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430 results for “reproductive success”
Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics in context: how demography, ecology, and behavior affect male mating success
Exploitation of sexual signals by predators or parasites increases costs to signalers, creating opportunities for establishment of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). In field crickets, males calling may attract acoustically-orienting parasitoid flies. Alternatively, males behaving as satellites forgo calling and attempt to intercept females attracted to callers. We modeled the contribution of calling vs. satellite behavior to male reproductive success in the larger context of variation in ecology (parasitism rate, background mortality), demography (density, sex ratio), and female behavior (phonotaxis, mating choosiness). Male mating success was most influenced by number of females (standardized effect size 0.42), then female choosiness (0.33), background mortality (-0.31), number of males (-0.28), and parasitism rate (-0.21). Smallest effects were phonotaxis (0.10) and satellite behavior (-0.09). Although satellite behavior ameliorated negative effects of parasitism, its comparative effect was slight. ARTs seem most likely to evolve and persist when a single selection pressure on signaling is particularly strong.
Data from: Sex-specific pathways of parental age effects on offspring lifetime reproductive success in a long-lived seabird
The conditions under which individuals are reared vary and sensitivity of offspring to such variation is often sex-dependent. Parental age is one important natal condition with consequences for aspects of offspring fitness, but reports are mostly limited to short-term fitness consequences and do not take into account offspring sex. Here we used individual-based data from a large colony of a long-lived seabird, the common tern Sterna hirundo, to investigate longitudinal long-term fitness consequences of parental age in relation to both offspring and parental sex. We found that recruited daughters from older mothers suffered from reduced annual reproductive success. Recruited sons from older fathers were found to suffer from reduced lifespan. Both effects translated to reductions in offspring lifetime reproductive success. Besides revealing novel sex-specific pathways of trans-generational parental age effects on offspring fitness, which inspire studies of potential underlying mechanisms, our analyses show that reproductive senescence is only observed in the common tern when including trans-generational age effects. In general, our study shows that estimates of selective pressures underlying the evolution of senescence, as well as processes such as age-dependent mate choice and sex allocation, will depend on whether causal trans-generational effects exist and are taken into account.
Data from: Variation in patriline reproductive success during queen production in orphaned colonies of the thelytokous ant Cataglyphis cursor
In genetically diverse insect societies (polygynous or polyandrous queens), the production of new queens can set the ground for competition among lineages. This competition can be very intense when workers can reproduce using thelytoky as worker patrilines that manage to produce new queens gain a huge benefit. Selection at the individual level might then lead to the evolution of cheating genotypes, i.e. genotypes that reproduce more than their fair share. We studied the variation in reproductive success among worker patrilines in the thelytokous and highly polyandrous ant Cataglyphis cursor. Workers produce new queens by thelytoky in orphaned colonies. The reproductive success of each patriline was assessed in 13 orphaned colonies using genetic analysis of 433 workers and 326 worker-produced queens. Our results show that patrilines contributed unequally to queen production in half of the colonies and the success of patrilines was function of their frequencies in workers. However, over all colonies we observed a significant difference in the distribution of patrilines between workers and worker-produced queens, and this difference was significant in three out of 13 colonies. In addition, six colonies contained a low percentage of foreign workers (drifters) and in one colony they produced a disproportionably high number of queens. Hence, we found some evidence for the occurrence of rare cheating genotypes. Nevertheless, cheating appears to be less pronounced than in the Cape Honey bee, a species with a similar reproductive system. We argue that worker reproduction by parthenogenesis might not be common in natural populations of C. cursor.
