Sexual Selection Predicts the Rate and Direction of Colour Divergence in a Large Avian Radiation

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Apr 18

PMID 30992444

Citations 25

Authors

Christopher R Cooney

Zoe K Varley

Lara O Nouri

Christopher J A Moody

Michael D Jardine

Gavin H Thomas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sexual selection is proposed to be a powerful driver of phenotypic evolution in animal systems. At macroevolutionary scales, sexual selection can theoretically drive both the rate and direction of phenotypic evolution, but this hypothesis remains contentious. Here, we find that differences in the rate and direction of plumage colour evolution are predicted by a proxy for sexual selection intensity (plumage dichromatism) in a large radiation of suboscine passerine birds (Tyrannida). We show that rates of plumage evolution are correlated between the sexes, but that sexual selection has a strong positive effect on male, but not female, interspecific divergence rates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that rapid male plumage divergence is biased towards carotenoid-based (red/yellow) colours widely assumed to represent honest sexual signals. Our results highlight the central role of sexual selection in driving avian colour divergence, and reveal the existence of convergent evolutionary responses of animal signalling traits under sexual selection.

Citing Articles

Polarization and reflectance are linked to climate, size and mechanistic constraints in a group of scarab beetles.

Ospina-Rozo L, Medina I, Hugall A, Rankin K, Roberts N, Roberts A Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):29349.

PMID: 39592655 PMC: 11599573. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-80325-1.

Predator perception of aposematic and cryptic color morphs in two species.

Mantzana-Oikonomaki V, Rodriguez A, Castillo-Tamayo G, Ibanez R, Prohl H Ecol Evol. 2024; 14(10):e70351.

PMID: 39355114 PMC: 11442059. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70351.

Ecological, genetic and geographical divergence explain differences in colouration among sunbird species (Nectariniidae).

Nicolai M, Rogalla S, Yousefi M, Bowie R, DAlba L, Shawkey M Ecol Evol. 2024; 14(9):e11427.

PMID: 39263465 PMC: 11387724. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11427.

Song determined by phylogeny and body mass in two differently constrained groups of birds: manakins and cardinals.

Porzio N, Crottini A, Leite R, Mota P BMC Ecol Evol. 2024; 24(1):109.

PMID: 39160456 PMC: 11331619. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02298-z.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Pattern of Evolution of Male and Female Reproductive Proteins in Seed Beetles.

Papachristos K, Sayadi A, Arnqvist G Genome Biol Evol. 2024; 16(7).

PMID: 38941482 PMC: 11251426. DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae143.

References

Mundy N, Stapley J, Bennison C, Tucker R, Twyman H, Kim K . Red Carotenoid Coloration in the Zebra Finch Is Controlled by a Cytochrome P450 Gene Cluster. Curr Biol. 2016; 26(11):1435-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.047. View

Dale J, Dey C, Delhey K, Kempenaers B, Valcu M . The effects of life history and sexual selection on male and female plumage colouration. Nature. 2015; 527(7578):367-70. DOI: 10.1038/nature15509. View

Prager M, Andersson S . Convergent evolution of red carotenoid coloration in widowbirds and bishops (Euplectes spp.). Evolution. 2010; 64(12):3609-19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01081.x. View

Pfennig K, Pfennig D . Character displacement: ecological and reproductive responses to a common evolutionary problem. Q Rev Biol. 2009; 84(3):253-76. PMC: 3279117. DOI: 10.1086/605079. View

Cooney C, MacGregor H, Seddon N, Tobias J . Multi-modal signal evolution in birds: re-examining a standard proxy for sexual selection. Proc Biol Sci. 2018; 285(1889). PMC: 6234881. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1557. View

Mendelson T, Martin M, Flaxman S . Mutation-order divergence by sexual selection: diversification of sexual signals in similar environments as a first step in speciation. Ecol Lett. 2014; 17(9):1053-66. DOI: 10.1111/ele.12313. View

Cooper N, Thomas G, Venditti C, Meade A, Freckleton R . A cautionary note on the use of Ornstein Uhlenbeck models in macroevolutionary studies. Biol J Linn Soc Lond. 2016; 118(1):64-77. PMC: 4949538. DOI: 10.1111/bij.12701. View

Gomes A, Sorenson M, Cardoso G . Speciation is associated with changing ornamentation rather than stronger sexual selection. Evolution. 2016; 70(12):2823-2838. DOI: 10.1111/evo.13088. View

Endler J, Basolo A . Sensory ecology, receiver biases and sexual selection. Trends Ecol Evol. 2011; 13(10):415-20. DOI: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01471-2. View

10.

Weaver R, Koch R, Hill G . What maintains signal honesty in animal colour displays used in mate choice?. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017; 372(1724). PMC: 5444064. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0343. View

11.

Maan M, Seehausen O . Ecology, sexual selection and speciation. Ecol Lett. 2011; 14(6):591-602. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01606.x. View

12.

Dunn P, Whittingham L, Pitcher T . Mating systems, sperm competition, and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in birds. Evolution. 2001; 55(1):161-75. DOI: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01281.x. View

13.

Rice W . SEX CHROMOSOMES AND THE EVOLUTION OF SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Evolution. 2017; 38(4):735-742. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1984.tb00346.x. View

14.

Redding D, Mooers A . Incorporating evolutionary measures into conservation prioritization. Conserv Biol. 2006; 20(6):1670-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00555.x. View

15.

Thomas D, McGraw K, Butler M, Carrano M, Madden O, James H . Ancient origins and multiple appearances of carotenoid-pigmented feathers in birds. Proc Biol Sci. 2014; 281(1788):20140806. PMC: 4083795. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0806. View

16.

Boul K, Funk W, Darst C, Cannatella D, Ryan M . Sexual selection drives speciation in an Amazonian frog. Proc Biol Sci. 2006; 274(1608):399-406. PMC: 1702375. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3736. View

17.

Cooney C, Tobias J, Weir J, Botero C, Seddon N . Sexual selection, speciation and constraints on geographical range overlap in birds. Ecol Lett. 2017; 20(7):863-871. DOI: 10.1111/ele.12780. View

18.

OMeara B, Ane C, Sanderson M, Wainwright P . Testing for different rates of continuous trait evolution using likelihood. Evolution. 2006; 60(5):922-33. View

19.

Seddon N, Botero C, Tobias J, Dunn P, MacGregor H, Rubenstein D . Sexual selection accelerates signal evolution during speciation in birds. Proc Biol Sci. 2013; 280(1766):20131065. PMC: 3730587. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1065. View

20.

Venditti C, Meade A, Pagel M . Multiple routes to mammalian diversity. Nature. 2011; 479(7373):393-6. DOI: 10.1038/nature10516. View