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2,291 results for “life history”
Data from: The influence of life-history strategy on genetic differentiation and lineage divergence in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae)
Recent studies determined that darters with specialized breeding strategies can exhibit deep lineage divergence over fine geographic scales without apparent physical barriers to gene flow. However, the extent to which intrinsic characteristics interact with extrinsic factors to influence population divergence and lineage diversification in darters is not well understood. This study employed comparative phylogeographic and population genetic methods to investigate the influence of life-history on gene flow, dispersal ability, and lineage divergence in two sympatric sister darters with differing breeding strategies. Our results revealed highly disparate phylogeographic histories, patterns of genetic structure, and dispersal abilities between the two species suggesting that life-history may contribute to lineage diversification in darters, especially by limiting dispersal among large river courses. Both species also showed striking differences in demographic history, indicating that extrinsic factors differentially affected each species during the Pleistocene. Collectively, our results indicate that intrinsic and extrinsic factors have influenced levels of gene flow among populations within both species examined. However, we suggest that life-history strategy may play a more important role in lineage diversification in darters than previously appreciated, a finding that has potentially important implications for understanding diversification of the rich North American freshwater fish fauna.
Data from: Pathogen life-history trade-offs revealed in allopatry
Trade-offs in life-history traits is a central tenet in evolutionary biology, yet their ubiquity and relevance to realized fitness in natural populations remains questioned. Trade-offs in pathogens are of particular interest because they may constrain the evolution and epidemiology of diseases. Here, we studied life-history traits determining transmission in the obligate fungal pathogen, Podosphaera plantaginis, infecting Plantago lanceolata. We find that while traits are positively associated on sympatric host genotypes, on allopatric host genotypes relationships between infectivity and subsequent transmission traits change shape, becoming even negative. The epidemiological prediction of this change in life-history relationships in allopatry is lower disease prevalence in newly established pathogen populations. An analysis of the natural pathogen metapopulation confirms that disease prevalence is lower in newly established pathogen populations and they are more prone to go extinct during winter than older pathogen populations. Hence, life-history trade-offs mediated by pathogen local adaptation may influence epidemiological dynamics at both population and metapopulation levels.
Data from: Postglacial colonization routes coincide with a life history breakpoint along a latitudinal gradient
While adaptive divergence along environmental gradients has repeatedly been demonstrated, the role of postglacial colonization routes in determining phenotypic variation along gradients has received little attention. Here we used a hierarchical QST-FST approach to separate the roles of adaptive and neutral processes in shaping phenotypic variation in moor frog (Rana arvalis) larval life-histories along a 1700 km latitudinal gradient across northern Europe. This species has colonized Scandinavia via two routes with a contact zone in northern Sweden. By using neutral SNP and common garden phenotypic data from 13 populations at two temperatures, we showed that most of the variation along the gradient occurred between the two colonizing lineages. We found little phenotypic divergence within the lineages, however, all phenotypic traits were strongly diverged between the southern and northern colonization routes, with higher growth and development rates and larger body size in the north. The QST estimates between the colonization routes were four times higher than FST, indicating a prominent role for natural selection. QST within the colonization routes did not generally differ from FST, but we found temperature-dependent adaptive divergence close to the contact zone. These results indicate that lineage-specific variation can account for much of the adaptive divergence along a latitudinal gradient.
