Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection
Parasites can affect host phenotypes, influencing their ecology and evolution. Host morphological changes occurring post-infection might result from pathological by-products of infection, or represent adaptations of hosts or parasites. We investigated the morphology of three-spined sticklebacks, Gas...
Published in: | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |
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2009
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11370/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x |
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ftunigroningenpu:oai:pure.rug.nl:publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 2024-06-02T08:00:06+00:00 Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection Dingemanse, Niels J. Oosterhof, Chris Van Der Plas, Fons Barber, Iain 2009-04 https://hdl.handle.net/11370/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x eng eng https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Dingemanse , N J , Oosterhof , C , Van Der Plas , F & Barber , I 2009 , ' Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection ' , Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , vol. 96 , no. 4 , pp. 759-768 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x body shape feeding ecology head shape host parasite evolution phenotypic plasticity Schistocephalus solidus CESTODE SCHISTOCEPHALUS-SOLIDUS LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION FRESH-WATER SNAIL GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS THREESPINE STICKLEBACK 3-SPINED STICKLEBACK HOST MORPHOLOGY ARCTIC CHARR SHELL SHAPE FISH article 2009 ftunigroningenpu https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x 2024-05-07T18:37:21Z Parasites can affect host phenotypes, influencing their ecology and evolution. Host morphological changes occurring post-infection might result from pathological by-products of infection, or represent adaptations of hosts or parasites. We investigated the morphology of three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, from a population naturally infected with Schistocephalus solidus, which grows to large sizes in their body cavity. We examined local effects of infection on trunk shape, which are imposed directly by the bulk of the growing parasite, and distant effects on head morphology. We show that trunk shape differed between infection classes, and was affected more severely in fish with heavier total parasite mass. We further show unexpected differences in head morphology. The heads of infected fish were reduced in size and differently shaped to those of non-infected fish, with infected fish having deeper heads. Importantly, both head size and shape were also affected more severely in fish with heavier total parasite mass. This latter result suggests that differences in morphology are caused by post-infection changes. Such changes may be incidental, evolutionarily neutral 'side effects' of infection. However, because head morphology affects foraging ecology, such changes are likely to have fitness consequences for hosts, and may constitute adaptations, either of hosts or of parasites. We discuss our finding in the context of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity, and suggest testable hypotheses examining the proximate mechanisms underlying these morphological effects and their potential evolutionary basis. (C) 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 759-768. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic charr Arctic University of Groningen research database Arctic Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 96 4 759 768 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Groningen research database |
op_collection_id |
ftunigroningenpu |
language |
English |
topic |
body shape feeding ecology head shape host parasite evolution phenotypic plasticity Schistocephalus solidus CESTODE SCHISTOCEPHALUS-SOLIDUS LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION FRESH-WATER SNAIL GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS THREESPINE STICKLEBACK 3-SPINED STICKLEBACK HOST MORPHOLOGY ARCTIC CHARR SHELL SHAPE FISH |
spellingShingle |
body shape feeding ecology head shape host parasite evolution phenotypic plasticity Schistocephalus solidus CESTODE SCHISTOCEPHALUS-SOLIDUS LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION FRESH-WATER SNAIL GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS THREESPINE STICKLEBACK 3-SPINED STICKLEBACK HOST MORPHOLOGY ARCTIC CHARR SHELL SHAPE FISH Dingemanse, Niels J. Oosterhof, Chris Van Der Plas, Fons Barber, Iain Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
topic_facet |
body shape feeding ecology head shape host parasite evolution phenotypic plasticity Schistocephalus solidus CESTODE SCHISTOCEPHALUS-SOLIDUS LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION FRESH-WATER SNAIL GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS THREESPINE STICKLEBACK 3-SPINED STICKLEBACK HOST MORPHOLOGY ARCTIC CHARR SHELL SHAPE FISH |
description |
Parasites can affect host phenotypes, influencing their ecology and evolution. Host morphological changes occurring post-infection might result from pathological by-products of infection, or represent adaptations of hosts or parasites. We investigated the morphology of three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, from a population naturally infected with Schistocephalus solidus, which grows to large sizes in their body cavity. We examined local effects of infection on trunk shape, which are imposed directly by the bulk of the growing parasite, and distant effects on head morphology. We show that trunk shape differed between infection classes, and was affected more severely in fish with heavier total parasite mass. We further show unexpected differences in head morphology. The heads of infected fish were reduced in size and differently shaped to those of non-infected fish, with infected fish having deeper heads. Importantly, both head size and shape were also affected more severely in fish with heavier total parasite mass. This latter result suggests that differences in morphology are caused by post-infection changes. Such changes may be incidental, evolutionarily neutral 'side effects' of infection. However, because head morphology affects foraging ecology, such changes are likely to have fitness consequences for hosts, and may constitute adaptations, either of hosts or of parasites. We discuss our finding in the context of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity, and suggest testable hypotheses examining the proximate mechanisms underlying these morphological effects and their potential evolutionary basis. (C) 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 759-768. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dingemanse, Niels J. Oosterhof, Chris Van Der Plas, Fons Barber, Iain |
author_facet |
Dingemanse, Niels J. Oosterhof, Chris Van Der Plas, Fons Barber, Iain |
author_sort |
Dingemanse, Niels J. |
title |
Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
title_short |
Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
title_full |
Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
title_fullStr |
Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
title_full_unstemmed |
Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
title_sort |
variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11370/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic charr Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic charr Arctic |
op_source |
Dingemanse , N J , Oosterhof , C , Van Der Plas , F & Barber , I 2009 , ' Variation in stickleback head morphology associated with parasite infection ' , Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , vol. 96 , no. 4 , pp. 759-768 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x |
op_relation |
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/e3dd07ef-0614-4c6b-a730-3344ede81ac9 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01179.x |
container_title |
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |
container_volume |
96 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
759 |
op_container_end_page |
768 |
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1800744120056020992 |