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27 results for “sexual predator”
Effects of chronic and acute predation risk on sexual ornamentation and mating preferences
<p>Phenotypic plasticity is wide-spread in animals, but how plastic responses to predation threat affect traits under sexual selection and influence mating preferences is not well understood. Here, we examined how chronic predation risk during development and acute predation risk during mate choice affect the expression of male secondary sexual traits and female mating preference in the three-spined stickleback, <em>Gasterosteus</em> <em>aculeatus</em>. Males reared under chronic predation risk developed less intense red breeding colouration but showed higher courtship activity than males that grew up in a predator-free environment. Acute predation risk during mate choice did not influence male behaviour or ornamentation. Predation risk experienced during development did not affect female mating preferences, while acute predator presence induced a switch in preferences for male courtship activity. Male body size and eye colouration influenced the intensity of female mating preferences, while the trait changing most in response to predation risk during development (red colouration) had no significant impact. The observed interplay between developmental plasticity in male ornamental traits and environment-dependent female mating preferences may lead to dynamic processes altering the strength and direction of sexual selection depending on both the chronic and acute risk of predation. These processes may contribute to the maintenance of within- and among-population variation in secondary sexual traits, and may, ultimately, facilitate speciation.</p>
Data for the article entitled: Linking sexual size dimorphism to trophic niche partitioning in a generalist predator
<p>Sexual size dimorphism is a common phenomenon in mammals, and researchers have been trying to demonstrate the evolutionary causes leading to sexual dimorphism. Two main hypotheses emerged: (i) the sexual selection hypothesis and (ii) the sexual competition hypothesis (also called resource partitioning hypothesis). Here, we attempted to link sexual dimorphism in fishers (Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777)) with their fall diet using stable isotope profiling and body and skull measurements. We used the carcasses of 39 fishers which were caught in eastern Québec during fall 2014 by volunteer trappers as well as several potential prey items ranging from small rodents to cervids. We expected minimal niche overlap between sexes, as males should be able to exploit different prey species than females. We also expected to observe an effect of age class (adults vs. juveniles) on trophic niche. As expected, we found great evidence of sexual dimorphism in both body mass and skull measurements: males were heavier and longer than females and had a larger zygomatic and intracanine width and a longer skull. While proportions of prey in diet according to sex and age did not vary greatly, we found some evidence of niche partitioning using Layman's metrics. Indeed, females tended to have a less diversified and more similar diet compared to one another, whereas males showed more diversified and contrasted diets. Despite our limited sample size, our findings provide partial support to the sexual competition hypothesis, as the difference in body and skull size based on sex could have evolved to lessen intraspecific competition in fishers.</p>
Data for: Sex matters: Predator presence induces sexual dimorphism in a monomorphic prey, from stress genes to morphological defenses
<p>Inducible defences allow prey to increase survival chances when predators are present while avoiding unnecessary costs in their absence. Many studies report considerable inter-individual variation in inducible-defence expression, yet what underlies this variation is poorly understood. A classic vertebrate example of a predator‐induced morphological defence is the increased body depth in crucian carp (<em>Carassius carassius</em>), which reduces the risk of predation from gape‐size limited predators. Here, we report that among-individual variation in morphological defence expression can be linked to sex. We documented sexual dimorphism in lakes in which crucian carp coexisted with predators, where females showed shallower relative body depths than males, but not in a predator-free lake. When exposing crucian carp from a population without predators to perceived predation risk in a laboratory environment (presence/absence of pike, <em>Esox lucius</em>), we found that males expressed significantly greater morphological defence than females, causing sexual dimorphism only in the presence of predators. We uncovered a correlative link between the sex-specific <em>inducible phenotypic </em>response and gene expression patterns in major stress-related genes (<em>POMC</em>,<em> MC3R</em>,<em> MC4R</em>). Together, our results highlight that sex-specific responses may be an important, yet underappreciated, component underlying inter-individual differences in the expression of inducible defences, even in species without pronounced sexual dimorphism. </p>
Data from: Sexually attractive traits predict predation-threat sensitivity of male alternative mating tactics
<p>Although visual sexual signals, such as ornamental colors and courtship displays, and large body size in males are attractive to females in numerous species, they may also inadvertently attract the attention of eavesdropping predators and thus may be costly in terms of increasing individual risk of mortality to predation. Theoretically, more color-ornamented and larger males should be more predation threat sensitive and suppress their sexual signaling and(or) mating effort relatively more than their less color-ornamented and smaller counterparts when under predation hazard. Here, we experimentally tested this hypothesis by quantifying concurrently the rates of alternative mating tactics (courtship displays, sneak mating attempts) expressed by male Trinidadian guppies (<em>Poecilia reticulata</em>) varying in color ornamentation and body size under a staged immediate threat of predation. Males suppressed their overall mating effort in response to the perceived predation threat, decreasing the frequency of their (presumably more conspicuous) courtship displays significantly more on average than the frequency of their sneak mating behavior. Statistically controlling for body length, more color-ornamented males were more threat-sensitive in their courtship displays, but not sneak mating attempts, under predation hazard than drabber males. Controlling for body coloration, larger males exhibited lower courtship and sneak mating efforts than smaller males in both predation treatments, but body length only influenced threat sensitivity in sneak mating behavior. These results are consistent with both the threat-sensitive hypothesis and asset protection principle and highlight the phenotype-dependency and adaptive plasticity of alternative mating tactics in male guppies under varying predation risk.</p>