Data from: Sexual dimorphism explains residual variance around the survival-reproduction tradeoff in lizards: implications for sexual conflict over life-history evolution
The tradeoff between survival and reproduction is a central feature of life-history variation, but few studies have sought to explain why females of some species exhibit relatively lower survival than expected for a given level of reproductive effort. Intralocus sexual conflict theory proposes that sex differences in selection on survival and reproductive effort may, by virtue of shared genes underlying these components of fitness, prevent females from optimizing this life-history tradeoff. To test this hypothesis, we used a phylogenetically based comparative analysis of published estimates for mean annual survival and reproductive effort from females of 82 lizard species to (1) characterize the tradeoff between survival and reproduction, and (2) test whether variation around this tradeoff is explained by sexual size dimorphism (SSD), a potential proxy for sexual conflict over life-history traits. Across species, we found a strong negative correlation between mean annual survival and reproductive effort, confirming this classic life-history tradeoff. Although residual variance around this tradeoff is unrelated to the absolute magnitude of SSD, it is strongly related to the direction of SSD. Specifically, we found that females have lower survival than expected for a given level of reproductive effort in female-larger species, whereas they have higher survival than expected in male-larger species. Given that female-larger SSD is thought to reflect selection for increased fecundity, our results suggest that intralocus sexual conflict may be particularly likely to constrain female life-history evolution in situations where increased reproductive effort is favored, but the phenotypes that facilitate this increase (e.g., body size) are constrained by antagonistic selection on males.
Data from: Temporal genetic stability and high effective population size despite fisheries-induced life-history trait evolution in the North Sea sole.
Heavy fishing and other anthropogenic influences can have profound impact on a species' resilience to harvesting. Besides the decrease of the census and effective population size, strong declines in mature adults and recruiting individuals may lead to almost irreversible genetic changes in life-history traits. Here, we investigated the evolution of genetic diversity and effective population size in the heavily exploited sole (Solea solea), through the analysis of historical DNA from a collection of 1379 sole (Solea solea) otoliths dating back from 1957. Despite documented shifts in life-history traits, neutral genetic diversity inferred from 11 microsatellite markers showed a remarkable stability over a period of 50 years of heavy fishing. Using simulations and corrections for fisheries induced demographic variation, both point and temporal estimates of effective population size (Ne) were always higher than 1000, suggesting that despite the severe census size decrease over a 50 year period of harvesting, genetic drift is probably not strong enough to significantly decrease the neutral diversity of this species in the North Sea. However the ratio of effective population size to the census size (Ne/Nc) was very small (10-5), suggesting that overall only few adults contribute to the next generation. The high Ne level together with the low Ne/Nc ratio is most likely caused by a combination of an equalized reproductive output of younger cohorts, a decrease in generation time and a large variance in reproductive success typical for marine species. Because strong evolutionary changes in age and size at first maturation have been observed for sole, changes in adaptive genetic variation should be further monitored to detect the evolutionary consequences of human-induced selection.
Data from: Coevolutionary feedbacks between family interactions and life history
Families with parental care show a parent–offspring conflict over the amount of parental investment. To date, the resolution of this conflict was modeled as being driven by either purely within-brood or between-brood competition. In reality the partitioning of parental resources within- versus between-broods is an evolving life history trait, which can be affected by parent–offspring interactions. This coevolutionary feedback between life history and family interactions may influence the evolutionary process and outcome of parent–offspring coadaptation. We used a genetic framework for a simulation model where we allowed parental parity to coevolve with traits that determine parental investment. The model included unlinked loci for clutch size, parental sensitivity, baseline provisioning, and offspring begging. The simulation showed that tight coadaptation of parent and offspring traits only occurred in iteroparous outcomes whereas semelparous outcomes were characterized by weak coadaptation. When genetic variation in clutch size was unrestricted in the ancestral population, semelparity and maximal begging with poor coadaptation evolved throughout. Conversely, when genetic variation was limited to iteroparous conditions, and/or when parental sensitivity was treated as an evolutionarily fixed sensory bias, coadapted outcomes were more likely. Our findings show the influence of a feedback between parity, coadaptation, and conflict on the evolution of parent–offspring interactions.
