SwePub - sökning: WFRF:(McFarlane S. Eryn)

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1.	Jones, William, 1989-, et al. (författare) Malaria infected birds produce higher levels of vector-attracting compounds Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
2.	Silva, C. N. S., et al. (författare) Insights into the genetic architecture of morphological traits in two passerine bird species 2017 Ingår i: Heredity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-067X .- 1365-2540. ; 119:3, s. 197-205 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Knowledge about the underlying genetic architecture of phenotypic traits is needed to understand and predict evolutionary dynamics. The number of causal loci, magnitude of the effects and location in the genome are, however, still largely unknown. Here, we use genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from two large-scale data sets on house sparrows and collared flycatchers to examine the genetic architecture of different morphological traits (tarsus length, wing length, body mass, bill depth, bill length, total and visible badge size and white wing patches). Genomic heritabilities were estimated using relatedness calculated from SNPs. The proportion of variance captured by the SNPs (SNP-based heritability) was lower in house sparrows compared with collared flycatchers, as expected given marker density (6348 SNPs in house sparrows versus 38 689 SNPs in collared flycatchers). Indeed, after downsampling to similar SNP density and sample size, this estimate was no longer markedly different between species. Chromosome-partitioning analyses demonstrated that the proportion of variance explained by each chromosome was significantly positively related to the chromosome size for some traits and, generally, that larger chromosomes tended to explain proportionally more variation than smaller chromosomes. Finally, we found two genome-wide significant associations with very small-effect sizes. One SNP on chromosome 20 was associated with bill length in house sparrows and explained 1.2% of phenotypic variation (V-P), and one SNP on chromosome 4 was associated with tarsus length in collared flycatchers (3% of V-P). Although we cannot exclude the possibility of undetected large-effect loci, our results indicate a polygenic basis for morphological traits.
3.	Ålund, Murielle, et al. (författare) Anthropogenic Change and the Process of Speciation 2023 Ingår i: Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHL). - 1943-0264. ; 15:12 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Anthropogenic impacts on the environment alter speciation processes by affecting both geographical contexts and selection patterns on a worldwide scale. Here we review evidence of these effects. We find that human activities often generate spatial isolation between populations and thereby promote genetic divergence but also frequently cause sudden secondary contact and hybridization between diverging lineages. Human-caused environmental changes produce new ecological niches, altering selection in diverse ways that can drive diversification; but changes also often remove niches and cause extirpations. Human impacts that alter selection regimes are widespread and strong in magnitude, ranging from local changes in biotic and abiotic conditions to direct harvesting to global climate change. Altered selection, and evolutionary responses to it, impacts early-stage divergence of lineages, but does not necessarily lead toward speciation and persistence of separate species. Altogether, humans both promote and hinder speciation, although new species would form very slowly relative to anthropogenic hybridization, which can be nearly instantaneous. Speculating about the future of speciation, we highlight two key conclusions: (1) Humans will have a large influence on extinction and "despeciation" dynamics in the short term and on early-stage lineage divergence, and thus potentially speciation in the longer term, and (2) long-term monitoring combined with easily dated anthropogenic changes will improve our understanding of the processes of speciation. We can use this knowledge to preserve and restore ecosystems in ways that promote (re-)diversification, increasing future opportunities of speciation and enhancing biodiversity.
4.	Cramer, Emily R. A., et al. (författare) Females discriminate against heterospecific sperm in a natural hybrid zone 2016 Ingår i: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 70:8, s. 1844-1855 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract When hybridization is maladaptive, species-specific mate preferences are selectively favored, but low mate availability may constrain species-assortative pairing. Females paired to heterospecifics may then benefit by copulating with multiple males and subsequently favoring sperm of conspecifics. Whether such mechanisms for biasing paternity toward conspecifics act as important reproductive barriers in socially monogamous vertebrate species remains to be determined. We use a combination of long-term breeding records from a natural hybrid zone between collared and pied flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis and F. hypoleuca), and an in vitro experiment comparing conspecific and heterospecific sperm performance in female reproductive tract fluid, to evaluate the potential significance of female cryptic choice. We show that the females most at risk of hybridizing (pied flycatchers) frequently copulate with multiple males and are able to inhibit heterospecific sperm performance. The negative effect on heterospecific sperm performance was strongest in pied flycatcher females that were most likely to have been previously exposed to collared flycatcher sperm. We thus demonstrate that a reproductive barrier acts after copulation but before fertilization in a socially monogamous vertebrate. While the evolutionary history of this barrier is unknown, our results imply that there is opportunity for it to be accentuated via a reinforcement-like process.