Data from: Alternative reproductive tactics and lifetime reproductive success in a polygynandrous mammal
The widespread occurrence of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) highlights the diverse ways in which sexual selection can operate within a population. We studied ARTs in Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus), evaluating paternity, lifetime reproductive success, and life histories. Reproductively mature male Columbian ground squirrels displayed either a territorial or satellite (non-territorial) tactic. Territorial males secured a higher proportion of copulations, were more likely to mate at earlier positions in females' mating sequences and sired more offspring than satellite males. The tactic males adopted was largely a function of weight, age, and experience, with larger, older and more experienced males displaying the territorial tactic. At two years of age, males adopted the satellite tactic or deferred breeding for the season. Two-year-old satellite males were heavier than males that deferred breeding, but by age three there was no difference between their weights. Males that deferred breeding either adopted the satellite or territorial tactic in the following year, with the lighter males displaying the satellite tactic. The ARTs that males adopted at two and three years of age led to alternative life history pathways. Males that deferred breeding and only adopted the territorial tactic during their lifetime had twice the number of lifetime offspring compared to males that adopted the satellite tactic and then switched to territorial behavior in following years, although this difference was not statistically significant. Our findings show that the satellite tactic results in lower reproductive output both within a single year, except at age two, and over their lifetime.
Data from: Forest structure provides the income for reproductive success in a southern population of Canada lynx
Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing animal ecology and characterizing critical habitat. Unfortunately, much of the work examining drivers of reproductive success is biased toward particular groups of organisms (e.g., colonial birds, large herbivores, capital breeders). Long-lived mammalian carnivores that are of conservation concern, solitary, and territorial present an excellent situation to examine intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success, yet they have received little attention. Here, we used a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) dataset, from the southern periphery of their range, to determine if reproductive success in a solitary carnivore was consistent with capital or income breeding. We radio-marked and monitored 36 female Canada lynx for 98 lynx years. We evaluated how maternal characteristics and indices of food supply (via forest structure) in core areas influenced variation in body condition and reproductive success. We characterized body condition as mass/length and reproductive success as whether a female produced a litter of kittens for a given breeding season. Consistent with life-history theory, we documented a positive effect of maternal age on body condition and reproductive success. In contrast to predictions of capital breeding, we observed no effect of pre-pregnancy body condition on reproductive success in Canada lynx. However, we demonstrated statistical effects of forest structure on reproductive success in Canada lynx, consistent with predictions of income breeding. The forest characteristics that defined high success included (1) abundant and connected mature forest and (2) intermediate amounts of small-diameter regenerating forest. These attributes are consistent with providing abundant, temporally stable, and accessible prey resources (i.e., snowshoe hares; Lepus americanus) for lynx and reinforce the bottom-up mechanisms influencing Canada lynx populations. Collectively, our results suggest that lynx on the southern range periphery exhibit an income breeding strategy and that forest structure supplies the income important for successful reproduction. More broadly, our insights advance the understanding of carnivore ecology and serve as an important example on integrating long-term field studies with ecological theory to advance landscape management.
Data from: Timing of arrival in the breeding area is repeatable and affects reproductive success in a non-migratory population of blue tits
<ol> <li>Events in one part of the annual cycle often affect the performance (and subsequently fitness) of individuals later in the season (carry-over effects). An important aspect of this relates to the timing of activities. For example, many studies on migratory birds have shown that relatively late spring arrival in the breeding area reduces both the likelihood of getting a mate or territory and reproductive success.</li> <li>In contrast, relatively little is known about movements of individuals in non-migratory populations during the non-breeding season. Few studies have investigated the timing of arrival at the breeding area in such species, possibly due to the assumption that most individuals remain in the area during the non-breeding season.</li> <li>In this study, we used four years of data from a transponder-based automated recording system set up in a non-migratory population of blue tits (<i>Cyanistes caeruleus</i>) to describe individual variation in arrival at the breeding site. We investigated whether this variation can be explained by individual characteristics (sex, body size, or status), and we assessed its effect on aspects of reproductive success in the subsequent breeding season.</li> <li>We found substantial variation in arrival date and demonstrate that this trait is individual-specific (repeatable). Females arrived later than males, but the arrival dates of social pair members were more similar than expected by chance, which suggests that individuals may mate assortatively depending on their arrival in the breeding area. Arrival predicted both whether an individual would end up breeding that season, and several aspects of its breeding success.</li> <li>Our study suggests that individuals of non-migratory species leave the breeding area during the non-breeding season. Hence, it may be useful to consider variation in the scale of movements between breeding and non-breeding sites, rather than using a simple dichotomy between "resident" and "migratory" species. We conclude that the timing of pre-breeding events, in particular arrival date, may be an overlooked, but important, fitness-relevant trait in non-migratory species.</li> </ol>
