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6,234 results for “phenotypes”
Data from: High levels of genetic structure and striking phenotypic variability in a sexually dimorphic suckermouth catfish from the African Highveld
Uncovering biological diversity to more accurately understand diversity patterns, and ultimately the processes driving diversification, is important not only from an evolutionary perspective but also a conservation perspective. This is particularly pertinent in Africa's rivers in which overall diversity, as well as how it arose, is poorly understood in comparison with lacustrine environments. Here we investigate population divergence in the sexually dimorphic suckermouth catfish species Chiloglanis anoterus (Crass, 1960) from the African Highveld, in which we observe striking variability in exaggerated male caudal fins across its range. As this trait is likely to be indirect evidence for sexual selection by female choice, a mechanism that has been shown to increase species diversity in different taxa, we used an integrated approach to test if current diversity in this species is underestimated. Results based on phylogenetic inference, population genetics and geometric morphometrics indicate that the recognized species C. anoterus represents five distinct lineages that may be considered confirmed candidate species. We suggest that diversification in these highland catfish has been facilitated through geographical isolation in upper river catchments, and that sexual selection through female choice has probably driven variation in male caudal fin morphology. In contrast to the relatively large range size of the currently recognized species (C. anoterus), our findings highlight highly restricted ranges of the lineages identified here, indicating that these highland habitats may harbour higher levels of endemic diversity than previously thought.
Data from: Selection towards different adaptive optima drove the early diversification of locomotor phenotypes in the radiation of Neotropical geophagine cichlids
Background: Simpson envisaged a conceptual model of adaptive radiation in which lineages diversify into "adaptive zones" within a broad adaptive landscape. However only a handful of studies have actually investigated the adaptive landscape and its implication for our interpretation of the underlying mechanisms of phenotypic evolution. In fishes the evolution of locomotor phenotypes may represent an important dimension of ecomorphological diversification during an adaptive radiation given its implications for feeding and habitat use. Neotropical geophagine cichlids represent a newly identified adaptive radiation and provide a useful system for studying patterns of locomotor diversification and the implications of selective constraints on phenotypic divergence in general. Results: We use multivariate ordination models of phenotypic evolution and posterior predictive approaches to investigate the adaptive landscape and test for evidence of early diversification of locomotor phenotypes in Geophagini. The evolution of locomotor phenotypes was characterized by divergent selection towards two distinct adaptive peaks and the early divergence of modern morphological disparity. Evolutionary models and posterior predictive approaches favoured constant-rate divergent selection over decreasing rates of phenotypic evolution as the underlying process driving the early divergence of locomotor phenotypes. Conclusions: The influence of multiple adaptive peaks on the divergence of locomotor attributes in Geophagini is compatible with the expectations of an ecologically-driven adaptive radiation. This study confirms that the diversification of locomotor morphology represents an important dimension of phenotypic evolution in the geophagine adaptive radiation. It also suggests that the commonly observed early burst of phenotypic evolution during adaptive radiations is best explained by a model that incorporates divergent selection deep in the phylogeny.
Data from: Consistency and variation in phenotypic selection exerted by a community of seed predators
Phenotypic selection that is sustained over time underlies both anagenesis and cladogenesis, but the conditions that lead to such selection and what causes variation in selection are not well known. We measured the selection exerted by three species of predispersal seed predators of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta latifolia) in the South Hills, Idaho and found that net selection on different cone and seed traits exerted by red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) and cone borer moths (Eucosma recissoriana) over 10 years of seed crops was similar to that measured in another mountain range. We also found that the strength of selection increased as seed predation increased, which provides a mechanism for the correlation between the escalation of seed defenses and the density of seed predators. Red crossbills consume the most seeds and selection they exert accounts for much of the selection experienced by lodgepole pine, providing additional support for a coevolutionary arms race between crossbills and lodgepole pine in the South Hills. The third seed predator, hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus), consumed less than one-sixth as many seeds as crossbills. Across the northern Rocky Mountains, woodpecker abundance and therefore selective impact appears limited by the elevated seed defenses of lodgepole pine.
