is known about brain plasticity in response to the social environment. Moreover, sex differences in brain plasticity remain virtually unexplored. Here, we tested how the social environment influenced brain morphology in adult males and females using experimental manipulation of the sex composition of social pairs (same sex vs. mixed sex) in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). We detected substantial sex-specific plasticity in both the overall brain size (controlling for body size) and separate brain structures. The brain size was larger in males that interacted with females, and female optic tectum was larger in female-only groups. Overall, females had larger olfactory bulbs and cerebellum in comparison to males. While net sexual dimorphism in the brain structure can be explained in light of the known differences in boldness and foraging behaviour between the sexes, our results also support that cognitive demands associated with courtship behaviour can lead to plastic changes in the brain size. Our findings demonstrate that not only social environment can generate rapid, plastic responses in the vertebrate brain but also that such responses can depend strongly on sex.
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| 49. |
|
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| 50. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(author)
-
The effect of brain size evolution on feeding propensity, digestive efficiency, and juvenile growth
- 2015
-
In: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 69:11, s. 3013-3020
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One key hypothesis in the study of brain size evolution is the expensive tissue hypothesis; the idea that increased investment into the brain should be compensated by decreased investment into other costly organs, for instance the gut. Although the hypothesis is supported by both comparative and experimental evidence, little is known about the potential changes in energetic requirements or digestive traits following such evolutionary shifts in brain and gut size. Organisms may meet the greater metabolic requirements of larger brains despite smaller guts via increased food intake or better digestion. But increased investment in the brain may also hamper somatic growth. To test these hypotheses we here used guppy (Poecilia reticulata) brain size selection lines with a pronounced negative association between brain and gut size and investigated feeding propensity, digestive efficiency (DE), and juvenile growth rate. We did not find any difference in feeding propensity or DE between large-and small-brained individuals. Instead, we found that large-brained females had slower growth during the first 10 weeks after birth. Our study provides experimental support that investment into larger brains at the expense of gut tissue carries costs that are not necessarily compensated by a more efficient digestive system.
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