5.	de Villemereuil, Pierre, et al. (författare) Fluctuating optimum and temporally variable selection on breeding date in birds and mammals 2020 Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : NATL ACAD SCIENCES. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 117:50, s. 31969-31978 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Temporal variation in natural selection is predicted to strongly impact the evolution and demography of natural populations, with consequences for the rate of adaptation, evolution of plasticity, and extinction risk. Most of the theory underlying these predictions assumes a moving optimum phenotype, with predictions expressed in terms of the temporal variance and auto-correlation of this optimum. However, empirical studies seldom estimate patterns of fluctuations of an optimum phenotype, precluding further progress in connecting theory with observations. To bridge this gap, we assess the evidence for temporal variation in selection on breeding date by modeling a fitness function with a fluctuating optimum, across 39 populations of 21 wild animals, one of the largest compilations of long-term datasets with individual measurements of trait and fitness components. We find compelling evidence for fluctuations in the fitness function, causing temporal variation in the magnitude, but not the direction of selection. However, fluctuations of the optimum phenotype need not directly translate into variation in selection gradients, because their impact can be buffered by partial tracking of the optimum by the mean phenotype. Analyzing individuals that reproduce in consecutive years, we find that plastic changes track movements of the optimum phenotype across years, especially in bird species, reducing temporal variation in directional selection. This suggests that phenological plasticity has evolved to cope with fluctuations in the optimum, despite their currently modest contribution to variation in selection.
6.	Kardos, Marty, et al. (författare) Whole-genome resequencing of extreme phenotypes in collared flycatchers highlights the difficulty of detecting quantitative trait loci in natural populations 2016 Ingår i: Molecular Ecology Resources. - : Wiley. - 1755-098X .- 1755-0998. ; 16:3, s. 727-741 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Dissecting the genetic basis of phenotypic variation in natural populations is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology. One open question is whether quantitative traits are determined only by large numbers of genes with small effects, or whether variation also exists in large-effect loci. We conducted genomewide association analyses of forehead patch size (a sexually selected trait) on 81 whole-genome-resequenced male collared flycatchers with extreme phenotypes, and on 415 males sampled independent of patch size and genotyped with a 50K SNP chip. No SNPs were genomewide statistically significantly associated with patch size. Simulation-based power analyses suggest that the power to detect large-effect loci responsible for 10% of phenotypic variance was <0.5 in the genome resequencing analysis, and <0.1 in the SNP chip analysis. Reducing the recombination by two-thirds relative to collared flycatchers modestly increased power. Tripling sample size increased power to >0.8 for resequencing of extreme phenotypes (N=243), but power remained <0.2 for the 50K SNP chip analysis (N=1245). At least 1 million SNPs were necessary to achieve power >0.8 when analysing 415 randomly sampled phenotypes. However, power of the 50K SNP chip to detect large-effect loci was nearly 0.8 in simulations with a small effective population size of 1500. These results suggest that reliably detecting large-effect trait loci in large natural populations will often require thousands of individuals and near complete sampling of the genome. Encouragingly, far fewer individuals and loci will often be sufficient to reliably detect large-effect loci in small populations with widespread strong linkage disequilibrium.
7.	Koski, Tuuli-Marjaana, et al. (författare) Differences in incubation behaviour and niche separation of two competing flycatcher species 2020 Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 74:8 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Food availability sets the stage for incubation behaviour of a female bird and thereby indirectly determines the nest temperature, which in turn affects development and metabolism of avian embryos. Changes in development and metabolism in turn are known to influence offspring's ability to adjust to environmental changes later in life. However, few studies have investigated the role of interspecific differences in incubation behaviour in relation to niche separation between competing sibling species. We studied the effects of habitat quality (in terms of caterpillar availability) on incubation behaviour of two ecologically similar and closely related species, collared and pied flycatchers (Ficedula albicollisandF. hypoleuca), in their hybrid zone on the island of oland, Sweden. Even though both species prefer caterpillar-rich deciduous forests as nesting sites, collared flycatchers, whose nestlings have higher energetic demands, are able to nest only in deciduous forests, whereas pied flycatchers have more flexible habitat requirements. Overall, higher food availability was associated with increased nest attendance, higher incubation temperature and a lower number of foraging trips across species. In addition, collared flycatchers had more frequent and shorter foraging trips across habitat types, allocated more heat to eggs and therefore maintained higher nest temperatures compared to pied flycatchers. We argue that the higher heat allocation or the need to maintain a higher nest temperature for embryo development may constrain collared flycatchers to focus on relatively more profitable prey. Our results highlight the importance of considering incubation behaviour in the context of understanding species differences in niche use. Significance statement Niche separation plays an important role in mitigating effects of competition between closely related species. Whether species differences in incubation behaviour relate to differences in niche use remains unknown. We compared incubation behaviour of two sympatric flycatcher species that differ in sensitivity to food availability. The competitively more dominant and larger species, the collared flycatcher, whose nestlings are more sensitive to food shortages, made more frequent foraging trips but allocated more heat to eggs, leading to higher nest temperature despite lower nest attendance, compared to pied flycatchers. These interspecific differences may be a result of differences in embryo sensitivity or female physiology and contribute to the niche separation between the species, which in turn can facilitate coexistence.