Data from: Breeding success but not mate choice is phenotype- and context-dependent in a color polymorphic raptor
Morph-specific mate choice has been proposed as one of the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of variation in color polymorphic systems. Coloration usually covaries with other phenotypic traits affecting life history and thus is often used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we assess whether mating patterns, natal dispersal, and breeding output are phenotype-dependent in the color polymorphic Eleonora's falcon. We used a long-term dataset of 946 individually ringed adult falcons that included 109 individuals monitored from birth up to recruitment into the breeding population. Overall, patterns of mate choice with regard to coloration were neither assortative nor disassortative. Natal dispersal distance was greater in females but was not associated with coloration. Breeding success was both morph-dependent and context-dependent. Although clutch size was similar in differently colored pairs, differences arose in the number of chicks that fledge. In some years, dark males raised more offspring, regardless of female color morph. Differences in the breeding tactics between male morphs could be associated with intraspecific predation and may thus contribute to the observed differences in breeding output, especially when food availability is low. This suggests that mating patterns may interact with other factors and give rise to the observed higher breeding output of dark males only under certain environmental conditions.
Data from: Adult MTM1-related myopathy carriers: classification based on deep phenotyping
Objective To better characterize adult MTM1-related myopathy carriers and recommend a phenotypic classification. Methods This cohort study was performed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Participants were required to carry a confirmed MTM1 mutation and were recruited via the Congenital Muscle Disease International Registry (n=8), a traveling local clinic of the Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, NINDS, NIH and Cure CMD (n=1) and direct physician referral (n=1). Neuromuscular examinations, muscle MRI, dynamic breathing MRI, cardiac MRI, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and physical therapy assessments including the Motor Function Measure 32 (MFM-32) scale were performed. Results Phenotypic categories were proposed based on ambulatory status and muscle weakness. Carriers were categorized as severe (non-ambulatory; n=1); moderate (minimal independent ambulation/assisted ambulation; n=3); mild (independent ambulation but with evidence of muscle weakness; n=4) and non-manifesting (no evidence of muscle weakness; n=2). Weaker carriers exhibited a greater severity of respiratory insufficiency and abnormal signal on muscle imaging. Skeletal asymmetries were evident in both maninfesting and non-manifesting carriers. Skewed X chromosome inactivation did not explain phenotypic severity. Conclusion This work illustrates the phenotypic range of MTM1-related myopathy carriers in adulthood and recommends a phenotypic classification. This classification, defined by ambulatory status and muscle weakness, is supported by muscle MRI, PFT, and MFM-32 scale composite score findings, which may serve as markers of disease progression and outcome measures in future gene therapy or other clinical trials.
Data from: Diversification rates and phenotypic evolution in venomous snakes (Elapidae)
The relationship between rates of diversification and of body size change (a common proxy for phenotypic evolution) was investigated across Elapidae, the largest radiation of highly venomous snakes. Time-calibrated phylogenetic trees for 175 species of elapids (more than 50% of known taxa) were constructed using seven mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Analyses using these trees revealed no evidence for a link between speciation rates and changes in body size. Two clades (Hydrophis, Micrurus) show anomalously high rates of diversification within Elapidae, yet exhibit rates of body size evolution almost identical to the general elapid 'background' rate. Although correlations between speciation rates and rates of body size change exist in certain groups (e.g. ray-finned fishes, passerine birds), the two processes appear to be uncoupled in elapid snakes. There is also no detectable shift in diversification dynamics associated with the colonization of Australasia, which is surprising given that elapids appear to be the first clade of venomous snakes to reach the continent.