Data from: Colony and individual life-history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator
1. Pollinating insects are of major ecological and commercial importance, yet they may be facing ecological disruption from a changing climate. Despite this threat, few studies have investigated the life-history responses of pollinators to experimentally controlled changes in temperature, which should be especially informative for species with complex life histories such as eusocial insects. 2. This study uses the key pollinator Bombus terrestris, a eusocial bumblebee with an annual colony cycle, to determine how temperature affects life-history traits at both individual and colony levels. 3. In two laboratory experiments, we reared B. terrestris colonies at either 20 or 25 °C, and measured differences in a set of life-history traits including colony longevity, queen longevity, worker longevity, production of workers, production of sexuals (queen and male production) and growth schedule, as well as effects on thermoregulatory behaviours. 4. Higher rearing temperature had a significant positive effect on colony longevity in one of the two experiments but no significant effects on queen or worker longevity. Higher rearing temperature significantly increased colony size but did not affect the timing of peak colony size. It was also associated with significantly higher queen production but had no effect on the production of workers or males or the timing of male production. Higher temperature colonies exhibited significantly more wing fanning by workers and significantly less wax canopy construction. Hence, an increase in rearing temperature of a few degrees increased colony longevity, colony size and queen production. However, individual longevity was not affected and so may have been buffered by changes in costly thermoregulatory behaviours. 5. We conclude that eusocial insects may show complex phenotypic responses to projected temperature increases under climate change, including effects on productivity and reproduction at the colony level. Such effects should be considered when predicting the impact of climate change on the provision of essential pollination services.
Data from: The extent and genetic basis of phenotypic divergence in life history traits in Mimulus guttatus
Differential natural selection acting on populations in contrasting environments often results in adaptive divergence in multivariate phenotypes. Multivariate trait divergence across populations could be caused by selection on pleiotropic alleles or through many independent loci with trait-specific effects. Here, we assess patterns of association between a suite of traits contributing to life history divergence in the common monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, and examine the genetic architecture underlying these correlations. A common garden survey of 74 populations representing annual and perennial strategies from across the native range revealed strong correlations between vegetative and reproductive traits. To determine whether these multitrait patterns arise from pleiotropic or independent loci, we mapped QTLs using an approach combining high-throughput sequencing with bulk segregant analysis on a cross between populations with divergent life histories. We find extensive pleiotropy for QTLs related to flowering time and stolon production, a key feature of the perennial strategy. Candidate genes related to axillary meristem development co-localize with the QTLs in a manner consistent with either pleiotropic or independent QTL effects. Further, these results are analogous to previous work showing pleiotropy-mediated genetic correlations within a single population of M. guttatus experiencing heterogeneous selection. Our findings of strong multivariate trait associations and pleiotropic QTLs suggest that patterns of genetic variation may determine the trajectory of adaptive divergence.
Genomic data reveal similar genetic differentiation in aquifer species with different dispersal capabilities and life histories
<p>Little is known about the life histories, genetic structure, and population connectivity of shallow groundwater organisms. We used next-generation sequencing (RAD-seq) to analyze population genomic structure in two aquifer species: <i>Paraperla frontalis</i> (Banks, 1902), a stonefly with groundwater larvae and aerial (winged) adults, and <i>Stygobromus</i> sp., a groundwater-obligate amphipod. We found similar genetic differentiation in each species between floodplains separated by ~70 river km in the Flathead River basin of NW Montana, USA. Given that <i>Stygobromus</i> lacks the aboveground life stage of <i>P. frontalis</i>, our findings suggest that connectivity and magnitude of genetic structure cannot be definitively assumed from life history differences.</p>
Data from: Life-history evolution and density-dependent growth in experimental populations of yeast
We studied the evolution of the correlation between growth rate r and yield K in experimental lineages of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, we isolated a single clone every ~250 generations from each of eight populations selected in a glucose-limited medium for 5000 generations at ~6.6 population doublings per day (20 clones per line × 8 lines) and measured its growth rate and yield in a new, galactose-limited medium (with ~1.3 doubling per day). For most lines, r on galactose increased throughout the 5000 generations of selection on glucose while K on galactose declined. Next, we selected these 160 glucose-adapted clones in the galactose environment for ~120 generations and measured changes in r and K in galactose. In general, growth rate increased and yield declined, and clones that initially grew slowly on galactose improved more than did faster clones. We found a negative correlation between r and K among clones both within each line and across all clones. We provide evidence that this relationship is not heritable and is a negative environmental correlation rather than a genetic trade-off.