8.	Lane, Jeffrey E., et al. (författare) Phenological shifts in North American red squirrels : disentangling the roles of phenotypic plasticity and microevolution 2018 Ingår i: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : WILEY. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 31:6, s. 810-821 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Phenological shifts are the most widely reported ecological responses to climate change, but the requirements to distinguish their causes (i.e. phenotypic plasticity vs. microevolution) are rarely met. To do so, we analysed almost two decades of parturition data from a wild population of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Although an observed advance in parturition date during the first decade provided putative support for climate change-driven microevolution, a closer look revealed a more complex pattern. Parturition date was heritable [h(2)=0.14 (0.07-0.21 (HPD interval)] and under phenotypic selection [=-0.14 +/- 0.06 (SE)] across the full study duration. However, the early advance reversed in the second decade. Further, selection did not act on the genetic contribution to variation in parturition date, and observed changes in predicted breeding values did not exceed those expected due to genetic drift. Instead, individuals responded plastically to environmental variation, and high food [white spruce (Picea glauca) seed] production in the first decade appears to have produced a plastic advance. In addition, there was little evidence of climate change affecting the advance, as there was neither a significant influence of spring temperature on parturition date or evidence of a change in spring temperatures across the study duration. Heritable traits not responding to selection in accordance with quantitative genetic predictions have long presented a puzzle to evolutionary ecologists. Our results on red squirrels provide empirical support for one potential solution: phenotypic selection arising from an environmental, as opposed to genetic, covariance between the phenotypic trait and annual fitness.
9.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Adjustment of resting metabolic rate by pied flycatchers to the environment promotes regional coexistence with sister species Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Differences in life history strategies of closely related species can result in variation in relative fitness across heterogeneous environments and promote coexistence. However, physiological mechanisms mediating such variation in relative fitness have not been identified. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is tightly associated with life-history strategies and could therefore moderate differences in fitness responses to fluctuations in local environments, particularly when species have evolved to different climatic niches in allopatry. We explore whether differences in RMR match changes in relative fitness between collared (Ficedula albicollis) and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) across environmental conditions experienced in a recent hybrid zone. We found a negative correlation between nestling RMR and temperatures experienced during growth in pied flycatchers, which was absent in collared flycatchers. This implies that pied flycatchers are better adapted to the typical seasonal changes in temperature and food availability experienced at these northern breeding sites. There was sufficient additive genetic variance in RMR to respond to selection in both species that may either facilitate ecological character displacement or lead to a breakdown of coexistence. Generally, subtle differences in climate adaptation may play an important role to patterns of competition, coexistence or displacements between closely related species at recent secondary contact.
10.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Admixture mapping reveals loci for carcass mass in red deer x sika hybrids in Kintyre, Scotland 2021 Ingår i: G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2160-1836. ; 11:10 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract We deployed admixture mapping on a sample of 386 deer from a hybrid swarm between native red deer (Cervus elaphus) and introduced Japanese sika (Cervus nippon) sampled in Kintyre, Scotland to search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underpinning phenotypic differences between the species. These two species are highly diverged genetically [Fst between pure species, based on 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) ¼ 0.532] and phenotypically: pure red have on average twice the carcass mass of pure sika in our sample (38.7 kg vs 19.1 kg). After controlling for sex, age, and population genetic structure, we found 10 autosomal genomic locations with QTL for carcass mass. Effect sizes ranged from 0.191 to 1.839 kg and as expected, in all cases the allele derived from sika conferred lower carcass mass. The sika population was fixed for all small carcass mass alleles, whereas the red deer population was typically polymorphic. GO term analysis of genes lying in the QTL regions are associated with oxygen transport. Although body mass is a likely target of selection, none of the SNPs marking QTL are introgressing faster or slower than expected in either direction.
11.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Detecting the True Extent of Introgression during Anthropogenic Hybridization 2019 Ingår i: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-5347. ; 34:4, s. 315-326 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Hybridization among naturally separate taxa is increasing owing to human impact, and can result in taxon loss. Previous classification of anthropogenic hybridization has largely ignored the case of bimodal hybrid zones, in which hybrids commonly mate with parental species, resulting in many backcrossed individuals with a small proportion of introgressed genome. Genetic markers can be used to detect such hybrids, but until recently too few markers have been used to detect the true extent of introgression. Recent studies of wolves and trout have employed thousands of markers to reveal previously undetectable backcrosses. This improved resolution will lead to increased detection of late-generation backcrosses, shed light on the consequences of anthropogenic hybridization, and pose new management issues for conservation scientists.
