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377 results for “trait evolution”
Data for: Predicting the contribution of single trait evolution to rescuing a plant population from demographic impacts of climate change
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Data from: Macroevolutionary divergence along allometric lines of least resistance in frog hindlimb traits and its effect on locomotor evolution
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Fast mvSLOUCH: Model comparison for multivariate Ornstein--Uhlenbeck-based models of trait evolution on large phylogenies
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Avian cranial evolution is influenced by shape interactions between hard and soft tissue traits
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Data from: The genetic basis of traits associated with the evolution of serpentine endemism in monkeyflowers
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Tempo and mode of evolution across multiple traits in an adaptive radiation of birds (Vangidae)
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Data from: Modularity and selection of nectar traits in the evolution of the selfing syndrome in Ipomoea lacunosa (Convolvulaceae)
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On the effect of asymmetrical trait inheritance on models of trait evolution
Current phylogenetic comparative methods modelling quantitative trait evolution generally assume that, during speciation, phenotypes are inherited identically between the two daughter species. This, however, neglects the fact that species consist of a set of individuals, each bearing its own trait value. Indeed, because descendent populations after speciation are samples of a parent population, we can expect their mean phenotypes to randomly differ from one another potentially generating a ``jump'' of mean phenotypes due to asymmetrical trait inheritance at cladogenesis. Here, we aim to clarify the effect of asymmetrical trait inheritance at speciation on macroevolutionary analyses, focusing on model testing and parameter estimation using some of the most common models of quantitative trait evolution. We developed an individual-based simulation framework in which the evolution of species phenotypes is determined by trait changes at the individual level accumulating across generations and cladogenesis occurs then by separation of subsets of the individuals into new lineages. Through simulations, we assess the magnitude of phenotypic jumps at cladogenesis under different modes of trait inheritance at speciation. We show that even small jumps can strongly alter both the results of model selection and parameter estimations, potentially affecting the biological interpretation of the estimated mode of evolution of a trait. Our results call for caution when interpreting analyses of trait evolution, while highlighting the importance of testing a wide range of alternative models. In the light of our findings, we propose that future methodological advances in comparative methods should more explicitly model the intra-specific variability around species mean phenotypes and how it is inherited at speciation.
Inferring the effect of species interactions on trait evolution
Models of trait evolution form an important part of macroevolutionary biology. The Brownian motion model and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models have become classic (null) models of character evolution, in which species evolve independently. Recently, models incorporating species interactions have been developed, particularly involving competition where abiotic factors pull species toward an optimal trait value and competitive interactions drive the trait values apart. However, these models assume a fitness function rather than derive it from population dynamics and they do not consider dynamics of the trait variance. Here we develop a general coherent trait evolution framework where the fitness function is based on a model of population dynamics, and therefore it can, in principle, accommodate any type of species interaction. We illustrate our framework with a model of abundance-dependent competitive interactions against a macroevolutionary background encoded in a phylogenetic tree. We develop an inference tool based on Approximate Bayesian Computation and test it on simulated data (of traits at the tips). We find that inference performs well when the diversity predicted by the parameters equals the number of species in the phylogeny. We then fit the model to empirical data of baleen whale body lengths, using three different summary statistics, and compare it to a model without population dynamics and a model where competition depends on the total metabolic rate of the competitors. We show that the unweighted model performs best for the least informative summary statistic, while the model with competition weighted by the total metabolic rate fits the data slightly better than the other two models for the two more informative summary statistics. Regardless of the summary statistic used, the three models substantially differ in their predictions of the abundance distribution. Therefore, data on abundance distributions will allow us to better distinguish the models from one another, and infer the nature of species interactions. Thus our framework provides a conceptual approach to reveal species interactions underlying trait evolution and identifies the data needed to do so in practice.
