Higher establishment success in more diverse groups of pygmy grasshoppers under seminatural conditions

Wennersten, Lena; Johansson, Jenny; Karpestam, Einat; Forsman, Anders

doi:10.1890/12-0550.1

Cited by 20 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The nonpanmictic distribution shows that pygmy grasshoppers do not disperse and interbreed freely among localities. This conclusion conforms well with the finding in previous studies of local adaptive differentiation and of rapid evolutionary shifts in functionally important traits in response to divergent and fluctuating selection (Forsman et al., , ; Tinnert et al., ; Wennersten et al., ). That Orthopterans can exhibit deep genetic differentiation at fine geographical scales has been demonstrated also in other species of grasshoppers, such as Mioscirtus wagneri on the Iberian peninsula (Ortego, Aguirre, & Cordero, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Population genetic structure, differentiation, and diversity in Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers: roles of population size and immigration

Tinnert

Hellgren

Lindberg

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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Genetic diversity within and among populations and species is influenced by complex demographic and evolutionary processes. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus regarding how landscape structure, spatial distribution, gene flow, and population dynamics impact genetic composition of natural populations. Here, we used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to investigate effects of population size, geographic isolation, immigration, and gene flow on genetic structure, divergence, and diversity in populations of Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) from 20 sampling locations in southern Sweden. Analyses of 1564 AFLP markers revealed low to moderate levels of genetic diversity (PPL = 59.5–90.1; Hj = 0.23–0.32) within and significant divergence among sampling localities. This suggests that evolution of functional traits in response to divergent selection is possible and that gene flow is restricted. Genetic diversity increased with population size and with increasing proportion of long‐winged phenotypes (a proxy of recent immigration) across populations on the island of Öland, but not on the mainland. Our data further suggested that the open water separating Öland from the mainland acts as a dispersal barrier that restricts migration and leads to genetic divergence among regions. Isolation by distance was evident for short interpopulation distances on the mainland, but gradually disappeared as populations separated by longer distances were included. Results illustrate that integrating ecological and molecular data is key to identifying drivers of population genetic structure in natural populations. Our findings also underscore the importance of landscape structure and spatial sampling scheme for conclusions regarding the role of gene flow and isolation by distance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Population genetic structure, differentiation, and diversity in Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers: roles of population size and immigration

Tinnert

Hellgren

Lindberg

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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“…A positive effect of polymorphism on establishment was evident both under semi‐natural conditions in outdoor enclosures (Wennersten et al . ) and under natural, unconstrained conditions in the wild (Forsman et al . ).…”

Section: Is Colour Polymorphism Advantageous? From Theory To Empiricamentioning

confidence: 99%

Is colour polymorphism advantageous to populations and species?

Forsman

2016

Molecular Ecology

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I am writing in response to an article by Bolton, Rollins and Griffith (2015) entitled 'The danger within: the role of genetic, behavioural and ecological factors in population persistence of colour polymorphic species' that was recently published as an Opinion under the NEWS AND VIEWS section in Molecular Ecology. Bolton et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2015, 24, 2907 argue that colour polymorphism may reduce population fitness and increase extinction risk and emphasize that this is contrary to predictions put forward by Forsman et al. (Ecology, 89, 2008, 34) and Wennersten & Forsman (Biological Reviews 87, 2012, 756) that the existence of multiple colour morphs with co-adapted gene complexes and associated trait values may increase the ecological and evolutionary success of polymorphic populations and species. Bolton et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2015, 24, 2907 further state that there is no clear evidence from studies of 'true polymorphic species' that polymorphism promotes population persistence. In response, I (i) challenge their classifications of polymorphisms and revisit the traditional definitions recognizing the dynamic nature of polymorphisms, (ii) review empirical studies that have examined whether and how polymorphism is associated with extinction risk, (iii) discuss the roles of trait correlations between colour pattern and other phenotypic dimensions for population fitness and (iv) highlight that the causes and mechanisms that influence the composition and maintenance of polymorphisms are different from the consequences of the polymorphic condition and how it may impact on aspects of ecological success and long-term persistence of populations and species.Keywords: colour polymorphisms, evolution, extinction risk, geographic variation, population persistence, speciation History of research on adaptive polymorphismsEvolution is a historical science, and it is important to consider the growth of biological thought and avoid unnecessary redefinitions of established concepts if we are to advance our understanding of complicated issues and circumvent unnecessary controversy. The causes and consequences of discontinuous phenotypic variation and the possible benefits for polymorphic populations and species were much discussed by evolutionary biologists more than half a century ago (e.g. Bateson 1894; Ford 1940Ford , 1945Ford , 1965Dobzhansky 1951;Cain & Sheppard 1954;Huxley 1955;Fisher 1958;Mayr 1963). Interest in the adaptive value of polymorphisms from the point of view of populations thereafter dropped, perhaps in part because the critique and misunderstandings regarding group selection (reviewed in Wilson & Wilson 2007) discouraged students and hampered progress.Research on colour polymorphism as such has grown tremendously both in absolute terms, from <10 papers published per year from 1958 to 1992 to nearly 100 papers in 2014, and relative to total scientific output (Fig. 1). Much of this literature concerns questions related to individual level selection, adaptation and the maintenance of genetic polym...

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“…New populations can be established by small groups of only six individuals, and founder groups that are more colour morph diverse are more successful [94,100]. Their promiscuous mating behaviour [56,87] may increase effective population size of small founder groups and mitigate negative effects of inbreeding.…”

Section: Consequences Of Sex-specific Differences For Evolution In Hementioning

confidence: 99%

On the role of sex differences for evolution in heterogeneous and changing fitness landscapes: insights from pygmy grasshoppers

Forsman¹

2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Much research has been devoted to study evolution of local adaptations by natural selection, and to explore the roles of neutral processes and developmental plasticity for patterns of diversity among individuals, populations and species. Some aspects, such as evolution of adaptive variation in phenotypic traits in stable environments, and the role of plasticity in predictable changing environments, are well understood. Other aspects, such as the role of sex differences for evolution in spatially heterogeneous and temporally changing environments and dynamic fitness landscapes, remain elusive. An increased understanding of evolution requires that sex differences in development, physiology, morphology, life-history and behaviours are more broadly considered. Studies of selection should take into consideration that the relationships linking phenotypes to fitness may vary not only according to environmental conditions but also differ between males and females. Such opposing selection, sex-by-environment interaction effects of selection and sex-specific developmental plasticity can have consequences for population differentiation, local adaptations and for the dynamics of polymorphisms. Integrating sex differences in analytical frameworks and population comparisons can therefore illuminate neglected evolutionary drivers and reconcile unexpected patterns. Here, I illustrate these issues using empirical examples from over 20 years of research on colour polymorphic Tetrix subulata and Tetrix undulata pygmy grasshoppers, and summarize findings from observational field studies, manipulation experiments, common garden breeding experiments and population genetics studies.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences’.

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Higher establishment success in more diverse groups of pygmy grasshoppers under seminatural conditions

Cited by 20 publications

References 37 publications

Population genetic structure, differentiation, and diversity in Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers: roles of population size and immigration

Population genetic structure, differentiation, and diversity in Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers: roles of population size and immigration

Is colour polymorphism advantageous to populations and species?

On the role of sex differences for evolution in heterogeneous and changing fitness landscapes: insights from pygmy grasshoppers

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