scholarly journals Fluctuating Asymmetry, Developmental Instability and Developmental Stress: Insights from Zebra Finches, Sticklebacks, Rabbits, Humans and Opuntia Cacti

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Stefan Van Dongen
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Developmental Stress

Fluctuating asymmetry in certain morphological traits in laboratory populations of Drosophila ananassae

Genome ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 777-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Vishalakshi ◽  
B N Singh
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
Drosophila Ananassae ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Phenotypic Quality ◽  
Laboratory Populations ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Sexual Traits

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA, subtle random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry) is often used as a measure of developmental instability (DI), which results from perturbations in developmental pathways caused by genetic or environmental stressors. During the present study, we estimated FA in 5 morphological traits, viz. wing length (WL), wing to thorax ratio (W:T), sternopleural bristle number (SBN), sex-comb tooth number (SCTN), and ovariole number (ON) in 18 laboratory populations of Drosophila ananassae. FA levels of measured traits differed significantly among populations except for SBN (in males and females) and W:T ratio (in females). Positional fluctuating asymmetry (PFA), a sensitive measure of DI, also varied significantly among the populations for SBN in females and SCTN in males. Interestingly, both males and females were similar for nonsexual traits. However, when FA across all traits (sexual and nonsexual) was combined into a single composite index (CFA), significant differences were found for both populations and sexes. Males showed higher CFA values than females, suggesting that males are more prone to developmental perturbations. The magnitude of FA differed significantly among traits, being lowest for nonsexual traits (SBN, WL, W:T ratio) and highest for sexual traits (SCTN and ON). The trait size of sexual traits (SCTN and ON) was positively correlated with their asymmetry. The possible reasons for variation in FA both among traits and among populations, and the usefulness of FA as an indicator of developmental stress and phenotypic quality in D. ananassae are discussed.Key words: fluctuating asymmetry, developmental instability, morphological traits, laboratory populations, D. ananassae.

scholarly journals Fluctuating Asymmetry and Developmental Instability, a Guide to Best Practice

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
John H. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
The Past ◽  
Size Scaling ◽  
Research Designs

Best practices in studies of developmental instability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, have developed over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, they are haphazardly applied in many of the papers submitted for review. Most often, research designs suffer from lack of randomization, inadequate replication, poor attention to size scaling, lack of attention to measurement error, and unrecognized mixtures of additive and multiplicative errors. Here, I summarize a set of best practices, especially in studies that examine the effects of environmental stress on fluctuating asymmetry.

scholarly journals Nature, Nurture, and Noise: Developmental Instability, Fluctuating Asymmetry, and the Causes of Phenotypic Variation

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1204
Author(s):  
John H. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Deterministic Chaos ◽  
Monozygotic Twins ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
Nonlinear Feedback ◽  
Developmental Variation ◽  
Sewall Wright ◽  
Developmental Noise ◽  
And Behavior

Phenotypic variation arises from genetic and environmental variation, as well as random aspects of development. The genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) components of this variation have been appreciated since at least 1900. The random developmental component (noise) has taken longer for quantitative geneticists to appreciate. Here, I sketch the historical development of the concepts of random developmental noise and developmental instability, and its quantification via fluctuating asymmetry. The unsung pioneers in this story are Hugo DeVries (fluctuating variation, 1909), C. H. Danforth (random variation between monozygotic twins, 1919), and Sewall Wright (random developmental variation in piebald guinea pigs, 1920). The first pioneering study of fluctuating asymmetry, by Sumner and Huestis in 1921, is seldom mentioned, possibly because it failed to connect the observed random asymmetry with random developmental variation. This early work was then synthesized by Boris Astaurov in 1930 and Wilhelm Ludwig in 1932, and then popularized by Drosophila geneticists beginning with Kenneth Mather in 1953. Population phenogeneticists are still trying to understand the origins and behavior of random developmental variation. Some of the developmental noise represents true stochastic behavior of molecules and cells, while some represents deterministic chaos, nonlinear feedback, and symmetry breaking.

Food stress, fluctuating asymmetry and reproductive performance in the gryllid crickets Gryllus bimaculatus and Gryllodes sigillatus

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Mallard ◽  
C.J. Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Gryllus Bimaculatus ◽  
Food Treatment ◽  
General Hypothesis ◽  
Food Stress ◽  
Effect Of Food ◽  
Gryllodes Sigillatus ◽  
Measures Of Performance

AbstractWhile associations between sexual selection, developmental stress and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) remain controversial, this does not necessarily undermine the more general hypothesis that FA reflects developmental instability and functional competence. This applies as much to reproductive processes as to any other. If this is the case, however, we should expect FA and measures of performance to covary under conditions of developmental stress. Using an established association between morphometric FA and reproductive performance in the gryllid crickets Gryllus bimaculatus and Gryllodes sigillatus, we looked at the effect of food stress on covariation between FA and measures of performance (vigour of locomotion and interaction, mating speed, sperm transfer, egg production and offspring weight). The results showed a clear effect of food treatment in males and females of both species, with composite measures reflecting greater FA and reduced performance being greatest when crickets were reared on impoverished food. Inspection of independent means suggested FA may have been most influenced by a relaxation of food stress under high quality feeding conditions, while reproductive performance was more susceptible to the reduction in food quality under low quality conditions.

Calculation of Fluctuating Asymmetry of the biggest Caspian whipsnake population in Hungary compared to a common snake species

Biologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mátyás Bellaagh ◽  
Eszter Lazányi ◽  
Zoltán Korsós
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Lake Balaton ◽  
Snake Species ◽  
The Status

AbstractThe Fluctuating Asymmetry (FA) is a special type of asymmetry in the populations of bilaterally symmetrical creatures. The FA gives us numerical data on the developmental instability of the populations and refers to potential genetical and environmental stressors affecting the populations. Here we give the first data on the FA of the protected Caspian whipsnake (Hierophis caspius) from Hungary. The FA indices of the biggest population from Villány Mts were compared to the FA indices of two differently stressed Dice snake (Natrix tessellata) populations [stressed (Mád) and seminatural (Lake Balaton)]. Based on the values of the multiple and the simple indices derived from sublabial scales, we can say that the status quo of the highly protected Caspian whipsnake population does not represent significant deviation from the near-natural dice snake population from the Lake Balaton.

scholarly journals Fluctuating Asymmetry: A Technique for Measuring Developmental Stress Caused by Inbreeding

1986 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Clarke ◽  
GW Brand ◽  
MJ Whitten
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Harpacticoid Copepod ◽  
Breeding Systems ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Developmental Homeostasis ◽  
The Common ◽  
Inbreeding Level ◽  
The Relationship

Fluctuating asymmetry has sometimes been employed to indicate disruption of developmental homeostasis. Such disruption is thought to be a result of increased developmental stress. In this study we examine the relationship between fluctuating asymmetry and inbreeding level in two differing breeding systems: the marine harpacticoid copepod Tisbe holothuriae, a typically outbreeding diploid, and the common honeybee Apis melli/era, which is haplo-diploid. Inbreeding has previously been shown to constitute a developmental stress in populations of T. holothuriae, but the same is yet to be conclusively shown in A. melli/era.

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