Dataset Information

Wing morphological responses to latitude and colonisation in a range expanding butterfly.

ABSTRACT: Populations undergoing rapid climate-driven range expansion experience distinct selection regimes dominated both by increased dispersal at the leading edges and steep environmental gradients. Characterisation of traits associated with such expansions provides insight into the selection pressures and evolutionary constraints that shape demographic and evolutionary responses. Here we investigate patterns in three components of wing morphology (size, shape, colour) often linked to dispersal ability and thermoregulation, along latitudinal gradients of range expansion in the Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) in Britain (two regions of expansion in England and Scotland). We measured 774 males from 54 sites spanning 799 km with a 10-year mean average temperature gradient of 4 °C. A geometric morphometric method was used to investigate variation in size and shape of forewings and hindwings; colour, pattern, and contrast of the wings were examined using a measure of lightness (inverse degree of melanism). Overall, wing size increased with latitude by ?2% per 100 km, consistent with Bergmann's rule. Forewings became more rounded and hindwings more elongated with history of colonisation, possibly reflecting selection for increased dispersal ability. Contrary to thermal melanism expectations, wing colour was lighter where larvae developed at cooler temperatures and unrelated to long-term temperature. Changes in wing spot pattern were also detected. High heterogeneity in variance among sites for all of the traits studied may reflect evolutionary time-lags and genetic drift due to colonisation of new habitats. Our study suggests that temperature-sensitive plastic responses for size and colour interact with selection for dispersal traits (wing size and shape). Whilst the plastic and evolutionary responses may in some cases act antagonistically, the rapid expansion of P. aegeria implies an overall reinforcing effect between these two mechanisms.

SUBMITTER: Taylor-Cox ED

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7680626 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Wing morphological responses to latitude and colonisation in a range expanding butterfly.

Taylor-Cox Evelyn D ED Macgregor Callum J CJ Corthine Amy A Hill Jane K JK Hodgson Jenny A JA Saccheri Ilik J IJ

PeerJ 20201119

Populations undergoing rapid climate-driven range expansion experience distinct selection regimes dominated both by increased dispersal at the leading edges and steep environmental gradients. Characterisation of traits associated with such expansions provides insight into the selection pressures and evolutionary constraints that shape demographic and evolutionary responses. Here we investigate patterns in three components of wing morphology (size, shape, colour) often linked to dispersal ability ...[more]

PMID: 33240660

Similar Datasets

Project description:Among the varied adaptations for avian flight, the morphological traits allowing large-bodied albatrosses to capitalize on wind and wave energy for efficient long-distance flight are unparalleled. Consequently, the biogeographic distribution of most albatrosses is limited to the windiest oceanic regions on earth; however, exceptions exist. Species breeding in the North and Central Pacific Ocean (Phoebastria spp.) inhabit regions of lower wind speed and wave height than southern hemisphere genera, and have large intrageneric variation in body size and aerodynamic performance. Here, we test the hypothesis that regional wind and wave regimes explain observed differences in Phoebastria albatross morphology and we compare their aerodynamic performance to representatives from the other three genera of this globally distributed avian family. In the North and Central Pacific, two species (short-tailed P. albatrus and waved P. irrorata) are markedly larger, yet have the smallest breeding ranges near highly productive coastal upwelling systems. Short-tailed albatrosses, however, have 60% higher wing loading (weight per area of lift) compared to waved albatrosses. Indeed, calculated aerodynamic performance of waved albatrosses, the only tropical albatross species, is more similar to those of their smaller congeners (black-footed P. nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis), which have relatively low wing loading and much larger foraging ranges that include central oceanic gyres of relatively low productivity. Globally, the aerodynamic performance of short-tailed and waved albatrosses are most anomalous for their body sizes, yet consistent with wind regimes within their breeding season foraging ranges. Our results are the first to integrate global wind and wave patterns with albatross aerodynamics, thereby identifying morphological specialization that may explain limited breeding ranges of two endangered albatross species. These results are further relevant to understanding past and potentially predicting future distributional limits of albatrosses globally, particularly with respect to climate change effects on basin-scale and regional wind fields.

Project description:Many plant species expand their range to higher latitudes in response to climate change. However, it is poorly understood how biotic interactions in the new range differ from interactions in the original range. Here, in a mesocosm experiment, we analyze nematode community responses in original and new range soils to plant communities with either (a) species native in both the original and new range, (b) range-expanding species related to these natives (related range expanders), or (c) range expanders without native congeneric species in the new range (unrelated range expanders). We hypothesized that nematode community shifts between ranges are strongest for unrelated range expanders and minimal for plant species that are native in both ranges. As a part of these community shifts, we hypothesized that range expanders, but not natives, would accumulate fewer root-feeding nematodes in their new range compared to their original range. Analyses of responses of nematodes from both original and new ranges and comparison between range expanders with and without close relatives have not been made before. Our study reveals that none of the plant communities experienced evident nematode community shifts between the original and new range. However, in soils from the new range, root-feeding nematode communities of natives and related range expanders were more similar than in soils from the original range, whereas the nematode community of unrelated range expanders was distinct from the communities of natives and related range expanders in soils from both ranges. The abundances of root-feeding nematodes were comparable between the original and new range for all plant communities. Unexpectedly, unrelated range expanders overall accumulated most root-feeding nematodes, whereas related range expanders accumulated fewest. We conclude that nematode communities associated with native and range-expanding plant species differ between the original and the new range, but that range-expanding plant species do not accumulate fewer root-feeding nematodes in their new than in their original range.

Project description:Current climate warming enables plant species and soil organisms to expand their range to higher latitudes and altitudes. At the same time, climate change increases the incidence of extreme weather events such as drought. While it is expected that plants and soil organisms originating from the south are better able to cope with drought, little is known about the consequences of their range shifts on soil functioning under drought events.Here, we test how range-expanding plant species and soil communities may influence soil functioning under drought. We performed a full-factorial outdoor mesocosm experiment with plant communities of range expanders or related natives, with soil inocula from the novel or the original range, with or without summer drought. We measured litter decomposition, carbon mineralization and enzyme activities, substrate-induced respiration and the relative abundance of soil saprophytic fungi immediately after drought and at 6 and 12 weeks after rewetting.Drought decreased all soil functions regardless of plant and soil origin except one; soil respiration was less reduced in soils of range-expanding plant communities, suggesting stronger resistance to drought. After rewetting, soil functioning responses depended on plant and soil origin. Soils of native plant communities with a history of drought had more litter mass loss and higher relative abundance of saprophytic fungi than soils without drought and soils of range expanders. Functions of soil from range expanders recovered in a more conservative manner than soils of natives, as litter mass loss did not exceed the control rates. At the end of the experiment, after rewetting, most soil functions in mesocosms with drought history did not differ anymore from the control.We conclude that functional consequences of range-expanding plants and soil biota may interact with effects of drought and that these effects are most prominent during the first weeks after rewetting of the soil. A free http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13453/suppinfo can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Dataset Information

Wing morphological responses to latitude and colonisation in a range expanding butterfly.

Publications

Wing morphological responses to latitude and colonisation in a range expanding butterfly.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets