Sperm, speciation and promiscuity - an integrated analysis of evolution in passerine birds (completed)

Funded by:

Research Council of Norway, FRIBIO, 2010-2013 (project number 196554)

Description of Project:
One of the great puzzles in evolutionary biology is how the extreme diversity of mating systems has evolved under the constraints of a basically invariable mode of sexual reproduction; the fusion of two haploid gametes. A good illustration of this enigma is the large variation in promiscuity among songbirds (passerines), which is well documented by parentage analyses in hundreds of species, but still surprisingly poorly understood. The current project addresses this fundamental problem with a novel approach: viewing the sperm cell, the vehicle for male fertilization success, as the target of selection. Throughout the animal kingdom sperm cells are extremely diversified. In passerine birds they also show strong signatures of selection linked to their mating system. The project has four main objectives: 1) to test the utility of sperm phenotypes as indicators of phylogenetic differentiation and divergence, 2) to test if female promiscuity (i.e. sperm competition sensu lato) is a catalyst for sperm evolution, 3) to test if the two modes of postcopulatory sexual selection, sperm competition (sensu stricto) and female sperm choice, influences sperm evolution in different ways, and 4) to identify possible genomic and proteomic mechanisms involved in sperm competition and female sperm choice. In short, the project views the sperm as a sexually selected phenotype. This new approach will complement the traditional somatic analysis of evolutionary change in organisms and potentially provide new insights to our understanding of sexually driven speciation processes and mating system diversity.