12.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Difference in plasticity of resting metabolic rate - the proximate explanation to different niche breadth in sympatric Ficedula flycatchers 2018 Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 8:9, s. 4575-4586 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Variation in relative fitness of competing recently formed species across heterogeneous environments promotes coexistence. However, the physiological traits mediating such variation in relative fitness have rarely been identified. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is tightly associated with life history strategies, thermoregulation, diet use, and inhabited latitude and could therefore moderate differences in fitness responses to fluctuations in local environments, particularly when species have adapted to different climates in allopatry. We work in a long‐term study of collared (Ficedula albicollis) and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in a recent hybrid zone located on the Swedish island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. Here, we explore whether differences in RMR match changes in relative performance of growing flycatcher nestlings across environmental conditions using an experimental approach. The fitness of pied flycatchers has previously been shown to be less sensitive to the mismatch between the peak in food abundance and nestling growth among late breeders. Here, we find that pied flycatcher nestlings have lower RMR in response to higher ambient temperatures (associated with low food availability). We also find that experimentally relaxed nestling competition is associated with an increased RMR in this species. In contrast, collared flycatcher nestlings did not vary their RMR in response to these environmental factors. Our results suggest that a more flexible nestling RMR in pied flycatchers is responsible for the better adaptation of pied flycatchers to the typical seasonal changes in food availability experienced in this hybrid zone. Generally, subtle physiological differences that have evolved when species were in allopatry may play an important role to patterns of competition, coexistence, or displacements between closely related species in secondary contact.
13.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Hybrid Dysfunction Expressed as Elevated Metabolic Rate in Male Ficedula Flycatchers 2016 Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:9 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Studies of ecological speciation are often biased towards extrinsic sources of selection against hybrids, resulting from intermediate hybrid morphology, but the knowledge of how genetic incompatibilities accumulate over time under natural conditions is limited. Here we focus on a physiological trait, metabolic rate, which is central to life history strategies and thermoregulation but is also likely to be sensitive to mismatched mitonuclear interactions. We measured the resting metabolic rate of male collared, and pied flycatchers as well as of naturally occurring F1 hybrid males, in a recent hybrid zone. We found that hybrid males had a higher rather than intermediate metabolic rate, which is indicative of hybrid physiological dysfunction. Fitness costs associated with elevated metabolic rate are typically environmentally dependent and exaggerated under harsh conditions. By focusing on male hybrid dysfunction in an eco-physiological trait, our results contribute to the general understanding of how combined extrinsic and intrinsic sources of hybrid dysfunction build up under natural conditions.
14.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Increased genetic marker density reveals high levels of admixture between red deer and introduced Japanese sika in Kintyre, Scotland 2020 Ingår i: Evolutionary Applications. - : Wiley. - 1752-4571. ; 13:2, s. 432-441 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Hybridization is a natural process at species range boundaries, but increasing numbers of species are hybridizing due to direct or indirect human activities. In such cases of anthropogenic hybridization, subsequent introgression can threaten the survival of native species. To date, many such systems have been studied with too few genetic markers to assess the level of threat resulting from advanced backcrossing. Here, we use 44,999 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the ADMIXTURE program to study two areas of Scotland where a panel of 22 diagnostic microsatellites previously identified introgression between native red deer (Cervus elaphus) and introduced Japanese sika (Cervus nippon). In Kintyre, we reclassify 26% of deer from the pure species categories to the hybrid category whereas in the NW Highlands we only reclassify 2%. As expected, the reclassified individuals are mostly advanced backcrosses. We also investigate the ability of marker panels selected on different posterior allele frequency criteria to find hybrids assigned by the full marker set and show that in our data, ancestry informative markers (i.e. those that are highly differentiated between the species, but not fixed) are better than diagnostic markers (those markers that are fixed between the species) because they are more evenly distributed in the genome. Diagnostic loci are concentrated on the X chromosome to the detriment of autosomal coverage.
15.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Locus-specific introgression in young hybrid swarms : Drift may dominate selection 2021 Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 30:9, s. 2104-2115 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Closely related species that have previously inhabited geographically separated ranges are hybridizing at an increasing rate due to human disruptions. These human-mediated hybrid zones can be used to study reproductive isolation between species at secondary contact, including examining locus-specific rates of introgression. Introgression is expected to be heterogenous across the genome, reflecting variation in selection. Those loci that introgress especially slowly are good candidates for being involved in reproductive isolation, while those loci that introgress quickly may be involved in adaptive introgression. In the context of conservation, policy makers are especially concerned about introduced alleles moving quickly into the background of a native or endemic species, as these alleles could replace the native alleles in the population, leading to extinction via hybridization. We applied genomic cline analyses to 44,997 SNPs to identify loci introgressing more or less when compared to the genome wide expectation in a human-mediated hybridizing population of red deer and sika in Kintyre Scotland. We found 11.4% of SNPs had cline centres that were significantly different from the genome wide expectation, and 17.6% of all SNPs had excess rates of introgression. Based on simulations, we believe that many of these markers have diverged from the genome-wide average due to drift, rather than because of selection, and we suggest that these simulations can be useful as a null distribution for future studies of genomic clines. Future work on red deer and sika could determine the policy implications of allelic-replacement due to drift rather than selection, and could use replicate, geographically distinct hybrid zones to narrow down those loci that are responding to selection.
