Sperm design and function are important determinants of male reproductive success and are expected to be under strong selection. The way that spermatozoa phenotypes evolve is poorly understood, because there have been few studies of the quantitative genetics of sperm. Here we show, in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, an extraordinary degree of inter-male variation in sperm design that is independent of sperm swimming velocity. A quantitative genetics study using data from over 900 zebra finches in a complex breeding experiment showed that sperm head, mid-piece and flagellum length are heritable, that negative genetic correlations exist between sperm traits, and that significant indirect (maternal) genetic effects exist. Selection on the zebra finch sperm phenotype may be low because sperm competition is infrequent in this species, and this, in combination with negative genetic correlations and maternal genetic effects, may account for the variation in sperm phenotype between males. These results have important implications for the evolution of sperm in other taxa.

Temporal variation in natural selection is predicted to strongly impact the evolution and demography of natural populations, with consequences for the rate of adaptation, evolution of plasticity, and extinction risk. Most of the theory underlying these predictions assumes a moving optimum phenotype, with predictions expressed in terms of the temporal variance and autocorrelation of this optimum. However, empirical studies seldom estimate patterns of fluctuations of an optimum phenotype, precluding further progress in connecting theory with observations. To bridge this gap, we assess the evidence for temporal variation in selection on breeding date by modeling a fitness function with a fluctuating optimum, across 39 populations of 21 wild animals, one of the largest compilations of long-term datasets with individual measurements of trait and fitness components. We find compelling evidence for fluctuations in the fitness function, causing temporal variation in the magnitude, but not the direction of selection. However, fluctuations of the optimum phenotype need not directly translate into variation in selection gradients, because their impact can be buffered by partial tracking of the optimum by the mean phenotype. Analyzing individuals that reproduce in consecutive years, we find that plastic changes track movements of the optimum phenotype across years, especially in bird species, reducing temporal variation in directional selection. This suggests that phenological plasticity has evolved to cope with fluctuations in the optimum, despite their currently modest contribution to variation in selection.

Highlights d The hihi has a low genetic diversity from genomic data compared to other birds d The heritability of a range of adaptive traits is inferred to be low to very low d The additive genetic variance of relative fitness is inferred to be very low d These results converge toward a strong lack of adaptive potential in the hihi Authors

The maintenance of genetic diversity is thought to be fundamental for the conservation of threatened species. It is therefore important to understand how genetic diversity is affected by the re-introduction of threatened species. We use establishment history and genetic data from the remnant and re-introduced populations of a New Zealand endemic bird, the hihi Notiomystis cincta, to understand genetic diversity loss and quantify the genetic effects of re-introduction. Our data do not support any recent bottleneck events in the remnant population. Furthermore, all genetic diversity measures indicate the remnant hihi population has retained high levels of genetic diversity relative to other New Zealand avifauna with similar histories of decline. Genetic diversity (N(A) , alleles per locus, allelic richness, F(IS) and H(S) ) did not significantly decrease in new hihi populations founded through re-introduction when compared to their source populations, except in the Kapiti Island population (allelic richness and H(S) ) which had very slow post-re-introduction population growth. The N(e) /N(c) ratio in the remnant population was high, but decreased in first-level re-introductions, which together with significant genetic differentiation between populations (F(ST) & Fisher's exact tests) suggest that extant populations are diverging as a result of founder effects and drift. Importantly, simulations of future allele loss predict that the number of alleles lost will be higher in populations with a slow population growth, fewer founding individuals and with nonrandom mating. Interestingly, this species has very high levels of extra-pair paternity which may reduce reproductive variance by allowing social and floater males to reproduce a life history trait that together with a large remnant population size may help maintain higher levels of genetic diversity than expected.