Kölliker Mathias, Boos Stefan, Wong Janine W Y, Röllin Lilian, Stucki Dimitri, Raveh Shirley, Wu Min, Meunier Joël
Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland.
Center of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Nat Commun. 2015 Apr 16;6:6850. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7850.
The genetic conflict between parents and their offspring is a cornerstone of kin selection theory and the gene-centred view of evolution, but whether it actually occurs in natural systems remains an open question. Conflict operates only if parenting is driven by genetic trade-offs between offspring performance and the parent's ability to raise additional offspring, and its expression critically depends on the shape of these trade-offs. Here we investigate the occurrence and nature of genetic conflict in an insect with maternal care, the earwig Forficula auricularia. Specifically, we test for a direct response to experimental selection on female future reproduction and correlated responses in current offspring survival, developmental rate and growth. The results demonstrate genetic trade-offs that differ in shape before and after hatching. Our study not only provides direct evidence for parent-offspring conflict but also highlights that conflict is not inevitable and critically depends on the genetic trade-offs shaping parental investment.
父母与后代之间的基因冲突是亲缘选择理论和以基因为中心的进化观的基石，但它在自然系统中是否真的发生仍是一个悬而未决的问题。只有当养育行为受到后代表现与父母养育更多后代能力之间的基因权衡驱动时，冲突才会起作用，而且冲突的表现严重取决于这些权衡的形式。在这里，我们研究了一种具有母性照料的昆虫——普通蠼螋（Forficula auricularia）中基因冲突的发生情况和本质。具体来说，我们测试了对雌性未来繁殖的实验选择的直接反应，以及当前后代存活、发育速率和生长方面的相关反应。结果表明，孵化前后基因权衡的形式有所不同。我们的研究不仅为亲子冲突提供了直接证据，还强调了冲突并非不可避免，并且严重取决于塑造亲本投资的基因权衡。
