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502 results for “natural populations”
Data from: Rapid evolution of antioxidant defense in a natural population of Daphnia magna
Natural populations can cope with rapid changes in stressors by relying on sets of physiological defense mechanisms. Little is known onto what extent these physiological responses reflect plasticity and/or genetic adaptation, evolve in the same direction and result in an increased defense ability. Using resurrection ecology, we studied how a natural Daphnia magna population adjusted its antioxidant defense to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) during a period with increasing incident UVR reaching the water surface. We demonstrate rapid evolution of the induction patterns of key antioxidant enzymes under UVR exposure in the laboratory. Notably, evolutionary changes strongly differed among enzymes and mainly involved the evolution of UV-induced plasticity. While D. magna evolved a strong plastic upregulation of glutathione peroxidase under UVR, it evolved a lower plastic upregulation of glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase, and a plastic downregulation of catalase. The differentially evolved antioxidant strategies were collectively equally effective in dealing with oxidative stress since they resulted in the same high levels of oxidative damage (to lipids, proteins and DNA) and lowered fitness (intrinsic growth rate) under UVR exposure. The lack of better protection against UVR may suggest that the UVR exposure did not increase between both periods. Predator-induced evolution to migrate to lower depths that occurred during the same period may have contributed to the evolved defense strategy. Our results highlight the need for a multiple trait approach when focusing on the evolution of defense mechanisms.
Data from: Genetic drift outweighs natural selection at toll-like receptor (TLR) immunity loci in a reintroduced population of a threatened species
During population establishment, genetic drift can be the key driver of changes in genetic diversity, particularly while the population is small. However, natural selection can also play a role in shaping diversity at functionally important loci. We used a well-studied, re-introduced population of the threatened Stewart Island robin (N = 722 pedigreed individuals) to determine whether selection shaped genetic diversity at innate immunity toll-like receptor (TLR) genes, over a 9-year period of population growth following establishment with 12 genetic founders. We found no evidence for selection operating with respect to TLR diversity on first-year overwinter survival for the majority of loci, genotypes and alleles studied. However, survival of individuals with TLR4BE genotype was significantly improved: these birds were less than half as likely to die prior to maturity compared with all other TLR4 genotypes. Furthermore, the population frequency of this genotype, at a two-fold excess over Hardy–Weinberg expectation, was increased by nonrandom mating. Near-complete sampling and full pedigree and reproductive data enabled us to eliminate other potential causes of these patterns including inbreeding, year effects, density dependence, selection on animals at earlier life history stages or genome-level association of the TLR4E allele with 'good genes'. However, comparison of observed levels of gene diversity to predictions under simulated genetic drift revealed results consistent with neutral expectations for all loci, including TLR4. Although selection favoured TLR4BE heterozygotes in this population, these effects were insufficient to outweigh genetic drift. This is the first empirical study to show that genetic drift can overwhelm natural selection in a wild population immediately following establishment.
Data from: Evolution of population genetic structure of the British roe deer by natural and anthropogenic processes (Capreolus capreolus)
Human influence typically impacts on natural populations of conservation interest. These interactions are varied and sometimes complex, and may be negative and unintended or associated with conservation and management strategy. Understanding the details of how these interactions influence and are influenced by natural evolutionary processes is essential to the development of effective conservation strategies. In this study we investigate a species in Britain that has experienced both negative impact through over-hunting in historical times and management efforts through culls and translocations. At the same time, there are regional populations that have been less affected by human influence. We use mtDNA and nuclear microsatellite DNA markers to investigate patterns of connectivity and diversity and find multiple insular populations in Britain that likely evolved within the Holocene (when the habitat was free of ice). We identify three concurrent processes. First, surviving indigenous populations show highly provincial patterns of philopatry, maintaining and generating population structure on a small geographic scale. Second, founder populations into habitat extirpated of native populations have expanded but remained largely insular. Third, introductions into established populations generate some admixture. We discuss the implications for the evolution of diversity of the integration of natural processes with anthropogenic influences on population size and distribution.
Data from: A below ground herbivore shapes root defensive chemistry in natural plant populations
Plants display extensive intraspecific variation in secondary metabolites. However, the selective forces shaping this diversity remain often unknown, especially below ground. Using Taraxacum officinale and its major native insect root herbivore Melolontha melolontha, we tested whether below ground herbivores drive intraspecific variation in root secondary metabolites. We found that high M. melolontha infestation levels over the last decades are associated with high concentrations of major root latex secondary metabolites across 21 central European T. officinale field populations. By cultivating offspring of these populations, we show that both heritable variation and phenotypic plasticity contribute to the observed differences. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the production of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G) is costly in the absence, but beneficial in the presence of M. melolontha, resulting in divergent selection of TA-G. Our results highlight the role of soil-dwelling insects for the evolution of plant defences in nature.