Data from: Sexually attractive traits predict predation-threat sensitivity of male alternative mating tactics
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Sexual selection and predator response in a male-polymorphic livebearing fish
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Effects of chronic and acute predation risk on sexual ornamentation and mating preferences
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Data from: Selection for predation, not female fecundity, explains sexual size dimorphism in the orchid mantises
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Data for the article entitled: Linking sexual size dimorphism to trophic niche partitioning in a generalist predator
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Data for: Sex matters: Predator presence induces sexual dimorphism in a monomorphic prey, from stress genes to morphological defenses
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Data from: Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator
Selecting the right habitat in a risky landscape is crucial for an individual's survival and reproduction. In predator–prey systems, prey often can anticipate the habitat use of their main predator and may use protective associates (i.e. typically an apex predator) as shields against predation. Although never tested, such mechanisms should also evolve in systems in which sexual conflict affects offspring survival. Here, we assessed the relationship between offspring survival and habitat selection, as well as the use of protective associates, in a system in which sexually selected infanticide (SSI), rather than interspecific predation, affects offspring survival. We used the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos) population with SSI in a human-dominated landscape as our model system. Bears, especially adult males, generally avoid humans in our study system. We used resource selection functions to contrast habitat selection of GPS-collared mothers that were successful (i.e. surviving litters, n = 19) and unsuccessful (i.e. complete litter loss, n = 11) in keeping their young during the mating season (2005–2012). Habitat selection was indeed a predictor of litter survival. Successful mothers were more likely to use humans as protective associates, whereas unsuccessful mothers avoided humans. Our results suggest that principles of predator–prey and fear ecology theory (e.g. non-consumptive and cascading effects) can also be applied to the context of sexual conflict.
Data from: Predation cost of a sexual signal in the threespine stickleback
Much evidence exists for sexually selected traits reflecting various components of mate quality, but the factors that limit signal expression and ensure honest signaling are less well known. Predation risk has been proposed to be one factor that could constrain the elaboration of visually conspicuous signals and ensure honesty, but little evidence exists because of limitations of earlier used methods. We investigated using a combination of field observations and experimental work if a conspicuous sexual signal of the threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus, the red nuptial coloration of the male, increases predation risk. We compared the proportion of colorful males in the gut of a predator in the wild, the perch Perca fluviatilis, to that in the population, and found proportionally more red-colored stickleback in the gut. This indicates that the predator selectively preys on colorful males under natural conditions. To differentiate between the effects of color and behavior on susceptibility to predation, we experimentally investigated the attack behavior of the predator towards breeding stickleback males differing in coloration. We found the predator to preferentially attack more colorful males, independent of their behavior. These results indicate that predation risk is a cost of the sexual signal that could limit expression and influence the honesty of the signal as an indicator of mate quality.
Data from: Predation cost of a sexual signal in the threespine stickleback
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Data from: Evasion of predators contributes to the maintenance of male eyes in sexually dimorphic Euphilomedes ostracods (Crustacea)
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Data from: Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator
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Sex‐specific effects of predation risk on parental care in a sexually dichromatic Neotropical songbird
<p>Predation risk affects a broad range of bird behaviours, especially parental care. The adaptive behavioural changes presented by both parents, however, may differ according to different levels of predation risk suffered by each sex. This is especially prominent in sexually dichromatic species, where one of the sexes is more visually conspicuous and hence vulnerable to increased nest predation risk during nest visits. Here, we experimentally investigated how predation risk affects the parental behaviour of a sexually dichromatic Neotropical passerine, the blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina). We used playbacks of known predators and non-predatorial control sympatric species near nesting pairs in the field. Results show that grassquits modify their behaviour according to predation risk and that this behavioural response is sexdependent. Males decrease their nest visit times, become more discreet when moving towards the nest, and stop performing sexual displays after leaving the nest. In contrast, females tend to decrease latency to visit the nest and increase the duration of brooding bouts. These different sex responses reduce nest visual and acoustic detectability, since conspicuous males are readily spotted on nests and cryptic females camouflage nestlings and suppress begging calls. Although these behavioural changes might reduce predation risk, there might be a cost of reduced food load to nestlings and increased brood starvation risk. These changes in nesting activities illustrate the behavioural adaptability of passerines to ensure offspring survival in tropical high predation risk environments.</p>
