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54 results for “colour morphs”
The role of historical biogeography in shaping colour morph diversity in the common wall lizard
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Antagonistic effects of predator colour morph abundance and saliency on prey anti-predator responses
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Molecular tracking and prevalence of the red colour morph restricted to a harvested leopard population in South Africa
<p>The red leopard (<em>Panthera pardus</em>) colour morph is a colour variant that occurs only in South Africa, where it is confined to the Central Bushveld bioregion. Red leopards have been spreading over the past 40 years, which raises the speculation that the prevalence of this phenotype is related to low dispersal of young individuals owing to high off-take in the region. Intensive selective hunting tends to remove large resident males from the breeding population, which gives young males the chance to mate with resident females that are more likely to be their relatives, eventually increasing the frequency of rare genetic variants. To investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying the red coat colour morph in leopards, and whether its prevalence in South Africa relates to an increase in genetic relatedness in the population, we sequenced exons of six colour coat associated genes and 20 microsatellite loci in twenty wild-type and four red leopards. The results were combined with demographic data available from our study sites. We found that red leopards own a haplotype in homozygosity identified by one non-synonymous SNP and a 1 bp deletion that causes a frameshift in the Tyrosinase Related Protein 1 (TYRP1), a gene known to be involved in the biosynthesis of melanin. Microsatellite analyses indicate clear signs of a population bottleneck and a relatedness of 0.11 among all pairwise relationships, eventually supporting our hypothesis that a rare colour morph in the wild has increased its local frequency due to low natal dispersal. This was backed by a high human-induced mortality rate (40%).</p>
Morphological and phenological variation of flower colour morphs in a wild population of Opuntia streptacantha (Cactaceae)
<p>[ESP]</p> <p>Este repositorio contiene archivos .csv y .r, de los datos se utilizaron para el análisis estadístico del artículo de Manzanarez-Villasana y Mandujano en Plant Ecology and Evolution ( <a href="https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.112250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.112250</a>)</p> <p>[ENG]</p> <p>This repository contains .csv and .r files of the data used for the statistical analysis of the article by Manzanarez-Villasana and Mandujano in Plant Ecology and Evolution (<a href="https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.112250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.112250</a>).</p>
Incomplete reproductive barriers and genomic differentiation impact the spread of resistance mutations between green- and red-colour morphs of a cosmopolitan mite pest
<p>We studied patterns of genetic differentiation and barriers to gene flow within and between morphs of <em>T. urticae</em> in order to understand the factors that influence the spread of resistance mutations across its populations. We derived multiple iso-female lines from <em>Tetranychus</em> populations collected from agricultural crops. We generated genomic and morphological data, characterized their bacterial communities, and performed controlled crosses.</p>
Incomplete reproductive barriers and genomic differentiation impact the spread of resistance mutations between green- and red-colour morphs of a cosmopolitan mite pest
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Supplemental datasets: Opsin gene expression plasticity and spectral sensitivity in male damselflies could mediate female colour morph detection
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Molecular tracking and prevalence of the red colour morph restricted to a harvested leopard population in South Africa
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Data from: The many faced symbiotic snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis, Anthozoa): host and symbiont genetic differentiation among colour morphs
How can we explain morphological variations in a holobiont? The genetic determinism of phenotypes is not always obvious and could be circumstantial in complex organisms. In symbiotic cnidarians, it is known that morphology or colour can misrepresent a complex genetic and symbiotic diversity. Anemonia viridis is a symbiotic sea anemone from temperate seas. This species displays different colour morphs based on pigment content and lives in a wide geographical range. Here, we investigated whether colour morph differentiation correlated with host genetic diversity or associated symbiotic genetic diversity by using RAD-sequencing and symbiotic dinoflagellate typing of 140 sea anemones from the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea. We did not observe genetic differentiation among colour morphs of A. viridis at the animal host or symbiont level, rejecting the hypothesis that A. viridis colour morphs correspond to species level differences. Interestingly, we however identified at least four independent animal host genetic lineages in A. viridis that differed in their associated symbiont populations. In conclusion, although the functional role of the different morphotypes of A. viridis remains to be determined, our approach provides new insights on the existence of cryptic species within A. viridis.