Data from: The effect of variable frequency of sexual reproduction on the genetic structure of natural populations of a cyclical parthenogen
Cyclical parthenogens are a valuable system in which to empirically test theoretical predictions as to the genetic consequences of sexual reproduction in natural populations, particularly if the frequency of sexual relative to asexual reproduction can be quantified. In this study we utilized a series of lake populations of the cyclical parthenogen, Daphnia pulicaria, that vary consistently in their investment in sexual reproduction, to address the questions of whether the ecological variation in investment in sex is detectable at the genetic level, and if so, whether the genetic patterns seen are consistent with theoretical predictions. We show that there is variation in the genetic structure of these populations in a manner consistent with their investment in sexual reproduction. Populations engaging in a high frequency of sex were in Hardy-Weinberg and gametic phase equilibrium, and showed little genotypic differentiation across sampled years. In contrast, populations with a lower frequency of sex deviated widely from equilibrium, had reduced multi-locus clonal diversity, and showed significant temporal genotypic deviation.
Data from: The coexistence of generalist and specialist clonal lineages in natural populations of the Irish Famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans explains local adaptation to potato and tomato
Phytophthora infestans, causing late blight on Solanaceae, is a serious threat to potato and tomato crops worldwide. P. infestans populations sampled on either potato or tomato differ in genotypes and pathogenicity, suggesting niche exclusion in the field. We hypothesized that such niche separation can reflect differential host exploitation by different P. infestans genotypes. We thus compared genotypes and phenotypes in 21 isolates sampled on potato (n = 11) or tomato (n = 10). Typing at 12 microsatellite loci assigned potato isolates to the 13_A2, 6_A1 and 1_A1 lineages, and tomato isolates to the 23_A1, 2_A1 and unclassified multi-locus genotypes. Cross-inoculations on potato and tomato leaflets showed that all isolates were pathogenic on both hosts. However: tomato isolates performed much better on tomato than did potato isolates, which performed better on potato than did tomato isolates, thus revealing a clear pattern of local adaptation. Potato isolates were significantly fitter on potato than on tomato, and are best described as potato-specialists; tomato isolates appear to be generalists, with similar pathogenicity on both hosts. Niche separation in the field may thus result mainly from the large fitness gap on tomato between generalists and unadapted potato-specialists, while the small, but significant fitness difference on potato between both types of isolates may prevent population invasion by generalists. Extreme specialization to potato seems very costly relative to performance loss on the alternative host. This study therefore shows that local adaptation and niche separation, commonly expected to involve and generate specialists, can occur with generalists.
Data from: An exceptionally high nucleotide and haplotype diversity and a signature of positive selection for the eIF4E resistance gene in barley are revealed by allele mining and phylogenetic analyses of natural populations.
In barley, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) gene situated on chromosome 3H is recognised as an important source of resistance to the bymoviruses Barley yellow mosaic virus and Barley mild mosaic virus. In modern barley cultivars two recessive eIF4E alleles, rym4 and rym5, confer different isolate-specific resistances. In this study the sequence of eIF4E was analysed in 1090 barley landraces and non-current cultivars originating from 84 countries. An exceptionally high nucleotide diversity was evident in the coding sequence of eIF4E but not in either the adjacent MCT-1 gene or the sequence related eIF(iso)4E gene situated on chromosome 1H. Surprisingly, all nucleotide polymorphisms detected in the coding sequence of eIF4E resulted in amino acid changes. A total of 47 eIF4E haplotypes were identified and phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood provided evidence of strong positive selection acting on this barley gene. The majority of eIF4E haplotypes were found to be specific to distinct geographic regions. Furthermore, the eIF4E haplotype diversity (uh) was found to be considerably higher in East Asia, whereas SNP genotyping identified a comparatively low degree of genome-wide genetic diversity in 16 out of 17 tested accessions (each carrying a different eIF4E haplotype) from this same region. In addition, selection statistic calculations using coalescent simulations showed evidence of non neutral variation for eIF4E in several geographic regions, including East Asia, the region with a long history of the bymovirus-induced yellow mosaic disease. Together these findings suggest eIF4E may play a role in barley adaptation to local habitats.
