The matching habitat choice hypothesis posits that individuals actively choose those microhabitats that best match their specific phenotype to maximize fitness. Despite the profound implications, matching habitat choi...The matching habitat choice hypothesis posits that individuals actively choose those microhabitats that best match their specific phenotype to maximize fitness. Despite the profound implications, matching habitat choice has not been unequivo- cally demonstrated. We conducted two experiments to examine the impact of pigmentation pattern in the color polymorphic pygmy grasshopper Tetrix subulata on habitat choice in a laboratory thermal mosaic arena. We found no behavioral differences in the thermal mosaic among pygmy grasshoppers belonging to either pale, intermediate or dark natural color morphs. However, af- ter manipulating the grasshoppers＇ phenotype, the utilization through time of warmer and colder parts of the arena was different for black-painted and white-painted individuals. White-painted individuals used warmer parts of the arena, at least during the ini- tial stage of the experiment. We conclude that microhabitat choice represents a form of behavioural plasticity. Thus, even if the choice itself is flexible and not genetically determined, it can still lead to spatial genetic structure in the population because the phenotypes themselves may be genetically mediated [Current Zoology 58 （3）： 392--400, 2012].展开更多
Premating reproductive isolation （RI） may reduce gene flow across populations that have differentiated in traits important for mate choice. Examining RI across genetic and phenotypic clines can inform the fundamenta...Premating reproductive isolation （RI） may reduce gene flow across populations that have differentiated in traits important for mate choice. Examining RI across genetic and phenotypic clines can inform the fundamental evolutionary processes that underlie population and lineage differentiation. We conducted female mate-choice studies across an intraspecific red-eyed treefrog cline in Costa Rica and Panama with 2 specific aims： （1） to characterize RI across the cline and examine the relationship between premating RI and genetic and phenotypic distance and （2） to evaluate our results within a broader evolutionary and taxonomic perspective through examination of other RI studies. We found that female red-eyed treefrogs prefer local males relative to non-local males, indicating that some premating RI has evolved in this system, but that preference strength is not associated with phenotypic or geographic distance. Our analysis of 65 other studies revealed no clear pattern between the strength of RI and geographic distribution （allopatry, parapatry, cline） or phenotypic distance, but revealed extreme variation and overlap in levels of intra- and interspecific levels of RI. This work contributes to a growing body of literature that examines intraspecific RI across a cline to understand the selective processes that shape evolutionary patterns at the earliest stages of divergence.展开更多
文摘The matching habitat choice hypothesis posits that individuals actively choose those microhabitats that best match their specific phenotype to maximize fitness. Despite the profound implications, matching habitat choice has not been unequivo- cally demonstrated. We conducted two experiments to examine the impact of pigmentation pattern in the color polymorphic pygmy grasshopper Tetrix subulata on habitat choice in a laboratory thermal mosaic arena. We found no behavioral differences in the thermal mosaic among pygmy grasshoppers belonging to either pale, intermediate or dark natural color morphs. However, af- ter manipulating the grasshoppers＇ phenotype, the utilization through time of warmer and colder parts of the arena was different for black-painted and white-painted individuals. White-painted individuals used warmer parts of the arena, at least during the ini- tial stage of the experiment. We conclude that microhabitat choice represents a form of behavioural plasticity. Thus, even if the choice itself is flexible and not genetically determined, it can still lead to spatial genetic structure in the population because the phenotypes themselves may be genetically mediated [Current Zoology 58 （3）： 392--400, 2012].
文摘Premating reproductive isolation （RI） may reduce gene flow across populations that have differentiated in traits important for mate choice. Examining RI across genetic and phenotypic clines can inform the fundamental evolutionary processes that underlie population and lineage differentiation. We conducted female mate-choice studies across an intraspecific red-eyed treefrog cline in Costa Rica and Panama with 2 specific aims： （1） to characterize RI across the cline and examine the relationship between premating RI and genetic and phenotypic distance and （2） to evaluate our results within a broader evolutionary and taxonomic perspective through examination of other RI studies. We found that female red-eyed treefrogs prefer local males relative to non-local males, indicating that some premating RI has evolved in this system, but that preference strength is not associated with phenotypic or geographic distance. Our analysis of 65 other studies revealed no clear pattern between the strength of RI and geographic distribution （allopatry, parapatry, cline） or phenotypic distance, but revealed extreme variation and overlap in levels of intra- and interspecific levels of RI. This work contributes to a growing body of literature that examines intraspecific RI across a cline to understand the selective processes that shape evolutionary patterns at the earliest stages of divergence.
