Find research datasets worth reusing

Data from: Subfamily-dependent alternative reproductive strategies in worker honey bees

Functional worker sterility is the defining feature of insect societies. Yet, workers are sometimes found reproducing in their own or foreign colonies. The proximate mechanisms underlying these alternative reproductive phenotypes are key to understanding how reproductive altruism and selfishness are balanced in eusocial insects. In this study we show that in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies the social environment of a worker, i.e. the presence and relatedness of the queens in a worker's natal colony and in surrounding colonies, significantly influences her fertility and drifting behaviour. Furthermore, subfamilies vary in the frequency of worker ovarian activation, propensity to drift, and the kind of host colony that is targeted for reproductive parasitism. Our results show that there is an interplay between a worker's subfamily, reproductive state and social environment that substantially affects her reproductive phenotype. Our study further indicate that honey bee populations show substantial genetic variance for worker reproductive strategies, suggesting that no one strategy is optimal under all the circumstances that a typical worker may encounter.

Data from: Effect of pollination strategy, phylogeny and distribution on pollination niches of Euro-Mediterranean orchids

1. Pollination niches are important components of ecological niches and have played a major role in the diversification of Angiosperms. In this study, we focused on Euro-Mediterranean orchids, which use diverse pollination strategies and interact with various functional groups of insects. In these orchids, we investigated the determinants of pollination niche breadth and overlap by analysing the orchid-pollinator network and the factors that may have shaped it. 2. We constructed a database reporting 1278 interactions between 243 orchid and 773 pollinator species based on a thorough literature review. We then focused on 153 orchid species for which phylogenetic data were available. We used Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models to study the relationship between specialisation (as estimated by the degree and degree in the projected network), pollination strategy and breadths of orchids' spatial and temporal distributions, while correcting for the effect of phylogenetic relationships among orchid species and sampling effort. We then used a singular value decomposition of the orchid-pollinator matrix combined to a redundancy and variation partitioning analyses to investigate the determinants of similarity in pollination niches between orchids. 3. Specialisation was higher in deceptive than in nectar-producing orchids and decreased with the breadth of orchids' spatial distribution. When interactions were considered at the insect family level, similarity in pollination niches between orchids was solely explained by their pollination strategy and phylogeny. By contrast, when they were considered at the insect species level, this similarity was primarily explained by their geographical range and flowering time, although other factors had significant effects as well, with orchids using the same pollination strategy, being closely related and growing in the same habitats sharing more insect species than expected. 4. Synthesis. Specialisation in orchid-pollinator interactions depends on orchids' pollination strategy and geographical range. The pool of insect families with which orchids interact depends on their pollination strategy and phylogeny, with consistent associations between some functional or phylogenetic groups of orchids and some families of pollinators. By contrast, the pool of insect species with which orchids interact depends on their spatio-temporal distribution, suggesting that at a finer scale, orchid-pollinator interactions are more opportunistic than previously thought.

opencc-zeroJul 2019View details →

Data from: Pair bonds, reproductive success and rise of alternate mating strategies in a social carnivore.

Monogamy is commonly observed across a wide variety of species and taxa and arises when young are altricial, parental investment in young is high, and mate monopolization is generally not possible. In such species, pairs may bond for multiple breeding seasons while successfully rearing young. Individuals, however, may attempt to bypass the dominant mating strategy particularly when breeding opportunities are limited. Currently, we do not know how pair bond duration affects the efficacy of alternative mating strategies in populations with a monogamous mating system. Additionally, inferences about pair bond effects on reproductive success (i.e., both clutch size and recruitment) are largely limited to long-lived birds and little is known about effects on mammalian cooperative breeders. I used genetic sampling and pedigrees to examine the effects of pair bond duration on reproductive success (i.e., litter size, recruitment) and mating strategies in a population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho USA. There was a positive, marginally significant relationship between pair bond duration and apparent survival of offspring. Increased pair bond duration was also associated with a dampening in the prevalence of other alternative mating strategies such as sneaker males and polygamy. The selective advantage of alternative mating strategies are a combination of population, group (for applicable species), individual, and social influences such as pair bonds. The distribution of pair bonds in a monogamous population affects the selective advantage, and hence frequency, of various mating strategies observed.

opencc-zeroAug 2019View details →

Data from: To help or punish in the face of unfairness: men and women prefer mutually-beneficial strategies over punishment in a sexual selection context