Data from: Genetic variation, multiple paternity and measures of reproductive success in the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
The Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico contains some of the largest breeding groups of the globally distributed and critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). An improved understanding of the breeding system of this species and how its genetic variation is structured among nesting areas is required before the threats to its survival can be properly evaluated. Here, we genotype 1195 hatchlings and 41 nesting females at 12 microsatellite loci to assess levels of multiple paternity, genetic variation and whether individual levels of homozygosity are associated with reproductive success. Of the 50 clutches analyzed, only 6% have multiple paternity. The distribution of pairwise relatedness among nesting localities (rookeries) was not random with elevated within-rookery relatedness, and declining relatedness with geographic distance indicating some natal philopatry. Although there was no strong evidence that particular rookeries had lost allelic variation via drift, younger turtles had significantly lower levels of genetic variation than older turtles, suggesting some loss of genetic variation. At present there is no indication that levels of genetic variation are associated with measures of reproductive success such as clutch size, hatching success, and frequency of infertile eggs.
Data from: The effects of quantitative fecundity in the haploid stage on reproductive success and diploid fitness in the aquatic peat moss Sphagnum macrophyllum
A major question in evolutionary biology is how mating patterns affect the fitness of offspring. However, in animals and seed plants it is virtually impossible to investigate the effects of specific gamete genotypes. In bryophytes, haploid gametophytes grow via clonal propagation and produce millions of genetically identical gametes throughout a population. The main goal of this research was to test whether gamete identity has an effect on the fitness of their diploid offspring in a population of the aquatic peat moss Sphagnum macrophyllum. We observed a heavily male-biased sex ratio in gametophyte plants (ramets) and in multilocus microsatellite genotypes (genets). There was a steeper relationship between mating success (number of different haploid mates) and fecundity (number of diploid offspring) for male genets compared with female genets. At the sporophyte level, we observed a weak effect of inbreeding on offspring fitness, but no effect of brood size (number of sporophytes per maternal ramet). Instead, the identities of the haploid male and haploid female parents were significant contributors to variance in fitness of sporophyte offspring in the population. Our results suggest that intrasexual gametophyte/gamete competition may play a role in determining mating success in this population.
Data from: Spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal in a coral-reef fish metapopulation: evidence of variable reproductive success
Many marine organisms can be transported hundreds of kilometers during their pelagic larval stage, yet little is known about spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal. Although traditional population-genetic tools can be applied to infer movement of larvae on an evolutionary time scale, large effective population sizes and high rates of gene-flow present serious challenges to documenting dispersal patterns over shorter, ecologically-relevant, time scales. Here, we address these challenges by combining direct parentage analysis and indirect genetic analyses over a four-year period to document spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal in a common coral-reef fish: the bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus). At four island locations surrounding Exuma Sound, Bahamas, including a long-established marine reserve, we collected 3,278 individuals and genotyped them at 10 microsatellite loci. Using Bayesian parentage analysis, we identified eight parent-offspring pairs, thereby directly documenting dispersal distances ranging from 0 km (i.e., self-recruitment) to 129 km (i.e., larval connectivity). Despite documenting substantial dispersal and gene-flow between islands, we observed more self-recruitment events than expected if the larvae were drawn from a common, well-mixed pool (i.e., a completely open population). Additionally, we detected both spatial and temporal variation in signatures of sweepstakes and Wahlund effects. The high variance in reproductive success (i.e., "sweepstakes") we observed may be influenced by seasonal mesoscale gyres present in the Exuma Sound, which play a prominent role in shaping local oceanographic patterns. This study documents the complex nature of larval dispersal in a coral-reef fish, and highlights the importance of sampling multiple cohorts and coupling both direct and indirect genetic methods in order disentangle patterns of dispersal, gene-flow, and variable reproductive success.