Data from: Mesocosm experiments reveal the impact of mosquito control measures on malaria vector life history and population dynamics
The impact of control measures on mosquito vector fitness and demography is usually estimated from bioassays or indirect variables in the field. Whilst indicative, neither approach is sufficient to quantify the potentially complex response of mosquito populations to combined interventions. Here, large replicated mesocosms were used to measure the population-level response of the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis to long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) when used in isolation, or combined with insecticidal eave louvers (EL), or treatment of cattle with the endectocide Ivermectin (IM). State-space models (SSM) were fit to these experimental data, revealing that LLIN introduction reduced adult mosquito survival by 91% but allowed population persistence. ELs provided no additional benefit, but IM reduced mosquito fecundity by 59% and nearly eliminated all populations when combined with LLINs. This highlights the value of IM for integrated vector control, and mesocosm population experiments combined with SSM for identifying optimal combinations for vector population elimination.
Data from: Nematode parasite diversity in birds: the role of host ecology, life history and migration
Previous studies have found that migratory birds generally have a more diverse array of pathogens such as parasites, as well as higher intensities of infection. However, it is not clear whether this is driven by the metabolic and physiological demands of migration, differential selection on host life-history traits or basic ecological differences between migratory and non-migratory species. Parasitic helminths can cause significant pathology in their hosts, and many are trophically transmitted such that host diet and habitat use play key roles in the acquisition of infections. Given the concurrent changes in avian habitats and migratory behaviour, it is critical to understand the degree to which host ecology influences their parasite communities. We examined nematode parasite diversity in 153 species of Anseriformes (water birds) and Accipitriformes (predatory birds) in relation to their migratory behaviour, diet, habitat use, geographic distribution and life history using previously published data. Overall, migrators, host species with wide geographic distributions and those utilizing multiple aquatic habitats had greater nematode richness (number of species), and birds with large clutches harboured more diverse nematode fauna with respect to number of superfamilies. Separate analyses for each host order found similar results related to distribution, habitat use and migration; however, herbivorous water birds played host to a less diverse nematode community compared to those that consume some animals. Birds using multiple aquatic habitats have a more diverse nematode fauna relative to primarily terrestrial species, likely because there is greater opportunity for contact with parasite infectious stages and/or consumption of infected hosts. As such, omnivorous and carnivorous birds using aquatic habitats may be more affected by environmental changes that alter their diet and range. Even though there were no overall differences in their ecology and life history compared with non-migrators, migratory bird species still harboured a more diverse array of nematodes, suggesting that this behaviour places unique demands on these hosts and warrants further study.
Data from: Functional traits explain variation in plant life history strategies
Ecologists seek general explanations for the dramatic variation in species abundances in space and time. An increasingly popular solution is to predict species distributions, dynamics and responses to environmental change based on easily measured anatomical and morphological traits. Trait-based approaches assume that simple functional traits influence fitness and life history evolution, but rigorous tests of this assumption are lacking because they require quantitative information about the full life-cycles of many species representing different life histories. Here we link a global traits database with empirical matrix population models for 222 species and report strong relationships between functional traits and plant life histories. Species with large seeds, long-lived leaves, or dense wood have slow life histories, with mean fitness (i.e. population growth rates) more strongly influenced by survival than by growth or fecundity, compared to fast life history species with small seeds, short-lived leaves, or soft wood. In contrast to measures of demographic contributions to fitness based on whole life-cycles, analyses focused on raw demographic rates may underestimate the strength of association between traits and mean fitness. Our results help establish the physiological basis for plant life history evolution and show the potential for trait-based approaches in population dynamics.
