Oak galls are spectacular extended phenotypes of gallwasp genes in host oak tissues and have evolved complex morphologies that serve, part, to exclude parasitoid natural enemies. Parasitoids their insect herbivore hosts coevolved produce diverse communities comprising about a third all animal species. The factors structuring these communities, however, remain poorly understood. An emerging theme community ecology is the need consider effects traits, shaped by both selection phylogenetic...

Studies of reproductive isolation between homoploid hybrid species and their parent have rarely been carried out. Here we investigate barriers a recently recognized bird species, the Italian sparrow Passer italiae its house P. domesticus Spanish hispaniolensis. Reproductive can be difficult to study in due lack geographical contact taxa. However, lives parapatrically with both sympatrically sparrow. Through whole-transcriptome sequencing six individuals each two identified set putatively...

Abstract Speciation by hybridization is emerging as a significant contributor to biological diversification. Yet, little known about the relative contributions of (i) evolutionary novelty and (ii) sorting pre‐existing parental incompatibilities build‐up reproductive isolation under this mode speciation. Few studies have addressed empirically whether hybrid animal taxa are intrinsically isolated from their parents, no study has so far investigated which two aforementioned routes intrinsic...

The relative roles of evolutionary history and geographical ecological contingency for community assembly remain unknown. Plant species, instance, share more phytophages with closer relatives (phylogenetic conservatism), but exotic plants introduced to another continent, this may be overlaid by geographically contingent evolution or immigration from locally abundant plant species (mass effects). We assessed within local forests what extent trees (Douglas‐fir, red oak) recruit (Coleoptera,...

Abstract Admixture, the interbreeding of individuals from differentiated source populations, is now known to be a widespread phenomenon. Genomic studies natural hybridisation can help answer many questions on impacts admixture adaptive evolution, reproductive isolation, and speciation. When large variety proportions between two populations exist, both geographic genomic cline analysis are suitable methods for inferring biased, restricted or excessive gene flow at individual loci into foreign...

Character displacement can reduce costly interspecific interactions between young species. We investigated the mechanisms behind divergence in three key traits-breeding habitat choice, timing of breeding, and plumage coloration-in Ficedula flycatchers. found that male pied flycatchers became expelled from preferred deciduous into mixed forest as superior competitor, collared flycatchers, increased numbers. The peak food abundance differs habitats, spatial segregation was paralleled by an...

Many livestock and human vaccines are leaky because they block symptoms but do not prevent infection or onward transmission. This leakiness is concerning it increases vaccination coverage required to disease spread can promote evolution of increased pathogen virulence. Despite leakiness, may reduce load, affecting transmission dynamics. However, the impacts on post-transmission development infectiousness in contact individuals unknown. Here, we use experiments involving Marek virus (MDV)...

Abstract Oak gallwasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini) are one of seven major animal taxa that commonly reproduce by cyclical parthenogenesis (CP). A question in research on CP is the frequency with which lineages lose their sexual generations, and diversify as purely asexual radiations. Most oak gallwasp species only known from an generation, secondary loss sex has been conclusively demonstrated several species, particularly members holarctic genus Andricus. This raises possibility...

Background The evolution of female choice mechanisms favouring males their own kind is considered a crucial step during the early stages speciation. However, although genomics mate may influence both likelihood and speed speciation, identity location genes underlying assortative mating remain largely unknown. Methods Findings We used experiments gene expression analysis Drosophila melanogaster to examine three key components influencing show that 1,498 in Zimbabwean D. whose levels differ...

Abstract Many hybrid zones contain a deficit of genotypes relative to expectations from tension zone models. This is often associated with separation parental into distinct habitats (mosaicism), but sometimes parentals can be found co-occuring in the same local population (bimodality). In both cases, prezygotic isolation may play an important role determining genotypic composition zone. Chorthippus brunneus and C. jacobsi (Orthoptera: Acrididae) meet form complex northern Spain. Analysis...

Over the past decade, high-dose refuge (HDR) strategy, aimed at delaying evolution of pest resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins produced by transgenic crops, became mandatory in United States and is being discussed for Europe. However, precopulatory dispersal mating rate between resident immigrant individuals, two features influencing efficiency this have seldom been quantified pests targeted these toxins. We combined mark-recapture biogeochemical marking over three breeding...

A host may be physically isolated in space and then correspond to a geographical island, but it also separated from its local neighbours by hundreds of millions years evolutionary history, form this case an evolutionarily distinct island. We test how affects the assembly processes host's colonizers, question being until now only invoked at scale islands or patches. studied true bugs crowns oaks surrounded phylogenetically more less closely related trees. Despite short distances (less than...

Homoploid hybrid speciation (HHS) requires reproductive barriers between and parent species, despite incomplete isolation (RI) the parents. Novel secondary sexual trait values in hybrids may cause prezygotic from both parents, whereas signals inherited by one species with other. Here we investigate whether differences male plumage function as a premating barrier Italian sparrow of its house sparrow, narrow Alpine zone. is composite mosaic parental traits, head most similar to other parent,...

Abstract Dispersal limitation has been considered to decrease with body size in animals and be an important factor limiting community assembly on spatially isolated patches. Here we hypothesize that for flightless bark-dwelling oribatid mites dispersal onto young trees might increase (due a aerial capacities), it occur even within contiguous forest canopy. We suppressed towards branches from by physically connecting them old analyzed the impacts composition, accounting branch microhabitat...

Summary Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) crops kill pest larvae but have led to resistance evolution in several target pests. The high dose‐refuge (HDR) strategy aimed at delaying depends on dispersal patterns of Examination adult the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (ECB), main maize, can help improve management. Estimated recapture rates over 20 mark–release–recapture sessions herbaceous field borders, where ECB adults rest during day and mate night, were used examine influence sex,...

Neighboring plants within a local community may be separated by many millions of years evolutionary history, potentially reducing enemy pressure insect herbivores. However, it is not known how the isolation plant affects fitness an herbivore living on such plant, especially herbivore's pressure. Here, we suggest that host operate similarly as spatial and reduce per herbivore. We investigated effect phylogenetic trees exerted specialist generalist enemies (parasitoids birds) ectophagous...

Individuals differ widely in their contribution to the spread of infection within and across populations. Three key epidemiological host traits affect infectious disease spread: susceptibility (propensity acquire infection), infectivity transmit others) recoverability recover quickly). Interventions aiming reduce may target improvement any one these traits, but necessary statistical methods for obtaining risk estimates are lacking. In this paper we introduce a novel software tool called SIRE...

Abstract Recent genomic studies have highlighted the importance of hybridization and gene exchange in evolution. We ask what factors cause variation impact hybridization, through adaptation hybrids likelihood hybrid speciation. During speciation, traits that diverge due to both divergent stabilizing selection can contribute buildup reproductive isolation. Divergent directional parent taxa should lead intermediate phenotypes hybrids, whereas also produce extreme, transgressive when occurs. By...

Abstract Homoploid hybrid speciation (HHS) involves the recombination of two differentiated genomes into a novel, functional one without change in chromosome number. Theoretically, there are numerous ways for parental to recombine. Hence, chance may play large role formation species. If these genome combinations can evolve rapidly following hybridization and sympatric situations numerous, recurrent homoploid is possibility. We argue that three different, but not mutually exclusive, types...