Data from: Female and male genetic effects on offspring paternity: additive genetic (co)variances in female extra-pair reproduction and male paternity success in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)
Ongoing evolution of polyandry, and consequent extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems, is hypothesised to be facilitated by indirect selection stemming from cross-sex genetic covariances with components of male fitness. Specifically, polyandry is hypothesised to create positive genetic covariance with male paternity success due to inevitable assortative reproduction, driving ongoing coevolution. However, it remains unclear whether such covariances could or do emerge within complex polyandrous systems. First, we illustrate that genetic covariances between female extra-pair reproduction and male within-pair paternity success might be constrained in socially monogamous systems where female and male additive genetic effects can have opposing impacts on the paternity of jointly reared offspring. Second, we demonstrate non-zero additive genetic variance in female liability for extra-pair reproduction and male liability for within-pair paternity success, modelled as direct and associative genetic effects on offspring paternity respectively, in free-living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The posterior mean additive genetic covariance between these liabilities was slightly positive, but the credible interval was wide and overlapped zero. Therefore, while substantial total additive genetic variance exists, the hypothesis that ongoing evolution of female extra-pair reproduction is facilitated by genetic covariance with male within-pair paternity success cannot yet be definitively supported or rejected either conceptually or empirically.
Data from: Hot dogs: high ambient temperatures impact reproductive success in a tropical carnivore
Climate change imposes an urgent need to recognise and conserve the species likely to be worst affected. However, while ecologists have mostly explored indirect effects of rising ambient temperatures on temperate and polar species, physiologists have predicted direct impacts on tropical species. The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), a tropical species, exhibits few of the traits typically used to predict climate change vulnerability. Nevertheless, we predicted that wild dog populations might be sensitive to weather conditions, because the species shows strongly seasonal reproduction across most of its geographical range. We explored associations between weather conditions, reproductive costs, and reproductive success, drawing on long-term wild dog monitoring data from sites in Botswana (20°S, 24 years), Kenya (0°N, 12 years), and Zimbabwe (20°S, 6 years). High ambient temperatures were associated with reduced foraging time, especially during the energetically costly pup-rearing period. Across all three sites, packs which reared pups at high ambient temperatures produced fewer recruits than did those rearing pups in cooler weather; at the non-seasonal Kenya site such packs also had longer inter-birth intervals. Over time, rising ambient temperatures at the (longest-monitored) Botswana site coincided with falling wild dog recruitment. Our findings suggest a direct impact of high ambient temperatures on African wild dog demography, indicating that this species, which is already globally endangered, may be highly vulnerable to climate change. This vulnerability would have been missed by simplistic trait-based assessments, highlighting the limitations of such assessments. Seasonal reproduction, which is less common at low latitudes than at higher latitudes, might be a useful indicator of climate change vulnerability among tropical species.
Data from: Effects of ovarian fluid and genetic differences on sperm performance and fertilization success of alternative reproductive tactics in Chinook salmon
In many species, sperm velocity affects variation in the outcome of male competitive fertilization success. In fishes, ovarian fluid (OF) released with the eggs can increase male sperm velocity and potentially facilitate cryptic female choice for males of specific phenotypes and/or genotypes. Therefore, to investigate the role of OF on fertilization success, we measured sperm velocity and conducted in vitro competitive fertilizations with paired Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) males representing two alternative reproductive tactics, jacks (small sneaker males) and hooknoses (large guarding males), in the presence of river water alone and OF mixed with river water. To determine the role of genetic differences on fertilization success, we genotyped fish at neutral (microsatellites) and functional [major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II ß1] markers. We found that when sperm were competed in river water, jacks sired significantly more offspring than hooknoses, however, in OF there was no difference in paternity between the tactics. Sperm velocity was significantly correlated with paternity success in river water but not in ovarian fluid. Paternity success in OF, but not in river water alone, was correlated with genetic relatedness between male and female, where males that were less related to the female attained greater paternity. We found no relationship between MHC II ß1 divergence between mates and paternity success in water or OF. Our results indicate that OF can influence the outcome of sperm competition in Chinook salmon, where OF provides both male tactics with fertilization opportunities, which may in part explain what maintains both tactics in nature.