Data from: Evidence of the phenotypic expression of a lethal recessive allele under inbreeding in a wild population of conservation concern
Deleterious recessive alleles that are masked in outbred populations are predicted to be expressed in small, inbred populations, reducing both individual fitness and population viability. However, there are few definitive examples of phenotypic expression of lethal recessive alleles under inbreeding conditions in wild populations. Studies that demonstrate the action of such alleles, and infer their distribution and dynamics, are required to understand their potential impact on population viability and inform management responses. The Scottish population of red-billed choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), which currently totals <60 breeding pairs and is of major conservation concern, has recently been affected by lethal blindness in nestlings. We used family data to show that the pattern of occurrence of blindness within and across affected families that produced blind nestlings was exactly 0·25, matching that expected given a single-locus autosomal lethal recessive allele. Furthermore, the observed distribution of blind nestlings within affected families did not differ from that expected given Mendelian inheritance of such an allele. Relatedness estimates showed that individuals from affected families were not more closely related to each other than they were to individuals from unaffected families that did not produce blind nestlings. Blind individuals tended to be less heterozygous than non-blind individuals, as expected if blindness was caused by the expression of a recessive allele under inbreeding. However, there was no difference in the variance in heterozygosity estimates, suggesting that some blind individuals were relatively outbred. These results suggest carriers of the blindness allele may be widely distributed across contemporary families rather than restricted to a single family lineage, implying that the allele has persisted across multiple generations. Blindness occurred at low frequency (affecting 1·6% of observed nestlings since 1981). However, affected families had larger initial brood sizes than unaffected families. Such high fecundity of carriers of a lethal recessive allele might reflect overdominance, potentially reducing purging and increasing allele persistence probability. We thereby demonstrate the phenotypic expression of a lethal recessive allele in a wild population of conservation concern, and provide a general framework for inferring allele distribution and persistence and informing management responses.
Data from: Ancestral plasticity and allometry in threespine stickleback reveal phenotypes associated with derived, freshwater ecotypes
For over a century, evolutionary biologists have debated whether and how phenotypic plasticity impacts the processes of adaptation and diversification. The empirical tests required to resolve these issues have proven elusive, mainly because it requires documentation of ancestral reaction norms, a difficult prospect where many ancestors are either extinct or have evolved. The threespine stickleback radiation is not limited in this regard, making it an ideal system in which to address general questions regarding the role of plasticity in adaptive evolution. As retreating ice sheets have exposed new habitats, oceanic stickleback founded innumerable freshwater populations, many of which have evolved parallel adaptations to their new environments. Because the founding oceanic population is extant, we can directly evaluate whether specific patterns of ancestral phenotypic expression in the context of novel environments (plasticity), or over ontogeny, predisposed the repeated evolution of "benthic" and "limnetic" ecotypes in shallow and deep lakes, respectively. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that oceanic stickleback raised in a complex habitat and fed a macroinvertebrate diet expressed traits resembling derived, benthic fish. Alternatively, when reared in a simple environment on a diet of zooplankton, oceanic stickleback developed phenotypes resembling derived, limnetic fish. As fish in both treatments grew, their body depths increased allometrically, as did the size of their mouths, while their eyes became relatively smaller. Allometric trajectories were subtly but significantly impacted by rearing environment. Thus, both environmental and allometric influences on development, along with their interactive effects, produced variation in phenotypes consistent with derived benthic and limnetic fish, which may have predisposed the repeated genetic accommodation of this specific suite of traits. We also found significant shape differences between marine and anadromous stickleback, which has implications for evaluating the ancestral state of stickleback traits.
Data from: Shaping development through mechanical strain: the transcriptional basis of diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in a cichlid fish
Adaptive phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an organism to change its phenotype to match local environments, is increasingly recognized for its contribution to evolution. However, few empirical studies have explored the molecular basis of plastic traits. The East African cichlid fish Astatoreochromis alluaudi displays adaptive phenotypic plasticity in its pharyngeal jaw apparatus, a structure that is widely seen as an evolutionary key innovation that has contributed to the remarkable diversity of cichlid fishes. It has previously been shown that in response to different diets, the pharyngeal jaws change their size, shape and dentition: hard diets induce an adaptive robust molariform tooth phenotype with short jaws and strong internal bone structures, while soft diets induce a gracile papilliform tooth phenotype with elongated jaws and slender internal bone structures. To gain insight into the molecular underpinnings of these adaptations and enable future investigations of the role that phenotypic plasticity plays during the formation of adaptive radiations, the transcriptomes of the two divergent jaw phenotypes were examined. Our study identified a total of 187 genes whose expression differs in response to hard and soft diets, including immediate early genes, extracellular matrix genes and inflammatory factors. Transcriptome results are interpreted in light of expression of candidate genes—markers for tooth size and shape, bone cells and mechanically sensitive pathways. This study opens up new avenues of research at new levels of biological organization into the roles of phenotypic plasticity during speciation and radiation of cichlid fishes.