16.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Low Heritability but Significant Early Environmental Effects on Resting Metabolic Rate in a Wild Passerine 2021 Ingår i: American Naturalist. - : University of Chicago Press. - 0003-0147 .- 1537-5323. ; 198:4, s. 551-560 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Predicting the impact of climate change on biodiversity requires understanding the adaptation potential of wild organisms. Evolutionary responses depend on the additive genetic variation associated with the phenotypic traits targeted by selection. We combine 5 years of cross-fostering experiments, measurements of resting metabolic rate (RMR) on nearly 200 wild collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) nestlings, and animal models using a 17-year pedigree to evaluate the potential for an evolutionary response to changing environmental conditions. Contrary to other avian studies, we find no significant heritability of whole-organism, mass-independent, or mass-specific RMR, but we report a strong effect of nest environment instead. We therefore conclude that variation in nestling RMR is explained by variation in the early-life environment provided by the parents. We discuss possible underlying specific parental effects and the importance of taking different mechanisms into account to understand how animals phenotypically adapt (or fail to adapt) to climate change.
17.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) RNA sequencing provides insight into metabolic dysfunction of hybrids between a recently diverged songbird species pair Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Hybrid dysfunction is thought to gradually build up through the accumulation of clashes between genes as they diverge between the parental species. However, analyses of genetic incompatibilities are generally biased towards long diverged species that are kept under laboratory conditions. Here, we used RNAseq to evaluate 1) whether there was differential gene expression between naturally occurring Ficedula flycatcher hybrids and parental species in energetically expensive alimentary organs, and 2) if such differential gene expression was, based on Gene Ontology (GO) terms, functionally related to Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and energy production. We found substantial differential gene expression in all pairwise contrasts, but fewer functional differences between the parental species than between hybrids and either parental species. Some of the differentially expressed genes underlay the OXPHOS pathway, and significantly more than expected GO terms associated with metabolic function were differentially expressed between hybrids and either parental species in the liver. Our results corroborate the idea that tightly co-evolved mitochondrial and nuclear genes underlying the Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway can become miss-matched in hybrids and cause malfunctioning phenotypes. Mitonuclear interactions affecting OXPHOS have the potential to both quickly diverge in allopatry as populations adapt to different climate regimes and to cause hybrid genetic dysfunction at secondary contact
18.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Sexual selection affects climate adaptation in collared flycatchers 2017 Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract The role of sexual selection in climate adaptation is debated. We tested whether sexual selection has the potential to speed up adaptation to thermal conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers. Based on a three-year cross-fostering experiment, we found that the size of a sexually selected trait predicted offspring metabolic rate: male collared flycatchers with large forehead patches sired offspring with low metabolic rate regardless of the ambient temperature. Thus, there was a stable significant relationship between forehead patch size of genetic fathers and offspring metabolic rate. Nestlings with high metabolic rate experienced a survival advantage when growing under warm temperatures, while the opposite was true in cold environments. Our study shows that females can modulate their offspring’s physiology through mate choice, and that sexual selection can thus affect climate adaptation.
19.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Sexual selection affects climate adaptation in collared flycatchers Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The role of sexual selection in climate adaptation is debated. We tested whether sexual selection has the potential to speed up adaptation to new thermal environments in a natural population of collared flycatchers. Based on a three-year cross-fostering experiment, we found that the size of a sexually selected trait predicted offspring metabolic rate: male collared flycatchers with large forehead patches sired offspring with low metabolic rate regardless of the ambient temperature. Thus, there was a stable significant relationship between forehead patch size of genetic fathers and offspring metabolic rate. Nestlings with low metabolic rate experienced a survival advantage when growing under high temperatures, which is consistent with the prediction that a low metabolic rate confers a fitness advantage in warm climates. Our study shows that sexual selection can affect climate adaptation.
20.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Song discrimination by nestling collared flycatchers during early development 2016 Ingår i: Biology Letters. - : The Royal Society. - 1744-9561 .- 1744-957X. ; 12:7 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Pre-zygotic isolation is often maintained by species-specific signals and preferences. However, in species where signals are learnt, as in songbirds, learning errors can lead to costly hybridization. Song discrimination expressed during early developmental stages may ensure selective learning later in life but can be difficult to demonstrate before behavioural responses are obvious. Here, we use a novel method, measuring changes in metabolic rate, to detect song perception and discrimination in collared flycatcher embryos and nestlings. We found that nestlings as early as 7 days old respond to song with increased metabolic rate, and, by 9 days old, have increased metabolic rate when listening to conspecific when compared with heterospecific song. This early discrimination between songs probably leads to fewer heterospecific matings, and thus higher fitness of collared flycatchers living in sympatty with closely related species.