There is evidence that the evolution of cooperation is, in part, maintained through sexual selection. Supporting this, within a female choice model, men display mutually-beneficial behaviour to attract women, and women prefer men who do so. This evidence is based on a 2-choice -architecture (cooperate or not). Here we extend this to include punishment options within a 4-choice-architecture ('punishing a transgressor', 'compensating a victim', 'both punishing and compensating' or 'doing-nothing'). Both compensation (a self-serving mutually-beneficial behaviour) and self-serving punishment, are associated with positive mate qualities. We test which is preferred by males and which is chosen by female undergraduates in a sexual selection context. We further explore effects of trait empathy and political ideology on these preferences. In a series of three studies using a third-party-punishment-compensation (3PPC) game we show (Study One), that romantically-primed undergraduate males, express a preference to either 'compensate' or 'both compensate and punish', and undergraduate women find males who 'compensate' or 'compensate and punish' the most attractive (Studies Two and Three). Compensating men are perceived as compassionate, fair and strong by undergraduate women (Study Three). High trait empathy (Studies One and Three) and a left-wing political ideology (Study Three) are associated with a preference for compensation. Thus, self-serving mutually-beneficial behaviour can be preferred over self-serving punishment as a signal of mate quality in undergraduates. Implications for the evolution of cooperation are discussed with respect to sexual selection.

Data from: Evolution of complex asexual reproductive strategies in jellyfish

Many living organisms in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems rely on multiple reproductive strategies to reduce the risks of extinction in variable environments. Examples are provided by the polyp stage of several bloom-forming jellyfish species, which can reproduce asexually using different "budding" strategies. These strategies broadly fall into three categories: 1) fast localized reproduction, 2) dormant cysts, or 3) motile and dispersing buds. Similar functional strategies are also present in other groups of species. However, mechanisms leading to the evolution of this rich reproductive diversity are yet to be clarified. Here we propose an evolutionary model for jellyfish polyps and determine how local population extinction and unequal fitness of the three modes can drive the evolution of multiple reproductive strategies. Depending on environmental parameters, we find that evolution leads to a unique evolutionary stable strategy, where in general multiple reproductive modes coexist. As the extinction risk increases, this strategy shifts from a pure budding mode to a dual strategy, and finally to one characterized by allocation into all three modes. We determine the existence of relative fitness-dependent thresholds in extinction risk where these transitions can occur and discuss our predictions in light of observations on polyp reproduction in laboratory and natural systems.

Data from: Evaluating the costs and benefits of marsh-management strategies while accounting for uncertain sea-level rise and ecosystem response

Prioritization of marsh-management strategies is a difficult task as it requires a manager to evaluate the relative benefits of each strategy given uncertainty in future sea-level rise and in dynamic marsh response. A modeling framework to evaluate the costs and benefits of management strategies while accounting for both of these uncertainties has been developed. The base data for the tool are high-resolution uncertainty-analysis results from SLAMM (the Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model) under different adaptive-management strategies. These results are combined with an ecosystem-valuation assessment from stakeholders. Model results and stakeholder values are linked together using "utility functions" that characterize the relationship between stakeholder values and geometric metrics such as "marsh area," marsh edge," or "marsh width." The expected-value of each site's ecosystem benefits can then be calculated and compared using estimated costs for each strategy. Estimates of optimal marsh-management strategies may then be produced, maximizing the "ecosystem benefits per estimated costs" ratio.

Data from: Divergence in strategies for coping with winter embolism among co-occurring temperate tree species: the role of positive xylem pressure, wood type and tree stature

1. In temperate ecosystems, freeze-thaw events are an important environmental stress that can induce severe xylem embolism (i.e. clogging of conduits by air bubbles) in overwintering organs of trees. However, no comparative studies of different adaptive strategies among sympatric tree species for coping with winter embolism have examined the potential role of the presence or absence of embolism refilling by positive xylem pressure. 2. We evaluated the degree of winter embolism and hydraulic architecture traits in 22 deciduous angiosperm tree species typical of temperate forest sites in NE China. Co-occurring trees growing in a local botanical garden were used to minimize variation caused by differences in proximal environmental conditions and to ensure that interspecific variation reflected genetic differences between species. 3. Four functional groups with potentially different strategies for coping with winter embolism were compared: positive xylem pressure generating species (PXP) that are all diffuse-porous, except a semi-ring-porous species, large (LDP) and small (SDP) statured diffuse-porous tree species that are unable to generate positive xylem pressure, and ring-porous species (RP). 4. The PXP group exhibited nearly full recovery from winter embolism in contrast to the other three groups, which showed persistent and relatively high degrees of hydraulic dysfunction during the subsequent growing season. The absence of a functional trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety against freeze-thaw induced embolism in the PXP group and the presence of a trade-off in the other three groups, suggests that the ability to generate root or stem pressure for embolism refilling may partially free some temperate tree species from adaptive constraints imposed by winter embolism formation. 5. Efficient winter embolism reversal by positive pressure in PXP species did not distinguish them from their non-xylem pressure-generating LDP counterparts in terms of various measures of xylem hydraulic efficiency during the growing season. Divergence in the ability to refill winter embolism through generation of positive xylem pressure implies a series of functional trade-offs that may partially explain the co-existence of these two types of temperate tree species.

