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Do group dynamics affect colour morph clines during a range shift?

Lancaster, L T ; Dudaniec, R Y ; Hansson, B LU orcid and Svensson, Erik LU orcid (2017) In Journal of evolutionary biology 30(4). p.728-737
Abstract

Species exhibiting colour polymorphism are thought to have an ecological advantage at the landscape scale, because spatial segregation of alternatively adapted ecotypes into diverse habitats can increase the species' niche breadth and thus confer greater geographic range size. However, morph frequencies are also influenced by intrapopulational processes such as frequency- or density-dependent social interactions. To identify how social feedback may affect clinal variation in morph frequencies, we investigated reciprocal interactions between morph-specific thermal tolerance, local climatic conditions and social environments, in the context of a colour-morph frequency cline associated with a recent range expansion in blue-tailed... (More)

Species exhibiting colour polymorphism are thought to have an ecological advantage at the landscape scale, because spatial segregation of alternatively adapted ecotypes into diverse habitats can increase the species' niche breadth and thus confer greater geographic range size. However, morph frequencies are also influenced by intrapopulational processes such as frequency- or density-dependent social interactions. To identify how social feedback may affect clinal variation in morph frequencies, we investigated reciprocal interactions between morph-specific thermal tolerance, local climatic conditions and social environments, in the context of a colour-morph frequency cline associated with a recent range expansion in blue-tailed damselflies (Ischnura elegans) in Sweden. Cold tolerances of gynochromes (female-like female morph) were positively correlated with local gynochrome frequencies, suggesting a positive frequency-dependent fitness benefit. In contrast, androchrome (male-mimic female morph) cold tolerances were improved following recent exposure to cold weather, suggesting a beneficial environmental acclimation effect. Thus, according to an environment-matching hypothesis for clinal variation, androchrome frequencies should therefore increase towards the (cooler) range limit. In contrast to this prediction, gynochrome frequencies increased at the expanding range limit, consistent with a positive frequency-dependent social feedback that is beneficial when invading novel climates. Our results suggest that when phenotypes or fitnesses are affected by interactions with conspecifics, beneficial social effects on environmental tolerances may (i) facilitate range shifts, and (ii) reverse or counteract typical patterns of intraspecific interactions and environment-matching clines observed in stable populations observed over broader geographic scales.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Animals, Color, Female, Male, Odonata/anatomy & histology, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Genetic, Population Dynamics, Sweden
in
Journal of evolutionary biology
volume
30
issue
4
pages
10 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:28058767
  • scopus:85011000789
ISSN
1420-9101
DOI
10.1111/jeb.13037
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.
id
3b829621-6255-4fac-a0f6-e125d6ecbc23
date added to LUP
2019-05-16 16:30:23
date last changed
2024-09-17 21:06:49
@article{3b829621-6255-4fac-a0f6-e125d6ecbc23,
  abstract     = {{<p>Species exhibiting colour polymorphism are thought to have an ecological advantage at the landscape scale, because spatial segregation of alternatively adapted ecotypes into diverse habitats can increase the species' niche breadth and thus confer greater geographic range size. However, morph frequencies are also influenced by intrapopulational processes such as frequency- or density-dependent social interactions. To identify how social feedback may affect clinal variation in morph frequencies, we investigated reciprocal interactions between morph-specific thermal tolerance, local climatic conditions and social environments, in the context of a colour-morph frequency cline associated with a recent range expansion in blue-tailed damselflies (Ischnura elegans) in Sweden. Cold tolerances of gynochromes (female-like female morph) were positively correlated with local gynochrome frequencies, suggesting a positive frequency-dependent fitness benefit. In contrast, androchrome (male-mimic female morph) cold tolerances were improved following recent exposure to cold weather, suggesting a beneficial environmental acclimation effect. Thus, according to an environment-matching hypothesis for clinal variation, androchrome frequencies should therefore increase towards the (cooler) range limit. In contrast to this prediction, gynochrome frequencies increased at the expanding range limit, consistent with a positive frequency-dependent social feedback that is beneficial when invading novel climates. Our results suggest that when phenotypes or fitnesses are affected by interactions with conspecifics, beneficial social effects on environmental tolerances may (i) facilitate range shifts, and (ii) reverse or counteract typical patterns of intraspecific interactions and environment-matching clines observed in stable populations observed over broader geographic scales.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lancaster, L T and Dudaniec, R Y and Hansson, B and Svensson, Erik}},
  issn         = {{1420-9101}},
  keywords     = {{Animals; Color; Female; Male; Odonata/anatomy & histology; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Genetic; Population Dynamics; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{728--737}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of evolutionary biology}},
  title        = {{Do group dynamics affect colour morph clines during a range shift?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13037}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jeb.13037}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}