Data from: The effect of Wolbachia on the lifetime reproductive success of its insect host in the field
Wolbachia is a widespread endosymbiont that induces dramatic manipulations of its host's reproduction. Although there has been substantial progress in the developing theory for Wolbachia–host interactions and in measuring the effects of Wolbachia on host fitness in the laboratory, there is a widely recognized need to quantify the effects of Wolbachia on the host fitness in the field. The wasp Anagrus sophiae, an egg parasitoid of planthoppers, carries a Wolbachia strain that induces parthenogenesis, but its effects on the fitness of its Anagrus host are unknown. We developed a method to estimate the realized lifetime reproductive success of female wasps by collecting them soon after they die naturally in the field, counting the number of eggs remaining in their ovaries and quantifying Wolbachia density in their body. We sampled from a highly infected A. sophiae population and found no evidence for Wolbachia virulence and possible evidence for positive effects of Wolbachia on realized reproductive success.
Data from: Shifts in reproductive investment in response to competitors lowers male reproductive success
<p>In many species, males exhibit phenotypic plasticity in sexually selected traits when exposed to social cues about the intensity of sexual competition. To date, however, few studies have tested how this plasticity affects male reproductive success. We initially tested whether male mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki (Poeciliidae), change their investment in traits under pre- and post- copulatory sexual selection depending on the social environment. Focal males were exposed, for a full spermatogenesis cycle, to visual and chemical cues of rivals that were either present (competitive treatment) or absent (control). Males from the competitive treatment had significantly slower swimming sperm, but did not differ in sperm count from control males. When two males competed for a female, competitive treatment males also made significantly fewer copulation attempts and courtship displays than control males. Further, paternity analysis of 708 offspring from 148 potential sires, testing whether these changes in reproductive traits affected male reproductive success, showed that males previously exposed to cues about the presence of rivals sired significantly fewer offspring when competing with a control male. We discuss several possible explanations for these unusual findings.</p>
Data from: Reproductive effort and success of males in scramble competition polygyny: evidence for trade-offs between foraging and mate-search
1. Patterns of male reproductive allocation provide insight into life-history characteristics. The trade-offs associated with resource and female group defense are well-defined. However, less is understood about trade-offs in species that practice scramble-competition polygyny, where successful strategies may favor competitive mate-searching rather than contest competition and fighting. 2. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) practice scramble-competition polygyny where solitary males search for and assess receptivity of females scattered across the landscape. Physically mature males are expected to do most of the breeding because of the high energetic costs of reproduction and high social status. However, young males may collectively sire one-third of offspring. To gain a better understanding of trade-offs associated with scramble-competition polygyny, we quantified metrics associated with reproductive effort and success. 3. We quantified changes in body mass of harvested males, energetic costs of locomotion based on movements of GPS radio-collared males, and timing of reproduction via temporal genetic parentage assignments. 4. Young males (1.5 and 2.5 years old) sired offspring, but their mating success was mainly limited to peak rut, when most females were in estrus. Furthermore, multiple paternity was common, indicating opportunistic reproduction. Reproductive effort, indexed by body mass loss, was highest in prime-age males (5.5-6.5 years old). Surprisingly, young and post-prime males also exhibited significant body mass loss, indicative of investment in reproductive effort. Movement rates increased 2 to 4-fold during rut as a function of mate-search activities, but cost of locomotion would cause only about one-third of observed body mass loss. Because males are capital breeders, we infer most of body mass loss is due to reduced foraging. 5. In scramble-competition polygyny, the repeated location of potential mates and assessment of their estrous status appear to be important constituents of male mating strategies. Therefore mating success may be influenced by time management and spatial memory, and not based solely on social dominance. Thus, reproductive effort should be greater for individuals capable of reducing time foraging. For those that cannot, opportunistic mating opportunities may arise when operative adult sex ratios are low. Our analyses reveal valuable insight into the trade-offs associated with scramble-competition polygyny.