Data from: Strategies of Phytophtora infestans adaptation to local UV radiation conditions

Expected global changes in environmental conditions underline the need for a better understanding of genetic variation in ecological traits and their strategies of adaptation to the stresses. In this study, evolutionary mechanisms and processes of UV adaptation in plant pathogens were investigated by combining statistical genetics, physiological assays and common garden experiment approaches in an assessment of the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, sampled from various geographic locations in China. We found spatial divergence caused by diversifying selection in UV tolerance among P. infestans populations. Local UV radiation was the driving force of selection as indicated by a positive correlation between UV tolerance in P. infestans populations and the altitude of collection sites. Plasticity accounted for 68% of population variation while heritability was negligible, suggesting temporary changes in gene expression and/or enzymatic activity plays a more important role than permanent modification of gene structure in the evolution of UV adaptation. This adaptation strategy may explain the lack of fitness penalty observed in genotypes with higher UV tolerance.

Data from: Neuromechanical coupling within the human triceps surae and its consequence on individual force sharing strategies

Little is known about the factors that influence the coordination of synergist muscles that act across the same joint, even during single-joint isometric tasks. The overall aim of this study was to determine the nature of the relationship between the distribution of activation and the distribution of force-generating capacity among the three heads of the triceps surae (soleus [SOL], gastrocnemius medialis [GM] and lateralis [GL]). Twenty volunteers performed isometric plantarflexions during which the activation of GM, GL and SOL was estimated using electromyography (EMG). Functional muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) was estimated using imaging techniques and was considered as an index of muscle-force generating capacity. The distribution of activation and PCSA among the three muscles varied greatly between participants. A significant positive correlation between the distribution of activation and the distribution of PCSA was observed when considering the two bi-articular muscles at intensities ≤50% of the maximal contraction (0.51

opencc-zeroOct 2012View details →

Data from: General models for the spectra of surface area scaling strategies of cells and organisms: fractality, geometric dissimilitude, and internalization

Surface areas and volumes of biological systems—from molecules to organelles, cells, and organisms—affect their biological rates and kinetics. Therefore, surface-area-to-volume ratios and the scaling of surface area with volume profoundly influences ecology, physiology, and evolution. The zeroth-order geometric expectation is that surface area scales with body mass or volume as a power law with an exponent of two-thirds, with consequences for surface-area-to-volume (SA:V) ratios and constraints on size; however, organisms have adaptations for altering the surface area scaling and SA:V ratios of their bodies and structures. The strategies fall into three groups: (i) fractal-like surface convolutions and crinkles; (ii) classic geometric dissimilitude through elongating, flattening, fattening, and hollowing; and (iii) internalization of surfaces. Here I develop general quantitative theory to model the spectra of effects of these strategies on SA:V ratios and surface area scaling, from exponents of less than two-thirds to superlinear scaling and mixed-power laws. Applying the theory to cells helps quantitatively evaluate the effects of membrane fractality, shape-shifting, vacuoles, vesicles, and mitochondria on surface area scaling, informing understanding of cell allometry, morphology, and evolution. Analysis of compiled data indicates that through hollowness and surface internalization eukaryotic phytoplankton increase their effective surface area scaling, attaining near-linear scaling in larger cells. This unifying theory highlights the fundamental role of biological surfaces in metabolism and morphological evolution.

