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203 results for “Adaptive morphology”
Data from: Parallel shifts in trout feeding morphology suggest rapid adaptation to alpine lake environments
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Data supporting: Molecular, behavioural and morphological comparisons of sperm adaptations in a fish with alternative mating tactics
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Adaptation to host's chemical defenses as a driver of wing morphological evolution and developmental instability in cactophilic Drosophila
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Forelimb morphology as an adaptation for burrowing in kangaroo rat species (genus Dipodomys) that inhabit different soil substrates
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Stay in shape: assessing the adaptive potential of shell morphology and its sensitivity to temperature in the invasive New Zealand Mud Snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum through phenotypic plasticity and natural selection in Europe
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Adaptive radiation of pelagiarian fishes at the K/Pg boundary led to rapid diversification of mandible morphology
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Adaptive specialization and constraint in morphological defenses of planktonic larvae
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Parallel and divergent morphological adaptations underlying the evolution of jumping ability in ants
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Rapid differentiation of plasticity in life history and morphology during invasive range expansion and concurrent local adaptation in the horned beetle Onthophagus taurus
<p>Understanding the interplay between genetic differentiation, ancestral plasticity, and the evolution of plasticity during adaptation to environmental variation is critical to predict populations' responses to environmental change. However, the role of plasticity in rapid adaptation in nature remains poorly understood. We here use the invasion of the horned beetle <i>Onthophagus taurus</i> in the United States during the last half century to study the contribution of ancestral plasticity and post-invasion evolution of plastic responses in rapid population differentiation. We document latitudinal variation in life history and morphology, including genetic compensation in development time and body size, likely adaptive responses to seasonal constraints in the North. However, clinal variation in development time and size was strongly dependent on rearing temperature, suggesting that population differentiation in plasticity played a critical role in successful adaptation on ecological timescales. Clinal variation in wing shape was independent of ancestral plasticity, but correlated with derived plasticity, consistent with evolutionary interdependence. In contrast, clinal variation in tibia shape aligned poorly with thermal plasticity. Overall, this study suggests that post-invasion evolution of plasticity contributed to range expansions and concurrent adaptation to novel climatic conditions.</p>
Down feather morphology reflects adaptation to habitat and thermal conditions across the avian phylogeny
<p>Down feathers are the first feather types that appear in both the phylogenetic and the ontogenetic history of birds. Although it is widely acknowledged that the primary function of downy elements is insulation, little is known about the interspecific variability in the structural morphology of these feathers, and the environmental factors that have influenced their evolution. Here, we collected samples of down and afterfeathers from 156 bird species and measured key morphological characters that define the insulatory properties of the downy layer. We then tested if habitat and climatic conditions could explain the observed between-species variation in down feather structure. We show that habitat has a very strong and clearly defined effect on down feather morphology. Feather size, barbule length and nodus density all decreased from terrestrial towards aquatic birds, with riparian species exhibiting intermediate characters. Wintering climate, expressed as windchill (a combined measure of the ambient temperature and wind speed) had limited effects on down morphology, colder climate only being associated with higher nodus density in dorsal down feathers. Overall, an aquatic lifestyle selects for a denser plumulaceous layer, while the effect of harsh wintering conditions on downy structures appear limited. These results provide key evidence of adaptations to habitat at the level of the downy layer, both on the scale of macro- and micro-elements of the plumage. Moreover, they reveal characters of convergent evolution in the avian plumage and mammalian fur, that match the varying needs of insulation in terrestrial and aquatic modes of life.</p>
Polygenic basis for adaptive morphological variation in a threatened Aotearoa | New Zealand bird, the hihi (Notiomystis cincta)
<p>To predict if a threatened species can adapt to changing selective pressures, it is crucial to understand the genetic basis of adaptive traits, especially in species historically affected by severe bottlenecks. We estimated the heritability of three hihi (<em>Notiomystis cincta</em>) morphological traits known to be under selection: nestling tarsus length, body mass and head-bill length, using 523 individuals and 39,699 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a 50K Affymetrix SNP chip. We then examined the genetic architecture of the traits via chromosome partitioning analyses and genome-wide association scans (GWAS). Heritabilities estimated using pedigree relatedness or genomic relatedness were low. For tarsus length, the proportion of genetic variance explained by each chromosome was positively correlated with its size, and more than one chromosome explained significant variation for body mass and head-bill length. Finally, GWAS analyses suggested many loci of small effect contributing to trait variation for all three traits, although one locus (a SNP within an intron of the transcription factor HEY2) was tentatively associated with tarsus length. Our findings suggest a polygenic nature for the morphological traits, with many small effect size loci contributing to the majority of the variation, similar to results from many other wild populations. However, the small effective population size, polygenic architecture and already low heritabilities suggest that both the total response and rate of response to selection are likely to be limited in hihi.</p>
Changes in key traits versus depth and latitude suggest energy-efficient locomotion, opportunistic feeding and light lead to adaptive morphologies of marine fishes.
