Alternative hypotheses linking the immune system and mate choice for good genes

Why do males often have extravagant morphological and behavioural traits, and why do females prefer to mate with such males? The answers have been the focus of considerable debate since Darwin's 'The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex' appeared in 1871. Recently, the broadening of investigation to include fields outside evolutionary biology has shed new light on mate choice and sexual selection. Here, we focus on a specific set of hypotheses relating the biology of resisting disease-causing organisms with the production of condition-dependent sexual signals (advertisements). We present a framework that distinguishes three different hypotheses about trade-offs within the immune system that affect general condition. The original Hamilton & Zuk hypothesis suggests that hosts fight off disease via resistance to particular pathogens, which lowers resistance to other pathogens. Changes in pathogens over evolutionary time in turn favours changes in which genes confer the best resistance. Alternatively, the immunocompetence hypotheses suggest that the energetic costs of mounting a response to any pathogen compete for resources with other things, such as producing or maintaining advertisements. Finally, improving resistance to pathogens could increase the negative impacts of the immune system on the host, via immunopathologies such as allergies or autoimmune diseases. If both disease and immunopathology affect condition, then sexual advertisements could signal a balance between the two. Studies of hypothesized links between genes, condition, the immune system and advertisements will require careful consideration of which hypothesis is being considered, and may necessitate different measures of immune system responses and different experimental protocols

Simple sequence repeats in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) expressed sequence tags: a new resource for evolutionary genetic studies of passerines

Background Passerines (perching birds) are widely studied across many biological disciplines including ecology, population biology, neurobiology, behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology. However, understanding the molecular basis of relevant traits is hampered by the paucity of passerine genomics tools. Efforts to address this problem are underway, and the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) will be the first passerine to have its genome sequenced. Here we describe a bioinformatic analysis of zebra finch expressed sequence tag (EST) Genbank entries. Results A total of 48,862 ESTs were downloaded from GenBank and assembled into contigs, representing an estimated 17,404 unique sequences. The unique sequence set contained 638 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or microsatellites of length ≥20 bp and purity ≥90% and 144 simple sequence repeats of length ≥30 bp. A chromosomal location for the majority of SSRs was predicted by BLASTing against assembly 2.1 of the chicken genome sequence. The relative exonic location (5' untranslated region, coding region or 3' untranslated region) was predicted for 218 of the SSRs, by BLAST search against the ENSEMBL chicken peptide database. Ten loci were examined for polymorphism in two zebra finch populations and two populations of a distantly related passerine, the house sparrow Passer domesticus. Linkage was confirmed for four loci that were predicted to reside on the passerine homologue of chicken chromosome 7. Conclusion We show that SSRs are abundant within zebra finch ESTs, and that their genomic location can be predicted from sequence similarity with the assembled chicken genome sequence. We demonstrate that a useful proportion of zebra finch EST-SSRs are likely to be polymorphic, and that they can be used to build a linkage map. Finally, we show that many zebra finch EST-SSRs are likely to be useful in evolutionary genetic studies of other passerines

Testes asymmetry, condition and sexual selection in birds: an experimental test

The functional significance of the marked directional asymmetry in testes size observed in many bird species is obscure. Møller suggested that (i) the smaller of the two testes serves a compensatory role and increases in size (and hence reduces asymmetry) when the larger one is defective in some way, and (ii) as a consequence, the degree of directional asymmetry in testes size reflects male quality and covaries positively with the expression of secondary sexual traits.We conducted an experimental test of these two hypotheses in the zebra finch,Taeniopygia guttata. Neither hypothesis was supported. First, there was no significant relationship between the size of the left testis and relative testes asymmetry. Second, we obtained no support for the hypothesis that the degree of directional asymmetry in testes mass covaried with condition. On the contrary, directional asymmetry in testes mass was signifcantly greater in birds whose condition was experimentally reduced, compared with control birds. Moreover, we found no significant relationships between testes asymmetry and secondary sexual traits. We conclude that directional asymmetry in testes size does not reflect male condition in the zebra finch

Graptemys pearlensis

Number of Pages: 4Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Sperm competition and sperm midpiece size: no consistent pattern in passerine birds

