Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ewan O. Flintham, Vincent Savolainen, Charles Mullon
Summary: Sexual conflict can arise when males evolve traits that harm females while improving their own mating success. This study shows that conflict is more intense in populations where individuals are in better condition, as condition-dependent expression of sexually selected traits readily evolves. This intensified conflict reduces mean fitness and can lead to a negative association between condition and population size. The coevolution of condition and sexual conflict can make the good genes effect detrimental to populations in the presence of male harm.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Koutaro Ould Maeno, Cyril Piou, Sidi Ould Ely, Sid'Ahmed Ould Mohamed, Mohamed El Hacen Jaavar, Said Ghaout, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah Ebbe
Summary: Male mating harassment can be reduced in dense populations of desert locusts through behavioral adaptations, where non-gravid females and males live separately while males wait for gravid females at lekking sites to mate. In low-density populations, solitarious locusts display balanced sex ratios and females mate regardless of ovarian state. This suggests that group separation based on sex biases behavior to minimize male mating harassment and competition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michael S. S. Reichert, Ivan de la Hera
Summary: By studying the preferences of both sexes in response to novel mating signals in grey treefrogs, evidence of sensory bias was found in both males and females: males exhibited more intense responses to complex stimuli, while females sometimes preferred complex stimuli.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Amanda Vieira da Silva, Joao Gabriel Lacerda de Almeida
Summary: It is hypothesized that male golden orb-web spiders prefer to establish on webs of non-parasitized females and attempt to mate with them more. However, there was no difference in the number of attempts to mate and copulations between parasitized and non-parasitized females. It is possible that some males stay on a parasitized female web to avoid competition with other males, representing a "making the best of a bad job" mating tactic.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pei Zhang, Bingyi Zhang, Derek W. Dunn, Xiaoyue Song, Kang Huang, Shixuan Dong, Fei Niu, Meijing Ying, Yingying Zhang, Yixin Shang, Ruliang Pan, Baoguo Li
Summary: Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are important for immunocompetence in vertebrates and influence female mate choice in wild golden snub-nosed monkeys. MHC dissimilarity is favored for social choice, while intermediate MHC dissimilarity is favored for paternal choice. Social mates prefer MHC heterozygotes and higher microsatellite diversity, while paternal mates prefer higher microsatellite diversity. The formation of male-female social pairings is predicted by compatibility based on MHC sharing, but genetic effects do not impact the duration of pairings or the likelihood of producing offspring.
Article
Zoology
Yuan-Cheng Cheng, Yi-Huey Chen, Chunwen Chang, Ming-Feng Chuang, Yuying Hsu
Summary: Endurance rivalry and female choice both play important roles in the mating success of male emerald treefrogs, and are influenced by male body size/condition.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Viktor Kovalov, Hanna Kokko
Summary: In many species, male lifespan is shorter than that of females due to sexual selection and coevolution. Opportunistic mating females can cause males to spend more time on displaying, which has an impact on male lifespan.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lauren M. Harrison, Gabriela C. Melo, Daniela M. Perez, Patricia R. Y. Backwell
Summary: Experimental results show that females have a strong preference for leader males, but followers still obtain a certain proportion of mates. Proximity of followers to females does not affect female preference for leaders, but being a leader increases a male's success when he is further from the female than rival males. Furthermore, the presence of a leader male makes females more likely to approach a distant group, suggesting that followers benefit from participating in synchrony.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Paulo B. Chaves, Karen B. Strier, Anthony Di Fiore
Summary: Evidence suggests that females, both human and nonhuman primates, avoid breeding with close kin and may choose mates based on MHC diversity. In egalitarian societies like the northern muriquis, female mate choice is less constrained and sires with higher MHC diversity are preferred. However, there is no evidence of mating preference for males who are more distantly related or have more MHC alleles distinct from their own, suggesting that female mate choice may be limited by other factors impacting male fertilization success.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Olivia Feagles, Gerlinde Hobel
Summary: Mate choice is a crucial factor in natural and sexual selection, and understanding the roles of different components is essential for comprehending its contribution.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Biology
Goran Arnqvist, Karl Grieshop, Cosima Hotzy, Johanna Ronn, Michal Polak, Locke Rowe
Summary: The study found that male genital spines in seed beetles have a direct negative impact on female fecundity, but females mating with males from long-spine lines produced more offspring, indicating the presence of indirect effects. Females adapt to male spines through evolutionary selection, influenced by multiple simultaneous processes that affect mating and fertilization biases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Manuel Sapage, Susana A. M. Varela, Hanna Kokko
