@misc{BierbachSchulteHerrmannetal.2011, author = {Bierbach, David and Schulte, Matthias and Herrmann, Nina and Tobler, Michael and Stadler, Stefan and Jung, Christian T. and Kunkel, Benjamin and Riesch, R{\"u}diger and Klaus, Sebastian and Ziege, Madlen and Indy, Jeane Rimber and Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin and Plath, Martin}, title = {Predator-induced changes of female mating preferences}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {984}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43109}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-431099}, pages = {12}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Background In many species males face a higher predation risk than females because males display elaborate traits that evolved under sexual selection, which may attract not only females but also predators. Females are, therefore, predicted to avoid such conspicuous males under predation risk. The present study was designed to investigate predator-induced changes of female mating preferences in Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana). Males of this species show a pronounced polymorphism in body size and coloration, and females prefer large, colorful males in the absence of predators. Results In dichotomous choice tests predator-na{\"i}ve (lab-reared) females altered their initial preference for larger males in the presence of the cichlid Cichlasoma salvini, a natural predator of P. mexicana, and preferred small males instead. This effect was considerably weaker when females were confronted visually with the non-piscivorous cichlid Vieja bifasciata or the introduced non-piscivorous Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In contrast, predator experienced (wild-caught) females did not respond to the same extent to the presence of a predator, most likely due to a learned ability to evaluate their predators' motivation to prey. Conclusions Our study highlights that (a) predatory fish can have a profound influence on the expression of mating preferences of their prey (thus potentially affecting the strength of sexual selection), and females may alter their mate choice behavior strategically to reduce their own exposure to predators. (b) Prey species can evolve visual predator recognition mechanisms and alter their mate choice only when a natural predator is present. (c) Finally, experiential effects can play an important role, and prey species may learn to evaluate the motivational state of their predators.}, language = {en} } @article{BierbachSchulteHerrmannetal.2011, author = {Bierbach, David and Schulte, Matthias and Herrmann, Nina and Tobler, Michael and Stadler, Stefan and Jung, Christian T. and Kunkel, Benjamin and Riesch, R{\"u}diger and Klaus, Sebastian and Ziege, Madlen and Rimber Indy, Jeane and Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin and Plath, Martin}, title = {Predator-induced changes of female mating preferences innate and experiential effects}, series = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {11}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, number = {3-4}, publisher = {BioMed Central}, address = {London}, issn = {1471-2148}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2148-11-190}, pages = {10}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Background: In many species males face a higher predation risk than females because males display elaborate traits that evolved under sexual selection, which may attract not only females but also predators. Females are, therefore, predicted to avoid such conspicuous males under predation risk. The present study was designed to investigate predator-induced changes of female mating preferences in Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana). Males of this species show a pronounced polymorphism in body size and coloration, and females prefer large, colorful males in the absence of predators. Results: In dichotomous choice tests predator-naive (lab-reared) females altered their initial preference for larger males in the presence of the cichlid Cichlasoma salvini, a natural predator of P. mexicana, and preferred small males instead. This effect was considerably weaker when females were confronted visually with the non-piscivorous cichlid Vieja bifasciata or the introduced non-piscivorous Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In contrast, predator experienced (wild-caught) females did not respond to the same extent to the presence of a predator, most likely due to a learned ability to evaluate their predators' motivation to prey. Conclusions: Our study highlights that (a) predatory fish can have a profound influence on the expression of mating preferences of their prey (thus potentially affecting the strength of sexual selection), and females may alter their mate choice behavior strategically to reduce their own exposure to predators. (b) Prey species can evolve visual predator recognition mechanisms and alter their mate choice only when a natural predator is present. (c) Finally, experiential effects can play an important role, and prey species may learn to evaluate the motivational state of their predators.