21.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, 1988- (författare) Speciation and Metabolic rate : Insights from an avian hybrid zone 2017 Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract The role of divergent climate adaptation in speciation has received surprisingly little scientific attention. My dissertation research focused on how resting metabolic rate (RMR) relates to the build up of prezygotic and postzygotic isolation in a natural Ficedula flycatcher hybrid zone. RMR is the amount of energy an organism needs to run its internal organs. Since RMR is related to life history traits and thermoregulation in other systems, it is likely to affect speciation processes at secondary contact. I found that adult collared flycatchers displace pied flycatchers into increasingly poor habitats (Paper I). Pied nestlings exhibit lower RMR in poor environments (Paper II), which may promote regional coexistence and habitat isolation by making it possible for pied flycatchers to escape competition from collared flycatchers and reduce the risk of hybridization by breeding in the poorer habitats. Further, I found that while collared flycatcher nestling RMR was not environmentally-dependent (Paper II, Paper III), those collared flycatcher nestlings that had a lower RMR in poor environments tended to have higher condition (Paper III). Further, RMR was genetically linked to a sexual ornament in collared males that has previously been shown to be beneficial in poor environments. Lastly, I found that by seven days old, nestlings increase their metabolic rate when listening to song, indicating that they are listening, and by 9 days they can discriminate between songs (Paper IV). Taken together, RMR could affect pre-zygotic isolation via correlations with life history strategies, song and sexual ornaments. RMR is also related to post zygotic isolation in Ficedula flycatchers. I found that flycatcher hybrids tended to have a higher RMR than the parental species (Paper V), and that there were many differentially expressed genes in energetically expensive organs in hybrids that were related to metabolic function (Paper VI). Thus, metabolic dysfunction, possibly caused by genetic incompatibilities, in Ficedula flycatcher hybrids could be a factor leading to infertility and postzygotic isolation between the parental species. Overall, I find that RMR could be a general physiological trait that affects both pre- and postzygotic isolation in hybridizing species at secondary contact, and ought to be more thoroughly considered in speciation research.
22.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) The heritability of multiple male mating in a promiscuous mammal 2011 Ingår i: Biology Letters. - 1744-9561 .- 1744-957X. ; 7:3, s. 368-371 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The tendency of females to mate with multiple males is often explained by direct and indirect benefits that could outweigh the many potential costs of multiple mating. However, behaviour can only evolve in response to costs and benefits if there is sufficient genetic variation on which selection can act. We followed 108 mating chases of 85 North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) during 4 years, to measure each female's degree of multiple male mating (MMM), and used an animal model analysis of our multi-generational pedigree to provide what we believe is the first estimate of the heritability of MMM in the wild. Female red squirrels were highly polyandrous, mating with an average of 7.0 ± 0.2 males on their day of oestrus. Although we found evidence for moderate levels of additive genetic variation (CVA = 5.1), environmental variation was very high (CVE = 32.3), which resulted in a very low heritability estimate (h2 < 0.01). So, while there is genetic variation in this trait, the large environmental variation suggests that any costs or benefits associated with differences among females in MMM are primarily owing to environmental and not genetic differences, which could constrain the evolutionary response to natural selection on this trait.
23.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) The nature of nurture in a wild mammal's fitness 2015 Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 282:1806 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Genetic variation in fitness is required for the adaptive evolution of any trait but natural selection is thought to erode genetic variance in fitness. This paradox has motivated the search for mechanisms that might maintain a population's adaptive potential. Mothers make many contributions to the attributes of their developing offspring and these maternal effects can influence responses to natural selection if maternal effects are themselves heritable. Maternal genetic effects (MGEs) on fitness might, therefore, represent an underappreciated source of adaptive potential in wild populations. Here we used two decades of data from a pedigreed wild population of North American red squirrels to show that MGEs on offspring fitness increased the population's evolvability by over two orders of magnitude relative to expectations from direct genetic effects alone. MGEs are predicted to maintain more variation than direct genetic effects in the face of selection, but we also found evidence of maternal effect trade-offs. Mothers that raised high-fitness offspring in one environment raised low-fitness offspring in another environment. Such a fitness trade-off is expected to maintain maternal genetic variation in fitness, which provided additional capacity for adaptive evolution beyond that provided by direct genetic effects on fitness.
24.	McFarlane, S. Eryn, et al. (författare) Very low levels of direct additive genetic variance in fitness and fitness components in a red squirrel population 2014 Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:10, s. 1729-1738 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract A trait must genetically correlate with fitness in order to evolve in response to natural selection, but theory suggests that strong directional selection should erode additive genetic variance in fitness and limit future evolutionary potential. Balancing selection has been proposed as a mechanism that could maintain genetic variance if fitness components trade off with one another and has been invoked to account for empirical observations of higher levels of additive genetic variance in fitness components than would be expected from mutation-selection balance. Here, we used a long-term study of an individually marked population of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) to look for evidence of (1) additive genetic variance in lifetime reproductive success and (2) fitness trade-offs between fitness components, such as male and female fitness or fitness in high- and low-resource environments. Animal model analyses of a multigenerational pedigree revealed modest maternal effects on fitness, but very low levels of additive genetic variance in lifetime reproductive success overall as well as fitness measures within each sex and environment. It therefore appears that there are very low levels of direct genetic variance in fitness and fitness components in red squirrels to facilitate contemporary adaptation in this population.