Data from: A condition-dependent male sexual signal predicts adaptive predator-induced plasticity in offspring
<p>The possibility that sexual selection promotes adaptive evolution in variable environments remains controversial. In particular, where the scale of environmental variation results in parents and their offspring experiencing different environmental conditions, such variation is expected to break down associations between adult sexual traits and adaptive offspring traits. However, when adaptive offspring plasticity in nonsexual traits acts as an indirect benefit of mate choice, then mate choice for males that produce more plastic offspring could promote adaptation to variable environments. This hypothesis assumes that male sexual signals predict offspring plasticity, which has rarely been tested. To test this assumption, we used spadefoot toads (<i>Spea multiplicata</i>) to investigate whether variation in male sexual signals predicts the expression of tadpole tail-fin plasticity in response to predation cues. Such plasticity has been shown to be adaptive in numerous amphibian taxa. We found that condition-dependent male call characteristics predicted offspring plasticity. Generally, both phenotypic plasticity and female mate choice are ubiquitous in nature; therefore, adaptive associations between male sexual signals and offspring plasticity such as the one reported here might be common. </p>
Data from: Eutrophication and predation risk interact to affect sexual trait expression and mating success
Sexual traits are especially sensitive to low food resources. Other environmental parameters (e.g., predation) should also affect sexual trait expression by favoring investment in viability traits rather than sexual traits. We know surprisingly little about how predators alter investment in sexual traits, or how predator and resource environments interact to affect sexual trait investment. We explored how increasing phosphorous (P) availability, at a level mimicking cultural eutrophication, affects the development of sexual, non-sexual, and viability traits of amphipods in the presence and absence of predators. Sexual traits and growth were hyper-sensitive to low P compared to non-sexual traits. However, a key sexual trait responded to low P only when predator cues were absent. Furthermore, investment tradeoffs between sexual traits and growth only occurred when P was low. The phenotypic changes caused by predator cues and increased P availability resulted in higher male mating success. Thus, eutrophication not only affects sexual trait expression but also masks the tradeoff between traits with similar P demand. Sensitivity of sexually selected traits to changes in P, combined with the important roles these traits play in determining fitness and driving speciation, suggests that human-induced environmental change can greatly alter the evolutionary trajectories of populations.
Data from: Broad-scale variation in sexual dichromatism in songbirds is not explained by sex differences in exposure to predators during incubation
The evolution of sexual dichromatism provoked one of the greatest disagreements between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. According to Darwin the main driving force is sexual selection, whereby choosy females prefer showy males, leading to the evolution of conspicuous male plumage. On the other hand, Wallace suggested that dichromatism may arise because nest predation favors more cryptic females. To test the role of natural selection in the evolution of dichromatism we combined quantitative data on differences in parental share in nest attentiveness (representing the strength of natural selection on males vs. females) with spectrophotometric measurements of dichromatism in 412 species of songbirds from 69 families. We expected to find stronger dichromatism in open-nesting species with more divergent parental roles and in body parts exposed during incubation. Dichromatism was not related to the differences in parental share during incubation, but it was most pronounced in lekking species, migrants, and small species. Our results thus suggest that Wallace's hypothesis is not able to explain broad-scale variation in the dichromatism of songbirds, but point to a role for sexual selection, mutual mate choice, and migration strategy in shaping the extraordinary variation in dichromatism exhibited by songbirds.
Data for: Predation risk and the evolution of a vertebrate stress response: parallel evolution of stress reactivity and sexual dimorphism
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Predation risk is often invoked to explain variation in stress responses. Yet, the answers to several key questions remain elusive, including: 1) how predation risk influences the evolution of stress phenotypes, 2) the relative importance of environmental versus genetic factors in stress reactivity, and 3) sexual dimorphism in stress physiology. To address these questions, we </span></span>explored variation in stress reactivity (ventilation frequency) in a post-Pleistocene radiation of live-bearing fish, where Bahamas mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia hubbsi</i>) inhabit isolated blue holes that differ in predation risk. Individuals of populations coexisting with predators exhibited similar, relatively low stress reactivity as compared to low-predation populations. We suggest that this dampened stress reactivity has evolved to reduce energy expenditure in environments with frequent and intense stressors, such as piscivorous fish. Importantly, the magnitude of stress responses exhibited by fish from high-predation sites in the wild changed very little after two generations of laboratory rearing in the absence of predators. By comparison, low-predation populations exhibited greater among-population variation and larger changes subsequent to laboratory rearing. These low-predation populations appear to have evolved more dampened stress responses in blue holes with lower food availability. Moreover, females showed a lower ventilation frequency, and this sexual dimorphism was stronger in high-predation populations. This may reflect a greater premium placed on energy efficiency in live-bearing females, especially under high predation risk where females show higher fecundities. Altogether, by demonstrating parallel adaptive divergence in stress reactivity, we highlight how energetic trade-offs may mould the evolution of the vertebrate stress response under varying predation risk and resource availability.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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