title: Basal metabolic rate can evolve independently of morphological and behavioural traits.
abstract: Quantitative genetic analyses of basal metabolic rate (BMR) can inform us about the evolvability of the trait by providing estimates of heritability, and also of genetic correlations with other traits that may constrain the ability of BMR to respond to selection. Here, we studied a captive population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in which selection lines for male courtship rate have been established. We measure BMR in these lines to see whether selection on male sexual activity would change BMR as a potentially correlated trait. We find that the genetic correlation between courtship rate and BMR is practically zero, indicating that the two traits can evolve independently of each other. Interestingly, we find that the heritability of BMR in our population (h(2)=0.45) is markedly higher than was previously reported for a captive zebra finch population from Norway. A comparison of the two studies shows that additive genetic variance in BMR has been largely depleted in the Norwegian population, especially the genetic variance in BMR that is independent of body mass. In our population, the slope of BMR increase with body mass differs not only between the sexes but also between the six selection lines, which we tentatively attribute to genetic drift and/or founder effects being strong in small populations. Our study therefore highlights two things. First, the evolvability of BMR may be less constrained by genetic correlations and lack of independent genetic variation than previously described. Second, genetic drift in small populations can rapidly lead to different evolvabilities across populations.
authors: Evolutionary Ecology of Variation Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany. kmathot@orn.mpg.de
authors: K J
authors: KJ
authors: Mathot
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Martin
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Kempenaers
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Forstmeier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D046369:Finches / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D040961:Genetic Drift; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable
references: Trends Ecol Evol. 2010 Nov;25(11):653-9
references: 20832898
references: Heredity (Edinb). 2000 Feb;84 ( Pt 2):135-42
references: 10762382
references: Physiol Biochem Zool. 2004 Nov-Dec;77(6):900-15
references: 15674765
references: J Evol Biol. 2009 Jun;22(6):1212-20
references: 19344384
references: Evolution. 1983 Nov;37(6):1210-1226
references: 28556011
references: Physiol Zool. 1997 Nov-Dec;70(6):718-20
references: 9361146
references: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Dec 27;365(1560):4051-63
references: 21078657
references: Biol Lett. 2006 Sep 22;2(3):478-80
references: 17148435
references: Annu Rev Physiol. 1994;56:579-621
references: 8010752
references: J Comp Physiol B. 2013 Jan;183(1):27-41
references: 22847501
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jun 28;108(26):10608-13
references: 21670288
references: Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Dec 7;278(1724):3465-73
references: 21957133
references: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Dec 27;365(1560):3969-75
references: 21078649
references: Proc Biol Sci. 2009 Oct 22;276(1673):3695-704
references: 19656796
references: Evolution. 2003 Aug;57(8):1747-60
references: 14503617
references: Am Nat. 2012 Jun;179(6):679-92
references: 22617258
references: Physiol Biochem Zool. 2008 May-Jun;81(3):288-300
references: 18419555
references: J Evol Biol. 2009 Sep;22(9):1867-74
references: 19682309
references: Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2011 Nov;294(11):1856-63
references: 21957059
references: Evolution. 2005 Aug;59(8):1829-37
references: 16329249
references: J Evol Biol. 2007 Sep;20(5):1815-22
references: 17714299
references: J Comp Physiol B. 2013 Jan;183(1):1-26
references: 23001691
references: Genetics. 2001 Jul;158(3):1137-45
references: 11454762
references: J Evol Biol. 2011 Oct;24(10):2153-63
references: 21696480