Summary: The study shows that social learning can promote dispersal in individuals, especially in terms of mate choice. Immigrant females can switch to locally adapted preferences through mate-choice copying, thereby mitigating dispersal costs. This results in increased gene flow, reducing local adaptation and trait-preference correlations.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Qianxi Fan, E. Mingju, Yusheng Wei, Wei Sun, Haitao Wang
Summary: Female great tits engaging in double breeding choose mates with both genetic compatibility and good genes, preferring males with large breast stripes, high heterozygosity, and lower relatedness. The genetic quality of offspring from double-breeding pairs is higher than that of those from single-breeding pairs.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David Canal, Monika Jablonszky, Katalin Krenhardt, Gabor Marko, Gergely Nagy, Eszter Szasz, Janos Torok, Sandor Zsebok, Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi
Summary: This study revealed the relative importance of male and female identity in male courtship behavior, as well as the increased male responsiveness to stimulus females as the breeding season progressed. Furthermore, the results suggest that invitation latency is a consistent courtship attribute in males that can be adjusted plastically according to perceived female quality and environmental conditions.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Conor C. Taff, Corey R. Freeman-Gallant
Summary: In many species, both males and females possess sexual signals, but most research focuses on understanding signal expression in males. However, increasing evidence demonstrates functional explanations for variation in female signals, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ambre Ribardiere, Elsa Pabion, Jerome Coudret, Claire Daguin-Thiebaut, Celine Houbin, Stephane Loisel, Sebastien Henry, Thomas Broquet
Summary: Sexual barriers associated with mate choice are often linked with ecological isolation between species, but the strength of sexual isolation can be difficult to assess. In a study of two marine isopod species, sexual isolation was found to be strong regardless of the presence of ecological isolation, but was asymmetric and did not completely prevent gene flow between the species. This suggests that sexual isolation alone may not be enough for complete speciation.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christophe Dufresnes, Alan Brelsford, Felix Baier, Nicolas Perrin
Summary: Sex chromosomes do not necessarily stop recombining, heterochiasmy does not necessarily constrain heterogamety, and the role of sex-antagonistic genes in the evolution of sex chromosomes may have been overemphasized.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Quentin Rougemont, Victoria Dolo, Adrien Oger, Anne-Laure Besnard, Dominique Huteau, Marie-Agnes Coutellec, Charles Perrier, Sophie Launey, Guillaume Evanno
Summary: The study investigated the impact of riverscape fragmentation on genetic diversity in freshwater resident European brook lamprey. Results showed a positive relationship between genetic diversity and distance from the river source, with downstream populations sympatric with anadromous river lamprey displaying higher genetic diversity. This suggests that gene flow between ecotypes may play a role in maintaining genetic diversity in fragmented river networks.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Catarina Sofia Mateus, Margaret F. Docker, Guillaume Evanno, Jon E. Hess, John Breslin Humef, Ines C. Oliveira, Ahmed Souissi, Trent M. Sutton
Summary: Population structure is crucial for understanding the diversity, gene flow, and dispersal patterns of a species, and is important for conservation and management. It is influenced by both intrinsic factors (such as biological characteristics) and extrinsic factors (such as environmental and historical events, human pressures), and can vary significantly among species.
JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biology
Nicolas Perrin
Summary: Studies on two families of amphibians, Ranidae and Hylidae, show that sex-antagonistic (SA) genes do not play a significant role in the evolutionary dynamics of their sex chromosomes. Instead, neutral processes and deleterious mutations are found to be more central in driving the evolution of sex chromosomes in these groups.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Entomology
Gautier Richard, Julie Jaquiery, Gael Le Trionnaire
Summary: Polyphenism in insects is a common phenomenon where different phenotypes are produced in response to environmental conditions. Epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role in regulating these changes, allowing for rapid and flexible alterations in gene expression associated with alternative phenotypes. This review highlights the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation of polyphenism in insects and their potential as key regulators of developmental transitions triggered by environmental cues.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Pierre Barry, Thomas Broquet, Pierre-Alexandre Gagnaire
Summary: Genetic diversity varies among species and is influenced by various eco-evolutionary processes. Age-specific mortality and fecundity rates have a direct impact on genetic diversity, with different species showing different levels of diversity due to their vital rates.
