{"id":61,"date":"2021-11-29T11:23:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T10:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.umons.ac.be\/zool\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2021-12-08T12:16:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T11:16:38","slug":"reproductive-traits-evolution","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.umons.ac.be\/zool\/en\/reproductive-traits-evolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Reproductive traits evolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
Researchers<\/span>: Dr. Thomas Lecocq<\/span><\/p>\n The meeting between mates is one of the most important steps for the reproduction. The individuals localize, recognize, and select their sexual partners through the courtship behavior that involves reproductive traits (e.g. feathers, mating call or chemical secretions). The reproductive traits have a key role in the pre-mating recognition and in the maintenance of reproductive isolation. The evolution of reproductive traits is shaped (i) by intraspecific interactions to maximize encounter rates among conspecific mates (sexual selection), and (ii) by interspecific interactions to maintain isolation barriers and decrease the likelihood of hybridization events among syntopic sister species, and to minimize eavesdropping by potential predators. Beyond these selective pressures, eco-climatic constraints can also affect the evolution of reproductive traits.<\/p>\n Geographic variation in reproductive traits has been observed in several species such as moths, flies, bees, and birds. The geographic variation could be driven by changes in intraspecific selection, interspecific interactions or local adaptation to eco-climatic constraints across the species area. However, the evolution of sexual recognition signals in geographic framework has received far less attention to date. Now, divergences in reproductive traits act as an important force in promoting pre-zygotic isolation and speciation. This places a premium to understand the processes that lead to this geographic variation.<\/p>\n Our research aims to investigate (i) processes and geographic configuration that lead to geographic differentiation of reproductive traits and (ii) consequences of this differentiation on speciation. We broach this topic through bumblebee species and one of their reproductive traits (the male marking secretions). We use (i) phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches and (ii) environmental niche modelling methods along with (iii) comparative analyses of the differentiation patterns and natural variation of male marking secretions on specimens from populations across the species distribution.<\/p>\n Researchers<\/span>: Dr. Thomas Lecocq, Nicolas Brasero, Maxence G\u00e9rard<\/span><\/p>\n The current bumblebee decline leads to inbreeding in populations that fosters a loss of allelic diversity and diploid male production. As diploid males are viable and their offspring is sterile, bumblebee populations can quickly fall in a vortex of extinction. We investigate for the first time a potential pre-mating mechanism through a major chemical reproductive trait (male cephalic labial gland secretion; CLGS) that could prevent monandrous virgin queens to mate with diploid males.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Geographic differentiation of reproductive traits: Researchers: Dr. Thomas Lecocq The meeting between mates is one of the most important steps for the reproduction. The individuals localize, recognize, and select their sexual partners through the courtship behavior that involves reproductive traits (e.g. feathers, mating call or chemical secretions). The reproductive traits have a key role in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-61","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nMain findings:<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Selected publications:<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Chemical reproductive traits of diploid bumblebee males<\/span><\/h3>\n