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72 results for “Alternative Reproductive Tactics”
Data from: Phenotypic and genomic plasticity of alternative male reproductive tactics in sailfin mollies
A major goal of modern evolutionary biology is to understand the causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes in response to variable environments. While ecological and quantitative genetic studies have evaluated models of the evolution of adaptive plasticity, some long-standing questions about plasticity require more mechanistic approaches. Here, we address two of those questions: does plasticity facilitate adaptive evolution? And do physiological costs place limits on plasticity? We examine these questions by comparing genetically and plastically regulated behavioural variation in sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), which exhibit striking variation in plasticity for male mating behaviour. In this species, some genotypes respond plastically to a change in the social environment by switching between primarily courting and primarily sneaking behaviour. In contrast, other genotypes have fixed mating strategies (either courting or sneaking) and do not display plasticity. We found that genetic and plastic variation in behaviour were accompanied by partially, but not completely overlapping changes in brain gene expression, in partial support of models that predict that plasticity can facilitate adaptive evolution. We also found that behavioural plasticity was accompanied by broader and more robust changes in brain gene expression, suggesting a substantial physiological cost to plasticity. We also observed that sneaking behaviour, but not courting, was associated with upregulation of genes involved in learning and memory, suggesting that sneaking is more cognitively demanding than courtship.
Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics arising from a continuous behavioral trait: callers vs. satellites in field crickets
Alternative reproductive tactics may arise when natural enemies use sexual signals to locate the signaler. In field crickets, elevated costs to male calling due to acoustically orienting parasitoid flies create opportunity for an alternative tactic, satellite behavior, where noncalling males intercept females attracted to callers. Although the caller-satellite system in crickets that risk detection by parasitoids resembles distinct behavioral phenotypes, a male's propensity to behave as caller or satellite can be a continuously variable trait over several temporal scales, and an individual may pursue alternate tactics at different times. We modeled a caller-satellite-parasitoid system as a spatially explicit interaction among male and female crickets using individual-based simulation. Males varied in their propensity to call versus behave as a satellite from one night to the next. We varied mortality, density, sex ratio, and female mating behavior, and recorded lifetime number of mates as a function of a male's probability of calling (vs. acting as a satellite) along a gradient in parasitism risk. Frequently, the optimal behavior switched abruptly from being pure caller (call every night) to pure satellite (never call) as parasitism rate increased. However, mixed strategies prevailed even with high parasitism risk under conditions of higher background mortality rate, decreasing density, increasing female-biased sex ratio, and increasing female choosiness. In natural populations, high parasitoid pressure alone would be unlikely to yield fixation of pure satellite behavior.
Data from: Neuroendocrine profiles associated with discrete behavioural variation in Symphodus ocellatus, a species with male alternative reproductive tactics
The molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity are not well understood. Identifying mechanisms underlying alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) in species for which the behavioural and fitness consequences of this variation are well characterized provides an opportunity to integrate evolutionary and mechanistic understanding of the maintenance of variation within populations. In the ocellated wrasse Symphodus ocellatus, the behavioural phenotypes of three distinct male morphs (sneakers, satellites and nesting males), which arise from a single genome, have been thoroughly characterized. To determine the neuroendocrine and genomic mechanisms associated with discrete phenotypic variation and ARTs in S. ocellatus in their natural environment, we constructed a whole-brain de novo transcriptome and compared global patterns of gene expression between sexes and male morphs. Next, we quantified circulating cortisol and 11-ketotestosterone (11-kt), mediators of male reproductive behaviours, as well as stress and gonadal steroid hormone receptor expression in the preoptic area, ventral subpallial division of the telencephalon and dorsolateral telencephalon, critical brain regions for social and reproductive behaviours. We found higher levels of 11-kt in nesting males and higher levels of cortisol in sneaker males relative to other male morphs and females. We also identified distinct patterns of brain region-specific hormone receptor expression between males such that most hormone receptors are more highly expressed in satellites and nesting males relative to sneakers and females. Our results establish the neuroendocrine and molecular mechanisms that underlie ARTs in the wild and provide a foundation for experimentally testing hypotheses about the relationship between neuromolecular processes and reproductive success.
Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics in context: how demography, ecology, and behavior affect male mating success
Exploitation of sexual signals by predators or parasites increases costs to signalers, creating opportunities for establishment of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). In field crickets, males calling may attract acoustically-orienting parasitoid flies. Alternatively, males behaving as satellites forgo calling and attempt to intercept females attracted to callers. We modeled the contribution of calling vs. satellite behavior to male reproductive success in the larger context of variation in ecology (parasitism rate, background mortality), demography (density, sex ratio), and female behavior (phonotaxis, mating choosiness). Male mating success was most influenced by number of females (standardized effect size 0.42), then female choosiness (0.33), background mortality (-0.31), number of males (-0.28), and parasitism rate (-0.21). Smallest effects were phonotaxis (0.10) and satellite behavior (-0.09). Although satellite behavior ameliorated negative effects of parasitism, its comparative effect was slight. ARTs seem most likely to evolve and persist when a single selection pressure on signaling is particularly strong.
Data from: Macro- and microgeographic genetic structure in an ant species with alternative reproductive tactics in sexuals
The genetic structure of social insect populations is influenced by their social organisation and dispersal modes. The ant Hypoponera opacior shows diverse reproductive behaviours with regular cycles of outbreeding via winged sexuals and inbreeding via within-nest mating wingless sexuals that reproduce by budding. This unusual life cycle should be reflected in the genetic population structure and we studied this on different scales using microsatellites. On a macrogeographic scale, populations were considerably structured and migration rates within the Chiricahuas were higher than those in-between mountain ranges. On a local scale, our analyses revealed population viscosity through dependant colony foundation and a high genetic diversity with a multi-colonial structure. The latter was also evident from recognition trials revealing consistent aggression between non-nestmates. Within-nest matings led to high inbreeding coefficients. Finally, the observed seasonal changes in relatedness can be explained by variation in queen number and differential dispersal of the two reproductive morphs.
Data from: Brain transcriptional profiles of male alternative reproductive tactics and females in bluegill sunfish
Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) are one of the classic systems for studying male alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) in teleost fishes. In this species, there are two distinct life histories: parental and cuckolder, encompassing three reproductive tactics, parental, satellite, and sneaker. The parental life history is fixed, whereas individuals who enter the cuckolder life history transition from sneaker to satellite tactic as they grow. For this study, we used RNAseq to characterize the brain transcriptome of the three male tactics and females during spawning to identify gene ontology (GO) categories and potential candidate genes associated with each tactic. We found that sneaker males had higher levels of gene expression differentiation compared to the other two male tactics. Sneaker males also had higher expression in ionotropic glutamate receptor genes, specifically AMPA receptors, compared to other males, which may be important for increased spatial working memory while attempting to cuckold parental males at their nests. Larger differences in gene expression also occurred among male tactics than between males and females. We found significant expression differences in several candidate genes that were previously identified in other species with ARTs and suggest a previously undescribed role for cAMP-responsive element modulator (crem) in influencing parental male behaviors during spawning.
Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics and lifetime reproductive success in a polygynandrous mammal
The widespread occurrence of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) highlights the diverse ways in which sexual selection can operate within a population. We studied ARTs in Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus), evaluating paternity, lifetime reproductive success, and life histories. Reproductively mature male Columbian ground squirrels displayed either a territorial or satellite (non-territorial) tactic. Territorial males secured a higher proportion of copulations, were more likely to mate at earlier positions in females' mating sequences and sired more offspring than satellite males. The tactic males adopted was largely a function of weight, age, and experience, with larger, older and more experienced males displaying the territorial tactic. At two years of age, males adopted the satellite tactic or deferred breeding for the season. Two-year-old satellite males were heavier than males that deferred breeding, but by age three there was no difference between their weights. Males that deferred breeding either adopted the satellite or territorial tactic in the following year, with the lighter males displaying the satellite tactic. The ARTs that males adopted at two and three years of age led to alternative life history pathways. Males that deferred breeding and only adopted the territorial tactic during their lifetime had twice the number of lifetime offspring compared to males that adopted the satellite tactic and then switched to territorial behavior in following years, although this difference was not statistically significant. Our findings show that the satellite tactic results in lower reproductive output both within a single year, except at age two, and over their lifetime.