1. Understanding patterns and processes governing biodiversity along broad-scale environmental gradients, such as depth or latitude, requires an assessment of not just taxonomic richness, but also morphological and functional traits of organisms. Studies of traits can help to identify major selective forces acting on morphology. Currently, little is known regarding patterns of variation in the traits of fishes at broad spatial scales. 2. The aims of this study were: (i) to identify a suite of key traits in marine fishes that would allow assessment of morphological variability across broad-scale depth (50 – 1200 m) and latitudinal (29.15 – 50.91°S) gradients; and (ii) to characterise patterns in these traits across depth and latitude for 144 species of ray-finned fishes in New Zealand waters. 3. Here, we describe three new morphological traits: namely, fin-base-to-perimeter ratio, jaw-length-to-mouth-width ratio, and pectoral-fin-base-to-body-depth ratio. Four other morphological traits essential for locomotion and food acquisition that are commonly measured in fishes were also included in the study. Spatial ecological distributions of individual fish species were characterised in response to a standardised replicated sampling design and morphological measurements were obtained for each species from preserved museum specimens. 4. With increasing depth, fishes, on average, became larger and more elongate, with higher fin-base-to-perimeter ratio and larger jaw-length-to-mouth-width ratio, all of which translates into a more eel-like anguilliform morphology. Variation in mean trait values along the depth gradient was stronger at lower latitudes for fin-base-to-perimeter ratio, elongation and total body length. Average eye size peaked at intermediate depths (500-700 m) and increased with increasing latitude at 700 m. 5. These findings suggest that, in increasingly extreme environments, fish morphology shifts towards a body shape that favours an energy-efficient undulatory swimming style and an increase in jaw-length versus mouth width for opportunistic feeding. Furthermore, increases in eye size with both depth and latitude indicate that changes in both the average ambient light conditions as well as seasonal variations in day-length can act to select ecomorphological adaptations in fishes. 10-Oct-2019
Data from: Trade-offs between morphology and thermal niches mediate adaptation in response to competing selective pressures
<p>The effects of climate change - such as increased temperature variability and novel predators – rarely happen in isolation, but it is unclear how organisms cope with multiple stressors simultaneously. To explore this, we grew replicate <i>Paramecium caudatum</i> populations in either constant or variable temperatures and exposed half to predation. We then fit thermal performance curves (TPCs) of intrinsic growth rate (<i>r<sub>max</sub></i>) for each replicate population (<i>N</i> = 12) across seven temperatures (10°C - 38°C). TPCs of <i>P. caudatum</i> exposed to both temperature variability and predation responded only to one or the other (but not both), resulting in unpredictable outcomes. These changes in TPCs were accompanied by changes in cell morphology. Although cell volume was conserved across treatments, cells became narrower in response to temperature variability and rounder in response to predation. Our findings suggest that predation and temperature variability produce conflicting pressures on both thermal performance and cell morphology. Lastly, we found a strong correlation between changes in cell morphology and TPC parameters in response to predation, suggesting that responses to opposing selective pressures could be constrained by trade-offs. Our results shed new light on how environmental and ecological pressures interact to elicit changes in characteristics at both the individual and population levels. We further suggest that morphological responses to interactive environmental forces may modulate population-level responses, making prediction of long-term responses to environmental change challenging.</p>
Data from: Matrix correspondence tests on the DNA phylogeny of the Tenerife lacertid elucidate both historical causes and morphological adaptation
Previous studies using partial regression Mantel tests of matrix correspondence on within-island geographic variation in the color pattern of the Tenerife (Canary Islands) lacertid lizard (Gallotia galloti) support natural selection for different north--south climatically determined biotopes but do not support any historical cause. However, tests on the DNA phylogeny based primarily on population data from 57 localities on Tenerife support the hypothesis that there were populations on two putative precursor islands that have come into secondary contact and introgressed after these islands were joined to form Tenerife by the eruption of the Canadas edifice. Subsequent partial Mantel tests continue to support the hypothesis that color pattern is adapted to the climatic biotopes even when this phylogenetic information is taken into account by (1) testing for color pattern adaptation separately within each lineage and (2) testing for color pattern adaptation across the entire island while considering the molecular phylogenetic relationships as representing an alternative explanation. Selection has largely expunged any trace of the geological history from current morphological variation, and the introgression of these island populations after an estimated 0.7 million years of separation gives an insight into the relationships between allopatric divergence and reproductive isolation.