Evolution of morphological but not aggressiveness‐related traits following a major resistance breakdown in the poplar rust fungus, Melampsora larici‐populina
<p>Crop varieties carrying qualitative resistance to targeted pathogens lead to strong selection pressure on parasites, often resulting in resistance breakdown. It is well known that qualitative resistance breakdowns modify pathogen population structure but few studies have analysed the consequences on their quantitative aggressiveness-related traits. The aim of this study was to characterize the evolution of these traits following a resistance breakdown in the poplar rust fungus, <i>Melampsora larici-populina</i>. We based our experiment on three temporal populations sampled just before the breakdown event, immediately after and four years later. First, we quantified phenotypic differences among populations for a set of aggressiveness traits on a universally susceptible cultivar (infection efficiency, latent period, lesion size, mycelium quantity, and sporulation rate) and one morphological trait (mean spore volume). Then we estimated heritability to establish which traits could be subjected to adaptive evolution, and tested for evidence of selection. Our results revealed significant changes in the morphological trait but no variation in aggressiveness traits. By contrast, recent works have demonstrated that quantitative resistance (initially assumed more durable) could be eroded and lead to increased aggressiveness. Hence, this study is one example suggesting that the use of qualitative resistance may be revealed to be less detrimental to long term sustainable crop production.</p>
Trait-fitness associations do not predict within-species phenotypic evolution over 2 million years
Long-term patterns of phenotypic change are the cumulative results of tens of thousands to millions of years of evolution. Yet, empirical and theoretical studies of phenotypic selection are largely based on contemporary populations. The challenges in studying phenotypic evolution, in particular trait-fitness associations in the deep past, are barriers to linking micro- and macroevolution. Here, we capitalize on the unique opportunity offered by a marine colonial organism commonly preserved in the fossil record to investigate trait-fitness associations over 2 million years. We use the density of female polymorphs in colonies of <em>Antartothoa tongima</em> as a proxy for fecundity, a fitness component, and investigate multivariate signals of trait-fitness associations in six time intervals on the backdrop of Pleistocene climatic shifts. We detect negative trait-fitness associations for feeding polymorph (autozooid) sizes, positive associations for autozooid shape but no particular relationship between fitness and brood chamber size. In addition, we demonstrate that long-term trait patterns are explained by palaeoclimate and to a lesser extent by ecological interactions. Our analyses show that macroevolutionary outcomes of trait evolution are not a simple scaling-up from the trait-fitness associations.
A codon model for associating phenotypic traits with altered selective patterns of sequence evolution
<p>Detecting the signature of selection in coding sequences and associating it with shifts in phenotypic states can unveil genes underlying complex traits. Of the various signatures of selection exhibited at the molecular level, changes in the pattern of selection at protein coding genes have been of main interest. To this end, phylogenetic branch-site codon models are routinely applied to detect changes in selective patterns along specific branches of the phylogeny. Many of these methods rely on a pre-specified partition of the phylogeny to branch categories, thus treating the course of trait evolution as fully resolved and assuming that phenotypic transitions have occurred only at speciation events. Here we present TraitRELAX, a new phylogenetic model that alleviates these strong assumptions by explicitly accounting for the uncertainty in the evolution of both trait and coding sequences. This joint statistical framework enables the detection of changes in selection intensity upon repeated trait transitions. We evaluated the performance of TraitRELAX using simulations and then applied it to two case studies. Using TraitRELAX, we found an intensification of selection in the primate SEMG2 gene in polygynandrous species compared to species of other mating forms, as well as changes in the intensity of purifying selection operating on sixteen bacterial genes upon transitioning from a free-living to an endosymbiotic lifestyle.</p>
Quality-quantity tradeoffs drive functional trait evolution in a model microalgal "climate change winner"
<p>Phytoplankton are the unicellular photosynthetic microbes that form the base of aquatic ecosystems, and their responses to global change will impact everything from food web dynamics to global nutrient cycles. Some taxa respond to environmental change by increasing population growth rates in the short-term, and are projected to increase in frequency over decades. To gain insight into how these projected "climate change winners" evolve, we grew populations of microalgae in ameliorated environments for several hundred generations. Most populations evolved to allocate a smaller proportion of carbon to growth while increasing their ability to tolerate and metabolise reactive oxygen species (ROS). This tradeoff drives the evolution of traits that underlie the ecological and biogeochemical roles of phytoplankton. This offers evolutionary and a metabolic frameworks for understanding trait evolution in projected "climate change winners", and suggests that short-term population booms have the potential to be dampened or reversed when environmental amelioration persists.</p>
Data from: Correlated evolution between climate and suites of traits along a fast-slow continuum in the radiation of Protea
Evolutionary radiations are responsible for much of Earth's diversity, yet the causes of these radiations are often elusive. Determining the relative roles of adaptation and geographic isolation in diversification is vital to understanding the causes of any radiation, and whether a radiation may be labeled as 'adaptive' or not. Across many groups of plants, trait-climate relationships suggest that traits are an important indicator of how plants adapt to different climates. In particular, analyses of plant functional traits in global databases suggest that there is an "economics spectrum" along which combinations of functional traits covary along a fast-slow continuum. We examine evolutionary associations among traits and between trait and climate variables on a strongly supported phylogeny in the iconic plant genus Protea to identify correlated evolution of functional traits and the climatic-niches that species occupy. Results indicate that trait diversification in Protea has climate associations along two axes of variation: correlated evolution of plant size with temperature and leaf investment with rainfall. Evidence suggests that traits and climatic-niches evolve in similar ways, although some of these associations are inconsistent with global patterns on a broader phylogenetic scale. When combined with previous experimental work suggesting that trait-climate associations are adaptive in Protea, the results presented here suggest that trait diversification in this radiation is adaptive.
