Mutualistic and parasitic interactions between Phorbia flies and Epichloe: convergence between a fungus and entomophilous angiosperms

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1343-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. Bultman
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Fungal Host ◽  
Parasitic Interactions ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Cross Fertilization

During egg laying, Phorbia flies transport spermatia between individuals of their heterothallic fungal host Epichloe. Flies provide a service ecologically analogous to pollination. As a guide for studying the ecology and evolution of this unusual fungus – insect interaction, I propose that it has converged with angiosperm – entomophilous insect systems in general, and more specifically with highly coevolved pollinating seed parasite – angiosperm systems. I document similarities with insect pollination systems in general that include primary dependence by Epichloe on animal vectors, a color change of the fruiting structure following cross-fertilization, rewards provided to animal vectors, and exploitation by third party species that use rewards offered by the fungus but provide no payment for the rewards. Furthermore, the fungus – insect interaction shows several similarities with coevolved pollinating parasite systems. First, the interaction contains a mix of mutualism and parasitism with the net effect being positive for both partners. Second, flies display a specific behavior that ensures cross-fertilization of Epichloe. Third, the interaction is symbiotic and appears species specific and obligate for the interactants. Under the convergent evolution hypothesis, I discuss selection pressures that could have operated to produce ecologically analogous interactions among distantly related taxa of insect pollinated angiosperms and Epichloe. Key words: convergent evolution, Epichloe, mutualism, parasitism, Phorbia, pollination.

scholarly journals Convergent evolution in Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis arenosa on calamine metalliferous soils

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Preite ◽  
Christian Sailer ◽  
Lara Syllwasschy ◽  
Sian Bray ◽  
Ute Krämer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Arabidopsis Halleri ◽  
Individual Genome ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Association Analyses ◽  
Systematic Testing ◽  
Related Plant ◽  
Arabidopsis Arenosa ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Degree Of Convergence

AbstractIt is a plausible hypothesis that parallel adaptation events to the same environmental challenge should result in genetic changes of similar or identical effects, depending on the underlying fitness landscapes. However, systematic testing of this is scarce. Here we examine this hypothesis in two closely related plant species, Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis arenosa, which co-occur at two calamine metalliferous sites harbouring toxic levels of the heavy metals zinc and cadmium. We conduct individual genome resequencing alongside soil elemental analysis for 64 plants from 8 populations on metalliferous and non-metalliferous soils, and identify genomic footprints of selection and local adaptation. Selective sweep and environmental association analyses indicate a modest degree of gene as well as functional network convergence, whereby the proximal molecular factors mediating this convergence mostly differ between site pairs and species. Notably, we observe repeated selection on identical SNPs in several A. halleri genes at two independently colonized metalliferous sites. Our data suggest that species-specific metal handling and other biological features could explain a low degree of convergence between species. The parallel establishment of plant populations on calamine metalliferous soils involves convergent evolution, which will likely be more pervasive across sites purposely chosen for maximal similarity in soil composition.

scholarly journals Assessing the Translucence and Color-Change Methods for Estimating Sapwood Depth in Three Boreal Species

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 686 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Quiñonez-Piñón ◽  
Caterina Valeo
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Wood Anatomy ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Statistical Comparison ◽  
The Face ◽  
Species Specific

The translucence and color change in wood methods, which are commonly used to differentiate sapwood from heartwood in tree cores, are compared against the microscopic analysis of wood anatomy method for determining sapwood depth. The translucence method was tested on collected wood cores of White Spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). The color change in wood method was tested on Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). For every statistical comparison, sapwood depth values obtained with the translucence or color-change methods were significantly different from those obtained using the microscopic analysis. Using the sapwood depth values obtained with microscopy as a reference, the bias associated with the translucence or color-change methods used on Picea glauca, Pinus banksiana and Populus tremuloides constantly under- or overestimated sapwood depths within −0.3 cm to 1.6 cm; −4.9 cm to 0.5 cm; and 0 to 1.8 cm, respectively. The different ranges of over- and underestimation arise from species-specific anatomical characteristics. Estimates for the errors in sapwood depth, when the depth is measured using either the translucence or color-change methods, are presented. These relationships and research outcomes will lead to more efficient forest monitoring and improved estimates of forest water balance, which in turn will lead to improved forest management in the face of climate change.