Data from: Genomewide association analyses of fitness traits in captive-reared Chinook salmon: applications in evaluating conservation strategies

A novel application of genome-wide association analyses is to use trait-associated loci to monitor the effects of conservation strategies on potentially adaptive genetic variation. Comparisons of fitness between captive- and wild-origin individuals, for example, do not reveal how captive rearing affects genetic variation underlying fitness traits or which traits are most susceptible to domestication selection. Here, we used data collected across four generations to identify loci associated with six traits in adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and then determined how two alternative management approaches for captive rearing affected variation at these loci. Loci associated with date of return to freshwater spawning grounds (return timing), length and weight at return, age at maturity, spawn timing, and daily growth coefficient were identified using 9108 restriction site-associated markers and Random Forest, an approach suitable for polygenic traits. Mapping of trait-associated loci, gene annotations, and integration of results across multiple studies revealed candidate regions involved in several fitness-related traits. Genotypes at trait-associated loci were then compared between two hatchery populations that were derived from the same source but are now managed as separate lines, one integrated with and one segregated from the wild population. While no broad scale change was detected across four generations, there were numerous regions where trait-associated loci overlapped with signatures of adaptive divergence previously identified in the two lines. Many regions, primarily with loci linked to return and spawn timing, were either unique to, or more divergent in, the segregated line, suggesting that these traits may be responding to domestication selection. This study is one of the first to utilize genomic approaches to demonstrate the effectiveness of a conservation strategy, managed gene flow, on trait-associated – and potentially adaptive – loci. The results will promote the development of trait-specific tools to better monitor genetic change in captive and wild populations.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Local gamete competition explains sex allocation and fertilization strategies in the sea

Within and across taxa, there is much variation in the mode of fertilization, i.e. whether eggs and/or sperm are released or kept inside or on the surface of the parent's body. Although the evolutionary consequences of fertilization mode are far reaching, transitions in the fertilization mode itself have largely escaped theoretical attention. Here we develop the first evolutionary model of egg retention and release, which also considers transitions between hermaphroditism and dioecy as well as egg size evolution. We provide a unifying explanation for reported associations between small body size, hermaphroditism, and egg retention in marine invertebrates that have puzzled researchers for over three decades. Our model, by including sperm limitation, shows that all these patterns can arise as an evolutionary response to local competition between eggs for fertilization. This can provide a general explanation for three empirical patterns: Sperm casters tend to be smaller than related broadcast spawners, hermaphroditism is disproportionately common in sperm casters, and offspring of sperm casters are larger. Local gamete competition also explains a universal sexual asymmetry: females of some species retain their gametes while males release theirs, but the opposite ('egg casting') lacks evolutionary stability and is apparently not found in nature.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Development of sound localization strategies in children with bilateral cochlear implants

Localizing sounds in our environment is one of the fundamental perceptual abilities that enable humans to communicate, and to remain safe. Because the acoustic cues necessary for computing source locations consist of differences between the two ears in signal intensity and arrival time, sound localization is fairly poor when a single ear is available. In adults who become deaf and are fitted with cochlear implants (CIs) sound localization is known to improve when bilateral CIs (BiCIs) are used compared to when a single CI is used. The aim of the present study was to investigate the emergence of spatial hearing sensitivity in children who use BiCIs, with a particular focus on the development of behavioral localization patterns when stimuli are presented in free-field horizontal acoustic space. A new analysis was implemented to quantify patterns observed in children for mapping acoustic space to a spatially relevant perceptual representation. Children with normal hearing were found to distribute their responses in a manner that demonstrated high spatial sensitivity. In contrast, children with BiCIs tended to classify sound source locations to the left and right; with increased bilateral hearing experience, they developed a perceptual map of space that was better aligned with the acoustic space. The results indicate experience-dependent refinement of spatial hearing skills in children with CIs. Localization strategies appear to undergo transitions from sound source categorization strategies to more fine-grained location identification strategies. This may provide evidence for neural plasticity, with implications for training of spatial hearing ability in CI users.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Contest dynamics and assessment strategies in combatant monkey beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini)

