1 - Site Principal APBE

 1 2 Plenary speakers Manuel Santos – Short Bio. Manuel Santos is Associated Professor of the University of Aveiro. He did his PhD at the University of Kent (United Kingdom) and returned to Portugal in 1999 to set up the RNA Biology laboratory at the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (University of Aveiro). Since then, he has developed a research program on experimental evolution of genetic code alterations, tRNAs in human diseases and tRNA systems biology. Manuel teaches and coordinates the Molecular Biology, RNA Biology, Genome Biology and Medical Genetics courses of the Aveiro University, which are offered to Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences degrees. Mónica Bettencourt Dias – Short Bio. Mónica Bettencourt Dias is a Principal Investigator at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. She did her PhD at the University College of London (United Kingdom) and returned to Portugal in 2006 to set up the Cell Cycle Regulation laboratory at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Her research focuses on cell cycle progression and the cytoskeleton in normal development and disease. Her lab is particularly interested in the role played by microtubule organizing structures, such as the centrosome, cilia and flagella. The laboratory uses an integrated approach to study those questions, by combining studies in model organisms with studies in human cells, bioinformatics and mathematical modeling to have an integrated view of the biological processes. 3 Oral communications Bruno Vieira [email protected] Vieira, B1, Wurm, Y1 1Queen Mary University of London The effect of social evolution on the effective population size Social insects are the most successful animals on earth, with a combined biomass rivaling that of humans. While the behavior, ecology and morphology of social insects has been extensively studied, relatively little is known about the effect of social evolution on genome evolution, and specifically how contributions of selection and drift are affected by social evolution. Indeed, while each social insect colony includes up to hundreds of thousands of individuals, only a small percentage of those individuals (male and female) reproduces. Furthermore, social insects have a longer generation time than solitary. These two characteristics are expected to result in a lower effective population size (Ne), which is an important measure of diversity that helps us understand the relative strength of selection and genetic drift. However, due to the difficulty of measuring Ne, a comparison between solitary and social insects has never been tested. Here we use an innovative approach, the Pairwise Sequentially Markov Coalescent (PSMC) method, to obtain the Ne history based on the distance of heterozygous regions in a single diploid genome sequence. To understand if the evolution of eusociality is associated with a reduction in Ne, we specifically compared the Ne between social and solitary insect species (including ants, bees, termites, wasps, spiders and cockroaches). Ester Serrao [email protected] Ester Serrao1 E, Neiva1 J, Assis J1, Pearson G1 1CCMAR, Univ Algarve Climate-­‐driven range shifts as evolutionary opportunities Climate driven range shifts shape gene pools and the spatial distribution of genetic biodiversity along a species range, creating opportunities for adaptive recombinations and speciation. , Here we describe case studies of marginal populations and species of large brown algae, whose evolution has been shaped by range variations that left their genetic fingerprints. We report evidence for colonization fronts, hybrid zones, range shifts, priority effects, speciation. These have been shaping genetic patterns that are unique and diverse, with sharp genetic discontinuities that persist as signatures of the colonization past. Such biodiversity patterns shaped by past evolutionary processes may now be approaching tipping points of no return, as climate models lead to predictions of extinction of extant diversity hotspots. 4 Helena Mendes-­‐Soares [email protected] Mendes-­‐Soares H1, France MT1, Forney LJ1 1Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho Molecular analysis reveals different evolutionary patterns in two vaginal Lactobacillus species The human vagina is host to a plethora of microbial species but is most commonly dominated by one of several belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. These vaginal Lactobacillus species are thought to prevent infection of the urogenital tract by maintaining a low vaginal pH through lactic acid production. The two most common species found in healthy women are L. crispatus and L. iners. However, while L. crispatus has been associated with a healthy vaginal state, the presence of L. iners has been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with a higher incidence of bacterial vaginosis. A previous comparative genomics study failed to identify uniquely conserved genetic elements in either species that would explain these associations. As a next step, we performed a deeper analysis on the available genomes for these two species of vaginal lactobacilli to detect molecular signatures of selection and recombination. We found that, while the majority of genes in both species show signatures of strong negative selection, L. crispatus has more genes showing signatures of positive selection, including a gene coding a protein that has been demonstrated to have anti-­‐