Data from: Birth date predicts alternative life-history pathways in a fish with sequential reproductive tactics
In species with plastic expression of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), individuals of the same sex, usually males, can adopt different reproductive tactics depending on factors such as body size. The 'birth date hypothesis' proposes that condition-dependent expression of ARTs may ultimately depend on birth date, because individuals born at different times of the year may achieve different sizes and express different reproductive tactics accordingly. However, this has rarely been tested. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a fish with ARTs, the peacock blenny (Salaria pavo). A long-term (6 years) mark–recapture study demonstrated that ARTs in the peacock blenny were sequential and that males may follow at least two alternative life-history pathways: a nest-holder pathway, in which males express the nest-holder tactic from their first breeding season onwards, and a parasitic pathway, where males reproduce on their first breeding season as sneaker males and subsequently as nest-holders. We have found evidence of a birth date effect on the expression of ARTs in the peacock blenny. Males following the nest-holder pathway are born earlier and are larger at the first breeding season than males following the parasitic pathway, but they have similar growth curves. The mechanisms underlying a birth date effect are far from clear and might be diverse. We have not found support for a mechanism of body size threshold triggering sexual maturation and subsequent ARTs. A mechanism of tactic determination that is strictly based on timing of first maturation is also unlikely. A proxy of lifetime reproductive success shows crossing (body size associated) fitness curves for the two main life-history pathways.
Data from: Effects of ovarian fluid and genetic differences on sperm performance and fertilization success of alternative reproductive tactics in Chinook salmon
In many species, sperm velocity affects variation in the outcome of male competitive fertilization success. In fishes, ovarian fluid (OF) released with the eggs can increase male sperm velocity and potentially facilitate cryptic female choice for males of specific phenotypes and/or genotypes. Therefore, to investigate the role of OF on fertilization success, we measured sperm velocity and conducted in vitro competitive fertilizations with paired Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) males representing two alternative reproductive tactics, jacks (small sneaker males) and hooknoses (large guarding males), in the presence of river water alone and OF mixed with river water. To determine the role of genetic differences on fertilization success, we genotyped fish at neutral (microsatellites) and functional [major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II ß1] markers. We found that when sperm were competed in river water, jacks sired significantly more offspring than hooknoses, however, in OF there was no difference in paternity between the tactics. Sperm velocity was significantly correlated with paternity success in river water but not in ovarian fluid. Paternity success in OF, but not in river water alone, was correlated with genetic relatedness between male and female, where males that were less related to the female attained greater paternity. We found no relationship between MHC II ß1 divergence between mates and paternity success in water or OF. Our results indicate that OF can influence the outcome of sperm competition in Chinook salmon, where OF provides both male tactics with fertilization opportunities, which may in part explain what maintains both tactics in nature.
Data from: Behavioral tactic predicts preoptic-hypothalamic gene expression more strongly than developmental morph in fish with alternative reproductive tactics
Reproductive success relies on the coordination of social behaviors, such as territory defense, courtship, and mating. Species with extreme variation in reproductive tactics are useful models for identifying the neural mechanisms underlying social behavior plasticity. The plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) is a teleost fish with two male reproductive morphs that follow widely divergent developmental trajectories and display alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Type I males defend territories, court females, and provide paternal care, but will resort to cuckoldry if they cannot maintain a territory. Type II males reproduce only through cuckoldry. We sought to disentangle gene expression patterns underlying behavioral tactic, in this case ARTs, from those solely reflective of developmental morph. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated differential transcript expression in the preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) of courting type I males, cuckolding type I males, and cuckolding type II males. Unexpectedly, POA-AH differential expression was more strongly coupled to behavioral tactic than morph. This included a suite of transcripts implicated in hormonal regulation of vertebrate social behavior. Our results reveal that divergent expression patterns in a conserved neuroendocrine center known to regulate social-reproductive behaviors across vertebrate lineages may be uncoupled from developmental history to enable plasticity in the performance of reproductive tactics.