Some of the most striking examples of intrasexual contest competition are to be found in the insects, whose weaponry and contest behaviours have become highly intricate and diverse. Game theory has been used as a basis to develop models of the competitive assessment strategies that may be used by males to either judge their probability of winning by comparing their own fighting ability to that of their opponents, or to persist in contests for a period determined only by their own fighting ability. Conclusions from empirical studies about the means of assessment in their study systems have not, however, always been clear. In view of this, some authors have suggested that utilizing a broad suite of data concerning multiple facets of the study system may assist in gaining clearer insights into animal contests and assessment strategies. The present study integrates data on contest behaviour, weapon morphology, residency effects, cost accumulation, and correlates of contest success, to test game theory-informed models of competitive assessment strategies in the sexually dimorphic monkey beetle Heterochelus chiragricus. We found that males of all sizes engaged aggressively in intrasexual contests for mating access to sedentary females, utilizing their hypertrophied hind legs as weapons. Contest outcome was determined by hind femur size and strongly influenced by residency effects. We found mixed support for both pure self-assessment and mutual assessment contest strategies. Such inconclusive findings are not uncommon in animal contest assessment studies, even when contest cost and RHP data are contextualized with behavioural and ecological data.

Data from: Evaluating internal model strength and performance of myoelectric prosthesis control strategies

Ongoing developments in myoelectric prosthesis control have provided prosthesis users with an assortment of control strategies that vary in reliability and performance. Many studies have focused on improving performance by providing feedback to the user, but have overlooked the effect of this feedback on internal model development, which is key to improving long-term performance. In this work, the strength of internal models developed for two commonly used myoelectric control strategies: raw control with raw feedback (using a regression-based approach), and filtered control with filtered feedback (using a classifier-based approach), were evaluated using two psychometric measures: trial-by-trial adaptation and just-noticeable-difference. The performance of both strategies was also evaluated using a Schmidt's style target acquisition task. Results obtained from 24 able-bodied subjects showed that although filtered control with filtered feedback had better short-term performance in path efficiency (p < 0.05), raw control with raw feedback resulted in stronger internal model development (p < 0.05), which may lead to better long-term performance. Despite inherent noise in the control signals of the regression controller, these findings suggest that rich feedback associated with regression control may be used to improve human understanding of the myoelectric control system.

Data from: Plant reproductive strategies vary under low and high pollinator densities

Long-term variation in the population density of honey bees (Apis mellifera) across landscapes has been shown to correlate with variation in the floral traits of plant populations in these landscapes, suggesting that variations in pollinator population density and foraging rates can drive floral trait evolution of their host plants. However, it remained to be determined whether this variation in plant traits is associated with adaptive variation in plant reproductive strategies under conditions of high and low pollinator densities. Here we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment to examine how this variation in floral traits, under conditions of either high and low pollinator density, impacted seed production in the Tibetan lotus (Saussurea nigrescens). In 2014 and 2015, we recorded the floral traits, pollinator visitation rates, and seed production of S. nigrescens populations grown in both home sites and foreign sites, where sites varied in honey bee population density. Our results demonstrated that the floral traits reflected those of their original population, regardless of their current location. However, seed production varied with both population origin and transplant site. Seed number was positively correlated with flower abundance in the pollinator-rich sites, but with nectar production in the pollinator-poor sites. Pollinator visitation rate was also positively correlated with flower number at pollinator-rich sites, and with nectar volume at pollinator-poor sites. Overall, the local genotype had higher seed production than nonlocal genotypes in home sites. However, when pollen is hand-supplemented, plants from pollinator-rich populations had higher seed production than plants from pollinator-poor populations, regardless of whether they were transplanted to pollinator-rich or -poor sites. These results suggest the plant genotypic differences primarily drive variation in pollinator attraction, and this ultimately drives variation in seed: ovule ratio. Thus, our results suggest that flowering plant species use different reproductive strategies to respond to high or low pollinator densities.

Data from: Optimal management strategy of insecticide resistance under various insect life histories: heterogeneous timing of selection and inter-patch dispersal

Although theoretical studies have shown that the mixture strategy, which uses multiple toxins simultaneously, can effectively delay the evolution of insecticide resistance, whether it is the optimal management under different insect life histories and insecticide types remains unknown. To test the robustness of the management strategy over the life histories, we developed a series of simulation models which cover almost all the diploid insect types and have the same basic structure describing pest population dynamics and resistance evolution with discrete time-steps. For each of two insecticidal toxins, one-locus two-allele autosomal inheritance of resistance was assumed. The simulations demonstrated the optimality of the mixture strategy either when insecticide efficacy was incomplete or when some part of the population disperses between patches before mating. The rotation strategy, which uses one insecticide on one pest generation and a different one on the next, did not differ from sequential usage in the time to resistance, except when dominance was low. It was the optimal strategy when insecticide efficacy was high and pre-mating selection and dispersal occur.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Can newts cope with the heat? Disparate thermoregulatory strategies of two sympatric species in water