Data from: Mating system, reproductive success and sexual selection in bluntnose klipfishes (Clinus cottoides)
A critical part of the sexual selection process in animals is the genetic mating system. Quantifying mating systems, especially in species with cryptic life-histories can be challenging. One approach is to use genotypic markers and accurate parentage analysis, along with methods to account for bias when sampling natural populations, to calculate sexual selection metrics derived from Bateman's principles. In this study, three microsatellites were used to genotype 48 adults (23 female and 25 male) and 342 offspring from known mothers of live-bearing bluntnose klipfish. Parentage analysis was performed to interpret mating and reproductive success for both sexes. Metrics quantified were the opportunity for selection (I), the opportunity for sexual selection (Is), absolute (βss) and standardised (β'ss) Bateman gradients and the maximum intensity of precopulatory sexual selection (s'max). Multiple mating by both sexes were revealed by parentage analysis. However, females did not show significant Bateman gradients or a significant maximum intensity of precopulatory sexual selection (s'max), whereas male sexual selection metrics were all significantly greater than zero. These results suggests a polygynandrous mating system for this species. There is an opportunity for sexual selection to act on males but not females in this population, which is evolutionary tied to anisogamy, parental investment and sex-roles.
Data from: Den site selection, pack composition, and reproductive success in endangered African wild dogs
Habitat quality is often assumed to be directly related to increased consumer density, but such assumptions cannot be made without supporting demographic data that indicate improved fitness. Habitat selection might be especially important for denning species, where vulnerable offspring are confined to a single location for extended periods, but the effect of den choice on the reproductive success of denning species is poorly understood. By combining airborne high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) measurements with data on pack composition, we investigated den site selection by endangered African wild dogs in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, examining whether habitat selection based on ecological factors resulted in increased litter sizes and thus reproductive success compared with social factors known to be important. Although there was selection for den sites in areas of increased terrain ruggedness and vegetation density, only vegetation density was associated with larger litter sizes and translated into increased reproductive success. Moreover, pack size was only influential when a minimum vegetation density around den sites was achieved, indicating that although social variables have a powerful effect on reproductive success, they are mediated by ecological factors defining habitat quality. Our results demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between density- and fitness-based indicators of habitat quality, and how this can affect management actions, particularly for endangered species conservation.
Top-down effects override climate forcing on reproductive success in a declining sea duck
Population performance is predicted to be more strongly influenced by detrimental species interactions such as predation under benign climatic conditions, and by climate forcing under harsh conditions, reflected in geographical gradients in biotic interaction strength. Less appreciated is the potential for site-specific changes in drivers with the advent of anthropogenic alteration of predator-prey relationships, including apex predator restoration and spread of invasive predators. Particularly interesting is the relative impact of climate and biotic interactions on population performance when these conflict. In this 31-year study (1990-2020), we revisit a common eider (Somateria mollissima) population from SW Finland, Baltic Sea, fifteen years on from an earlier study showing that climate warming positively affected reproductive parameters and performance. However, the population is simultaneously exposed to increasing predation by the rapidly recovering native apex predator and invasive mammals. Based on the current population trend, we predicted (i) a weakening of the previously documented positive effects of a warming climate on vital rates, (ii) intensified predation, and (iii) increasing top-down control of vital rates and accompanying population decline. Five out of seven breeding parameters (annual spread in female body condition, breeding phenology and synchrony, interval between arrival and breeding, fledgling production) were best explained by predation indices, whereas climate signals (winter NAO, Baltic Sea maximum ice cover) on breeding parameters have weakened. Particularly intriguing is that the previous positive association between mild ice winters and subsequent reproductive output has disappeared during the past 15 years, highlighting the non-linear nature of climate change responses. Indirect predation effects (selective disappearance, changed reproductive strategies, nest-site selection and population age distribution) can potentially explain also the remaining breeding parameters (annual mean body condition and clutch size). The observed regime shift in predation risk appears to prevent this now endangered population from reaping the potential benefits of a warming climate.
