Sympatric speciation through intraspecific social parasitism

Savolainen, Riitta; Vepsäläinen, Kari

doi:10.1073/pnas.1036825100

Cited by 108 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…This result is not forgone, because polymorphism loss could proceed in directions not consistent with morphic speciation, such as by losing all throat colors or by a new throat color type evolving that excluded all others. Prior evidence for morphic speciation has largely consisted of monomorphic species resembling a morph found in a closely related polymorphic species (2,6,10). We also found that morph loss was coincident with species formation, because two of the four subspecies we sampled were monomorphic and the one insular species sampled was dimorphic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selective loss of polymorphic mating types is associated with rapid phenotypic evolution during morphic speciation

Corl

Davis

Kuchta

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

148

170

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Polymorphism may play an important role in speciation because new species could originate from the distinctive morphs observed in polymorphic populations. However, much remains to be understood about the process by which morphs found new species. To detail the steps of this mode of speciation, we studied the geographic variation and evolutionary history of a throat color polymorphism that distinguishes the "rock-paper-scissors" mating strategies of the sideblotched lizard, Uta stansburiana. We found that the polymorphism is geographically widespread and has been maintained for millions of years. However, there are many populations with reduced numbers of throat color morphs. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the polymorphism is ancestral, but it has been independently lost eight times, often giving rise to morphologically distinct subspecies/species. Changes to the polymorphism likely involved selection because the allele for one particular male strategy, the "sneaker" morph, has been lost in all cases. Polymorphism loss was associated with accelerated evolution of male size, female size, and sexual dimorphism, which suggests that polymorphism loss can promote rapid divergence among populations and aid species formation.lizard | morph | phylogeny | rock-paper-scissors | Uta stansburiana P olymorphic forms within a population could be the starting material for new species (1-4). Tests of how polymorphisms diversify into new lineages have been relatively rare (2, 5, 6), despite increasing recognition that polymorphisms, such as alternative mating strategies, are common within species (7-9). Here we investigate the processes by which a morph in a polymorphic population may diverge to found a new species.Competition within a population can generate morphs possessing alternative adaptations, which may become as phenotypically distinct as separate species and thus primed for speciation (2, 3). WestEberhard theorized how morphs may promote speciation (2, 10) and suggested that selection in new environments may favor a particular morph, destabilizing the dynamics maintaining the polymorphism. If a population loses a morph, this can lead to rapid phenotypic divergence in the remaining morph(s) (2). One cause of rapid divergence is that genetic evolution may be constrained in polymorphic populations, because alleles that increase the fitness of a single morph but decrease the fitness of other morphs may be unable to spread. Loss of a morph allows these alleles to spread, which can result in rapid phenotypic evolution in the direction of specialization on the remaining morph phenotypes, a process called character release (2). Another reason for rapid evolution coincident with morph loss is that colonization of a new ecological environment may select against a particular morph and also favor novel phenotypes in the remaining morphs. In addition, loss of a morph changes the competitive environment, because the fitness of morphs can depend on the frequency of other types in the population (8). Rapid evolution may occur ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tests of how polymorphisms diversify into new lineages have been relatively rare (2,5,6), despite increasing recognition that polymorphisms, such as alternative mating strategies, are common within species (7)(8)(9). Here we investigate the processes by which a morph in a polymorphic population may diverge to found a new species.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective loss of polymorphic mating types is associated with rapid phenotypic evolution during morphic speciation

Corl

Davis

Kuchta

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

148

170

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“…The recent research on the phylogenetic relationships of social parasites with their hosts has produced many different results, some seeming to show strong support for sympatric speciation (Savolainen and Vepsäläinen, 2003;Sumner et al, 2004), while others appear to provide evidence against a sympatric origin of social parasites (Carpenter et al, 1993;Choudhary et al, 1994;Ward, 1996;Steiner et al, 2006). It may very well be that the different relationships obtained are due to the different divergence dates of the parasitic species used in each of these studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…This range in the degree of adaptation to social parasitism is reflected in taxonomic structure, with some parasites accorded generic status, and others being placed in the same genus as their hosts. It seems likely that the extent of morphological adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle is at least partly correlated with the length of time since parasitism evolved (Savolainen and Vepsäläinen, 2003) and, if so, suggests a wide variation in the age of these parasitic allodapine lineages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origins of social parasitism: The importance of divergence ages in phylogenetic studies

Smith

Tierney

Park

et al. 2007

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

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“…The most spectacular example of ongoing parasitic speciation processes within the genus Myrmica is that of M. rubra and its microgyne form, the so-called M. microrubra (Savolainen and Vepsäläinen, 2003). The small queens of M. rubra are results of an isometric reduction in normalsized queens called macrogynes and they have the same negative queen effect on the development of overwintering larvae as 'normal' queens have (Elmes, 1976).…”

Section: Arnaldomentioning

confidence: 99%

Myrmica ants host highly diverse parasitic communities: from social parasites to microbes

2014

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Myrmica ants have been model species for studies in a variety of disciplines, including insect physiology, chemical communication, ant social dynamics, ant population, community ecology, and ant interactions with other organisms. Species belonging to the genus Myrmica can be found in virtually every habitat within the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and their biology and systematics have been thoroughly studied. These ants serve as hosts to highly diverse parasitic organisms from socially parasitic butterfly caterpillars to microbes, and many Myrmica species even evolved into parasitizing species of their own genus. These parasites have various impacts both on the individuals and on the social structure of their hosts, ranging from morphological malformations to reduction in colony fitness. A comprehensive review of the parasitic organisms supported by Myrmica and the effects of these organisms on individuals and on whole ant colonies has not yet been compiled. Here, we provide a review of the interactions of these organisms with Myrmica ants by discussing host and parasite functional, behavioral or physiological adaptations. In addition, for all "symbiont groups" of Myrmica ants described in this paper, we examine the present limitations of the knowledge at present of their impact on individuals and host colony fitness. In conclusion, we argue that Myrmica ants serve as remarkable resource for the evolution of a wide variety of associated organisms.

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Sympatric speciation through intraspecific social parasitism

Cited by 108 publications

References 58 publications

Selective loss of polymorphic mating types is associated with rapid phenotypic evolution during morphic speciation

Selective loss of polymorphic mating types is associated with rapid phenotypic evolution during morphic speciation

Origins of social parasitism: The importance of divergence ages in phylogenetic studies

Myrmica ants host highly diverse parasitic communities: from social parasites to microbes

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