Data from: Correlative changes in life history variables in response to environmental change in a model organism
Global change alters the environment, including increases in the frequency of (un)favorable events and shifts in environmental noise color. However, how these changes impact the dynamics of populations, and whether these can be predicted accurately has been largely unexamined. Here we combine recently developed population modeling approaches and theory in stochastic demography to explore how life history, morphology, and average fitness respond to changes in the frequency of favorable environmental conditions and in the color of environmental noise in a model organism (an acarid mite). We predict that different life-history variables respond correlatively to changes in the environment, and we identify different life-history variables, including lifetime reproductive success, as indicators of average fitness and life-history speed across stochastic environments. Depending on the shape of adult survival rate, generation time can be used as an indicator of the response of populations to stochastic change, as in the deterministic case. This work is a useful step toward understanding population dynamics in stochastic environments, including how stochastic change may shape the evolution of life histories.
Data from: Effects of inbreeding and temperature stress on life history and immune function in a butterfly
Theory predicts that inbreeding depression should be more pronounced under environmental stress due to an increase in the expression of recessive deleterious alleles. If so, inbred populations may be especially vulnerable to environmental change. Against this background we here investigate effects of inbreeding, temperature stress and its interactions with inbreeding in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We use a full-factorial design with three levels of inbreeding (F = 0 / 0.25 / 0.38) and three temperature treatments (2 h exposure to 1, 27 or 39°C). Despite using relatively low levels of inbreeding significant inbreeding depression was found in pupal mass, pupal time, thorax mass, abdomen fat content, egg hatching success, and fecundity. However, stress resistance traits (heat tolerance, immune function) were not affected by inbreeding and interactions with temperature treatments were virtually absent. We thus found no support for an increased sensitivity of inbred individuals to environmental stress, and suspect that such patterns are restricted to harsher conditions. Our temperature treatments evidently imposed stress, significantly reducing longevity, fecundity, egg hatching success, and haemocyte numbers, while fat content, protein content, and lysozyme activity remained unaffected. Males and females differed in all traits measured except pupal time and phenoloxidase activity. Correlation analyses revealed, amongst others, a trade-off between phenoloxidase and lysozyme activity, and negative correlations between fat content and several other traits. We stress that more data are needed on the effects of inbreeding, temperature variation, and sexual differences on insect immune function before more general conclusions can be drawn.
Data from: Towards a general perspective on life-history evolution and diversification in parasitoid wasps
In attempting to explain the marked interspecific variation evident in many components of life-history in parasitoid wasps, biologists have sought to identify general predictors of suites of 'important' life-history traits. Two predictors currently in general use are: (1) the parasitoid mode of larval development in relation to future host growth and development [no further host growth and development (= idiobiosis) versus continued host growth and development (= koinobiosis)]; and (2) the ovigeny index (the degree to which the lifetime potential complement of eggs is mature at the start of adult life in females). These have been postulated to share several life-history correlates, and an earlier comparative analysis showed the predictors to be associated. Two questions are thus posed: which life-history variables are actually common to both idio/koinobiosis and the ovigeny index, and which are responsible for the link between these two axes of life-history diversity? Through comparative analyses of a database of life-history traits for 133 parasitoid wasp species, four life-history correlates out of the 11 we investigated are shown to account for the association between the two predictors: the relative level of resource investment per egg (degree of yolk richness, which is lower in koinobionts), pre-adult lifespan (longer in koinobionts), female lifespan (shorter in koinobionts), and maximum egg load (larger in koinobionts). Our findings pave the way for full integration of the dichotomous hypothesis with the ovigeny index hypothesis, to provide a holistic perspective on parasitoid wasp life-history diversity and evolution.
Data from: Longevity and life history coevolve with oxidative stress in birds
1. The mechanisms that underpin the evolution of ageing and life histories remain elusive. Oxidative stress, which results in accumulated cellular damages, is one of the mechanisms suggested to play a role. 2. In this paper we set out to test the 'oxidative stress theory of ageing' and the 'oxidative stress hypothesis of life histories' using a comprehensive phylogenetic comparison based on an unprecedented dataset of oxidative physiology in 88 free-living bird species. 3. We show for the first time that bird species with longer lifespan have higher non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity and suffer less oxidative damage to their lipids. We also found that bird species featuring a faster pace-of-life either feature lower non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity or are exposed to higher levels of oxidative damage, while adult annual mortality does not relate to oxidative state. 4. These results reinforce the role of oxidative stress in the evolution of lifespan and also corroborate the role of oxidative state in the evolution of life histories among free-living birds.
