Life Sciences Commons^™

The Molecular Basis Of High-Altitude Adaptation In Deer Mice, Jay F. Storz, Stephen J. Sabatino, Federico G. Hoffmann, Eben Gering, Hideaki Moriyama, Nuno Ferrand, Bruno Monteiro, Michael W. Nachman

Eben Gering

Elucidating genetic mechanisms of adaptation is a goal of central importance in evolutionary biology, yet few empirical studies have succeeded in documenting causal links between molecular variation and organismal fitness in natural populations. Here we report a population genetic analysis of a two-locus α-globin polymorphism that underlies physiological adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in natural populations of deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus. This system provides a rare opportunity to examine the molecular underpinnings of fitness-related variation in protein function that can be related to a well-defined selection pressure. We surveyed DNA sequence variation in the duplicated α-globin genes of P. maniculatus …

Variation In Flight Morphology In A Damselfly With Female-Limited Polymorphism, Emily Jane Mctavish, Genevieve K. Smith, Rafael F. Guerrero, Eben Gering

Eben Gering

Background: Female-limited colour polymorphisms occur in many species of dragonflies and damselflies. Often one female morph appears male-like in coloration (androchromes) whereas one or more others are distinct from males (gynochromes). These androchromes are hypothesized to be male-mimics, thereby avoiding the harassment of excessive male mating attempts.

Organism: The damselfly Ischnura ramburii, Rambur’s forktail, is a widespread New World species with androchrome and gynochrome females. It was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-1970s and females were thought to be exclusively gynochromatic there.

Questions: How do males and females differ in their flight apparatus? Do females with different …

Prevalence And Diversity Of Avian Hematozoan Parasites In Asia: A Regional Study, Farah Ishtiaq, Eben Gering, Jon H. Rappole, Asad R. Rahmani, Yadvendradev V. Jhala, Carla J. Dove, Christopher M. Milensky, Storrs L. Olson, Mike A. Peirce, Robert C. Fleischer

Eben Gering

Tissue samples from 699 birds from three regions of Asia (Myanmar, India, and South Korea) were screened for evidence of infection by avian parasites in the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Samples were collected from November 1994 to October 2004. We identified 241 infected birds (34.0%). Base-on-sequence data for the cytochrome b gene from 221 positive samples, 34 distinct lineages of Plasmodium, and 41 of Haemoproteus were detected. Parasite diversity was highest in Myanmar followed by India and South Korea. Parasite prevalence differed among regions but not among host families. There were four lineages of Plasmodium and one of …

Mixed Ancestry And Admixture In Kauai's Feral Chickens: Invasion Of Domestic Genes Into Ancient Red Junglefowl Reservoirs, Eben Gering, M. Johnsson, P. Willis, T. Getty, D. Wright

Eben Gering

A major goal of invasion genetics is to determine how establishment histories shape non‐native organisms' genotypes and phenotypes. While domesticated species commonly escape cultivation to invade feral habitats, few studies have examined how this process shapes feral gene pools and traits. We collected genomic and phenotypic data from feral chickens (Gallus gallus) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to (i) ascertain their origins and (ii) measure standing variation in feral genomes, morphology and behaviour. Mitochondrial phylogenies (D‐loop & whole Mt genome) revealed two divergent clades within our samples. The rare clade also contains sequences from Red Junglefowl (the …

Maladaptation In Feral And Domesticated Animals, Eben Gering, Darren Incorvaia, R. Henriksen, Dominic Wright

Eben Gering

Selection regimes and population structures can be powerfully changed by domestication and feralization, and these changes can modulate animal fitness in both captive and natural environments. In this review, we synthesize recent studies of these two processes and consider their impacts on organismal and population fitness. Domestication and feralization offer multiple windows into the forms and mechanisms of maladaptation. Firstly, domestic and feral organisms that exhibit suboptimal traits or fitness allow us to identify their underlying causes within tractable research systems. This has facilitated significant progress in our general understandings of genotype–phenotype relationships, fitness trade‐offs, and the roles of population …

Getting Back To Nature: Feralization In Animals And Plants, Eben Gering, Darren Incorvaia, R. Henriksen, Jeffrey Conner, Thomas Getty, Dominic Wright

Eben Gering

Formerly domesticated organisms and artificially selected genes often escape controlled cultivation, but their subsequent evolution is not well studied. In this review, we examine plant and animal feralization through an evolutionary lens, including how natural selection, artificial selection, and gene flow shape feral genomes, traits, and fitness. Available evidence shows that feralization is not a mere reversal of domestication. Instead, it is shaped by the varied and complex histories of feral populations, and by novel selection pressures. To stimulate further insight we outline several future directions. These include testing how ‘domestication genes’ act in wild settings, studying the brains and …

Feralisation Targets Different Genomic Loci To Domestication In The Chicken, M. Johnsson, Eben Gering, P. Willis, S. Lopez, L. Van Dorp, G. Hellenthal, R. Henriksen, U. Friberg, D. Wright

Eben Gering

Feralisation occurs when a domestic population recolonizes the wild, escaping its previous restricted environment, and has been considered as the reverse of domestication. We have previously shown that Kauai Island's feral chickens are a highly variable and admixed population. Here we map selective sweeps in feral Kauai chickens using whole-genome sequencing. The detected sweeps were mostly unique to feralisation and distinct to those selected for during domestication. To ascribe potential phenotypic functions to these genes we utilize a laboratory-controlled equivalent to the Kauai population—an advanced intercross between Red Junglefowl and domestic layer birds that has been used previously for both …

Aposematic Signal Variation Predicts Male-Male Interactions In A Polymorphic Poison Frog, Laura Crothers, Eben Gering, Molly Cummings

Eben Gering

Many species use conspicuous “aposematic” signals to communicate unpalatability/unprofitability to potential predators. Although aposematic traits are generally considered to be classic examples of evolution by natural selection, they can also function in the context of sexual selection, and therefore comprise exceptional systems for understanding how conspicuous signals evolve under multifarious selection. We used males from a highly territorial poison frog species in a dichotomous choice behavioral test to conduct the first examination of how aposematic signal variation influences male–male interactions. Our results reveal two behavioral patterns: (1) male dorsal brightness influences the behaviors of male conspecifics such that males approach …

A Method For Rearing Large Quantities Of The Damselfly, Ischnura Ramburii (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), In The Laboratory, Jason L. Locklin, Joshua S. Huckabee, Eben Gering

Eben Gering

Laboratory based experimental designs typically require large sample sizes of genetically related organisms at the same developmental stage. Several described methods for rearing damselflies have been published, but these methods require laborious techniques when rearing large quantities of damselflies simultaneously. We have developed a relatively easy and inexpensive method for rearing large quantities of a coenagrionid damselfly that streamlines previously published methods and employs new techniques that increase efficiency and yield. Culturing large numbers of damselflies in the laboratory is manageable and opens diverse research avenues.