25.	Mugal, Carina, et al. (författare) Tissue-specific patterns of regulatory changes underlying gene expression differences among Ficedula flycatchers and their naturally occurring F1 hybrids 2020 Ingår i: Genome Research. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1088-9051 .- 1549-5469. ; 30:12, s. 1727-1739 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Changes in interacting cis- and trans-regulatory elements are important candidates for Dobzhansky-Muller hybrid incompatibilities and may contribute to hybrid dysfunction by giving rise to misexpression in hybrids. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms and determinants of gene expression evolution in natural populations, we analyzed the transcriptome from multiple tissues of two recently diverged Ficedula flycatcher species and their naturally occurring F1 hybrids. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that the extent of differentiation between species and the set of differentially expressed genes varied across tissues. Common to all tissues, a higher proportion of Z-linked genes than autosomal genes showed differential expression, providing evidence for a fast-Z effect. We further found clear signatures of hybrid misexpression in brain, heart, kidney, and liver. However, while testis showed the highest divergence of gene expression among tissues, it showed no clear signature of misexpression in F1 hybrids, even though these hybrids were found to be sterile. It is therefore unlikely that incompatibilities between cis-trans regulatory changes explain the observed sterility. Instead, we found evidence that cis-regulatory changes play a significant role in the evolution of gene expression in testis, which illustrates the tissue-specific nature of cis-regulatory evolution bypassing constraints associated with pleiotropic effects of genes.
26.	Qvarnström, Anna, et al. (författare) Climate adaptation and speciation : particular focus on reproductive barriers in Ficedula flycatchers 2015 Ingår i: Evolutionary Applications. - : Wiley. - 1752-4571. ; 9:1, s. 119-134 Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract Climate adaptation is surprisingly rarely reported as a cause for the build-up of reproductive isolation between diverging populations. In this review, we summarize evidence for effects of climate adaptation on pre- and postzygotic isolation between emerging species with a particular focus on pied (Ficedula hypoleuca) and collared (Ficedula albicollis) flycatchers as a model for research on speciation. Effects of climate adaptation on prezygotic isolation or extrinsic selection against hybrids have been documented in several taxa, but the combined action of climate adaptation and sexual selection is particularly well explored in Ficedula flycatchers. There is a general lack of evidence for divergent climate adaptation causing intrinsic postzygotic isolation. However, we argue that the profound effects of divergence in climate adaptation on the whole biochemical machinery of organisms and hence many underlying genes should increase the likelihood of genetic incompatibilities arising as side effects. Fast temperature-dependent co-evolution between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes may be particularly likely to lead to hybrid sterility. Thus, how climate adaptation relates to reproductive isolation is best explored in relation to fast-evolving barriers to gene flow, while more research on later stages of divergence is needed to achieve a complete understanding of climate-driven speciation.
27.	Rybinski, Jakub, et al. (författare) Competition-driven build-up of habitat isolation and selection favoring modified dispersal patterns in a young avian hybrid zone 2016 Ingår i: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 70:10, s. 2226-2238 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Competition-driven evolution of habitat isolation is an important mechanism of ecological speciation but empirical support for this process is often indirect. We examined how an on-going displacement of pied flycatchers from their preferred breeding habitat by collared flycatchers in a young secondary contact zone is associated with (a) access to an important food resource (caterpillar larvae), (b) immigration of pied flycatchers in relation to habitat quality, and (c) the risk of hybridization in relation to habitat quality. Over the past 12 years, the estimated access to caterpillar larvae biomass in the habitat surrounding the nests of pied flycatchers has decreased by a fifth due to shifted establishment possibilities, especially for immigrants. However, breeding in the high quality habitat has become associated with such a high risk of hybridization for pied flycatchers that overall selection currently favors pied flycatchers that were forced to immigrate into the poorer habitats (despite lower access to preferred food items). Our results show that competition-driven habitat segregation can lead to fast habitat isolation, which per se caused an opportunity for selection to act in favor of future "voluntarily" altered immigration patterns and possibly strengthened habitat isolation through reinforcement.
28.	Rönnegård, Lars, et al. (författare) Increasing the power of genome wide association studies in natural populations using repeated measures - evaluation and implementation 2016 Ingår i: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. - 2041-210X. ; 7:7, s. 792-799 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract 1. Genomewide association studies (GWAS) enable detailed dissections of the genetic basis for organisms' ability to adapt to a changing environment. In long-term studies of natural populations, individuals are often marked at one point in their life and then repeatedly recaptured. It is therefore essential that a method for GWAS includes the process of repeated sampling. In a GWAS, the effects of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) need to be fitted and any model development is constrained by the computational requirements. A method is therefore required that can fit a highly hierarchical model and at the same time is computationally fast enough to be useful. 2. Our method fits fixed SNP effects in a linear mixed model that can include both random polygenic effects and permanent environmental effects. In this way, the model can correct for population structure and model repeated measures. The covariance structure of the linear mixed model is first estimated and subsequently used in a generalized least squares setting to fit the SNP effects. The method was evaluated in a simulation study based on observed genotypes from a long-term study of collared flycatchers in Sweden. 3. The method we present here was successful in estimating permanent environmental effects from simulated repeated measures data. Additionally, we found that especially for variable phenotypes having large variation between years, the repeated measurements model has a substantial increase in power compared to a model using average phenotypes as a response. 4. The method is available in the R package RepeatABEL. It increases the power in GWAS having repeated measures, especially for long-term studies of natural populations, and the R implementation is expected to facilitate modelling of longitudinal data for studies of both animal and human populations.
