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Empirically simulated spatial sorting points at fast epigenetic changes in dispersal behaviour

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Abstract

During range expansion, the most dispersive individuals make up the range front, and assortative mating between these dispersive phenotypes leads to increased dispersiveness (i.e. spatial sorting). The precise inheritance of dispersal, however, is to date largely unknown in many organisms, thereby hampering any progress in evaluating the adaptive potential of species during range expansion. Using the spider mite Tetranychus urticae, we therefore empirically simulated spatial sorting by means of artificial selection on a unique pre-dispersal behaviour, tightly related to emigration. To separate directionality of the response from potential drift, we mimicked a recurrent low number of founders in replicated selection regimes. Afterwards, we inferred the mode of inheritance of the pre-dispersal behaviour by performing reciprocal crosses between selected (i.e. dispersive) and non-selected (i.e. non-dispersive) mites and by screening for endosymbionts known to be associated with changes in dispersal behaviour. Despite the recurrent low number of founders, the aerial dispersal behaviour responded strongly to the imposed selection pressure. The behaviour furthermore showed a maternal inheritance, though independent of any known dispersal-related endosymbionts. Though cytoplasmic inheritance cannot fully be excluded, we attribute the observed strong and rapid, maternally influenced response in dispersal to transgenerational epigenetic effects. Consequently, we can expect fast evolutionary dynamics during range expansion in the species.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO) (project G.0610.11). We also thank the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO) for funding JP (visiting postdoctoral fellowship: FWO-project G. G0057/09 N). DB and RS were supported by BelSpo IAP Project “Speedy”. We furthermore thank the INEE-CNRS (ENVIROMICS call, project ‘ALIENS’) for funding DR. Finally, we thank Pim Edelaar, Cristina García and John Endler for inviting us and we thank two anonymous reviewers and Pim Edelaar for their useful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Katrien Hilde Petra Van Petegem, Julien Pétillon & Dries Bonte

  2. EA 7316 Biodiversité et Gestion des Territoires, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, CS 74205, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Julien Pétillon

  3. UMR CNRS 6553 Ecobio, Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    David Renault

  4. Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Nicky Wybouw

  5. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Nicky Wybouw & Thomas Van Leeuwen

  6. Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Robby Stoks

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  1. Katrien Hilde Petra Van Petegem
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Correspondence to Katrien Hilde Petra Van Petegem.

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Van Petegem, K.H.P., Pétillon, J., Renault, D. et al. Empirically simulated spatial sorting points at fast epigenetic changes in dispersal behaviour. Evol Ecol 29, 299–310 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-015-9756-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-015-9756-9

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