The evolutionary history of Cardamine bulbifera shows a successful rapid postglacial Eurasian range expansion in the absence of sexual reproduction
<p>Background and Aims</p> <p>Sexual reproduction is known to drive plant diversification and adaptation. Here we investigate the evolutionary history and spatiotemporal origin of a dodecaploid (2n = 12x = 96) Eurasian deciduous woodland species, <em>Cardamine bulbifera</em>, which reproduces and spreads via vegetative bulb-like structures only. The species has been among the most successful range-expanding understorey woodland plants in Europe, which raises the question of the genetic architecture of its gene pool, since its hexaploid (2n = 6x = 48) but putatively outcrossing closest relative, <em>C. quinquefolia</em>, displays a smaller distribution range in Eastern Europe towards the Caucasus region. <em>Cardamine bulbifera</em> belongs to a small monophyletic clade of four species comprising also <em>C. abchasica</em> (2n = 2x = 16) and <em>C. bipinnata</em> (unknown ploidy) from the Caucasus region.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We sequenced the genomes of the two polyploids and their two putative ancestors using Illumina short-read sequencing technology (×7–8 coverage). Covering the entire distribution range, genomic data were generated for 67 samples of the two polyploids (51 samples of <em>C. bulbifera</em>, 16 samples of <em>C. quinquefolia</em>) and 6 samples of the putative diploid taxa (4 samples of <em>C. abchasica</em>, 2 samples of <em>C. bipinnata</em>) to unravel the evolutionary origin of the polyploid taxa using phylogenetic reconstructions of biparentally and maternally inherited genetic sequence data. Ploidy levels of <em>C. bulbifera</em> and <em>C. quinquefolia</em> were analysed by comparative chromosome painting. We used genetic assignment analysis (STRUCTURE) and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) modelling to test whether <em>C. bulbifera</em> represents genetically differentiated lineages and addressed the hypothesis of its hybrid origin. Comparative ecological modelling was applied to unravel possible niche differentiation among the two polyploid species.</p> <p>Key Results</p> <p><em>Cardamine bulbifera </em>was shown to be a non-hybridogenous, auto-dodecaploid taxon of early Pleistocene origin, but with a history of past gene flow with its hexaploid sister species <em>C. quinquefolia</em>, likely during the last glacial maximum in shared refuge areas in Eastern Europe towards Western Turkey and the Crimean Peninsula region. The diploid Caucasian endemic <em>C. abchasica</em> is considered an ancestral species, which also provides evidence for the origin of the species complex in the Caucasus region. <em>Cardamine bulbifera</em> successfully expanded its distribution range postglacially towards Central and Western Europe accompanied by a transition to exclusively vegetative propagation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A transition to vegetative propagation in <em>C</em>. <em>bulbifera</em> is hypothesized as the major innovation to rapidly expand its distribution range following postglacially progressing woodland vegetation throughout Europe. Preceding and introgressive gene flow from its sister species <em>C</em>. <em>quinquefolia</em> in the joint refuge area is documented. This transition and ecological differentiation may have been triggered by preceding introgressive gene flow from its sister species in the joint East European refuge areas.</p>
Supplementary material 3 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809
Supplementary material 3 from: Astuti G, Roma-Marzio F, D'Antraccoli M, Bedini G, Carta A, Sebastiani F, Bruschi P, Peruzzi L (2017) Conservation biology of the last Italian population of Cistus laurifolius (Cistaceae): demographic structure, reproductive success and population genetics. Nature Conservation 22: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.22.19809
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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
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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.