Data from: Elevated temperatures translate into reduced dispersal abilities in a natural population of an aquatic insect
1. Rising global temperatures force many species to shift their distribution ranges. However, whether or not (and how fast) such range shifts occur depends on species' dispersal capacities. In most ecological studies, dispersal-related traits (such as the wing size or wing loading in insects) are treated as fixed, species-specific characteristics, ignoring the important role of phenotypic plasticity during insect development. 2. We tested the hypothesis that dispersal-related traits themselves vary in dependence of ambient environmental conditions (temperature regimes, discharge patterns and biotic interactions during individual development). 3. We collected data over 8 years from a natural population of the crane fly Tipula maxima in central Germany. Using linear mixed-effect models, we analysed how phenotypic traits, phenological characteristics and population densities are affected by environmental conditions during the preceding 3, 6 and 12 months. 4. We found a moderate (5.6%) increase in wing length per 1°C increase of mean annual temperatures during the previous year. At the same time, body weight increased by as much as 17.8% in females and 26.9% in males per 1°C, likely driven by increased habitat productivity, which resulted in a 16.4% (female) and 19.3% (male) increased wing loading. We further found a shorter, more synchronized emergence period (i.e., a narrower time frame for dispersal) with increasing temperatures. 5. Altogether, our results suggest that dispersal abilities of T. maxima were negatively affected by elevated temperatures, and we discuss how similar patterns might affect the persistence of populations of other aquatic insects, especially stenoecious taxa with narrow distribution ranges. Our study calls for integration of information on temperature-induced phenotypic plasticity of dispersal-related traits into models forecasting range shifts in the face of climate change. Furthermore, the patterns reported here are likely to affect metapopulation dynamics of aquatic insects under climate change conditions and may contribute to the ongoing decline of insect biomass and diversity.
Data from: Large-scale natural disturbance alters genetic population structure of the sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna
Many inferences about contemporary rates of gene flow are based on the assumption that the observed genetic structure among populations is stable. Recent studies have uncovered several cases in which this assumption is tenuous. Most of those studies have focused on the effects that regular environmental fluctuations can have on genetic structure and gene flow patterns. Occasional catastrophic disturbances could also alter either the distribution of habitat or the spatial distribution of organisms in a way that affects population structure. However, evidence of such effects is sparse in the literature because it is difficult to obtain. Hurricanes, in particular, have the potential to exert dramatic effects on population structure of organisms found on islands or coral reefs or in near shore and coastal habitats. Here we draw on a historic genetic data set and new data to suggest that the genetic structure of sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) populations in north Florida was altered dramatically by an unusually large and uncommon type of storm surge associated with Hurricane Dennis in 2005. We compare the spatial pattern of genetic variation in these populations after Hurricane Dennis to the patterns described in an earlier study in this same area. We use comparable genetic data from another region of Florida, collected in the same two periods, to estimate the amount of change expected from typical temporal variation in population structure. The comparative natural history of sailfin mollies in these two regions indicates that the change in population structure produced by the storm surge is not the result of many local extinctions with recolonization from a few refugia but emerged from a pattern of mixing and redistribution.
Data from: Local adaptation, phenotypic differentiation and hybrid fitness in diverged natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata
Selection for local adaptation results in genetic differentiation in ecologically important traits. In a perennial, outcrossing model plant Arabidopsis lyrata, several differentiated phenotypic traits contribute to local adaptation, as demonstrated by fitness advantage of the local population at each site in reciprocal transplant experiments. Here we compared fitness components, hierarchical total fitness and differentiation in putatively ecologically important traits of plants from two diverged parental populations from different continents in the native climate conditions of the populations in Norway and in North Carolina (NC), USA. Survival and number of fruits per inflorescence indicated local advantage at both sites and aster life-history models provided additional evidence for local adaptation also at the level of hierarchical total fitness. Populations were also differentiated in flowering start date and floral display. We also included reciprocal experimental F1 and F2 hybrids to examine the genetic basis of adaptation. Surprisingly, the F2 hybrids showed heterosis at the study site in Norway, likely because of a combination of beneficial dominance effects from different traits. At the NC site, hybrid fitness was mostly intermediate relative to the parental populations. Local cytoplasmic origin was associated with higher fitness, indicating that cytoplasmic genomes also may contribute to the evolution of local adaptation.