inflammatory properties. Furthermore, we found that L. iners had many accessory genes sharing high sequence similarity with other non-­‐lactobacillus vaginal bacterial species including known vaginal pathogens. Our results suggest that even though both species inhabit the human vagina, they show differences in their current evolutionary trajectories and that these differences might explain the association between L. iners and bacterial vaginosis. Hugo Gante [email protected] Bachmann JC1,2, Cortesi1,3, Hall FMD1,4, Marshall NJ3, Salzburger W1, Gante HF1 1University of Basel. University of Zurich 2University of Queensland 3Monash University 4University of Queensland Honesty of a plastic visual signal is maintained by receiver retaliation in fish How honest signals evolve is a question that has been hotly debated by animal communication theoreticians and for which empirical evidence has been difficult to obtain. Due to strong conflicts of interest, theory predicts that communication in territorial species should be under strong selection for clear, reliable, signaling. On the other hand, context-­‐dependent signaling increases cheating opportunities, depending on how different receivers – mates or competitors – acquire and process information. Using signaling theory, visual models and behavioral experimentation, we characterize and determine proximate honesty mechanisms of a visual signal in the lifelong territorial cichlid Neolamprologus 5 brichardi. This signal evolved stable conspicuous chromatic properties for efficient transmission in the aquatic environment, while allowing for context-­‐
dependent plasticity in luminance to communicate changes in aggressive intent. Importantly, we provide behavioral evidence that signal honesty is maintained by receiver retaliation costs, reducing the chances for cheating. Isabel Alves [email protected] Alves I1,2,3, Arenas M4, Currat M5, Hanulova AS1,2, Sousa V, Ray N, Excoffier L Isabel Alves,1,2,3 Miguel Arenas4, Mathias Currat5, Anna Sramkova Hanulova, Vitor Sousa, Nicolas Ray6, Laurent Excoffier1,2 1 CMPG Lab, University of Bern, Switzerland 2 Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland 3 PCG Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal. 4 Centre for Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 5 Anthropology, Genetics and Peopling History Lab, University of Geneva, Switzerland. 6 EnviroSPACE Lab., Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland The colonization of the Old World by modern humans involved long-­‐
distance dispersal Genetic data are crucial to reconstruct the evolutionary history of human populations. Nevertheless, important demographic and historical aspects of this history have been neglected. For instance, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) has certainly promoted range contractions and range shifts of several species including humans and long-­‐distance dispersal (LDD) plays an important role in many species such as plants, birds and fish and could have also been important in humans. Here, we test whether the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and long distance dispersal (LDD) have shaped the currents patterns of genetic diversity of our species by statistically evaluating the relative probability of alternative models of colonization using spatially explicit simulations embedded into an approximate Bayesian computation framework. We considered four different models: I) a simple range expansion; II) a range expansion followed by a range contraction mimicking the effect of the LGM; III) a range expansion with LDD; and finally IV) a model of expansion integrating both a LGM contraction and LDD events. Data from 50 carefully checked trinucleotide microsatellites genotyped in 22 worldwide human populations clearly reject models without LDD, and favor a model with a LGM contraction and LDD events. Furthermore, our spatially explicit simulations also reveal that patterns of genetic diversity of modern humans have been mainly shaped by LDD events occurring after settlement. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of introducing realism in demographic models to better understand the evolutionary history of anatomically modern humans. 