Similarity in temporal variation in sex‐biased dispersal over short and long distances in the dark‐eyed junco,Junco hyemalis
Abstract
Patterns of sex‐biased dispersal (SBD) are typically consistent within taxa, for example female‐biased in birds and male‐biased in mammals, leading to theories about the evolutionary pressures that lead to SBD. However, generalizations about the evolution of sex biases tend to overlook that dispersal is mediated by ecological factors that vary over time. We examined potential temporal variation in between‐ and within‐population dispersal over an 11‐year period in a bird, the dark‐eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). We measured between‐population dispersal patterns using genetic assignment indices and found yearly variation in which sex was more likely to have immigrated. When we measured within‐population spatial genetic structure and mark–recapture dispersal distances, we typically found yearly SBD patterns that mirrored between‐population dispersal, indicating common eco‐evolutionary causes despite expected differences due to the scale of dispersal. However, in years without detectable between‐population sex biases, we found genetic similarity between nearby males within our population. This suggests that, in certain circumstances, ecological pressures may act on within‐population dispersal without affecting dispersal between populations. Alternatively, current analytical tools may be better able to detect within‐population SBD. Future work will investigate potential causes of the observed temporal variation in dispersal patterns and whether they have greater effects on within‐population dispersal.
Faculty Members
- Eric B. Liebgold - Department of Biological Sciences Henson Science Hall 230E Salisbury University Salisbury MD 21801 USA
- Nicole M. Gerlach - Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington IN 47405‐3700 USA
- Ellen D. Ketterson - Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington IN 47405‐3700 USA
Themes
- Eco-evolutionary influences on dispersal
- Temporal variation in dispersal patterns
- Ecological factors affecting dispersal
- Sex-biased dispersal
Categories
- Ecology, evolutionary biology, and epidemiology
- Multidisciplinary interdisciplinary sciences, other
- Biochemistry and molecular biology
- Behavioral and cognitive sciences
- Ecology
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Interdisciplinary computer sciences nec
- Molecular genetics
- Multidisciplinary interdisciplinary sciences
- Genetics and genomics
- Interdisciplinary computer sciences
- Molecular biology
- Genetics, general
- Biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology
- Multidisciplinary interdisciplinary sciences nec
- Ecology and evolutionary biology
- Evolutionary biology