Raw data and Matlab code for: Convergence in carnivorous pitcher plants reveals a mechanism for composite trait evolution
<p>Composite traits involve multiple components that, only when combined, gain a new synergistic function. Thus, how they evolve remains a puzzle. We combined field experiments, microscopy, chemical analyses and laser Doppler vibrometry with comparative phylogenetic analyses to show that two carnivorous <em>Nepenthes</em> pitcher plant species convergently evolved identical adaptations in three distinct traits to acquire a new, composite trapping mechanism. Comparative analyses suggest that this new trait arose convergently via 'spontaneous coincidence' of the required trait combination, rather than directional selection in the component traits. Our results indicate a plausible mechanism for composite trait evolution and highlight the importance of stochastic phenotypic variation as a facilitator of evolutionary novelty.</p>
Code for "The significant role of post-pairing male behaviour on the evolution of male preferences and female traits"
<p>This project page archives Mathematica code to replicate the analyses and figures of "The significant role of post-pairing male behaviour on the evolution of male preferences and female traits" by Nan Lyu, D. Justin Yeh, Huw Lloyd, and Yue-Hua Sun appearing in Communications Biology. All figures from the manuscript (and its supplement) can be obtained by running the code.</p>
Phenotypic and Genetic data for "Evolution of fruit and seed traits during almond naturalization"
<p>1- Cultivated plant species often naturalize and enter wild communities in a process known as feralization. To successfully feralize, crops must overcome ecological barriers and may undergo selection on certain traits, diverging phenotypically and genetically from their crop ancestors. In spite of the agronomic and ecological relevance of crop feralization, the eco-evolutionary dynamics driving it remain understudied.</p> <p>2- In this paper, we evaluated phenotypic and genotypic differentiation in fruit and seed traits during the naturalization of the almond tree (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) in SE Iberia and evaluated the potential role of natural selection in this process. To do so, we investigated patterns of genetic divergence between cultivated and feral populations using functional (the cyanogenesis Sk gene) and neutral (17 SSR loci) markers and analyzed morphological and biochemical traits in kernels of 342 individuals from 15 cultivated and 24 feral populations.</p> <p>3- We detected very little genetic differentiation in neutral markers between cultivated and feral populations. The majority of the observed genetic variation was due to differences within each type. Conversely, the recessive allele sk responsible for seed toxicity was significantly more frequent in feral populations. Phenotypic differentiation between cultivated and naturalized almond populations was also significant. Feral almond kernels were smaller and lighter, had denser and more resistant shells (endocarps) and more toxic seeds. Selection analyses indicated that these genetic and phenotypic patterns might be driven by directional selection on fruit and seed traits, potentially linked to defense against predation.</p> <p>4- Synthesis. Our findings indicate that almond naturalization is consistent with strong directional selection on fruits and seeds, leading to smaller and more toxic seeds encased in harder endocarps. Accordingly, we propose that feralization of this crop is, at least to some degree, driven by adaptive evolution of dispersal and recruitment traits.</p>
The impact of life stage and pigment source on the evolution of novel warning signal traits
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Our understanding of how novel warning color traits evolve in natural populations is largely based on studies of reproductive stages and organisms with endogenously produced pigmentation. In these systems, genetic drift is often required for novel alleles to overcome strong purifying selection stemming from frequency-dependent predation and positive assortative mating. Here, we integrate data from field surveys, predation experiments, population genomics, and phenotypic correlations to explain the origin and maintenance of geographic variation in a diet-based larval pigmentation trait in the redheaded pine sawfly (<i>Neodiprion lecontei</i>), a pine-feeding hymenopteran. Although our experiments confirm that <i>N. lecontei</i><i> </i>larvae are indeed aposematic—and therefore likely to experience frequency-dependent