Prenatal environmental conditions underlie alternative reproductive tactics that drive the formation of a mixed-kin cooperative society
<p class="Paragraph">Although animal societies often evolve due to limited natal dispersal that results in kin clustering and facilitates cooperation among relatives, many species form cooperative groups with low kin structure. Such groups often comprise residents and immigrants of the same sex that compete for breeding opportunities. To understand how such mixed-kin societies form, we investigated the causes and fitness consequences of dispersal decisions in male cooperatively breeding superb starlings (<i>Lamprotornis superbus</i>) inhabiting a climatically unpredictable environment. We show that the two alternative reproductive tactics—natal dispersal or philopatry—exhibit reproductive tradeoffs resulting in equal lifetime inclusive fitness. Surprisingly, an individual's tactic is determined by the prenatal environment its parents experience prior to laying rather than the environment it experiences as a juvenile. Individuals that adopt the tactic not predicted by prenatal environmental conditions have lower fitness. Ultimately, climate-driven oscillating selection appears to stabilize mixed-kin societies despite the potential for social conflict.</p>
Linking alternative reproductive tactics and habitat selection in Northern chamois
In polygynous ungulates, males may achieve fertilization through the use of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), discrete phenotypic variations evolved to maximize fitness. ARTs are often associated with different male spatial strategies during the rut, from territoriality to female-following. Although variation in space use patterns of rutting male ungulates is known to be largely affected by the spatial distribution of females, information on the year-round habitat selection of alternative reproductive types is scant. Here, we investigate the seasonal variation in habitat choice of a large mammal with ARTs (territoriality and non-territoriality), the Northern chamois Rupicapra rupicapra. Global Positioning System (GPS) data on 28 adult males were collected between February 2010 and December 2013 in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), and used to fit resource selection functions to explore the ART-specific use of key topographic features such as elevation, aspect and slope, and vegetation phenology expressed as NDVI values. Territorial and non-territorial chamois profoundly differed in their habitat selection not only during the rutting season. Compared to non-territorial males, territorial males used lower elevations in summer and autumn, preferred southern slopes in spring and summer, and used steeper areas in summer but not in winter. We found no difference in seasonal selection of NDVI values between males adopting ARTs. Our results suggest that territorial males tend to occupy warmer, lower-food-quality habitats in late spring and summer, whereas non-territorial males are free to follow and exploit vegetation phenology and more favourable temperatures. Different patterns of habitat selection may reflect different trade-offs between the optimisation of energy balances throughout the year and the increase of mating opportunities during the rut in males adopting alternative reproductive tactics.
Data from: Behavioral and morphological traits interact to promote the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics in a lizard
Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) are predicted to be the result of disruptive correlational selection on suites of morphological, physiological and behavioral traits. ARTs are most obvious when they occur in discrete morphs with concomitant behavioral tactics. However, ARTs driven by behavior, in species lacking obvious phenotypic differences, are rarely documented and poorly understood. We quantified selection acting on phenotypic traits predicted to characterize ARTs by observing marked lizards in six semi-natural populations. We quantified reproductive fitness for each male using 6 microsatellite DNA loci from 226 offspring born to 56 females. Candidate models containing directional and correlational selection gradients were equally supported. As predicted, large males with large home ranges and large males who were observed frequently had the highest reproductive success. We also found evidence that large males that moved little, but were observed frequently and large males which moved frequently, but were observed little, were predicted to have high fitness. Model predictions support our verbal hypothesis regarding the phenotypes characterizing ARTs and suggest that large males may be adopting subtly different tactics to acquire paternity. Our results suggest that disruptive correlational selection between behavioral traits may drive the evolution of ARTs in 'cryptic' systems that lack overt polymorphisms.
Prenatal environmental conditions underlie alternative reproductive tactics that drive the formation of a mixed-kin cooperative society
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Data from: Social parasitism as an alternative reproductive tactic in a cooperatively breeding cuckoo
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Data from: Sperm competition, but not major histocompatibility divergence, drives differential fertilization success between alternative reproductive tactics in Chinook salmon
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Data from: Effects of ovarian fluid and genetic differences on sperm performance and fertilization success of alternative reproductive tactics in Chinook salmon
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Data from: Phenotypic and genomic plasticity of alternative male reproductive tactics in sailfin mollies
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Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics and lifetime reproductive success in a polygynandrous mammal
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Data from: Birth date predicts alternative life-history pathways in a fish with sequential reproductive tactics
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