Data from: Male mate choice in the Trinidadian guppy is influenced by the phenotype of audience sexual rivals
In populations with male mate-choice copying, males may mitigate their risk of sexual competition by reducing their preference for a particular female in the presence of sexual rivals (audience). Because of the cost of missed mating opportunities from such an audience effect, males should reduce their mating preference to a greater extent in the presence of more sexually competitive rivals compared with less competitive ones. We tested this hypothesis using the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). We compared a focal male's baseline mating preference for either of 2 stimulus females, which differed in overall body size, in the absence of any sexual rival to his preference for the same females in the presence of a sexual rival using dichotomous-choice tests. Focal and audience males differed in body length and proportion of their body covered in orange and black pigmentation. In the presence of a larger rival, focal males exhibited a greater reduction in preference for their initially preferred female compared to focal males in the presence of a smaller rival, irrespective of whether the latter male was more or less ornamented than the focal. The strength of the initial mating preference of focal males and the magnitude of the audience effect were significantly positively correlated when the audience male was larger than the focal male. Male guppies are thus sensitive to the phenotype of nearby males and alter their preference for a particular mate to a greater extent in the presence of relatively larger eavesdropping males compared to smaller ones.
Data from: Plant defense phenotypes determine the consequences of volatile emission for individuals and neighbors
Plants are at the trophic base of terrestrial ecosystems, and the diversity of plant species in an ecosystem is a principle determinant of community structure. This may arise from diverse functional traits among species. In fact, genetic diversity within species can have similarly large effects. However, studies of intraspecific genetic diversity have used genotypes varying in several complex traits, obscuring the specific phenotypic variation responsible for community-level effects. Using lines of the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata genetically altered in specific well-characterized defense traits and planted into experimental populations in their native habitat, we investigated community-level effects of trait diversity in populations of otherwise isogenic plants. We conclude that the frequency of defense traits in a population can determine the outcomes of these traits for individuals. Furthermore, our results suggest that some ecosystem-level services afforded by genetically diverse plant populations could be recaptured in intensive monocultures engineered to be functionally diverse.
Data from: Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation for temperature tolerance in freshwater zooplankton
Many organisms have geographical distributions extending from the tropics to near polar regions or can experience up to 30°C temperature variation within the lifespan of an individual. Two forms of evolutionary adaptation to such wide ranges in ambient temperatures are frequently discussed: local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. The freshwater planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna, whose range extends from South Africa to near arctic sites, shows strong phenotypic and genotypic variation in response to temperature. In this study, we use D. magna clones from 22 populations (one clone per population) ranging from latitude 0° (Kenya) to 66° North (White Sea) to explore the contributions of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation to high temperature tolerance. Temperature tolerance was studied as knockout time (time until immobilization, Timm) at 37°C in clones acclimatized to either 20°C or 28°C. Acclimatization to 28°C strongly increased Timm, testifying to adaptive phenotypic plasticity. At the same time, Timm significantly correlated with average high temperature at the clones' sites of origin, suggesting local adaptation. As earlier studies have found that haemoglobin expression contributes to temperature tolerance, we also quantified haemoglobin concentration in experimental animals and found that both acclimatization temperature (AccT) and temperature at the site of origin are positively correlated with haemoglobin concentration. Furthermore, Daphnia from warmer climates upregulate haemoglobin much more strongly in response to AccT, suggesting local adaptation for plasticity in haemoglobin expression. Our results show that both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity contribute to temperature tolerance, and elucidate a possible role of haemoglobin in mediating these effects that differs along a cold–warm gradient.
Data from: Genomic and phenotypic architecture of a spruce hybrid zone (Picea sitchensis x P. glauca)
Interspecific hybridization may enhance the capacity of populations to adapt to changing environments, and has practical implications for reforestation. We use genomewide estimates of admixture and phenotypic traits for trees in a common garden to examine the extent and direction of gene flow across a Picea hybrid zone, testing assumptions of the bounded hybrid superiority and tension zone models of hybrid zone maintenance. Seeds were collected from the ecological transition zone spanning from maritime to continental climates across the Picea sitchensis-P. glauca contact zone, and 721 trees were planted in a common garden experiment within the hybrid zone. Individuals were genotyped using a panel of 384 candidate-gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) putatively associated with adaptive traits in Picea, and phenotyped at age ten for height and autumn cold hardiness. Low interspecific heterozygosity in hybrids indicated intrinsic reproductive barriers were too weak to prevent widespread recombination, although introgression appeared asymmetric with P. sitchensis dominating the zone. While marker-based hybrid index was strongly correlated with climate and geography, phenotypic traits exhibited weak or no significant clines. Our results indicated that exogenous selection appeared to play a strong role in the distribution and structure of this hybrid zone, indicative of an environmentally determined bounded hybrid superiority model of hybrid zone maintenance, although endogenous mechanisms could not be ruled out. This study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying adaptation across ecologically transitional hybrid zones that will ultimately provide an additional tool in managing these economically important tree species.