predation—our genomic data do not support a historical demographic scenario that would have facilitated the spread of an initially deleterious allele via drift. Additionally, significantly elevated differentiation at a known color locus suggests that geographic variation in larval color is currently maintained by selection. Together, these data suggest that the novel white morph likely spread via selection. However, white body color does not enhance aposematic displays, nor is it correlated with enhanced chemical defense or immune function. Instead, the derived white-bodied morph is disproportionately abundant on a pine species with a reduced carotenoid content relative to other pine hosts, suggesting that bottom-up selection via host plants may have driven divergence among populations. Overall, our results suggest that life stage and pigment source can have a substantial impact the evolution of novel warning signals, highlighting the need to investigate diverse aposematic taxa to develop a comprehensive understanding of color variation in nature.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Comparative genomics reveals evolution traits, mating strategies and pathogenicity-related genes variation of Botryosphaeriaceae
<p><em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em>, as a major family of the largest class of kingdom fungi <em>Dothideomycetes</em>, encompasses phytopathogens, saprobes, and endophytes. Many members of this family are opportunistic phytopathogens with a wide host range and worldwide geographical distribution, and can infect many economically important plants, including food crops and bio-material plants. To date, however, little is known about the family evolutionary characterization, mating strategies, and pathogenicity-related genes variation from a comparative genome perspective. Here, we conducted the first large-scale whole-genome comparison of 271 <em>Dothideomycetes</em>, including 19 species in <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em>. The comparative genome analysis provided a clear classification of <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em> in <em>Dothideomycetes</em> and indicated that <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em> pathogenicity evolution undergoes multiple times. Mating strategies analysis demonstrated at least 3 transitions were found within <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em> from heterothallism to homothallism. Additionally, pathogenicity-related genes contents in different species within <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em> varied greatly, indicating that a secondary lineage expansion occurs in speciation. These findings cast new insights into evolution traits, mating strategies and pathogenicity-related genes variation of <em>Botryosphaeriaceae</em>.</p>
Molecular Phylogenetics and Trait Evolution in Stigmatodon (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae), an Endemic Genus to Brazilian Rocky Outcrops
<p><strong><em>Abstract</em></strong>—The genus <em>Stigmatodon</em> occurs in steep granite slopes, typical of the inselbergs from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Here, we present the first broad phylogenetic analysis focused on <em>Stigmatodon</em>, sampling a total of 83 terminals, including 16 of the 20 species of the genus and the morphologically similar species of <em>Vriesea</em>. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis using two plastid markers (<em>matK </em>and <em>rps16-trnK</em>) and the nuclear gene <em>PHYC</em> to infer phylogenetic relationships and reconstruct ancestral states for ecological and morphological characters. Our results suggest the monophyly of <em>Stigmatodon</em> as originally circumscribed is only possible with the inclusion of morphologically and ecologically similar <em>Vriesea</em> species. In addition, the morphological and anatomical traits led us to propose a new circumscription for the genus, combining eight species of <em>Vriesea </em>to <em>Stigmatodon</em>. The stomata positioned above the ordinary epidermal cells, the adaxial water-storage parenchyma with axially elongated cells, the stamens positioned in two groups of three on each side of the corolla and the tubo-laciniate stigma are exclusive to <em>Stigmatodon</em> in its new circumscription. This new morphological and phylogenetic results constitute a relevant contribution to the taxonomy and evolution of Bromeliaceae, one of the most diverse and ecologically important families of flowering plants of the Neotropics.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.