Article
Ecology
Quentin Rougemont, Charles Perrier, Anne-Laure Besnard, Isabelle Lebel, Yann Abdallah, Eric Feunteun, Elodie Reveillac, Emilien Lasne, Anthony Acou, David Jose Nachon, Fernando Cobo, Guillaume Evanno, Jean-Luc Bagliniere, Sophie Launey
Summary: Deciphering the effects of historical and recent demographic processes on genetic diversity and structure of anadromous fish is crucial for evolutionary and conservation biology. This study investigated the genetic diversity, structure, hybridization, and introgression of two species of anadromous fish with contrasting life history strategies. The findings highlight the importance of considering the recent population decline and hybridization when implementing conservation programs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmed Souissi, Anne-Laure Besnard, Guillaume Evanno
Summary: A molecular tool was developed to identify early life stages of the European River lamprey and the brook lamprey, as well as hybrids. However, the marker failed to provide accurate results in two specific cases.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Keyvan Dumas, Olivier Gilg, Nicolas Courbin, Alejandro Corregidor-Castro, Guillaume Evanno, Hallvard Strom, Anders Mosbech, Morten Frederiksen, Glenn Yannic
Summary: The Arctic region is currently experiencing significant changes in sea ice extent and seasonal dynamics, which could have major impacts on Arctic biota. The ivory gull, an Arctic seabird species, is declining in population and serves as a good indicator of current changes in the high Arctic due to its reliance on sea ice. This study explored the foraging behavior of ivory gulls during the breeding season, finding that human settlements attracted foraging birds and that ivory gulls selected highly concentrated sea ice for foraging. Overall, this research provides important insights into the space use and foraging strategies of ivory gulls and how Arctic seabirds utilize ice features.
Article
Ornithology
Marianne Gousy-Leblanc, Jean-Francois Therrien, Thomas Broquet, Delphine Rioux, Nadine Curt-Grand-Gaudin, Nathalie Tissot, Sophie Tissot, Ildiko Szabo, Laurie Wilson, Jack T. Evans, Victoria Bowes, Gilles Gauthier, Karen L. Wiebe, Glenn Yannic, Nicolas Lecomte
Summary: Genetic analysis revealed low genetic differentiation among Snowy Owls in North America and indicated high genetic intermixing and effective dispersal at the continental scale. The population demographic reconstruction showed a steady decline of North American Snowy Owls since the Last Glacial Maximum, coinciding with global temperature increases. This study suggests that conservation programmes should consider North American Snowy Owls as a genetically homogeneous continental-wide population and acknowledge their sensitivity to long-term global warming since the Last Glacial Maximum.
Article
Ecology
Nolwenn Decanter, Romane Normand, Ahmed Souissi, Catherine Labbe, Eric Edeline, Guillaume Evanno
Summary: Different sperm traits between Lampetra fluviatilis and Lampetra planeri can affect male reproductive success and gene flow. However, there is no evidence for cryptic female choice or postmating prezygotic barriers, explaining the partial reproductive isolation between the two lamprey ecotypes.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Maud Rimbault, Fabrice Legeai, Jean Peccoud, Lucie Mieuzet, Elsa Call, Pierre Nouhaud, Helene Defendini, Frederique Maheo, William Marande, Nicolas Theron, Denis Tagu, Gael Le Trionnaire, Jean-Christophe Simon, Julie Jaquiery
Summary: This study examines the genetic mechanisms of sex loss in the pea aphid, finding that an X-linked region is associated with the variation in reproductive mode. The region is highly divergent between cyclic parthenogenetic and obligate parthenogenetic populations, and a large number of SNPs and short Indels show a high degree of association with the phenotypic trait. The study also suggests gene flow between the populations, with males from obligate parthenogenetic lineages likely transmitting their op allele to new genomic backgrounds.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Pierre Barry, Thomas Broquet, Pierre-Alexandre Gagnaire
Summary: Genetic diversity varies among species due to eco-evolutionary processes, with age-specific mortality and fecundity rates having a direct impact on the effective population size. High adult lifespan is negatively correlated with genetic diversity, with vital rates playing a key role in determining genetic diversity levels in marine fish species.
Article
Zoology
Paul Doniol-Valcroze, Glib Mazepa, Francois Grimal, Patricia Sourrouille, Nicolas Perrin, Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Pierre-Andre Crochet
Summary: A population of the exotic North African Water Frog Pelophylax saharicus has been discovered in the Etang de Berre area of France, present since at least 2011. Further field work is needed to map its distribution, assess its impact on the native species, and determine if it has spread to neighboring areas. Based on these findings, local conservationists will need to evaluate the feasibility and relevance of taking action to control or eradicate this invasive species.