Data from: Phenotypic divergence of the common toad (Bufo bufo) along an altitudinal gradient: evidence for local adaptation
Variation in the environment can induce different patterns of genetic and phenotypic differentiation among populations. Both neutral processes and selection can influence phenotypic differentiation. Altitudinal phenotypic variation is of particular interest in disentangling the interplay between neutral processes and selection in the dynamics of local adaptation processes but remains little explored. We conducted a common garden experiment to study the phenotypic divergence in larval life-history traits among nine populations of the common toad (Bufo bufo) along an altitudinal gradient in France. We further used correlation among population pairwise estimates of quantitative trait (QST) and neutral genetic divergence (FST from neutral microsatellite markers), as well as altitudinal difference, to estimate the relative role of divergent selection and neutral genetic processes in phenotypic divergence. We provided evidence for a neutral genetic differentiation resulting from both isolation by distance and difference in altitude. We found evidence for phenotypic divergence along the altitudinal gradient (faster development, lower growth rate and smaller metamorphic size). The correlation between pairwise QSTs–FSTs and altitude differences suggested that this phenotypic differentiation was most likely driven by altitude-mediated selection rather than by neutral genetic processes. Moreover, we found different divergence patterns for larval traits, suggesting that different selective agents may act on these traits and/or selection on one trait may constrain the evolution on another through genetic correlation. Our study highlighted the need to design more integrative studies on the common toad to unravel the underlying processes of phenotypic divergence and its selective agents in the context of environmental clines.
Data from: Evolutionary design of a flexible, seasonally migratory, avian phenotype: why trade gizzard mass against pectoral muscle mass?
Migratory birds undergo impressive body remodelling over the course of an annual cycle. Prior to long-distance flights, red knots (Calidris canutus islandica) reduce gizzard mass while increasing body mass and pectoral muscle mass. Although body mass and pectoral muscle mass are functionally linked via their joint effects on flight performance, gizzard and pectoral muscle mass are thought to be independently regulated. Current hypotheses for observed negative within-individual covariation between gizzard and pectoral muscle mass in free-living knots are based on a common factor (e.g., migration) simultaneously affecting both traits, and/or protein limitation forcing allocation decisions. We used diet manipulations to generate within-individual variation in gizzard mass and test for independence between gizzard and pectoral muscle mass within-individuals outside the period of migration and under conditions of high protein availability. Contrary to our prediction, we observed a negative within-individual covariation between gizzard and pectoral muscle mass. We discuss this result as a potential outcome of an evolved mechanism underlying body remodelling associated with migration. Although our proposed mechanism requires empirical testing, this study echoes earlier calls for greater integration of studies of function and mechanism, and in particular, the need for more explicit consideration of the evolution of mechanisms underlying phenotypic design.
Data from: Salinity-induced phenotypic plasticity in threespine stickleback sperm activation
Phenotypic expression may be and often is influenced by an organism's developmental environment, referred to as phenotypic plasticity. The sperm cells of teleosts have been found to be inactive in the seminal plasma and are activated by osmotic shock for most fish species, through release in either hypertonic (for marine fish) or hypotonic (for freshwater fish) water. If this is the case, the regulatory system of sperm mobility should be reversed in salt and freshwater fish. We tested this hypothesis by first activating sperm of saltwater and freshwater populations of threespine stickleback in salt- and fresh water. The sperm from saltwater stickleback could be activated in either salinity, which matches the freshwater colonization history of the species, whereas the sperm from the freshwater population acted as predicted by the osmotic shock theory and was activated in freshwater only. As the freshwater population used here was calculated to be thousands of years old, we went on to test whether the trait(s) were plastic and sperm from freshwater males still could be activated in saltwater after individuals were exposed to saltwater. After raising freshwater stickleback in saltwater we found the mature males to have active sperm in both salt and freshwater. Further, we also found the sperm of wild-caught freshwater stickleback to be active in saltwater after exposing those mature males to saltwater for only two days. This illustrates that the ability for stickleback sperm to be activated in a range of water qualities is an environmentally induced plastic trait.
