The Ecology of Asymmetry in Stickleback Defense Structures

Reimchen, T. E.; Bergstrom, C. A.

doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00520.x

Cited by 15 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…In their population there was a left side bias making the trend opposite to that found in the present study. DA in stickleback lateral plates could be due to interactions with predators or to basic biases in vertebrate developmental pathways [28]. Reimchen and Bergstrom [28] suggested that lateral plate DA may be a result of left/right biases in capture techniques of avian predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…DA in stickleback lateral plates could be due to interactions with predators or to basic biases in vertebrate developmental pathways [28]. Reimchen and Bergstrom [28] suggested that lateral plate DA may be a result of left/right biases in capture techniques of avian predators. If this is correct, our study would suggest that major predators of European populations use different capture techniques, or that the escape movement of fish is biased in opposite directions in Europe and North America.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from being easy to count with little measurement error (see below), lateral plates are important structures in the defense against predatory attacks [25]. Lateral plate FA may be influenced by predators [26]–[28], and plate asymmetry is also an indicator of immunocompetence, with more asymmetric fish having higher rates of infection by endoparasites [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heritability of Asymmetry and Lateral Plate Number in the Threespine Stickleback

et al. 2012

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The estimation of individual fitness and quality are important elements of evolutionary ecological research. Over the past six decades, there has been great interest in using fluctuating asymmetry (FA) to represent individual quality, yet, serious technical problems have hampered efforts to estimate the heritability of FA, which, in turn, has limited progress in the investigation of FA from an evolutionary perspective. Here we estimate the heritability of number of lateral plates, their FA and directional asymmetry (DA) in threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. By (i) using a meristic trait and (ii) basing our calculations on a large half-sib design experiment involving 2,079 offspring from 84 families, we overcame many of the difficulties faced by earlier FA studies. Both lateral plate number and FA in lateral plates were heritable (h2 = 0.46 and 0.21, respectively), even after controlling for marker genotypes linked to EDA (the major locus influencing plate number). Likewise, DA in lateral plates was heritable h2 = 0.23). The additive genetic component of FA in lateral plates makes it a prime candidate for further investigation into the evolutionary implications of FA and the genetic underpinnings of developmental instability. This discovery in an evolutionary model species holds the possibility to invigorate the study of FA from an evolutionary perspective.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heritability of Asymmetry and Lateral Plate Number in the Threespine Stickleback

et al. 2012

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“…Individuals, thus, might face a tradeoff between morphological anti-predator responses and attractiveness. On the other hand, significant departures from bilateral symmetry might also be explained by direct selection (Reimchen and Bergstrom 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Costly plastic morphological responses to predator specific odour cues in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

et al. 2010

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Predation risk is one of the major forces affecting phenotypic variation among and within animal populations. While fixed anti-predator morphologies are favoured when predation level is consistently high, plastic morphological responses are advantageous when predation risk is changing temporarily, spatially, or qualitatively. Three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) are well known for their substantial variability in morphology, including defensive traits. Part of this variation might be due to phenotypic plasticity. However, little is known about sticklebacks' plastic ability to react morphologically to changing risks of predation and about the proximate cues involved. Using a split-clutch design we show that odour of a predatory fish induces morphological changes in sticklebacks. Under predation risk, i.e., when exposed to odour of a predator, fish grew faster and developed a different morphology, compared to fish reared under low predation risk, i.e., exposed to odour of a non-predatory fish, or in a fish-free environment. However, fast growing comes at cost of increased body asymmetries suggesting developmental constraints. The results indicate that sticklebacks are able to distinguish between predatory and non-predatory fishes by olfactory cues alone. As fishes were fed on invertebrates, this reaction was not induced by chemical cues of digested conspecifics, but rather by predator cues themselves. Further, the results show that variation in body morphology in sticklebacks has not only a strong genetical component, but is also based on plastic responses to 123Evol Ecol (2011) 25:641-656 DOI 10.1007 different environments, in our case different predation pressures, thus opening new questions for this model species in ecology and evolution.

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“…… comparison of levels of FA among traits within single species may reveal differences in the strength of selection for canalization of different traits: presumably, characters of greater functional significance to the organism would be subject to stronger selection for Hechter et al (2000), Moodie (1977) Gasterosteus aculeatus N, A Bakker et al (2006), Bergstrom and Reimchen (2000, Mazzi and Bakker (2001), Moodie and Reimchen (1976), Prieto et al (2005), Reimchen (1997), Reimchen and Bergstrom (2009), Reimchen and Nosil (2001a, b), Reimchen et al (2008), Robinson and Wardrop (2002), Ryabov and Kryshev (1991) Beacham (1990)*, Bengtsson et al (1985)*, Campbell (2000), Campbell and Emlen (1996), Campbell et al (1998), Chebotareva and Izyumov (2001) (2001), Pecinkova et al (2007) canalization. In other words, differences in FA among characters may provide a way of ranking traits in terms of their functional significance to an organism with little or no a priori knowledge of how those characters actually function.…”

Section: Coregonus Lavaretusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuating asymmetry and exogenous stress in fishes: a review

Allenbach

2010

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), which has been examined in a variety of plants and animals, is widely promoted as a useful bioindicator of exogenous stressors in habitats, whether of natural or anthropogenic origin. Wildlife managers and researchers often use a specific group of organisms as an indicator of the health of a given habitat. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate that FA can be an effective fish biomonitoring tool by presenting a vote counting meta-analysis of 81 fish FA studies published between 1966 and the first half of 2009. The vote counts were analyzed with the G test for independence to determine whether the probability of observing significant morphological asymmetry is determined by character type, exogenous stressor type, or fish order. The information obtained from these papers and their analysis is then used to outline areas in which FA studies can be improved: (1) carefully considering character choice; (2) distinguishing between asymmetry types; (3) determining the level of measurement error in between-sides character variation; (4) determining baseline FA levels in populations; (5) increasing the number of laboratory studies which corroborate field observations of FA; (6) conducting true replications of studies to validate previous findings. Only with more critical experimental design and data analysis can FA be used as a powerful tool for assessing environmental degradation.

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The Ecology of Asymmetry in Stickleback Defense Structures

Cited by 15 publications

References 76 publications

Heritability of Asymmetry and Lateral Plate Number in the Threespine Stickleback

Heritability of Asymmetry and Lateral Plate Number in the Threespine Stickleback

Costly plastic morphological responses to predator specific odour cues in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Fluctuating asymmetry and exogenous stress in fishes: a review

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