Data from: Behavioural response to combined insecticide and temperature stress in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster
Insecticide resistance evolves extremely rapidly, providing an illuminating model for the study of adaptation. With climate change reshaping species distribution, pest and disease vector control needs rethinking to include the effects of environmental variation and insect stress physiology. Here we assessed how both long term adaptation of populations to temperature and immediate temperature variation affects the genetic architecture of DDT insecticide response in Drosophila melanogaster. Mortality assays and behavioral assays based on continuous activity monitoring were used to assess the interaction between DDT and temperature on three field-derived populations from climate extremes (Raleigh for warm temperate, Tasmania for cold oceanic and Queensland for hot tropical). The Raleigh population showed the highest mortality to DDT whereas the Queensland population, epicentre for derived alleles of the resistance gene Cyp6g1, showed the lowest. Interaction between insecticide and temperature strongly affected mortality, particularly for the Tasmanian population. Activity profiles analyzed using self-organizing maps show the insecticide promoted an early response while elevated temperature promoted a later response. These distinctive early or later activity phases revealed similar responses to temperature and DDT dose alone but with more or less genetic variance depending on the population. This change in genetic variance among populations suggests that selection particularly depleted genetic variance for DDT response in the Queensland population. Finally, despite similar (co)variation between traits in benign conditions, the genetic responses across population differed under stressful conditions. This showed how stress-responsive genetic variation only reveals itself in specific conditions and thereby escapes potential trade-offs in benign environments.
Data from: Environmental heterogeneity does not affect levels of phenotypic plasticity in natural populations of three Drosophila species
Adaptation of natural populations to variable environmental conditions may occur by changes in trait means and/or in the levels of plasticity. Theory predicts that environmental heterogeneity favors plasticity of adaptive traits. Here we investigated the performance in several traits of three sympatric Drosophila species freshly collected in two environments that differ in the heterogeneity of environmental conditions. Differences in trait means within species were found in several traits, indicating that populations differed in their evolutionary response to the environmental conditions of their origin. Different species showed distinct adaptation with a very different role of plasticity across species for coping with environmental changes. However, geographically distinct populations of the same species generally displayed the same levels of plasticity as induced by fluctuating thermal regimes. This indicates a weak and trait-specific effect of environmental heterogeneity on plasticity. Furthermore, similar levels of plasticity were found in a laboratory-adapted population of Drosophila melanogaster with a common geographic origin but adapted to the laboratory conditions for more than 100 generations. Thus, this study does not confirm theoretical predictions on the degree of adaptive plasticity among populations in relation to environmental heterogeneity but shows a very distinct role of species-specific plasticity.
Data from: Cheating and resistance to cheating in natural populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens
Bacteria perform cooperative behaviours that are exploitable by non-cooperative cheats, and cheats frequently arise and coexist with cooperators in laboratory microcosms. However, evidence of competitive dynamics between cooperators and cheats in nature remains limited. Using the production of pyoverdine, an iron-scavenging molecule, and natural soil populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens, we found that (1) non-producers are present in the population; (2) they co-occur (<1cm3) with pyoverdine producers; (3) they retain functional pyoverdine receptors and (4) they can utilize the pyoverdine of on average 52% of producers. This suggests non-producers can potentially act as social cheats in soil: utilizing the pyoverdine of others while producing little or none themselves. However, we found considerable variation in the extent to which non-producers can exploit cooperators, as some cooperators appear to produce exclusive forms of pyoverdine or kill non-producers with toxins. We examined the consequences of this variation using theoretical modeling. Variance in exploitability leads to some cheats gaining increased fitness benefits and others decreased benefits. However, the absolute gain in fitness from high exploitation is lower than the drop in fitness from low exploitation, decreasing the mean fitness of cheats and subsequently lowering the proportion of cheats maintained in the population Our results suggest that although cooperator-cheat dynamics can occur in soil, a range of mechanisms can prevent non-producers from exploiting cooperators.
Data from: Are heritability and selection related to population size in nature? Meta-analysis and conservation implications
It is widely thought that small populations should have less additive genetic variance and respond less efficiently to natural selection than large populations. Across taxa, we meta-analytically quantified the relationship between adult census population size (N) and additive genetic variance (proxy: h2) and found no reduction in h2 with decreasing N; surveyed populations ranged from four to one million individuals (1735 h2estimates, 146 populations, 83 species). In terms of adaptation, ecological conditions may systematically differ between populations of varying N; the magnitude of selection these populations experience may therefore also differ. We thus also meta-analytically tested whether selection changes with N, and found little evidence for systematic differences in the strength, direction, or form of selection with N across different trait types and taxa (7344 selection estimates, 172 populations, 80 species). Collectively, our results (i) indirectly suggest that genetic drift neither overwhelms selection more in small than in large natural populations, nor weakens adaptive potential/h2 in small populations, and (ii) imply that natural populations of varying sizes experience a variety of environmental conditions, without consistently differing habitat quality at small N. However, we caution that the data are currently insufficient to determine whether some small populations may retain adaptive potential definitively. Further study is required into (i) selection and genetic variation in completely isolated populations of known N, underrepresented taxonomic groups, and non-generalist species, (ii) adaptive potential using multidimensional approaches, and (iii) the nature of selective pressures for specific traits.
