Genetic Color Morphs in the Eastern Mosquitofish Experience Different Social Environments in the Wild and Laboratory

Kraft, Brittany; Williams, Emily; Lemakos, Valerie A.; Travis, Joseph; Hughes, Kimberly A.

doi:10.1111/eth.12531

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…IGEs have been documented across a range of additional social traits, including paternal care (Head et al 2012), social dominance (Moore et al 2002;Wilson et al 2011), agonistic encounters (Wilson et al 2009;Santostefano et al 2016), group antipredator behavior (Bleakley et al 2009;Edenbrow et al 2017), and breeding date in birds (Germain et al 2016). In the mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki, direct genetic effects (DGEs) influence the number of social partners that males of different color morphs encounter, illustrating how DGEs and IGEs can covary (Kraft et al 2016), a critical parameter influencing evolutionary dynamics (Bijma 2014).…”

Section: Empirical Evidence For Iges In Behavioral Ecology Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indirect genetic effects in behavioral ecology: does behavior play a special role in evolution?

2017

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Behavior is rapidly flexible and highly context-dependent, which poses obvious challenges to researchers attempting to dissect its causes. However, over a century of unresolved debate has also focused on whether the very flexibility and context-dependence of behavior lends it a unique role in the evolutionary origins and patterns of diversity in the Animal Kingdom. Here, we propose that both challenges can benefit from studying how indirect genetic effects (IGEs: the effects of genes expressed in one individual on traits in another individual) shape behavioral phenotypes. We provide a sketch of the theoretical framework that grounds IGEs in behavioral ecology research and focus on recent advances made from studies of IGEs in areas of behavioral ecology such as sexual selection, sexual conflict, social dominance, and parent-offspring interactions. There is mounting evidence that IGEs have important influences on behavioral phenotypes associated with these processes, such as sexual signals and preferences and behaviors which function to manipulate interacting partners. IGEs can also influence both responses to selection and selection itself, and considering IGEs refines evolutionary predictions and provides new perspectives on the origins of seemingly perplexing behavioral traits. A key unresolved question, but one that has dominated the behavioral sciences for over a century, is whether behavior is more likely than other types of traits to contribute to evolutionary change and diversification. We advocate taking advantage of an IGE approach to outline falsifiable hypotheses and a general methodology to rigorously test this frequently proposed, yet still contentious, special role of behavior in evolution.

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Section: Empirical Evidence For Iges In Behavioral Ecology Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indirect genetic effects in behavioral ecology: does behavior play a special role in evolution?

2017

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“…M males also have more social partners (Kraft et al. ), are more behaviorally sensitive to genetic differences in the social environment (Kraft et al. ) and, in mesocosms, experience negative frequency‐dependent survival (Horth and Travis ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compared to S males, M males have been reported to be more aggressive (Martin 1977, Horth 2003; but see Kraft et al 2018), more likely to pursue females, and more likely to elicit evasive behaviors from conspecifics (Horth 2006). M males also have more social partners (Kraft et al 2016), are more behaviorally sensitive to genetic differences in the social environment (Kraft et al 2018) and, in mesocosms, experience negative frequency-dependent survival (Horth and Travis 2002). These results suggest that the genetic composition of the social environment (i.e., the frequency of M and S males) can substantially affect individual behavior and mortality, and that other fitness-related traits might also be affected.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

GxG epistasis in growth and condition and the maintenance of genetic polymorphism inGambusia holbrooki

et al. 2018

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Theory on indirect genetic effects (IGEs) indicates that variation in the genetic composition of social groups can generate GxG epistasis that may promote the evolution of stable polymorphisms. Using a livebearing fish with a genetic polymorphism in coloration and associated behavioral differences, we tested whether genotypes of social partners interacted with focal individual genotypes to influence growth and condition over 16 weeks of development. We found that IGEs had a significant influence on patterns of feeding, regardless of focal fish genotype. There was no influence of social environment on juvenile length, but there was significant GxG epistasis for body condition. Each focal juvenile was in better condition when its own genotype was not present in adult social partners. These data are consistent with negative frequency-dependent selection in which each morph performs better when it is rare. Neither variation in feeding nor activity-related behaviors explained variation in body condition, suggesting that GxG epistasis for condition was caused by physiological differences between the two genotypes. These findings indicate that GxG epistasis in a given polymorphism can generate fitness landscapes that contribute to the maintenance of that polymorphism and to maintenance of genetic variation for additional fitness-related traits.

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“…Each morph may thus have a different social group, which in turn affects social dynamics. Both G. holbrooki morphs interacted with the same number of unspotted males, but spotted males had more social partners and more interactions with females than unspotted males in the lab and in the wild (Kraft et al, 2016). Both white and black mollies preferred phenotypically similar shoal mates (McRobert and Bradner, 1998;Bradner and McRobert, 2001b).…”

Section: Social Groupsmentioning

confidence: 94%

The Biology of Polymorphic Melanic Side-Spotting Patterns in Poeciliid Fishes

Zerulla

Stoddard

2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Melanin-based color patterns are an emerging model for studying molecular and evolutionary mechanisms driving phenotypic correlations. Extensive literature exists on color patterns and their correlated traits in the family Poeciliidae, indicating that these fishes are tractable models. We review the biology of polymorphic melanic side-spotting patterns characterized by macromelanophores forming irregular spotted patterns across fishes’ flanks. These patterns are present in the genera Gambusia, Limia, Phalloceros, Poecilia, and Xiphophorus. Their presence is controlled by dominant genes on autosomes or sex chromosomes. Variation in expression is under polygenic control; however, these genes’ identities are still largely unknown. In some Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia latipinna, expression is dependent on low temperature exposure, but underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Spotted fish develop melanoma in rare cases and are a well-developed model for melanoma research. Little is known about other physiological correlates except that spotted G. holbrooki males exhibit higher basal cortisol levels than unspotted males and that metabolic rate does not differ between morphs in some Xiphophorus species. Behavioral differences between morphs are widespread, but specific to population, species, and social context. Spotted G. holbrooki males appear to be more social and more dominant. Juvenile spotted G. holbrooki have lower behavioral flexibility, and spotted X. variatus exhibit greater stress resistance. Findings conflict on whether morphs differ in sexual behavior and in sexual selection by females. Melanic side-spotting patterns are uncommon (<30%) in populations, although extreme high-frequency populations exist. This low frequency is surprising for dominant genes, indicating that a variety of selective pressures influence both these patterns and their correlated traits. Little is known about reproductive life history traits. Spotted G. holbrooki are larger and have higher survival when uncommon, but underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Spotted morphs appear to have a strong selective advantage during predation. Predators prefer to attack and consume unspotted morphs; however, this preference disappears when spotted G. holbrooki males are common, indicating negative frequency-dependent selection. Spotted morphs are preferred socially under turbid conditions, but other environmental factors that shape phenotypic correlations and morph fitness have not been studied. Finally, we present questions for future studies on melanic side-spotting patterns.

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Genetic Color Morphs in the Eastern Mosquitofish Experience Different Social Environments in the Wild and Laboratory

Cited by 11 publications

References 76 publications

Indirect genetic effects in behavioral ecology: does behavior play a special role in evolution?

Indirect genetic effects in behavioral ecology: does behavior play a special role in evolution?

GxG epistasis in growth and condition and the maintenance of genetic polymorphism inGambusia holbrooki

The Biology of Polymorphic Melanic Side-Spotting Patterns in Poeciliid Fishes

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