scholarly journals Evidence for convergent evolution of SINE-directed Staufen-mediated mRNA decay

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn A. Lucas ◽  
Eitan Lavi ◽  
Lily Shiue ◽  
Hana Cho ◽  
Sol Katzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Parallel Evolution ◽  
Orthologous Gene ◽  
Control Networks ◽  
Short Interspersed Elements ◽  
Gene Pairs ◽  
Sine Insertion ◽  
Rapid Divergence ◽  
Species Specific

Primate-specific Alu short interspersed elements (SINEs) as well as rodent-specific B and ID (B/ID) SINEs can promote Staufen-mediated decay (SMD) when present in mRNA 3′-untranslated regions (3′-UTRs). The transposable nature of SINEs, their presence in long noncoding RNAs, their interactions with Staufen, and their rapid divergence in different evolutionary lineages suggest they could have generated substantial modification of posttranscriptional gene-control networks during mammalian evolution. Some of the variation in SMD regulation produced by SINE insertion might have had a similar regulatory effect in separate mammalian lineages, leading to parallel evolution of the Staufen network by independent expansion of lineage-specific SINEs. To explore this possibility, we searched for orthologous gene pairs, each carrying a species-specific 3′-UTR SINE and each regulated by SMD, by measuring changes in mRNA abundance after individual depletion of two SMD factors, Staufen1 (STAU1) and UPF1, in both human and mouse myoblasts. We identified and confirmed orthologous gene pairs with 3′-UTR SINEs that independently function in SMD control of myoblast metabolism. Expanding to other species, we demonstrated that SINE-directed SMD likely emerged in both primate and rodent lineages >20–25 million years ago. Our work reveals a mechanism for the convergent evolution of posttranscriptional gene regulatory networks in mammals by species-specific SINE transposition and SMD.

Flower drop and fruit set in field beans, Vicia faba L.

1969 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Kambal
Keyword(s):  
Vicia Faba ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Local Strain ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Vicia Faba L ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Self Fertilization ◽  
Cross Fertilization ◽  
Field Beans

SUMMARYThe percentage of the total buds produced that dropped before reaching the mature pod stage was estimated as 86·7% in Baladi, a local strain of field beans, and 93·7% in Giza 1, a variety introduced from Egypt. The drop was appreciable both before and after fertilization. There were indications that both inadequate insect pollination and inter-ovary competition contributed to the reduction of pod yield.Self pollen was detected on the stigma in the bud stage 2–3 days before the flower was open. Estimates of natural cross-fertilization ranged from 35·8 to 42·1%, indicating that self-pollination did not lead to complete self fertilization. Hand manipulation of the flowers increased pod set in most of the cases but the line 1W did not respond to this treatment and proved to be highly autofertile.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence for convergent evolution of maternal care heuristics in industrialized and small-scale populations

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 140518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Kushnick ◽  
Ben Hanowell ◽  
Jun-Hong Kim ◽  
Banrida Langstieh ◽  
Vittorio Magnano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Care ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
National Level ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maternal Behaviour ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
Vignette Experiment

Maternal care decision rules should evolve responsiveness to factors impinging on the fitness pay-offs of care. Because the caretaking environments common in industrialized and small-scale societies vary in predictable ways, we hypothesize that heuristics guiding maternal behaviour will also differ between these two types of populations. We used a factorial vignette experiment to elicit third-party judgements about likely caretaking decisions of a hypothetical mother and her child when various fitness-relevant factors (maternal age and access to resources, and offspring age, sex and quality) were varied systematically in seven populations—three industrialized and four small-scale. Despite considerable variation in responses, we found that three of five main effects, and the two severity effects, exhibited statistically significant industrialized/ small-scale population differences. All differences could be explained as adaptive solutions to industrialized versus small-scale caretaking environments. Further, we found gradients in the relationship between the population-specific estimates and national-level socio-economic indicators, further implicating important aspects of the variation in industrialized and small-scale caretaking environments in shaping heuristics. Although there is mounting evidence for a genetic component to human maternal behaviour, there is no current evidence for interpopulation variation in candidate genes. We nonetheless suggest that heuristics guiding maternal behaviour in diverse societies emerge via convergent evolution in response to similar selective pressures.