}, language = {en} } @article{PlathPfenningerLerpetal.2013, author = {Plath, Martin and Pfenninger, Markus and Lerp, Hannes and Riesch, R{\"u}diger and Eschenbrenner, Christoph and Slattery, Patrick A. and Bierbach, David and Herrmann, Nina and Schulte, Matthias and Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin and Rimber Indy, Jeane and Passow, Courtney and Tobler, Michael}, title = {Genetic differentiation and selection against migrants in evolutionarily replicated extreme environments}, series = {Evolution}, volume = {67}, journal = {Evolution}, number = {9}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0014-3820}, doi = {10.1111/evo.12133}, pages = {2647 -- 2661}, year = {2013}, abstract = {We investigated mechanisms of reproductive isolation in livebearing fishes (genus Poecilia) inhabiting sulfidic and nonsulfidic habitats in three replicate river drainages. Although sulfide spring fish convergently evolved divergent phenotypes, it was unclear if mechanisms of reproductive isolation also evolved convergently. Using microsatellites, we found strongly reduced gene flow between adjacent populations from different habitat types, suggesting that local adaptation to sulfidic habitats repeatedly caused the emergence of reproductive isolation. Reciprocal translocation experiments indicate strong selection against immigrants into sulfidic waters, but also variation among drainages in the strength of selection against immigrants into nonsulfidic waters. Mate choice experiments revealed the evolution of assortative mating preferences in females from nonsulfidic but not from sulfidic habitats. The inferred strength of sexual selection against immigrants (RIs) was negatively correlated with the strength of natural selection (RIm), a pattern that could be attributed to reinforcement, whereby natural selection strengthens behavioral isolation due to reduced hybrid fitness. Overall, reproductive isolation and genetic differentiation appear to be replicated and direct consequences of local adaptation to sulfide spring environments, but the relative contributions of different mechanisms of reproductive isolation vary across these evolutionarily independent replicates, highlighting both convergent and nonconvergent evolutionary trajectories of populations in each drainage.}, language = {en} } @article{RieschDuweHerrmannetal.2009, author = {Riesch, R{\"u}diger and Duwe, Virginia and Herrmann, Nina and Padur, Lisa and Ramm, Annemarie and Scharnweber, Inga Kristin and Schulte, Matthias and Schulz-Mirbach, Tanja and Ziege, Madlen and Plath, Martin}, title = {Variation along the shy-bold continuum in extremophile fishes (Poecilia mexicana, Poecilia sulphuraria)}, issn = {0340-5443}, doi = {10.1007/s00265-009-0780-z}, year = {2009}, abstract = {One potential trade-off that bold individuals face is between increased predation risks and gains in resources. Individuals experiencing high predation and hungry individuals (or individuals with low body condition) are predicted to show increased boldness. We examined one behavioral trait previously reported to be associated with boldness (the time individual fish needed to emerge from shelter) in various populations of mollies (Poecilia spp.). Our study system included several southern Mexican surface streams with high piscine predation and high food availability, sulfidic surface streams with high avian predation, in which the inhabiting fish show reduced body condition, and a sulfidic cave, where predation and body condition are low. Our comparison revealed very short times to emerge from the start box in populations from non-sulfidic streams. In sulfidic habitats (whether surface or cave), it took individual Poecilia mexicana considerably longer to emerge from the start box, and the same difference was also found in an independent comparison between P. mexicana and the closely related, highly sulfide-adapted Poecilia sulphuraria. Fish reared under common garden conditions (in the absence of predators and hydrogen sulfide) showed intermediate boldness scores to the extremes observed in the field. Our data thus indicate that (a) boldness is shaped by environmental conditions/ experiential effects, but is not heritable, (b) predation affects boldness in the predicted direction, but (c) low body condition leads to reduced boldness. Extremophile Poecilia spp. spend most of their time surfacing to survive under sulfidic and hypoxic conditions, which exposes them to increased levels of predations, but the fish forage on the bottom. Hence, in this system, increased boldness does not increase foraging success. We argue that energy limitation favors reducing energetically costly behaviors, and exploring novel environments may be just one of them.}, language = {en} }