Data from: The adaptive genomic landscape of beak morphology in Darwin's finches
Beak shape in Darwin's ground finches (Geospiza) is emblematic of natural selection and adaptive radiation, yet our understanding of the genetic basis of beak shape variation, and thus the genetic target of natural selection, is still evolving. Here we reveal the genomic architecture of beak shape variation using genomewide comparisons of four closely related and hybridizing species across 13 islands subject to parallel natural selection. Pairwise contrasts among species were used to identify a large number of genomic loci that are consistently related to species differences across a complex landscape. These loci are associated with hundreds of genes that have enriched GO categories significantly associated with development. One genomic region of particular interest is a section of Chromosome 1A with many candidate genes and increased linkage. The distinct, pointed beak shape of the cactus finch is linked to an excess of intermediate frequency alleles and increased heterozygosity in significant SNPs, but not across the rest of the genome. Alleles associated with pointier beaks among species were associated with pointier-beaked populations within each species, thus establishing a common basis for natural selection, species divergence and adaptive radiation. The adaptive genomic landscape for Darwin's finches mirrors theoretical expectations based on morphological variation. The implication that a large number of genes are actively maintained to facilitate beak variation across parallel populations with documented interspecies admixture challenges our understanding of evolutionary processes in the wild.
Data from: Male clasping ability, female polymorphism and sexual conflict: fine-scale elytral morphology as a sexually antagonistic adaptation in female diving beetles
During sexual conflict, males and females are expected to evolve traits and behaviours with a sexually antagonistic function. Recently, sexually antagonistic coevolution was proposed to occur between male and female diving beetles (Dytiscidae). Male diving beetles possess numerous suction cups on their forelegs whereas females commonly have rough structures on their elytra. These rough structures have been suggested to obstruct adhesion from male suction cups during mating attempts. However, some diving beetle species are dimorphic, where one female morph has a rough elytra and the other has a smooth elytra. Here, we used biomechanics to study the adhesive performance of male suction cups on the female morphs in two diving beetle species: Dytiscus lapponicus and Graphoderus zonatus. We compared adhesion on the rough and the smooth female morphs to infer the function of the rough elytral modifications. We found that the adhesive force on the rough structures was much lower than on other surfaces. These findings support the suggestion of sexual conflict in diving beetles and a sexually antagonistic function of the rough female structures. In addition, males differed in their adhesive capacity on different female surfaces, indicating a male trade-off between adhering to smooth and rough female morphs.
Data from: Does thermal plasticity align with local adaptation? – An interspecific comparison of wing morphology in sepsid flies
Although genetic and plastic responses are sometimes considered as unrelated processes, their phenotypic effects may often align because genetic adaptation is expected to mirror phenotypic plasticity if adaptive, but run counter to it when maladaptive. The magnitude and direction of this alignment has further consequences for both the tempo and mode of adaptation. To better understand the interplay between phenotypic plasticity and genetic change in mediating adaptive phenotypic variation to climate variability, we here quantified genetic latitudinal variation and thermal plasticity in wing loading and wing shape in two closely related and widespread sepsid flies. Common garden rearing of 16 geographical populations reared across multiple temperatures revealed that wing loading decreases with latitude in both species. This pattern could be driven by selection for increased dispersal capacity in the cold. However, although allometry, sexual dimorphism, thermal plasticity and latitudinal differentiation in wing shape all show similar patterns in the two species, the relationship between the plastic and genetic response differed between them. While latitudinal differentiation (south to north) mirrored thermal plasticity (hot to cold) in Sepsis punctum, there was no relationship in Sepsis fulgens. While this suggests that thermal plasticity may have helped to mediate local adaptation in S. punctum, it also demonstrates that genetic wing shape differentiation and its relation to thermal plasticity may be complex and idiosyncratic, even among ecologically similar and closely related species. Hence, genetic responses can, but do not necessarily, align with phenotypic plasticity induced by changing environmental selection pressures.