6 Joana Bernardes [email protected] Oral Communication Joana Bernardes1 J, Greig D1 1Max-­‐Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Heterosis in Yeast Reproduction between genetically different parents often leads to F1 offspring with enhanced traits, this concept is known as heterosis or hybrid vigor. The phenomenon has been well known amongst plant breeders for over a century: maize and rice heterozygous hybrids have yields that greatly exceed those of their homozygous parents (Shull 1908). While the phenomenon has been easily described using familiar genetic concepts, like dominance, over-­‐dominance and epistasis, the underlying molecular mechanisms for heterosis are still unknown. The first aim of our project is to test the factors that influence the strength of heterosis. We used a set of sequenced and phenotyped yeast strains of S. paradoxus and S. cerevisiae to accurately measure heterosis of 45 heterozygous F1 diploids, by competing them with their parental strains. Results showed that F1 hybrids were on average 5% fitter than the mean of their parents and genetic distance between parents was positively correlated with hybrid fitness (r2=0.36, p=0.0006) and therefore with the strength of heterosis. In addition, we tested one representative hybrid strain and measured how the strength of heterosis is affected under a range of extreme environmental conditions. Preliminary results showed an overall advantage of the hybrid in the stress conditions, in comparison with the control condition and a positive correlation between parental stress and average hybrid fitness (R2=0.62; p=0.003). We predicted that increasing parental maladaptation increases the strength of heterosis in the hybrids. Jorge Moura de Sousa [email protected] Sousa JM1 de, Sousa AM1, Bourgard C1, Gordo I1 1IGC, Portugal Resistance is not futile: Evolutionary potential and the fates of antibiotic resistant bacteria The frequency of antibiotic resistance has increased over the years and constitutes a major public health issue in infectious diseases. One of the important factors determining the extinction or maintenance of resistance alleles in bacterial populations relates to the fitness effects of resistance mutations. If most resistances carry a fitness cost, then resistance alleles with higher costs are expected to go extinct. However, this may not be an inescapable fate. Clones with more costly resistance alleles may also have higher evolvability, i.e. a higher potential for adaptation. If the availability of compensatory mutations is dependent on the genetic background, such that it increases for clones with lower fitness, then this may lead to some costly resistance alleles to be maintained in populations. Here we perform competitions between resistant strains of Escherichia coli, which carry resistance alleles of different costs, and 7 estimate the relative differences in adaptive potential between the strains. We demonstrate that resistance alleles with high cost can coexist with resistance alleles of lower cost for hundreds of generations, suggesting that their adaptive potential can override the initial cost of resistance. Mafalda Ferreira [email protected] Ferreira MS1, Alves PC1, Callahan C2, Mills LS3, Good JM2, Melo-­‐Ferreira J1 1CIBIO-­‐InBIO, Universidade do Porto 2University of Montana, Division of Biological Sciences 3North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources Understanding the genetic basis of seasonal coat color change in the snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus: an RNA sequencing approach Evidences for the effects of climate change in biodiversity worldwide are both a conservation concern and an opportunity to study the evolution of adaptive traits in response to the new environmental conditions. A remarkable adaptation of arctic/boreal species in habitats periodically covered with snow is seasonal coat color change. The dramatic decrease of days with snow on the ground due to global warming will challenge the survival of these species due to increased mismatch with the background and potentially increased predation. Understanding the bases of this phenotype is thus fundamental to study the adaptive potential of these species and ultimately to understand whether they will be able to adapt. In this work we use the snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, a North American species adapted to the boreal forest that undergoes seasonal coat color change, as model to tackle this question. Differential gene expression in several skin tissues collected in animals undergoing the spring molt was assessed using a high throughput sequencing technology, RNA-­‐sequencing. The results obtained provide unprecedented insights on the major transcriptional changes occurring during the molt cycle and identify genes possibly involved in seasonal coat color change in snowshoe hares. Thus, this sets the bases for future studies aiming at painting a detailed picture showing how genes and gene pathways determine this phenotype, and opens the door to the molecular study of the adaptive potential of this phenotype in a context of climate change. 