Data from: No relationship between canalization and developmental stability in the skull of a natural population of Mastomys natalensis (Rodentia: Muridae)
The aim of the present work was to investigate the relationship between canalization and developmental stability under varying environmental conditions. Three different cohorts of Mastomys natalensis (Rodentia, Muridae), displaying different growth trajectories, were analyzed by means of Geometric morphometrics. A set of 23 landmarks was digitalized on the dorsal skull of 292 specimens from Morogoro (Tanzania). Patterns of among- and within-individual (measured as fluctuating asymmetry) variation were assessed and compared among and within the three groups in order to test for the presence of a common mechanism between canalization and developmental stability. Results showed that there was no congruence between canalization and developmental stability: 1) levels of FA and among-individual variation varied in a discordant fashion, 2) no correspondence between variance-covariance matrix of among- and within individual variation was found, 3) environmental effects were able to alter the covariance structure of among- individual variation living patterns associated with fluctuating asymmetry unaffected. These findings support the view of multiple mechanisms underlying developmental buffering of shape variation.
Friend virus virulence and reproduction data for wild-derived male house mice competing in semi-natural populations
<p>Social status in social animals, including humans, is considered a major determinant of overall health and susceptibility to disease. There is considerable evidence that these effects extend to the standing immune profile and that social status directly influences susceptibility to pathogens. However, the mechanistic underpinnings that link infectious disease and social status remain difficult to disentangle from associated factors. Here we examined the association between dominance status in male wild-derived house mice (<i>Mus musculus</i>) and susceptibility to Friend virus complex in the context of semi-natural populations with high male-male competition and no predation. These enclosures resemble house mouse environments, which have been associated with human architecture since the dawn of agriculture. Such conditions were achieved with large indoor enclosures designed to allow remote monitoring and to encourage mice to compete over optimal territories. Due to an interruption in our facility's heating system, we were unexpectedly presented with the opportunity to assess how reduced temperature influences the association of social status and pathogen susceptibility. <a>We found that pathogen virulence and reproduction were significantly lower in socially dominant hosts compared to non-dominant hosts</a>. Interestingly, when temperature was reduced dominant and non-dominant males experienced similar levels of virulence and viral reproduction. While several hypotheses are considered, these insights may illuminate a new method of experimental manipulation to modify competitive intensity. If confirmed, future experiments may help elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings between social status and disease in the best studied and economical mammalian model available to science.</p>
Supplementary material 1 from: Zlateva I, Raykov V, Alexandrova A, Ivanova P, Chipev N, Stefanova K, Dzhembekova N, Doncheva V, Slabakova V, Stefanova E, Mihova S, Valcheva N, Hristova O, Dzhurova B, Dimitrov D, Georgieva A, Tsvetanova E, Andreeva M, Popov I, Yankova M, Raev Y, Petrov K (2023) Effects of anthropogenic and environmental stressors on the current status of red mullet (Mullus barbatus L., 1758) populations inhabiting the Bulgarian Black Sea waters. Nature Conservation 54: 55-79. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.54.103758
Supplementary data
Supplementary material 1 from: Pacsai B, Bognár EA, Fülöp B, Lábadi V, Bódis J (2024) The greater the proportion of Robinia pseudoacacia in a stand the greater its effect on the population characteristics of Erythronium dens-canis. Nature Conservation 55: 135-151. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.112272
Transition matrices of Erythronium dens-canis populations between 2020 and 2022
Supplementary material for Duruflé et al. "Natural variation in chalcone isomerase defines a major locus controlling growth variation between Populus nigra populations"
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Supplementary material 3 from: Molloy SW, Davis RA, Dunlop JA, van Etten EJB (2017) Applying surrogate species presences to correct sample bias in species distribution models: a case study using the Pilbara population of the Northern Quoll. Nature Conservation 18: 27-46. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.18.12235
Weighted mean SDMs for individual algorithms and evaluation statistics (biomod2) :
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Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
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