Increased signal complexity is associated with increased mating success

Choi, Noori; Adams, Matt; Fowler‐Finn, Kasey D.; Knowlton, Elise; Rosenthal, Malcolm F.; Rundus, Aaron; Santer, Roger D.; Wilgers, Dustin J.; Hebets, Eileen A.

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0052

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…This finding is consistent with the idea of multifarious selection providing more axes for ecological or phenotypic divergence among species, and can eventually lead to speciation (Nosil et al, 2009). However, recent work in wolf spiders has revealed that signal complexity per se can be a direct target of sexual selection (Choi et al, 2022). Another possibility in kingfishers is that body size is driving the evolution of plumage complexity, as signal complexity has been shown to decrease with body size in iguanian lizards (Ord and Blumstein, 2002).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex plumages spur rapid color diversification in island kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae)

Eliason

McCullough

Hackett

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Oceanic islands are cradles for diversity. Differences in predation pressures and lack of competition on islands are thought to drive both phenotypic and species diversification. While most work exploring these patterns has focused on life history, behavioral and morphological traits, many island species are uniquely colorful. Yet, a recent study of island bird coloration found that insular species are duller than continental species. Whether such shifts in color are associated with increased rates of color evolution on islands remains unknown. Here, we incorporate geometric morphometric techniques to study plumage color diversity in a speciose clade of colorful birds that inhabit nearly all areas of the globe—kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae). In particular, we test two hypotheses: (i) that plumage complexity enhances interspecific rates of color evolution and (ii) that plumage color diversity is elevated on islands. Our results show that more complex plumages result in more diverse colors among species and plumage color evolves faster on islands. Importantly, we found that insular species did not have more complex plumages than their continental relatives. Thus, complexity may be a key innovation that facilitates response to divergent (or relaxed) selection pressures on islands. Lack of support for competition driving rates of evolution along different color axes hints at an allopatric model of color evolution in which species adapt to local conditions on different islands. This work demonstrates how a truly multivariate treatment of color data can reveal evolutionary patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex plumages spur rapid color diversification in island kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae)

Eliason

McCullough

Hackett

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…This hypothesis may be supported by the lack of signi cant effects of male body condition (i.e. body mass) on vibratory signal complexity (Choi et al, 2022). However, to validate this hypothesis, further studies in controlled laboratory environments are necessary to investigate the variation in female preference and male signaling behavior across the density of conspeci c and heterospeci c signals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To investigate the realistic effects of general In addition to the three signal characteristics mentioned previously (bout duration, dominant frequency, peak rate), we also explored the effects of variation in the abundance and diversity of general noise (Obj.IIIa) and conspeci c/heterospeci c signals (Obj.IIIb) on the structural complexity of detected courtship signals of S. stridulans. We focused on complexity in S. stridulans speci cally, as prior research has demonstrated an in uence of male vibratory signal complexity on mating success (Choi et al, 2022).…”

Section: Objective III -Examine Behavioral Plasticity In the Courtshi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the vibratory signal components, the number of idles mainly in uences the complexity of male courtship signals (Choi et al 2022). Previous studies suggested that (i) males producing more complex vibratory signals are more likely to mate with females (Rosenthal & Hebets, 2015; Choi et al, 2022) and (ii) males can plastically alter the vibratory signal complexity according to female body mass by removing or adding idles in the courtship signal sequences (Choi et al, 2022). Thus, we used the number of idles in detected signal bouts as a proxy for the signal complexity of S. stridulans.…”

Section: Objective III -Examine Behavioral Plasticity In the Courtshi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vibroscape analysis reveals acoustic niche overlap and plastic alteration of vibratory courtship signals in ground-dwelling wolf spiders

Choi

Miller²,

Hebets

2023

Preprint

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Soundscape ecology has enabled researchers to investigate natural interactions among biotic and abiotic sounds as well as their influence on local animals. To expand the scope of soundscape ecology to encompass substrate-borne vibrations (i.e. vibroscapes), we developed methods for recording and analyzing sounds produced by ground-dwelling arthropods to characterize the vibroscape of a deciduous forest floor using inexpensive contact microphone arrays followed by automated sound filtering and detection in large audio datasets. Through the collected data, we tested the hypothesis that closely related species of Schizocosa wolf spider partition their acoustic niche. In contrast to previous studies on acoustic niche partitioning, two closely related species - S. stridulans and S. uetzi - showed high acoustic niche overlap across space, time, and/or signal structure. Finally, we examined whether substrate-borne noise, including anthropogenic noise (e.g., airplanes) and heterospecific signals, promotes behavioral plasticity in signaling behavior to reduce the risk of signal interference. We found that all three focal Schizocosa species increased the dominant frequency of their vibratory courtship signals in noisier signaling environments. Also, S. stridulans males displayed increased vibratory signal complexity with an increased abundance of S. uetzi, their sister species with which they are highly overlapped in the acoustic niche.

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“…The visual system is essential for insects to collect abundant information from their surroundings and respond appropriately, including making choices among alternative behaviors, foraging, and mating [ 1 – 4 ]. Generally, the spectral sensitivity of photoreceptor cells is determined by the photopigment, a complex of chromophore and opsin [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-wave opsin involved in body color plastic development in Nilaparvata lugens

Lü

et al. 2023

BMC Genomics

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Background As one of the components of visual photopigments in photoreceptor cells, opsin exhibits different spectral peaks and plays crucial roles in visual function. Besides, it is discovered to evolve other functions despite color vision. However, research on its unconventional function is limited nowadays. With the increase in genome database numbers, various numbers and types of opsins have been identified in insects due to gene duplications or losses. The Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera) is a rice pest known for its long-distance migration capability. In this study, opsins were identified in N. lugens and characterized by genome and transcriptome analyses. Meanwhile, RNA interference (RNAi) was carried out to investigate the functions of opsins, and then the Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform-based transcriptome sequencing was performed to reveal gene expression patterns. Results Four opsins belonging to G protein-coupled receptors were identified in the N. lugens genome, including one long-sensitive opsin (Nllw) together with two ultraviolet-sensitive opsins (NlUV1/2) and an additional new opsin with hypothesized UV peak sensitivity (NlUV3-like). A tandem array of NlUV1/2 on the chromosome suggested the presence of a gene duplication event, with similar exons distribution. Moreover, as revealed by spatiotemporal expression, the four opsins were highly expressed in eyes with age-different expression levels. Besides, RNAi targeting each of the four opsins did not significantly affect the survival of N. lugens in phytotron, but the silencing of Nllw resulted in the melanization of body color. Further transcriptome analysis revealed that silencing of Nllw resulted in up-regulation of a tyrosine hydroxylase gene (NlTH) and down-regulation of an arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferases gene (NlaaNAT) in N. lugens, demonstrating that Nllw is involved in body color plastic development via the tyrosine-mediated melanism pathway. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence in a Hemipteran insect that an opsin (Nllw) takes part in the regulation of cuticle melanization, confirming a cross-talk between the gene pathways underlying the visual system and the morphological differentiation in insects.

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Increased signal complexity is associated with increased mating success

Cited by 19 publications

References 79 publications

Complex plumages spur rapid color diversification in island kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae)

Complex plumages spur rapid color diversification in island kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae)

Vibroscape analysis reveals acoustic niche overlap and plastic alteration of vibratory courtship signals in ground-dwelling wolf spiders

Long-wave opsin involved in body color plastic development in Nilaparvata lugens

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