scholarly journals The role of pollinator diversity in the evolution of corolla-shape integration in a pollination-generalist plant clade

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1649) ◽  
pp. 20130257 ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Gómez ◽  
Francisco Perfectti ◽  
Christian Peter Klingenberg
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods ◽  
Pollinator Diversity ◽  
Pollination Systems ◽  
Integrated Structures ◽  
Study Species

Flowers of animal-pollinated plants are integrated structures shaped by the action of pollinator-mediated selection. It is widely assumed that pollination specialization increases the magnitude of floral integration. However, empirical evidence is still inconclusive. In this study, we explored the role of pollinator diversity in shaping the evolution of corolla-shape integration in Erysimum , a plant genus with generalized pollination systems. We quantified floral integration in Erysimum using geometric morphometrics and explored its evolution using phylogenetic comparative methods. Corolla-shape integration was low but significantly different from zero in all study species. Spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetic signal in corolla-shape integration were not detected. In addition, integration in Erysimum seems to have evolved in a way that is consistent with Brownian motion, but with frequent convergent evolution. Corolla-shape integration was negatively associated with the number of pollinators visiting the flowers of each Erysimum species. That is, it was lower in those species having a more generalized pollination system. This negative association may occur because the co-occurrence of many pollinators imposes conflicting selection and cancels out any consistent selection on specific floral traits, preventing the evolution of highly integrated flowers.

On Amphibolocypris arida sp.nov. (Crustacea, Ostracoda), from rock pools in Botswana (southern Africa)

Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2408 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
MERLIJN JOCQUE ◽  
LUC BRENDONCK ◽  
BRUCE J RIDDOCH ◽  
KOEN MARTENS
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Ancient Lakes ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Rock Pools ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Zoogeographical Region

The ostracod fauna of southern Africa remains ill-known, in spite of the fact that the temporary pools of this zoogeographical region hold degrees of endemicity comparable only to those of the ancient lakes of East Africa. The present contribution describes a new species of the cypridid genus Amphibolocypris, A. arida sp.nov., and announces the existence of at least two further new species from the same area. The genus, up to now presumed monospecific, might constitute an extensive radiation across southern Africa. Unusually large species-specific differences in hemipenis outline morphology appear to indicate that speciation occurred through sexual, rather than through natural selection. The occurrence of the claw-like subapical seta on the walking limb in at least four genera could be a case of convergent evolution, at least in one, maybe even in two cases between species of different genera and even subfamilies.

Hearing with the mouthparts: behavioural responses and the structural basis of ultrasound perception in acherontiine hawkmoths

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (8) ◽  
pp. 909-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.C. Gopfert ◽  
L.T. Wasserthal
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Sensory Organ ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Flight Pattern ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Tethered Flight ◽  
Hearing Organ ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Auditory Functions ◽  
Species Specific

In contrast to previous assumptions, mouthparts form hearing organs not only in choerocampine hawkmoths but also in some distantly related acherontiine hawkmoth species. Four of the six acherontiine species studied revealed responses to ultrasonic sounds when stimulated during tethered flight. The responses included changes in flight speed and non-directional turns. Individuals from two species also responded by emitting sound. The minimum thresholds of the flight pattern changes were approximately 70 dB in all species studied, with species-specific best frequencies between 30 and 70 kHz. Some acherontiine species also move their tongue in a stereotyped way when stimulated acoustically. The activity of the muscles involved in this tongue reflex was characterized in the present study and used in combination with ablation experiments to localize the hearing organ. These experiments revealed auditory functions of the labial palps and the labral pilifers similar to those found in Choerocampina. The palp contributes a 20–25 dB rise in sensitivity, whereas the pilifer appears to contain the sensory organ. Structural differences suggest a convergent evolution of hearing in hawkmoths: in the place of the swollen palps of Choerocampina, acherontiine species capable of hearing possess a scale-plate of the palps that interacts with an articulating pilifer, while this modification is absent in closely related non-hearing species.

scholarly journals Genetic architecture underlying convergent evolution of egg-laying behavior in a seed-feeding beetle

Genetica ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Fox ◽  
James D. Wagner ◽  
Sara Cline ◽  
Frances Ann Thomas ◽  
Frank J. Messina
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Egg Laying
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