Data from: Heterospecific aggression bias towards a rarer colour morph
Colour polymorphisms are a striking example of phenotypic diversity, yet the sources of selection that allow different morphs to persist within populations remain poorly understood. In particular, despite the importance of aggression in mediating social dominance, few studies have considered how heterospecific aggression might contribute to the maintenance or divergence of different colour morphs. To redress this gap, we carried out a field-based study in a Nicaraguan crater lake to investigate patterns of heterospecific aggression directed by the cichlid fish, Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, towards colour polymorphic cichlids in the genus Amphilophus. We found that H. nicaraguensis was the most frequent territorial neighbour of the colour polymorphic A. sagittae. Furthermore, when manipulating territorial intrusions using models, H. nicaraguensis were more aggressive towards the gold than dark colour morph of the sympatric Amphilophus species, including A. sagittae. Such a pattern of heterospecific aggression should be costly to the gold colour morph, potentially accounting for its lower than expected frequency and, more generally, highlighting the importance of considering heterospecific aggression in the context of morph frequencies and coexistence in the wild.
Data from: The colour of paternity: extra-pair paternity in the wild Gouldian finch does not appear to be driven by genetic incompatibility between morphs
In socially monogamous species, individuals can use extra-pair paternity and offspring sex allocation as adaptive strategies to ameliorate costs of genetic incompatibility with their partner. Previous studies on domesticated Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) demonstrated a genetic incompatibility between head colour morphs, the effects of which are more severe in female offspring. Domesticated females use differential sex allocation, and extra-pair paternity with males of compatible head colour, to reduce fitness costs associated with incompatibility in mixed-morph pairings. However, laboratory studies are an oversimplification of the complex ecological factors experienced in the wild, and may only reflect the biology of a domesticated species. This study aimed to examine the patterns of parentage and sex-ratio bias with respect to colour pairing combinations in a wild population of the Gouldian finch. We utilized a novel PCR assay that allowed us to genotype the morph of offspring before the morph phenotype develops, and to explore bias in morph paternity and selection at the nest. Contrary to previous findings in the laboratory, we found no effect of pairing combinations on patterns of extra-pair paternity, offspring sex ratio, or selection on morphs in nestlings. In the wild, the effect of morph incompatibility is likely much smaller, or absent, than was observed in the domesticated birds. Furthermore, the previously studied domesticated population is genetically differentiated from the wild population, consistent with the effects of domestication. It is possible that the domestication process fostered the emergence (or enhancement) of incompatibility between colour morphs previously demonstrated in the laboratory.
Data from: Specific MHC class I supertype associated with parasite infection and colour morph in a wild lizard population
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large gene family that plays a central role in the immune system of all jawed vertebrates. Non-avian reptiles are under-represented within the MHC literature and little is understood regarding the mechanisms maintaining MHC diversity in this vertebrate group. Here, we examined the relative roles of parasite-mediated selection and sexual selection in maintaining MHC class I diversity of a colour polymorphic lizard. We discovered evidence for parasite-mediated selection acting via rare-allele advantage or fluctuating selection as ectoparasite load was significantly lower in the presence of a specific MHC supertype (functional clustering of alleles); supertype four. Based on comparisons between ectoparasite prevalence and load, and assessment of the impact of ectoparasite load on host fitness, we suggest that supertype four confers quantitative resistance to ticks or an intracellular tick-borne parasite. We found no evidence for MHC-associated mating in terms of pair genetic distance, number of alleles or specific supertypes . An association was uncovered between supertype four and male throat colour morph. However, it is unlikely that male throat colouration acts as a signal of MHC genotype to conspecifics because we found no evidence to suggest that male throat colouration predicts male mating status. Overall, our results suggest that parasite-mediated selection plays a role in maintaining MHC diversity in this population via rare allele advantage and/or fluctuating selection. Further work is required to determine whether sexual selection also plays a role in maintaining MHC diversity in agamid lizards.
Data from: Significant differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning and effects on offspring fitness in Chinook salmon colour morphs
In oviparous species, maternal carotenoid provisioning can deliver diverse fitness benefits to offspring via increased survival, growth, and immune function. Despite demonstrated advantages of carotenoids, large intra‐ and interspecific variation in carotenoid utilization exists, suggesting trade‐offs associated with carotenoids. In Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), extreme variation in carotenoid utilization delineates two colour morphs (red and white) that differ genetically in their ability to deposit carotenoids into tissues. Here, we take advantage of this natural variation to examine how large differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning influence offspring fitness. Using a full‐factorial breeding design crossing morphs and common‐garden rearing, we measured differences in a suite of fitness‐related traits, including survival, growth, viral susceptibility, and host response, in offspring of red (carotenoid‐rich eggs) and white (carotenoid‐poor eggs) females. Eggs of red females had significantly higher carotenoid content than those of white females (6X more); however, this did not translate into measurable differences in offspring fitness. Given that white Chinook salmon may have evolved to counteract their maternal carotenoid deficiency, we also examined the relationship between egg carotenoid content and offspring fitness within each morph separately. Egg carotenoids only had a positive effect within the red morph on survival to eyed‐egg (earliest measured trait), but not within the white morph. While previous work shows that white females benefit from reduced egg predation, our study also supports a hypothesis that white Chinook salmon have evolved additional mechanisms to improve egg survival despite low carotenoids, providing novel insight into evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this stable polymorphism.
Data from: AFLP genome scans suggest divergent selection on colour patterning in allopatric colour morphs of a cichlid fish
Genome scan-based tests for selection are directly applicable to natural populations to study the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms behind phenotypic differentiation. We conducted AFLP genome scans in three distinct geographic colour morphs of the cichlid fish Tropheus moorii to assess whether the extant, allopatric colour pattern differentiation can be explained by drift and to identify markers mapping to genomic regions possibly involved in colour patterning. The tested morphs occupy adjacent shore sections in southern Lake Tanganyika and are separated from each other by major habitat barriers. The genome scans revealed significant genetic structure between morphs, but a very low proportion of loci fixed for alternative AFLP alleles in different morphs. This high level of polymorphism within morphs suggested that colour pattern differentiation did not result exclusively from neutral processes. Outlier detection methods identified six loci with excess differentiation in the comparison between a bluish and a yellow-blotch morph and five different outlier loci in comparisons of each of these morphs with a red morph. As population expansions and the genetic structure of Tropheus make the outlier approach prone to false-positive signals of selection, we examined the correlation between outlier locus alleles and colour phenotypes in a genetic and phenotypic cline between two morphs. Distributions of allele frequencies at one outlier locus were indeed consistent with linkage to a colour locus. Despite the challenges posed by population structure and demography, our results encourage the cautious application of genome scans to studies of divergent selection in subdivided and recently expanded populations.
Data from: Ecological divergence among colour morphs mediated by changes in spatial network structure associated with disturbance
1. Differences in individual behaviour affect social interactions and contribute to the spatial structuring of animal populations. However, disturbance should also affect spatial networks by altering habitat heterogeneity and resource availability. Variation in resource availability should perturb the frequency and nature of social and ecological interactions within a population by affecting the spatial distribution of individuals. 2. In disturbed habitats where resources are limiting, spatial relationships should reflect behavioural differences among individuals, with higher-quality resources controlled by dominant individuals. In contrast, all individuals may exploit preferred resources in resource-rich habitats. Environmental variation and population reorganisation may also result in variation in morphological, behavioural, and ecological traits, which ultimately affect fitness. 3. We addressed these considerations for male tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) at three sites that differ in levels of disturbance. The habitats at these localities differed in the availability of live trees, the preferred microhabitat of U. ornatus. In addition, male U. ornatus exhibit a polymorphism in dewlap colour linked with differences in aggression, which should influence their position in a network and access to resources. We applied a network framework to characterise the spatial organisation of male morphs at each site and quantified male aggressive behaviour in the laboratory. We also compared body size, body condition, number of bite marks, parasite load, and the microhabitat use and diet, of males among the sites. 4. We detected no significant differences in spatial network structure between unburned and infrequently burned sites. However, at a frequently-burned site, the network shifted towards geographically closer, heteromorphic male neighbour associations. Males at this site were also larger, more aggressive, and had more bite marks but fewer parasites than males at the other sites. Moreover, we detected divergence in microhabitat use and diet among the morphs at the frequently-burned site that reflected the shift in spatial network structure and differences in morph behaviour. That is, only more-aggressive morphs usurped trees and consumed prey from higher trophic levels. 5. We conclude that environmental variation may influence animal spatial network structure. Jointly, behavioural and environmental variation may promote despotic social dynamics and ecological divergence in resource-limited habitats.
Data from: Male courtship preferences demonstrate discrimination against allopatric colour morphs in a cichlid fish
Whether premating isolation is achieved by male-specific, female-specific or sex-independent assortative preferences often depends on the underlying evolutionary processes. Here we test mate preferences of males presented with females of different allopatric colour variants of the cichlid fish Tropheus, a Lake Tanganyika endemic with rich geographic colour pattern variation, in which the strength of sexual isolation varies between populations. We conducted two-way mate choice experiments to compare behaviour of males of a red-bodied morph (population Moliro) towards females from their own population with behaviour towards females from four allopatric populations at different stages of phylogenetic and phenotypic divergence. Males courted same-population females significantly more intensely than females of other populations, and reduced their heteromorphic courtship efforts both with increasing genetic and increasing phenotypic distinctness of the females. In particular, females of a closely related red-bodied population received significantly more courtship than either genetically distinct, similarly coloured females ("Kirschfleck" morph) or genetically related, differently coloured females ("yellow-blotch" morph), both of which were courted similarly. Genetically and phenotypically distinct females (T. polli) were not courted at all. Consistent with previous female-choice experiments, female courtship activity also decreased with increasing genetic distance from the males' population. Given successful experimental and natural introgression between colour morphs and the pervasive allopatry of related variants, we consider it unlikely that assortative preferences of both sexes were driven by direct selection during periods of secondary contact or, in turn, drove colour pattern differentiation in allopatry. Rather, we suggest that sexual isolation evolved as by-product of allopatric divergence.