Data from: Selection on learning performance results in the correlated evolution of sexual dimorphism in life history
The evolution of learning can be constrained by trade-offs. As male and female life-histories often diverge, the relationship between learning and fitness may differ between the sexes. However, because sexes share much of their genome, intersexual genetic correlations can prevent males and females from reaching their sex-specific optima resulting in intralocus sexual conflict (IaSC). To investigate if IaSC constraints sex-specific evolution of learning we selected Caenorhabditis remanei nematode females for increased or decreased olfactory learning performance and measured learning, lifespan (in mated and virgin worms), reproduction and locomotory activity in both sexes. Males from downward-selected female lines had higher locomotory activity and longer virgin lifespan but sired fewer progeny than males from upward-selected female lines. In contrast, we found no effect of selection on female reproduction and downward-selected females showed higher locomotory activity but lived shorter as virgins than upward-selected females. Strikingly, selection on learning performance led to the reversal of sexual dimorphism in virgin lifespan. We thus show sex-specific trade-offs between learning, reproduction and lifespan. Our results support the hypothesis that selection on learning performance can shape the evolution of sexually dimorphic life-histories via sex-specific genetic correlations.
Data from: Offspring provisioning explains clone specific maternal age effects on life history and lifespan in the water flea, Daphnia pulex
Genetic inheritance underpins evolutionary theories of aging, but the role that nongenetic inheritance plays is unclear. Parental age reduces the life span of offspring in a diverse array of taxa but has not been explained from an evolutionary perspective. We quantified the effect that maternal age had on the growth and maturation decisions, life history, rates of senescence, and life span of offspring from three Daphnia pulex clones collected from different populations. We then used those data to test general hypotheses proposed to explain maternal age effects on offspring life span. Three generations of breeding from young or old mothers produced dramatic differences in the life histories of fourth-generation offspring, including significant reductions in life span. The magnitude of the effect differed between clones, which suggests that genetic and nongenetic factors ultimately underpin trait inheritance and shape patterns of aging. Older parents did not transmit a senescent state to their offspring. Instead, offspring from older ancestors had increased early-life reproductive effort, which resulted in an earlier onset of reproductive senescence, and an increased rate of actuarial senescence, which shortened their life span. Our results provide a clear example of the need to consider multiple inheritance mechanisms when studying trait evolution.
Data from: Life-history trade-offs mediate 'personality' variation in two colour morphs of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum
(1) Life-history trade-offs are considered a major driving force in the emergence of consistent behavioural differences (personality variation); but empirical tests are scarce. (2) We investigated links between a personality trait (escape response), life-history and state variables (growth rate, size and age at first reproduction, age-dependent reproductive rates, lifetime reproductive success, lifespan) in red and green colour morphs of clonal pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Escape response (dropping/non-dropping off a plant upon a predatory attack) was measured repeatedly to classify individuals as consistent droppers, consistent non-droppers or inconsistents. (3) Red morphs experienced stronger trade-offs between early reproduction and lifespan than green morphs; and red consistent (non-)droppers had highest lifetime reproductive success. Red droppers followed a risk-averse life-history strategy (high late reproduction), red non-droppers a risk-prone strategy (high early reproduction), while reproductive rates were equivalent for all green behavioural types and red inconsistents. (4) This suggests that red morphs suffer the highest costs of dropping (they are most conspicuous to predators), which 'equivalates' fitness payoffs to both risk-takers (red non-droppers) and risk-averse red droppers. The strong trade-off also means that committing to a particular lifestyle (being consistent) maximises fitness. (5) Our study suggests that life-history trade-offs likely mediate personality variation but effects might depend on interactions with other organismal characteristics (here: colour morph).
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