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Habitat variation and wing coloration affect wing shape evolution in dragonflies
D Outomuro1, K-D B Dijkstra, F Johansson
1Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. outomuro.david@gmail.com
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|July 11, 2013
Summary
Dragonfly wing shape adapts to habitat and sexual selection. While water type had no effect, landscape influenced wing breadth, and coloration impacted hindwing shape, showing sex-specific differences.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Animal morphology
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Organisms adapt to habitat variability, with flight being a key dispersal mechanism.
- Flying animals are expected to exhibit wing shape adaptations linked to environmental factors.
- Dragonflies (genus Trithemis) provide a model system to study flight adaptations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dragonfly wing shape variation in relation to habitat (water body and landscape) and sexual selection (wing coloration).
- To explore phenotypic correlations in wing shape between sexes within the genus Trithemis.
- To disentangle the roles of natural and sexual selection on wing morphology.
Main Methods:
- Utilized geometric morphometrics to analyze wing shape variation in 32 Trithemis species.
- Incorporated phylogenetic comparative methods (phylogenetic independent contrasts) to account for evolutionary history.
- Examined correlations between wing shape, habitat variables, and wing coloration, considering sex differences.
Main Results:
- Wing shape exhibited significant phylogenetic structure.
- No significant effect of water body type on wing shape was detected.
- Landscape influenced wing shape, with broader wings observed in more open habitats (male forewings and female hindwings).
- Increased hindwing coloration correlated with a wider wing base, particularly in males.
- Phenotypic correlations in wing shape were found between sexes across species.
Conclusions:
- Natural and sexual selection appear to act independently on forewings and hindwings.
- Sex-specific differences in the influence of landscape on wing shape were identified.
- Despite sex-specific selection pressures, wing shape shows phenotypic correlations between males and females.
- Wing morphology in Trithemis dragonflies reflects a complex interplay of environmental adaptation and sexual selection.
Related Concept Videos
01:54Convergent Evolution
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
01:38Limits to Natural Selection
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
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01:20Mate Choice
Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
01:32What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.