Data from: Rapid, habitat-related evolution of land snail colour morphs on reclaimed land
I made use of the known dates of reclamation (and of afforestations) in the IJsselmeerpolders in The Netherlands to assess evolutionary adaptation in Cepaea nemoralis. At 12 localities (three in each polder), I sampled a total of 4390 adult individuals in paired open and shaded habitats, on average 233 m apart, and scored these for genetic shell colour polymorphisms. The results show (highly) significant differentiation at most localities, although the genes involved differed per locality. Overall, though, populations in shaded habitats had evolved towards darker shells than those in adjacent open habitats, whereas a 'Cain & Sheppard' diagram (proportion yellow shells plotted against 'effectively unbanded' shells) failed to reveal a clear pattern. This might suggest that thermal selection is more important than visual selection in generating this pattern. Trait differentiation, regardless of whether they were plotted against polder age or habitat age, showed a linear increase of differentiation with time, corresponding to a mean rate of trait evolution of 15–31 kilodarwin. In conclusion, C. nemoralis is capable of rapid and considerable evolutionary differentiation over 1–25 snail generations, though equilibrium may be reached only at longer time scales.
Data from: Do group dynamics affect colour morph clines during a range shift?
Species exhibiting colour-polymorphism are thought to have an ecological advantage at the landscape scale, because spatial segregation of alternatively-adapted ecotypes into diverse habitats can increase the total species' niche breadth and thus confer greater geographic range size. However, morph frequencies are also influenced by intra-populational processes such as frequency- or density-dependent social interactions. To identify how social feedback may affect clinal variation in morph frequencies, we investigated reciprocal interactions between morph-specific thermal tolerance, local climatic conditions, and social environments, in the context of a colour-morph frequency cline associated with a recent range expansion in blue-tailed damselflies (Ischnura elegans) in Sweden. Cold tolerances of gynochromes (female-like female morph) were positively correlated with local gynochrome frequencies, suggesting a positive frequency-dependent fitness benefit of being common. In contrast, androchrome (male-mimic female morph) cold tolerances were improved following recent exposure to cold weather, suggesting a beneficial environmental acclimation effect. Thus according to an environment-matching hypothesis for clinal variation, androchrome frequencies should therefore increase towards the (cooler) range limit. In contrast to this prediction, gynochrome frequencies increased at the expanding range limit, consistent with a positive frequency-dependent social feedback when invading novel climates. Our results suggest that when phenotypes or fitnesses are affected by interactions with conspecifics, beneficial social effects on environmental tolerances may i) facilitate range shifts and ii) reverse or counteract typical patterns of intraspecific interactions and environment-matching clines observed in stable populations observed over broader geographic scales.
FIGURE 7. Aponuphis spp. photomicrographs showing its characteristic colour patterns. A, A. bilineata morph 1 in Onuphis and Aponuphis (Annelida: Onuphidae) from southwestern Europe, with the description of a new species
FIGURE 7. Aponuphis spp. photomicrographs showing its characteristic colour patterns. A, A. bilineata morph 1 (typical); B. A. bilineata morph 2; C, A. brementi; D–E, A. ornata; G, recently settled juvenile of A. ornata; H, brooding juvenile of A. ornata.
Data from: Discrete colour polymorphism in the tawny dragon lizard (Ctenophorus decresii) and differences in signal conspicuousness among morphs
Intraspecific colour variation is common in nature and can vary from the coexistence of discrete colour variants in polymorphic species to continuous variation. Whether coloration is continuous or discrete is often ambiguous and many species exhibit a combination of the two. The nature of the variation (discrete or continuous) has implications for both the genetic basis of the colour variation and the evolutionary processes generating and maintaining it. Consequently, it is important to qualify the existence of discrete morphs, particularly in relation to the animal's visual system. In this study, we quantified male throat colour variation in Ctenophorus decresii tawny dragon lizard and tested for morphological and ecological correlates of the colour variants. We confirmed that discrete throat colour morphs can be defined based on colour and pattern analyses independent of the human visual system. We also found that the colour variants differed in their conspicuousness from the background, to the lizard's visual system, which has implications for signalling. However, the morphs did not differ in morphology or microhabitat use, which suggests that these characteristics are not involved in the evolutionary maintenance of the polymorphism.
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Allen Brain Atlas
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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.
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DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
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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.
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