Data from: Adaptive morphological shifts to novel habitats in marine sculpin fishes
Sculpin fishes of the North American Pacific Coast provide an ideal opportunity to examine whether adaptive morphological character shifts have facilitated occupation of novel habitat types because of their well-described phylogeny and ecology. In this group, the basal-rooted species primarily occupy the subtidal habitat, whereas the species in the most distal clades are found in the intertidal. We tested multiple evolutionary models to determine whether changes in body size and changes in number of scales are adaptive for habitat use in sculpins. Based on a statistically robust, highly resolved molecular phylogeny of 26 species of sculpins, in combination with morphometric and habitat affinity data, our analyses show that an adaptive model based on habitat use best explains changes in body size and number of scales. The habitat model was statistically supported over models of neutral evolution, stabilizing selection across all habitats, and three clade-based models. We suggest that loss of scales and reduction of body size in the intertidal may facilitate cutaneous breathing in air when tidepools become hypoxic during low tides. This study demonstrates how the combined use of phylogenetic, ecological and statistical approaches helps to identify traits that are likely adaptive to novel habitats.
Data from: Detection of environmental and morphological adaptation despite high landscape genetic connectivity in a pest grasshopper (Phaulacridium vittatum)
Widespread species that exhibit both high gene flow and the capacity to occupy heterogeneous environments make excellent models for examining local selection processes along environmental gradients. Here we evaluate the influence of temperature and landscape variables on genetic connectivity and signatures of local adaptation in Phaulacridium vittatum, a widespread agricultural pest grasshopper, endemic to Australia. With sampling across a 900 km latitudinal gradient, we genotyped 185 P. vittatum from 19 sites at 11,408 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using ddRAD sequencing. Despite high gene flow across sites (pairwise Fst = 0.0003-0.08), landscape genetic resistance modelling identified a positive non-linear effect of mean annual temperature on genetic connectivity. Urban areas and water bodies had a greater influence on genetic distance among sites than pasture, agricultural areas, and forest. Together, Fst outlier tests and Environmental Association Analysis (EAA) detected 242 unique SNPs under putative selection, with the highest numbers associated with latitude, mean annual temperature, and body size. A combination of landscape genetic connectivity analysis together with EAA identified mean annual temperature as a key driver of both neutral gene flow and environmental selection processes. Gene annotation of putatively adaptive SNPs matched with gene functions for olfaction, metabolic detoxification and ultra-violet light shielding. Our results imply that this widespread agricultural pest has the potential to spread and adapt under shifting temperature regimes and land cover change.
Data from: Lizards on newly created islands independently and rapidly adapt in morphology and diet
Rapid adaptive changes can result from the drastic alterations humans impose on ecosystems. For example, flooding large areas for hydroelectric dams converts mountaintops into islands and leaves surviving populations in a new environment. We report differences in morphology and diet of the termite-eating gecko Gymnodactylus amarali between five such newly created islands and five nearby mainland sites located in the Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot. Mean prey size and dietary prey-size breadth were larger on islands than mainlands, expected because four larger lizard species that also consume termites, but presumably prefer larger prey, went extinct on the islands. In addition, island populations had larger heads relative to their body length than mainland populations; larger heads are more suited to the larger prey taken, and disproportionately larger heads allow that functional advantage without an increase in energetic requirements resulting from larger body size. Parallel morphological evolution is strongly suggested, because there are indications that, before flooding, relative head size did not differ between future island and future mainland sites. Females and males showed the same trend of relatively larger heads on islands, so the difference between island and mainland sites is unlikely to be due to greater male–male competition for mates on islands. We thus discovered a very fast (at most 15 y) case of independent parallel adaptive change in response to catastrophic human disturbance.
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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.