Recurrent evolution of small body size and loss of the sword ornament in Northern swordtail fish
Across the tree of life, species have repeatedly evolved similar phenotypes. While well-studied for ecological traits, there is also evidence for recurrent evolution of sexually selected traits. Swordtail fish (Xiphophorus) is a classic model system for studying sexual selection, and female Xiphophorus exhibit strong mate preferences for large male body sizes and a range of sexually dimorphic ornaments. Interestingly, sexually selected traits have also been lost multiple times in the genus. However, there has been uncertainty over the number of losses of ornamentation and large body size because phylogenetic relationships between species in this group have historically been controversial, partially due to prevalent gene flow. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing approaches to reexamine phylogenetic relationships within a Xiphophorus clade that varies in the presence and absence of sexually selected traits. Using wild-caught individuals, we determine the phylogenetic placement of a small, unornamented species, X. continens, confirming an additional loss of ornamentation and large body size in the clade. With these revised phylogenetic relationships, we analyze evidence for coevolution between body size and other sexually selected traits using phylogenetic comparative methods. These results provide insights into the evolutionary pressures driving the recurrent loss of suites of sexually selected traits.
Authors
- Gabriel A Preising
- Tristram O. Dodge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8382-431X)
- Alexa Pollock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7599-4196)
- Manfred Schartl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9882-5948)
- Molly E. Cummings (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4873-5378)
- Oscar Ríos-Cárdenas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3416-0814)
- Axel Meyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0888-8193)
- Sunishka Thakur
- Jose Angel Machin Kairuz
- John J. Baczenas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6791-5470)
- Callen M. Inman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5795-1658)
- Yuan Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4500-6230)
- Michael Tobler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0326-0890)
- Molly R. Morris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9962-2982)
- Theresa Gunn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8904-4063)
- Meredith Fitschen–Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8043-9168)
- Molly Schumer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2075-5668)
- Daniel L. Powell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9204-645X)
- Markita Savage
- Sean T Sewell
Institutions
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Texas State University (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- University of Konstanz (DE)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- University of Missouri–St. Louis (US)
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Whitney Museum of American Art (US)
- Integra (United States) (US)
- Institute of Oceanology (CN)
- South China Sea Institute Of Oceanology (CN)
- Ohio University (US)
- Saint Louis Zoo (US)
- Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology (US)
- Instituto de Ecología (MX)
- Centro de Investigaciones Cientifícas de las Huastecas 'Aguazarca' (MX)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Evolution
- Published
- 2024-09-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpae124
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.53