Aaron Fraley

Tuesday 7:00

Title: Bigger Is Fitter? Quantitative Genetic Decomposition of Selection

Reveals an Adaptive Evolutionary Decline of Body Mass in a Wild Rodent
Population

Introduction: Evolution typically involves genetic and adaptive changes or

enhancements toward an animals survival. Its a gradual development of

something, usually from something simple to more complex. Now, when one

thinks of evolution, they probably think of Darwin or even the phrase,

survival of the fittest, but is the evolutionary process always an increase?

Does it ever decline? Natural selection on heritable traits are routinely

observed but it is far more difficult to track and demonstrate adaptive

evolution in wild populations and the development of their quantitative

traits.

Reason for Research: Genetic breakdown of natural selection reveals [an]

evolutionary decline of body mass in the local wild-alpine, snow vole

population. The evidence for these examples of adaptive evolution are rare

just as they are difficult to collect.

The aim of the study is to directly compare the quantitative genetic

change to a spectrum of evolutionary predictions and resolve disconnect

between time and the paradox of change.

Method and Materials: The alpine snow vole population was studied from

2006 to 2014, in the central Alps of Switzerland. The study was conducted at

an altitude of about 6,660 ft. above sea level. Trapping occurred in the
months of May-October, when there was an absence of snow. Tissue samples

were collected in order to determine DNA structure and to confirm sex of all

individuals. Mass of individuals were taken and recorded. Throughout the

years during the trapping season, 3,382 captures of 937 individuals were

studied.

Results: After having had followed individual voles throughout their entire

lives, it was found that body mass is heritable and that heavy voles have a

higher fitness however its not the mass that cause the higher fitness levels.

The heritable trait of body mass was not a trait passed on for evolutionary

purposes. This obviously revealed that the population did evolve over time,

relatively quickly actually, but that any substantial variances to weight or

mass were masked by the environmental variation.

Recapture model showed probabilities to be 0.924 for adults and 0.814

for juveniles. Juveniles that were initially smaller, required less time to grow

to adulthood, especially before the first snow-fall.

Discussion: The surprising thing about this all, is that the genetic evolution

toward a smaller mass took place in a direction that is completely opposite to

the apparent phenotypic selection. Body mass is a trait that is obviously

heritable, but the overall size of the population, not only in numbers but in

mass as well, was indirectly affected through environmental factors.

Genetically, the findings are inconsistent with the theoretical predications

discussed before, that the mass of the population would gradually increase

due to the survival of the fittest factor. However, it was interestingly found
that due to a need to mature and reproduce quickly before the first snow fall,

juveniles passed on traits that allowed them to do so as quickly as possible,

leaving them smaller and less athletic or fit.

Bibliography: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?

id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002592