Antler Size in Red Deer: Heritability and Selection but No Evolution

Kruuk, Loeske E. B.; Slate, Jon; Pemberton, Josephine M.; Brotherstone, S.; Guinness, F. E.; Clutton‐Brock, Tim

doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb01480.x

Cited by 470 publications

(522 citation statements)

References 68 publications

(93 reference statements)

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“…When estimating quantitative genetics parameters such as the heritability of a trait or the genetic correlation between two traits, 2f xy is the metric used to describe the genetic relationship between individuals (Lynch & Walsh 1998). Quantitative genetic analysis in natural populations is currently focused on two great questions: how to explain the maintenance of quantitative genetic variation even in traits that are under directional selection (Coltman et al 2001;Foerster et al 2007), and how to explain how natural populations respond to selection, including the frequent observation of stasis instead of predicted change (Merilä et al 2001;Kruuk et al 2002bKruuk et al , 2003Wilson et al 2006Wilson et al , 2007. In both cases, there appear to be several explanations with empirical support and it will take further research in multiple study systems to elucidate general patterns.…”

Section: What Do Pedigrees Offer?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild pedigrees: the way forward

2008

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Metrics derived from pedigrees are key to investigating several major issues in evolutionary biology, including the quantitative genetic architecture of traits, inbreeding depression, and the evolution of cooperation and inbreeding avoidance. There is merit in studying these issues in natural populations experiencing spatially and temporally variable environmental conditions, since these analyses may yield different results from laboratory studies and allow us to understand population responses to rapid environmental change. Partial pedigrees are now available for several natural populations which are the subject of long-term individual-based studies, and analyses using these pedigrees are leading to important insights. Accurate pedigree construction supported by molecular genetic data is now feasible across a wide range of taxa, and even where only imprecise pedigrees are available it is possible to estimate the consequences of imprecision for the questions of interest. In outbred diploid populations, the pedigree approach is superior to analyses based on marker-based pairwise estimators of coancestry.

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Section: What Do Pedigrees Offer?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild pedigrees: the way forward

2008

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“…genetically based) response to selection [9,10]. For example, Kruuk et al [9] found heritable variation for antler size in red deer Cervus elaphus and that larger antlers enhanced breeding success, yet no evolution. The reason is that both antler size and breeding success were correlated with nutritional state, thus nullifying the selection for larger antlers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selection analysis on the rapid evolution of a secondary sexual trait

et al. 2015

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Evolutionary analyses of population translocations (experimental or accidental) have been important in demonstrating speed of evolution because they subject organisms to abrupt environmental changes that create an episode of selection. However, the strength of selection in such studies is rarely measured, limiting our understanding of the evolutionary process. This contrasts with long-term, mark-recapture studies of unmanipulated populations that measure selection directly, yet rarely reveal evolutionary change. Here, we present a study of experimental evolution of male colour in Trinidadian guppies where we tracked both evolutionary change and individual-based measures of selection. Guppies were translocated from a predator-rich to a low-predation environment within the same stream system. We used a combination of common garden experiments and monthly sampling of individuals to measure the phenotypic and genetic divergence of male coloration between ancestral and derived fish. Results show rapid evolutionary increases in orange coloration in both populations (1 year or three generations), replicating the results of previous studies. Unlike previous studies, we linked this evolution to an individual-based analysis of selection. By quantifying individual reproductive success and survival, we show, for the first time, that males with more orange and black pigment have higher reproductive success, but males with more black pigment also have higher risk of mortality. The net effect of selection is thus an advantage of orange but not black coloration, as reflected in the evolutionary response. This highlights the importance of considering all components of fitness when understanding the evolution of sexually selected traits in the wild.

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“…The first method is genetic paternity analysis, a mainstay of evolutionary ecology [3][4][5][6][7][8]. Selection differentials estimated via paternity analysis convey the phenotypic covariance between traits and male fitness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating selection through male fitness: three complementary methods illuminate the nature and causes of selection on flowering time

Austen

Weis

2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Our understanding of selection through male fitness is limited by the resource demands and indirect nature of the best available genetic techniques. Applying complementary, independent approaches to this problem can help clarify evolution through male function. We applied three methods to estimate selection on flowering time through male fitness in experimental populations of the annual plant Brassica rapa : (i) an analysis of mating opportunity based on flower production schedules, (ii) genetic paternity analysis, and (iii) a novel approach based on principles of experimental evolution. Selection differentials estimated by the first method disagreed with those estimated by the other two, indicating that mating opportunity was not the principal driver of selection on flowering time. The genetic and experimental evolution methods exhibited striking agreement overall, but a slight discrepancy between the two suggested that negative environmental covariance between age at flowering and male fitness may have contributed to phenotypic selection. Together, the three methods enriched our understanding of selection on flowering time, from mating opportunity to phenotypic selection to evolutionary response. The novel experimental evolution method may provide a means of examining selection through male fitness when genetic paternity analysis is not possible.

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Antler Size in Red Deer: Heritability and Selection but No Evolution

Cited by 470 publications

References 68 publications

Wild pedigrees: the way forward

Wild pedigrees: the way forward

Selection analysis on the rapid evolution of a secondary sexual trait

Estimating selection through male fitness: three complementary methods illuminate the nature and causes of selection on flowering time

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