Many ectotherms effectively reduce their exposure to low or high environmental temperatures using behavioral thermoregulation. In terrestrial ectotherms, thermoregulatory strategies range from accurate thermoregulation to thermoconformity according to the costs and limits of thermoregulation, while in aquatic taxa the quantification of behavioral thermoregulation have received limited attention. We examined thermoregulation in two sympatric newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris, exposed to elevated water temperatures under semi-natural conditions. According to a recent theory, we predicted that species for which elevated water temperatures pose a lower thermal quality habitat, would thermoregulate more effectively than species in thermally benign conditions. In the laboratory thermal gradient, L. vulgaris maintained higher body temperatures than I. alpestris. Semi-natural thermal conditions provided better thermal quality of habitat for L. vulgaris than for I. alpestris. Thermoregulatory indices indicated that I. alpestris actively thermoregulated its body temperature, whereas L. vulgaris remained passive to the thermal heterogeneity of aquatic environment. In the face of elevated water temperatures, sympatric newt species employed disparate thermoregulatory strategies according to the species-specific quality of the thermal habitat. Both strategies reduced newt exposure to suboptimal water temperatures with the same accuracy but with or without the costs of thermoregulation. The quantification of behavioral thermoregulation proves to be an important conceptual and methodological tool for thermal ecology studies not only in terrestrial but also in aquatic ectotherms.

Data from: Booming far: the long-range vocal strategy of a lekking bird

The pressures of selection acting on transmission of information by acoustic signals are particularly high in long-distance communication networks. Males of the North African houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) produce extremely low-frequency vocalizations called 'booms' as a component of their courtship displays. These displays are performed on sites separated by a distance of on average 550 m, constituting exploded leks. Here, we investigate the acoustic features of booms involved in species-specific identity. We first assessed the modifications of acoustic parameters during boom transmission at long range within the natural habitat of the species, finding that the frequency content of booms was reliably transmitted up to 600 m. Additionally, by testing males' behavioural responses to playbacks of modified signals, we found that the presence of the second harmonic and the frequency modulation are the key parameters for species identification, and also that a sequence of booms elicited stronger responses than a single boom. Thus, the coding-decoding process relies on redundant and propagation-resistant features, making the booms particularly well adapted for the long-range transmission of information between males. Moreover, by experimentally disentangling the presentation of visual and acoustic signals, we showed that during the booming phase of courtship, the two sensory modalities act in synergy. The acoustic component is dominant in the context of intra-sexual competition. While the visual component is not necessary to induce agonistic response, it acts as an amplifier and reduces the time of detection of the signaller. The utilization of these adaptive strategies allows houbara males to maximize the active space of vocalizations emitted in exploded leks.

Data from: Shifts in plant functional strategies over the course of wheat domestication

1. Human selection, changes in environmental conditions and management practices drove the phenotypic trajectory of crops during domestication. The characterization of the crop domestication syndrome lies mostly on reproductive characters. However, biophysical and ecophysiological constraints during vegetative growth are also at play and can strongly impact crop phenotypes. It has been argued that a broadened examination of crop phenotypes through a functional trait-based lens should improve our understanding of the domestication syndrome. 2. We used a collection of 39 genotypes representative of key steps during tetraploid wheat domestication, and grew them in a common garden experiment. We quantified the vegetative phenotype of each genotype through the measurements of 13 functional traits related to root, leaf and whole-plant dimensions. 3. In modern cultivars, compared to ancestral forms, leaf longevity was shorter while net photosynthetic rate, leaf production rate and nitrogen content were higher. Modern cultivars had a shallower root system and exhibited a larger proportion of fine roots, preferring to invest biomass above rather than below ground. We found ancestral forms to be integrated phenotypes characterized by coordination between above- and below-ground functioning. Conversely, in modern forms, human selection appeared to have broken this coordination and to have generated a new type of network of trait covariations. 4. Synthesis and applications. The examination of leaf, root, and whole-plant traits of wheat accessions indicated a strong shift in plant functional strategies over the course of domestication. Elite genotypes tended to better optimize resource-use acquisition strategies than ancestral ones. The characterization of the crop phenotype based on vegetative traits thus suggests a much more complete domestication syndrome. Our findings highlight the benefits of using a functional trait-based characterization of crop phenotypes to document the extent of domestication syndrome and to further advance the agroecological management of cereals.10-Oct-2017