Predator-Driven Trait Diversification in a Dragonfly Genus: Covariation in Behavioral and Morphological Antipredator Defense

Mikolajewski, Dirk Johannes; Block, Marjan De; Rolff, Jens; Johansson, Frank; Beckerman, Andrew P.; Stoks, Robby

doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01078.x

Cited by 37 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Even though we worked with field‐collected data, we did not expect selective mortality by predation or phenotypic plasticity mediating our interspecific findings, because Mikolajewski et al . () and Petrin et al . () showed that neither selective mortality nor phenotypic plasticity mediated differences in morphological, physiology and behavioural traits across Leucorrhinia species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, direction of trait change and selective strength turned out to be trait‐specific. Whereas burst swimming speed to evade predators and its associated morphological as well as physiological machinery are reduced in dragonfly lake Leucorrhinia species as a response to reduced capture efficiency of invertebrate predators (Mikolajewski et al ., ; Mikolajewski et al ., ; Mikolajewski et al ., ), larval foraging and activity are increased in dragonfly lake Leucorrhinia species (this study, Fig. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shift in predation regime mediates diversification of foraging behaviour in a dragonfly genus

Jiang

Mikolajewski

2018

Ecological Entomology

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1. Behavioural adaptations to avoid and evade predators are common. Many studies have investigated population divergence in response to changes in predation regime within species, but studies exploring interspecific patterns are scant. Studies on interspecific divergence can infer common outcomes from evolutionary processes and highlight the role of environmental constraints in shaping species traits. 2. Species of the dragonfly genus Leucorrhinia underwent well‐studied shifts from habitats being dominated by predatory fish (fish lakes) to habitat being dominated by predatory invertebrates (dragonfly lakes). This change in top predators resulted in a set of adaptive trait modifications in response to the different hunting styles of both predator types: whereas predatory fish actively search and pursue prey, invertebrate predator follow a sit‐and‐wait strategy, not pursuing prey. 3. Here it is shown that the habitat shift‐related change in selection regime on larval Leucorrhinia caused species in dragonfly lakes to evolve increased larval foraging and activity, and results suggest that they lost the ability to recognise predatory fish. 4. The results of the present study highlight the impact of predators on behavioural trait diversification with habitat‐specific predation regimes selecting for distinct behavioural expression.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shift in predation regime mediates diversification of foraging behaviour in a dragonfly genus

Jiang

Mikolajewski

2018

Ecological Entomology

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“…To control for relatedness among Leucorrhinia species, we applied phylogenetic generalized linear models (Garland et al ., ) with incorporated branch length based on the known Leucorrhinia phylogeny (Fig. ; Mikolajewski et al ., ). For each species, we only used data from individuals sampled in the species' most common habitat (e.g.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Relaxed predation results in reduced phenotypic integration in a suite of dragonflies

Mikolajewski

Rüsen

Mauersberger

et al. 2015

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Although changes in magnitude of single traits responding to selective agents have been studied intensively, little is known about selection shaping networks of traits and their patterns of covariation. However, this is central for our understanding of phenotypic evolution as traits are embedded in a multivariate environment with selection affecting a multitude of traits simultaneously rather than individually. Here, we investigate inter-and intraspecific patterns of trait integration (trait correlations) in the larval abdomen of dragonflies as a response to a change in predator selection. Species of the dragonfly genus Leucorrhinia underwent a larval habitat shift from predatory fish to predatory dragonfly-dominated lakes with an associated relaxation in selection pressure from fish predation. Our results indicate that the habitat-shift-induced relaxed selection pressure caused phenotypic integration of abdominal traits to be reduced. Intraspecific findings matched patterns comparing species from both habitats with higher abdominal integration in response to predatory fish. This higher integration is probably a result of faster burst swimming speed. The abdomen holds the necessary morphological machinery to successfully evade predatory fish via burst swimming. Hence, abdominal traits have to function in a tight coordinated manner, as maladaptive variation and consequently nonoptimal burst swimming would cause increased mortality. In predatory dragonfly-dominated lakes, no such strong link between burst swimming and mortality is present. Our findings highlight the importance of studying multivariate trait relationships as a response to selection for understanding patterns of phenotypic diversification.

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“…; Mikolajewski et al. ). The proximal hormonal and molecular mechanisms leading to this phenotypic integration between morphology and behaviour are still to be uncovered (Box ).…”

Section: An Organismal Evolutionary Biologist' S Journey Into the Reamentioning

confidence: 99%

Using an integrative approach to investigate the evolution of behaviour

Aubin‐Horth

2015

Evolutionary Applications

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Behaviour is a central focus of interest in biology because it has an impact on several aspects of an organism's life. Evolutionary biologists have realised the advantage of an integrative approach that jointly studies the molecular, cellular and physiological levels of an individual to link them with the organismal behavioural phenotype. First, this mechanistic information helps in understanding physiological and evolutionary constraints acting on the behavioural response to the environment and its evolution. Second, it furthers our understanding of the process of molecular convergent evolution. Finally, we learn about natural variation in molecular, cellular and physiological traits present in wild populations and their underlying genetic basis, which can be a substrate for selection to act on. I illustrate these points using our work on behaviour variation in fishes. The information on the mechanistic bases of behaviour variation in various species and behaviours will contribute to an ecological annotation of genes and to uncover new mechanisms implicated in how this astonishing behavioural diversity arose, is maintained and will evolve.

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Predator-Driven Trait Diversification in a Dragonfly Genus: Covariation in Behavioral and Morphological Antipredator Defense

Abstract: Proof for predation as an agent shaping evolutionary trait diversification is accumulating, however, our understanding how multiple antipredator traits covary due to phenotypic differentiation is still scarce. Species of the dragonfly genus Leucorrhinia

Cited by 37 publications

References 52 publications

Shift in predation regime mediates diversification of foraging behaviour in a dragonfly genus

Shift in predation regime mediates diversification of foraging behaviour in a dragonfly genus

Relaxed predation results in reduced phenotypic integration in a suite of dragonflies

Using an integrative approach to investigate the evolution of behaviour

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