Data from: Spatially heterogeneous selection in nature favors phenotypic plasticity in anuran larvae
Theory holds that adaptive phenotypic plasticity evolves under spatial or temporal variation in natural selection. I tested this prediction in a classic system of predator-induced plasticity: frog tadpoles (Rana temporaria) reacting to predaceous aquatic insects. An outdoor mesocosm experiment manipulating exposure to Aeshna dragonfly larvae revealed plasticity in most characters: growth, development, behavior, and external morphology. I measured selection by placing 1927 tadpoles into enclosures within natural ponds; photographs permitted identification of the survivors 6–9 days later. Fitness was defined as a linear combination of growth, development, and survival that correlates with survival to age 2 in another anuran species. In enclosures with many predators, selection favored character values similar to those induced by exposure to Aeshna in mesocosms. The shift in selection along the predation gradient was strongest for characters that exhibited high predator-induced plasticity. A field survey of 50 ponds revealed that predator density changes over a spatial scale relevant for movement of individual adults and larvae: 17% of variation in predation risk was among ponds separated by tens to thousands of meters and 81% was among sites ≤10m apart within ponds. These results on heterogeneity in the selection regime confirm a key tenant of the standard model for the evolution of plasticity.
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: Molecular phenotyping of maternally mediated parallel adaptive divergence within Rana arvalis and Rana temporaria
When similar selection acts on the same traits in multiple species or populations, parallel evolution can result in similar phenotypic changes, yet the underlying molecular architecture of parallel phenotypic divergence can be variable. Maternal effects can influence evolution at ecological timescales and facilitate local adaptation, but their contribution to parallel adaptive divergence is unclear. In this study, we (i) tested for variation in embryonic acid tolerance in a common garden experiment and (ii) used molecular phenotyping of egg coats to investigate the molecular basis of maternally mediated parallel adaptive divergence in two amphibian species (Rana arvalis and Rana temporaria). Our results on three R. arvalis and two R. temporaria populations show that adaptive divergence in embryonic acid tolerance is mediated via maternally derived egg coats in both species. We find extensive polymorphism in egg jelly coat glycoproteins within both species and that acid-tolerant clutches have more negatively charged egg jelly – indicating that the glycosylation status of the jelly coat proteins is under divergent selection in acidified environments, likely due to its impact on jelly water balance. Overall, these data provide evidence for parallel mechanisms of adaptive divergence in two species. Our study highlights the importance of studying intraspecific molecular variation in egg coats and, specifically, their glycoproteins, to increase understanding of underlying forces maintaining variation in jelly coats.
Data from: Genetic and phenotypic divergence between low- and high-altitude populations of two recently diverged cinnamon teal subspecies
Spatial variation in the environment can lead to divergent selection between populations occupying different parts of a species' range, and ultimately lead to population divergence. The colonization of new areas can thus facilitate divergence in beneficial traits, yet with little differentiation at neutral genetic markers. We investigated genetic and phenotypic patterns of divergence between low- and high-altitude populations of cinnamon teal inhabiting normoxic and hypoxic regions in the Andes and adjacent lowlands of South America. Cinnamon Teal showed strong divergence in body size (PC1; PST = 0.56) and exhibited significant frequency differences in a single non-synonymous α-hemoglobin amino acid polymorphism (Asn/Ser-α9; FST = 0.60) between environmental extremes, despite considerable admixture of mtDNA and intron loci (FST = 0.004–0.168). Inferences of strong population segregation were further supported by the observation of few mismatched individuals in either environmental extreme. Coalescent analyses indicated that the highlands were most likely colonized from lowland regions but following divergence, gene flow has been asymmetric from the highlands into the lowlands. Multiple selection pressures associated with high altitude habitats, including cold and hypoxia, have likely shaped morphological and genetic divergence within South American cinnamon teal populations.
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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.