Publications

  • Omotoriogun, Taiwo Crossby; Albrecht, Tomas; Gohli, Jostein; Horák, David; Johannessen, Lars Erik & Johnsen, Arild [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2020). Sperm length variation among Afrotropical songbirds reflects phylogeny rather than adaptations to the tropical environment. Zoology. ISSN 0944-2006. 140. doi: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125770. Full text in Research Archive
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Rowe, Melissah; Eroukhmanoff, Fabrice; Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Sætre, Glenn-Peter & Johnsen, Arild (2019). Measuring sperm swimming performance in birds: effects of dilution, suspension medium, mechanical agitation, and sperm number. Journal of Ornithology = Journal fur Ornithologie. ISSN 0021-8375. p. 1–11. doi: 10.1007/s10336-019-01672-9. Full text in Research Archive
  • Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Gohli, Jostein; Albrecht, Tomas; Garcia-del-Rey, Eduardo; Johannessen, Lars Erik & Kleven, Oddmund [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Evolution of female promiscuity in Passerides songbirds. BMC Evolutionary Biology. ISSN 1471-2148. 19(1). doi: 10.1186/s12862-019-1493-1. Full text in Research Archive
  • Omotoriogun, Taiwo Crossby; Laskemoen, Terje; Rowe, Melissah; Albrecht, Tomáš; Bowie, Rauri C.K. & Sedláček, Ondřej [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2016). Variation in sperm morphology among Afrotropical sunbirds. IBIS. ISSN 0019-1019. 158, p. 155–166. doi: 10.1111/ibi.12334. Full text in Research Archive
  • K, Supriya; Rowe, Melissah; Laskemoen, Terje; Mohan, Dhananjai; Price, Trevor & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2016). Early diversification of sperm size in the evolutionary history of the old world leaf warblers (Phylloscopidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology. ISSN 1010-061X. 29(4), p. 777–789. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12826. Full text in Research Archive
  • Omotoriogun, Taiwo Crossby; Albrecht, Tomas; Hořak, David; Laskemoen, Terje; Ottosson, Ulf & Rowe, Melissah [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2016). Sperm size evolution in African greenbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4066. 117(2), p. 337–349. doi: 10.1111/bij.12663. Full text in Research Archive
  • Rowe, Melissah; Griffith, Simon C.; Hofgaard, Antje & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2015). Subspecific variation in sperm morphology and performance in the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda). Avian Research. ISSN 2053-7166. 6:23, p. 1–10. doi: 10.1186/s40657-015-0032-z.
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Laskemoen, Terje; Stensrud, Even; Rowe, Melissah; Haas, Fredrik & Lifjeld, Jan Terje [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2015). Morphology-function relationships and repeatability in the sperm of Passer sparrows. Journal of morphology. ISSN 0362-2525. 276(4), p. 370–377. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20346.
  • Rowe, Melissah; Albrecht, Tomas; Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Johnsen, Arild; Laskemoen, Terje & Weir, Jason T [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). Postcopulatory sexual selection is associated with accelerated evolution of sperm morphology. Evolution. ISSN 0014-3820. 69(4), p. 1044–1052. doi: 10.1111/evo.12620.
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Laskemoen, Terje; Eroukhmanoff, Fabrice; Haas, Fredrik; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Lifjeld, Jan Terje [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2014). Testing a post-copulatory pre-zygotic reproductive barrier in a passerine species pair. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. ISSN 0340-5443. 68(7), p. 1133–1144. doi: 10.1007/s00265-014-1724-9.
  • Gohli, Jostein; Leder, Erica H.; Garcia-Del-Rey, Eduardo; Johannessen, Lars Erik; Johnsen, Arild & Laskemoen, Terje [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2014). The evolutionary history of Afrocanarian blue tits inferred from genomewide SNPs. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 24(1), p. 180–191. doi: 10.1111/mec.13008.
  • Larson, Keith W; Liedvogel, Miriam; Addison, BriAnne; Kleven, Oddmund; Laskemoen, Terje & Lifjeld, Jan Terje [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2014). Allelic Variation in a Willow Warbler Genomic Region Is Associated with Climate Clines. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 9(5). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095252. Full text in Research Archive
  • Garcia-Del-Rey, Eduardo; Marthinsen, Gunnhild; Calabuig, Pascual; Estévez, Loly; Johannessen, Lars Erik & Johnsen, Arild [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2013). Reduced genetic diversity and sperm motility in the endangered Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea polatzeki. Journal of Ornithology = Journal fur Ornithologie. ISSN 0021-8375. 154(3), p. 761–768. doi: 10.1007/s10336-013-0940-9.
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Laskemoen, Terje; Kleven, Oddmund; LaBarbera, Katie; Lovette, Irby J. & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). No evidence that sperm morphology predicts paternity success in wild hous wrens. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. ISSN 0340-5443. 67(11), p. 1845–1853. doi: 10.1007/s00265-013-1594-6.
  • Rowe, Melissah ; Laskemoen, Terje; Johnsen, Arild & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). Evolution of sperm structure and energetics in passerine birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 280(1753). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2616.
  • Rowe, Melissah ; Czirják, Gabor; Lifjeld, Jan Terje & Giraudeau, Mathieu (2013). Lysozyme-associated bactericidal activity in the ejaculate of a wild passerine. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4066. 109(1), p. 92–100. doi: 10.1111/bij.12044.
  • Laskemoen, Terje; Albrecht, Tomas; Bonisoli-Alquati, Andrea; Cepak, Jaroslav; de Lope, Florentino & Hermosell, Ignacio G. [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2013). Variation in sperm morphometry and sperm competition among barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) populations. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. ISSN 0340-5443. 67(2), p. 301–309. doi: 10.1007/s00265-012-1450-0.
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Laskemoen, Terje; Kleven, Oddmund & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). Sperm length variation in House Wrens Troglodytes aedon. Journal of Ornithology = Journal fur Ornithologie. ISSN 0021-8375. 154(1), p. 129–138. doi: 10.1007/s10336-012-0878-3.
  • Hogner, Silje; Laskemoen, Terje; Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Pavel, Vaclav; Chutny, Bob & Garcia, J [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2013). Rapid sperm evolution in the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) subspecies complex. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. ISSN 0340-5443. 67(8), p. 1205–1217. doi: 10.1007/s00265-013-1548-z.
  • Gohli, Jostein; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Johnsen, Arild; Kleven, Oddmund; Borge, Thomas & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). Female promicuity is positively associated with neutral and selected genetic diversity in passerine birds. Evolution. ISSN 0014-3820. 67(5), p. 1406–1419. doi: 10.1111/evo.12045.
  • Hermosell, Ignacio Garcia; Laskemoen, Terje; Rowe, Melissah ; Møller, Anders P.; Mousseau, Timothy A. & Albrecht, Tomas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2013). Patterns of sperm damage in Chernobyl passerine birds suggest a trade-off between sperm length and integrity. Biology Letters. ISSN 1744-9561. 9(5:20130530 ). doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0530.
  • Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Hoenen, Antje; Johannessen, Lars Erik; Laskemoen, Terje; Lopes, Ricardo J. & Rodrigues, Pedro M. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2013). The Azores bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina) has the same unusual and size-variable sperm morphology as the Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4066. 108(3), p. 677–687. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.02040.x.
  • Laskemoen, Terje; Kleven, Oddmund; Johannessen, Lars Erik; Fossøy, Frode; Robertson, Raleigh J. & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). Repeatability of sperm size and motility within and between seasons in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). Journal of Ornithology = Journal fur Ornithologie. ISSN 0021-8375. 154(4), p. 955–963. doi: 10.1007/s10336-013-0961-4.
  • Albrecht, Tomas; Kleven, Oddmund; Kreisinger, Jakub; Laskemoen, Terje; Omotoriogun, Taiwo Crossby & Ottosson, Ulf [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2012). Sperm competition in tropical versus temperate zone birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 280(1752). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2434.
  • Hogner, Silje; Laskemoen, Terje; Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Porkert, Jiri; Kleven, Oddmund & Albayrak, Tamer [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2012). Deep sympatric mitochondrial divergence without reproductive isolation in the common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Ecology and Evolution. ISSN 2045-7758. 2(12), p. 2974–2988. doi: 10.1002/ece3.398. Full text in Research Archive

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  • Lifjeld, Jan Terje; Gohli, Jostein & Johnsen, Arild (2013). Promisquity, sexual selection, and genetic diversity : a reply to Spurgin. Evolution. ISSN 0014-3820. 67(10), p. 3073–3074. doi: 10.1111/evo.12211.
  • Cramer, Emily Rebecca A; Laskemoen, Terje; Eroukhmanoff, Fabrice; Haas, Fredrik; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Lifjeld, Jan Terje [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2013). An experimental test of a potential post-copulatory pre-zygotic reproductive barrier in a passerine species pair.
  • Gohli, Jostein; Johnsen, Arild; Popp, Magnus; Leder, Erica H. & Lifjeld, Jan Terje (2013). Resolving species trees and rewriting taxonomy: Using next-gen sequencing data to unravel a recent radiation of a passerine bird on an island system.

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Published Nov. 20, 2014 10:11 AM - Last modified Apr. 12, 2022 8:26 AM