Extended phenotypes as signals

Schaedelin, Franziska C.; Taborsky, Michael

doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.2008.00075.x

Cited by 126 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 157 publications

(180 reference statements)

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“…The possibility that females signal their phenotypic quality to males through their nest building behaviors has only recently been considered, having previously been overlooked as it was thought that the expression of a certain amount of ornamentation in females could be explained as a genetically correlated result of sexual selection acting on males (Maynard Smith and Harper, 2003). Thus, empirical studies of female displays are relatively rare (Schaedelin and Taborsky, 2009) and this means that studies of female nest building behaviors in both blue and great tits (Broggi and Senar, 2009;Tomás et al, 2013) and other species (e.g., spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor): Veiga and Polo, 2005; have significantly advanced our understanding of female displays more broadly. Pertinently, empirical studies have now convincingly demonstrated that the size and composition of female-built blue tit nests directly influences the parental care provided by their male partners and that such care determines both the number and quality of offspring raised (García-Navas et al, 2013;Tomás et al, 2013).…”

Section: Sexual Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intraspecific signaling between conspecifics usually consists of behavioral or physical signals such as elaborate songs, extravagant ornaments such as crests or long tails, or brightly colored plumages (Andersson, 1982). However, some species build structures that signal their phenotypic quality and whilst species such as bowerbirds build structures whose sole purpose is to attract a mate (Schaedelin and Taborsky, 2009), nests also contain eggs and/or offspring which suggests a direct trade-off between the conflicting requirements of natural and sexual selection (Sergio et al, 2011). For nest building behaviors to be extended phenotypic signals of the building individuals' quality, they must reliably indicate the quality of the builder by being associated with energetic costs (Nager and van Noordwijk, 1992;Maynard Smith and Harper, 2003;Moreno, 2012).…”

Section: Sexual Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits

Mainwaring

2017

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Nest building is an important and yet under-studied stage of the reproductive cycle in many taxa, including birds, and whilst we have a decent understanding of interspecific variation in avian nesting behaviors, our understanding of intraspecific variation in nesting behaviors is much less developed. This is largely because an insufficient number of studies have been performed on any one species to draw robust conclusions. Fortunately, though, the amount of research on the nesting behaviors of nestbox-breeding blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major) has increased dramatically in recent years and their nesting behaviors are now sufficiently well-studied to offer useful insights into intraspecific variation in avian nesting behaviors. Studies show that individuals of both species select nest sites based on the presence and/or absence of conspecifics and heterospecifics and whilst neighbors were assumed to adversely affect focal individuals by competing for resources, they are now considered beneficial as they provide information about habitat quality and contribute to anti-predator defenses. Nest-building females accurately gauge local weather conditions and respond to predictable variation in environmental conditions by building nests with variable amounts of cup lining material to create suitable nest microclimates for nestlings. Meanwhile, both species vary the amount of aromatic plant materials in their nests in relation to the abundance of nest-dwelling parasites and pathogens and as aromatic plant materials also play a role in sexual selection then nest materials can have multiple functions. The height of nests is negatively correlated with the local risk of predation but whilst predator avoidance favors lower nests, sexual selection favors taller nests. In fact, higher quality females build taller nests that contain more green plant material which in turn influences the amount of care provided by males. This suggests there is considerable intraspecific variation in nesting behaviors in blue and great tits, and in birds generally, and highlights that birds are adept at adaptively varying their nesting behaviors in response to multiple factors. There is, however, a paucity of evidence directly linking such variation in nest building behaviors to reproductive success or fitness more broadly and so further studies could usefully examine such links because trade-offs between competing selection pressures may constrain adaptive nesting behaviors.

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Section: Sexual Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sexual Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits

Mainwaring

2017

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…Phenotypes extended beyond the organism, so-called extended phenotypes, are changeable within and among individuals, populations or clades (Dawkins, 1982). Extended phenotypes are complex because multiple factors influence phenotypic expression (Schaedelin and Taborsky, 2009). Additionally, extended phenotypes not only adapt to the demands of the environment, they interact with it, modify it and gain feedback from it, thereby creating phenotype-environment interactions that flow through generations (Lehmann, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity in extended phenotypes: orb web architectural responses to variations in prey parameters

Blamires

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYA spider orb web is an extended phenotype; it modifies and interacts with the environment, influencing spider physiology. Orb webs are plastic, responding to variations in prey parameters. Studies attempting to understand how nutrients influence spider orb-web plasticity have been hampered by the inability to decouple prey nutrients from other, highly correlated, prey factors and the intrinsic link between prey protein and prey energy concentration. I analyzed the nutrient concentrations of cockroaches, and adult and juvenile crickets to devise experiments that controlled prey protein concentration while varying prey size, ingested mass, energy concentration and feeding frequency of the orb web spider Argiope keyserlingi. I found that A. keyserlingi alters overall architecture according to feeding frequency. Decoration length was inversely related to ingested prey mass and/or energy density in one experiment but directly related to ingested prey mass in another. These contradictory results suggest that factors not examined in this study have a confounding influence on decoration plasticity. As decorations attract prey as well as predators decreasing decoration investment may, in some instances, be attributable to benefits no longer outweighing the risks. Web area was altered according to feeding frequency, and mesh size altered according to feeding frequency and prey length. The number of radii in orb webs was unaffected by prey parameters. A finite amount of silk can be invested in the orb web, so spiders tradeoff smaller mesh size with larger web capture area, explaining why feeding frequency influenced both web area and mesh size. Mesh size is additionally responsive to prey size via sensory cues, with spiders constructing webs suitable for catching the most common or most profitable prey.

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“…For example, ants are known for marking a specific pathway on the ground with chemicals that signal to other members of the same species a track to follow. That track itself can be considered to be an extended phenotype (Schaedelin and Taborsky, 2009). Only members of the same species are able to recognize the chemicals in the track and to respond to them properly.…”

Section: Predictions and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short Communication "Extended Fitness" hypothesis: a link between individual and group selection

Souza¹

2013

Genet. Mol. Res.

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ABSTRACT.What are the targets of natural selection remains a controversial issue in Biology. Here I propose the "Extended Fitness" hypothesis, in which extended phenotypes emerge as a link between individual and group selection. The basic premise of the extended fitness hypothesis is that extended phenotypes can be used by members of the same group since they are adapted to use them. Thus, extended phenotypes can also contribute to the fitness of members of the same species. Group selection emerges as a natural consequence of the shared use of extended phenotypes, which allow the evolutionary forces acting on individuals to become effective at the group level. The extended fitness hypothesis is supported by several observations found in nature. The hypothesis presented here provides a theoretical framework for the design of both modeling and experimental approaches to studying the role of extended phenotypes in group selection.

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Extended phenotypes as signals

Cited by 126 publications

References 157 publications

Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits

Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits

Plasticity in extended phenotypes: orb web architectural responses to variations in prey parameters

Short Communication "Extended Fitness" hypothesis: a link between individual and group selection

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