Sperm competition is thought to be a major force driving the evolution of sperm shape and function. However, previous studies investigating the relationship between the risk of sperm competition and sperm morphometry revealed inconclusive results and marked differences between taxonomic groups. In a comparative study of two families of passerines (Fringillidae and Sylviidae) and also across species belonging to different passerine families, we investigated the relative importance of the phylogenetic background on the relationship between sperm morphometry and the risk of sperm competition. The risk of sperm competition was inferred from relative testis mass as an indicator of investment in sperm production. We found: (i) a significant positive association between both midpiece length and flagellum length and relative testis mass in the Fringillidae, (ii) a significant negative association between sperm trait dimensions and relative testis mass in the Sylviidae, and (iii) no association across all species. Despite the striking difference in the patterns shown by the Sylviidae and the Fringillidae, the relationship between midpiece length and flagellum length was positive in both families and across all species with positive allometry. Reasons for the differences and similarities between passerine families are discussed

Sophisticated sperm allocation in male fowl

When a female is sexually promiscuous, the ejaculates of different males compete for the fertilization of her eggs; the more sperm a male inseminates into a female, the more likely he is to fertilize her eggs. Because sperm production is limited and costly, theory predicts that males will strategically allocate sperm (1) according to female promiscuity, (2) saving some for copulations with new females, and (3) to females producing more and/or better offspring. Whether males allocate sperm in all of these ways is not known, particularly in birds where the collection of natural ejaculates only recently became possible. Here we demonstrate male sperm allocation of unprecedented sophistication in the fowl Gallus gallus. Males show status-dependent sperm investment in females according to the level of female promiscuity; they progressively reduce sperm investment in a particular female but, on encountering a new female, instantaneously increase their sperm investment; and they preferentially allocate sperm to females with large sexual ornaments signalling superior maternal investment. Our results indicate that female promiscuity leads to the evolution of sophisticated male sexual behaviour

Establishing a Diabetes Self-Management Resource for the Self-Pay Client in a Rural Clinic

Self-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus remains a prominent health concern across the United States. Adherence to treatment plans, medication, and glucose monitoring are often limited by out-of-pocket costs for the client. Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is a set of domains that includes: medication adherence, glucose monitoring, nutrition, exercise, and effective coping mechanisms. DSME programs are provided across the United States helping those with Type 2 diabetes mellitus on their daily habits and management of the condition. DSME programs are largely unavailable to rural communities due to cost and distance barriers, resulting in diabetes education not being readily available in these communities. The greatest disparities are among individuals with Medicare, Medicaid, and without insurance. This project utilized DSME domains, alongside local resources, to formulate a DSME brochure conducive to a designated rural community in south central Florida. The brochure included information regarding affordable glucose monitoring supplies, free medication programs, and resources for: diet, exercise, and coping mechanisms. Brochures were initially designed for self-pay clients, but limitations and unexpected occurrences resulted in difficulty reaching clients without insurance; therefore, the final implementation included distributing brochures to all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Over the implementation period, 220 DSME brochures were given to clients in the rural clinic over a 3-month period

Sophisticated sperm allocation in male fowl

When a female is sexually promiscuous, the ejaculates of different males compete for the fertilization of her eggs; the more sperm a male inseminates into a female, the more likely he is to fertilize her eggs. Because sperm production is limited and costly, theory predicts that males will strategically allocate sperm (1) according to female promiscuity, (2) saving some for copulations with new females, and (3) to females producing more and/or better offspring. Whether males allocate sperm in all of these ways is not known, particularly in birds where the collection of natural ejaculates only recently became possible. Here we demonstrate male sperm allocation of unprecedented sophistication in the fowl Gallus gallus. Males show status-dependent sperm investment in females according to the level of female promiscuity; they progressively reduce sperm investment in a particular female but, on encountering a new female, instantaneously increase their sperm investment; and they preferentially allocate sperm to females with large sexual ornaments signalling superior maternal investment. Our results indicate that female promiscuity leads to the evolution of sophisticated male sexual behaviour

“Texts From Hillary:” Political Meta-meming, Likeability, and Social Presence

In the age of viral social sharing, memes have become an increasingly important way for the public to engage in political debate and discussion. Through social media, politicians have an opportunity to participate in meme sharing with their followers, and to gain valuable likeability points with them by doing so. Hillary Clinton is one such politician, who created a meta-meme by participating in a viral meme about her, and was able to have some control over the narrative about her image as a result. The present research examined the uses of and responses to political meta-meming through analysis of both Hillary Clinton’s meta-memes and the reactions to them in the news media as shared on social media. This thesis used a theoretical foundation of social presence theory, which in recent years has come to be used in a social media setting and can predict likeability based on effective participation in social media norms. Analysis was conducted through the lens of the femininity/competency bind to center an understanding of Hillary Clinton’s image