On the role of male competition in speciation: a review and research agenda

Tinghitella, Robin M.; Lackey, Alycia C R; Martin, Michael D.; Dijkstra, Peter D.; Drury, Jonathan P.; Heathcote, Robert J. P.; Keagy, Jason; Scordato, Elizabeth S. C.; Tyers, Alexandra M.

doi:10.1093/beheco/arx151

Cited by 71 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 188 publications

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“…In summary, we focussed on recently diverged populations of the same species to better understand PMPZ reproductive barriers that could act at the very earliest stages of the speciation process (Butlin et al., ; Servedio & Boughman, ; Shaw & Mullen, ; Tinghitella et al., ), the extent to which these barriers are consistent between populations collected at different times and between different genotypes, and how mating histories of the sexes influenced the strength of PMPZ isolation. While there is no guarantee that these populations will continue along the speciation process, we showed consistent, persistent, and reproducible isolation between D. montana populations that is manifested at the population level and not influenced by either male or female mating history.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistent postmating, prezygotic reproductive isolation between populations

Garlovsky

Snook

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Studying reproductive barriers between populations of the same species is critical to understand how speciation may proceed. Growing evidence suggests postmating, prezygotic (PMPZ) reproductive barriers play an important role in the evolution of early taxonomic divergence. However, the contribution of PMPZ isolation to speciation is typically studied between species in which barriers that maintain isolation may not be those that contributed to reduced gene flow between populations. Moreover, in internally fertilizing animals, PMPZ isolation is related to male ejaculate—female reproductive tract incompatibilities but few studies have examined how mating history of the sexes can affect the strength of PMPZ isolation and the extent to which PMPZ isolation is repeatable or restricted to particular interacting genotypes. We addressed these outstanding questions using multiple populations of Drosophila montana. We show a recurrent pattern of PMPZ isolation, with flies from one population exhibiting reproductive incompatibility in crosses with all three other populations, while those three populations were fully fertile with each other. Reproductive incompatibility is due to lack of fertilization and is asymmetrical, affecting female fitness more than males. There was no effect of male or female mating history on reproductive incompatibility, indicating that PMPZ isolation persists between populations. We found no evidence of variability in fertilization outcomes attributable to different female × male genotype interactions, and in combination with our other results, suggests that PMPZ isolation is not driven by idiosyncratic genotype × genotype interactions. Our results show PMPZ isolation as a strong, consistent barrier to gene flow early during speciation and suggest several targets of selection known to affect ejaculate‐female reproductive tract interactions within species that may cause this PMPZ isolation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistent postmating, prezygotic reproductive isolation between populations

Garlovsky

Snook

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…These environmental factors can also affect sexually selected traits. For example, interactions with eavesdropping predators and parasites (reviewed in Zuk & Kolluru, ), interspecific (reviewed in Gröning & Hochkirch, ) and intraspecific competing signalers (reviewed in Tinghitella, Lackey, et al, ), and transmittance properties of the environment (Boughman, ; Endler, ; Seehausen et al, ) place sexually selected traits under conflicting selection that shapes phenotypic and genetic variation within and among populations. Thus, natural selection can impose a cost on conspicuous sexual displays, such as in the Pacific field cricket ( Teleogryllus oceanicus ) where male calling song also attracts parasitoids (Zuk et al, ) and in guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ) where environmental conditions affect the transmittance of light and perception of colorful sexual signals (Endler, ; Gamble, Lindholm, Endler, & Brooks, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic divergence among threespine stickleback that differ in nuptial coloration

Jenck

Lehto

Ketterman

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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By studying systems in their earliest stages of differentiation, we can learn about the evolutionary forces acting within and among populations and how those forces could contribute to reproductive isolation. Such an understanding would help us to better discern and predict how selection leads to the maintenance of multiple morphs within a species, rather than speciation. The postglacial adaptive radiation of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is one of the best‐studied cases of evolutionary diversification and rapid, repeated speciation. Following deglaciation, marine stickleback have continually invaded freshwater habitats across the northern hemisphere and established resident populations that diverged innumerable times from their oceanic ancestors. Independent freshwater colonization events have yielded broadly parallel patterns of morphological differences in freshwater and marine stickleback. However, there is also much phenotypic diversity within and among freshwater populations. We studied a lesser‐known freshwater “species pair” found in southwest Washington, where male stickleback in numerous locations have lost the ancestral red sexual signal and instead develop black nuptial coloration. We measured phenotypic variation in a suite of traits across sites where red and black stickleback do not overlap in distribution and at one site where they historically co‐occurred. We found substantial phenotypic divergence between red and black morphs in noncolor traits including shape and lateral plating, and additionally find evidence that supports the hypothesis of sensory drive as the mechanism responsible for the evolutionary switch in color from red to black. A newly described third “mixed” morph in Connor Creek, Washington, differs in head shape and size from the red and black morphs, and we suggest that their characteristics are most consistent with hybridization between anadromous and freshwater stickleback. These results lay the foundation for future investigation of the underlying genetic basis of this phenotypic divergence as well as the evolutionary processes that may drive, maintain, or limit divergence among morphs.

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“…; Tinghitella et al. ). However, studies from a variety of taxa show that aggressive behavior and territorial defense vary geographically (Newman et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Tinghitella et al. ). Here, I examined how variation in the strength, direction, and targets of both female choice and male competition contributes to song divergence in an avian ring species, the greenish warbler ( Phylloscopus trochiloides ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Male competition drives song divergence along an ecological gradient in an avian ring species

Scordato

2018

Evolution

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Sexual selection operates via female choice and male competition, which can act independently, in concert, or in opposition. Female choice is typically considered the stronger selective force, but how these two processes interact to shape phenotypic divergence is poorly understood. I tested the hypothesis that variation in sexual selection in different habitats drives song divergence in the greenish warbler ring species. I evaluated the strength, direction, and targets of female choice and male competition in three populations spanning 2400 km of latitude. Average song length increased with latitude, concomitant with a decline in population density. Within populations, males sang longer songs when females were fertile and shorter songs during territory establishment. Females consistently preferred males with longer songs and larger song repertoires. By contrast, playback experiments showed that males used short songs in territory defense. Songs were shortest at high densities, and in the highest density population only, song traits preferred by females correlated with male territoriality. Stronger male competition at high population densities likely constrains maximum song length, whereas weaker competition at low densities allows expression of female choice for long songs. Interactions between male competition and ecology may be a crucial but oft-overlooked component of phenotypic divergence and speciation.

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On the role of male competition in speciation: a review and research agenda

Cited by 71 publications

References 188 publications

Persistent postmating, prezygotic reproductive isolation between populations

Persistent postmating, prezygotic reproductive isolation between populations

Phenotypic divergence among threespine stickleback that differ in nuptial coloration

Male competition drives song divergence along an ecological gradient in an avian ring species

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