29.	Sirkiä, Päivi M, et al. (författare) Climate-driven build-up of temporal isolation within a recently formed avian hybrid zone. 2018 Ingår i: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 72:2, s. 363-374 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Divergence in the onset of reproduction can act as an important source of reproductive isolation (i.e., allochronic isolation) between co-occurring young species, but evidence for the evolutionary processes leading to such divergence is often indirect. While advancing spring seasons strongly affect the onset of reproduction in many taxa, it remains largely unexplored whether contemporary spring advancement directly affects allochronic isolation between young species. We examined how increasing spring temperatures affected onset of reproduction and thereby hybridization between pied and collared flycatchers (Ficedula spp.) across habitat types in a young secondary contact zone. We found that both species have advanced their timing of breeding in 14 years. However, selection on pied flycatchers to breed earlier was weaker, resulting in a slower response to advancing springs compared to collared flycatchers and thereby build-up of allochronic isolation between the species. We argue that a preadaptation to a broader niche use (diet) of pied flycatchers explains the slower response to raising spring temperature, but that reduced risk to hybridize may contribute to further divergence in the onset of breeding in the future. Our results show that minor differences in the response to environmental change of co-occurring closely related species can quickly cause allochronic isolation.
30.	Ålund, Murielle, et al. (författare) Optimal sperm length for high siring success depends on forehead patch size in collared flycatchers 2018 Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 29:6, s. 1436-1443 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Dominance over rivals, sexual attractiveness, and highly efficient ejaculates are 3 important contributors of male fertilization success but theories about how primary and secondary sexual characters may co-evolve largely remain to be tested. We investigated how variation in a sexual signal (forehead patch size) and sperm morphology jointly affected siring success of 70 males in a natural population of collared flycatchers. We show that the optimal sperm length to attain high relative fertilization success depended on the size of a male's secondary sexual character. Males with small forehead patches sired more offspring in their nest when they produced long sperm and vice-versa. These results are not compatible with theories based on simple relationships between display traits and sperm "quality" but imply that the optimal fertilization strategy (and hence optimal sperm traits) differs between males even in a predominantly socially monogamous population with moderate extra-pair paternity rates. Thus, a better knowledge of the complex chain of behavioural interactions between the sexes and their gametes is needed for a complete understanding of how sexual selection operates in nature.
31.	Ålund, Murielle, et al. (författare) Reproductive -omics of a wild avian speciation model unveils candidate genes for gamete interaction Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract The complex nature of interspecific interactions contributing to reproductive isolation means that we still know little about their molecular basis. Male reproductive traits are notorious for their fast evolution at the phenotypic and genotypic level, and divergence in components of the ejaculate can lead to incompatibilities between closely related species. Making use of recent advances of molecular tools and the extensive knowledge on the biology and ecology of young sister species, here the pied (Ficedula hypoleuca) and collared flycatcher (F. albicollis), allows the identification of candidate phenotypes and the underlying genotypes maintaining species boundaries. Pied flycatcher females can avoid costly production of sterile hybrids when mated to collared flycatchers by cryptically favouring conspecific sperm. Here, we describe the testes transcriptome and sperm proteome of both species, confirm the complexity of avian sperm development and functions and identify several candidate genes for interactions between sperm and the female reproductive tract, using multiple independent measures of divergence between the species. We show that divergence at the transcriptional and translational levels can potentially lead to the evolution of reproductive incompatibilities despite low levels of sequence divergence, and suggest that integrating several -omics techniques with knowledge of the biology of naturally hybridizing species will greatly improve our understanding of the molecular basis of speciation in the near future.
32.	Ålund, Murielle, et al. (författare) Revisiting the definition of “sperm quality”: selection on sperm length depends on a male’s attractiveness and dominance in wild collared flycatchers Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Dominance over rivals, sexual attractiveness and highly efficient ejaculates are all known to be essential for male fertilization success but the theories of how primary and secondary sexual characters may co-evolve largely remain to be tested. Here, we measure sperm morphology in 131 wild-caught collared flycatchers over a four-year period and investigate the links between male display traits, sperm characteristics and siring success among 425 offspring sired by 71 of these males. We show that the optimal sperm length to attain high relative fertilization success depends on the size of a male’s secondary sexual character. Males with small ornaments sire more offspring in their own nest when they produce long sperm and vice-versa. These results are not compatible with theories based on simple relationships between secondary sexual traits and sperm “quality” but imply that the optimal fertilization strategy (and hence optimal sperm traits) differ between males even in a predominantly socially monogamous population with moderate extra-pair copulation rates. Thus, a better knowledge of the complex chain of behavioural interactions between the sexes and their gametes is needed for a complete understanding of how sexual selection operates in nature.

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