8 Margarida Alexandra Duarte [email protected] Duarte MA1,2,3,, Heckel G4, Mathias ML2,3, Bastos-­‐Silveira C1,2 1Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Portugal. 2Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. 3Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal. 4Computational and Molecular Population Genetics, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland. Molecular evolution of the sperm-­‐binding receptor ZP3 in Cricetidae rodents The molecular systems causing reproductive isolation between taxa and their evolutionary trajectories remain largely unresolved. An exception is the zona pellucida 3 (ZP3) receptor that mediates sperm-­‐oocyte binding and is a candidate locus for reproductive isolation in several taxa. In mammals, a serine-­‐
rich region in exon 7, around serine-­‐332 and serine-­‐334, was described as being essential to the O-­‐linked glycosylation of ZP3 and to sperm-­‐oocyte interactions. Nonetheless, studies using transgenic mice questioned the classical model of ZP3 O-­‐linked glycan sperm-­‐oocyte binding. In the present study, we determined patterns of ZP3 evolution within the Cricetidae, a hyperdiverse rodent family with approximately 700 taxa that occupy a broad range of habitats. We analyzed DNA sequences from the putative sperm-­‐binding region in exon 7 for representatives from all Cricetidae subfamilies: Arvicolinae, Neotominae, Cricetinae, Tylomyinae and Sigmodontinae. We hypothesized that the five subfamilies would reveal distinct patterns of ZP3 evolution, since previous ZP3 studies on different taxonomic groups indicated contradictory signals of selection in this gene. We found shared haplotypes within subfamilies, no evidence of positive selection and, unexpectedly, multiple amino acid deletions in exon 7, particularly in the putative sperm-­‐binding region of Arvicolinae and Sigmodontinae subfamilies. These results refute the classical model of ZP3 O-­‐
linked glycan sperm-­‐oocyte binding and indicate that the ZP3 putative sperm-­‐
binding region does not constitute a species-­‐specific gametic reproductive barrier in Cricetid rodents. Pedro Mocho [email protected] Mocho P1,2,3, Royo-­‐Torres R4,5, Ortega F2,3, Malafaia E2,6,7, Escaso F2,3 1Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain; 2Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia da Sociedade de História Natural, Portugal 3Grupo de Biología Evolutiva da UNED, Spain. 4Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-­‐Dinópolis 5Museo Aragonés de Paleontología, Spain; 6Faculdade de Ciências and Instituto Dom Luiz, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal 7Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Portugal Tracing the evolution of the Portuguese Upper Jurassic sauropods During the last decade, several works concerning the evolution of sauropods from the Upper Jurassic of Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) have been published. Sauropod dinosaurs are well-­‐represented in the Portuguese Kimmeridgian–
9 Tithonian sediments. The known paleobiodiversity is represented by four exclusive taxa: the diplodocid Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis, the camarasaurid Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis, the basal Macronaria Lusotitan atalaiensis (brachiosaurid with doubt) and Zby atlanticus, subjectively attributed to Turiasauria. At present, both the study of classical material and new specimens are also providing new information about this group. Some of those new discoveries are three partial diplodocid skeletons from Valmitão (Praia de Amoreira-­‐Porto Novo Formation, Lourinhã), Cambelas (Freixial Formation, Torres Vedras) and Praia Vermelha (Praia de Amoreira-­‐Porto Novo Formation, Peniche), which bear several features common in Diplodocinae. New macronarian specimen from Cambelas (Freixial Formation, Torres Vedras), including dorsal vertebrae, might represent a camarasaurid as well as Lourinhasaurus and Camarasaurus. An in-­‐progress new morphological data matrix, including new codifications and scorings is used here to further investigate the Portuguese Upper Jurassic sauropods. The current cladistics analyses using previous data matrix suggest the presence of members within Turiasauria, Diplodocinae, Camarasaururidae (monophyletic clade) and Brachiosauridae. The presence of diplodocines closely related to Diplodocus and Barosaurus as well as a camarasaurid closely related to Camarasaurus (e.g. Lourinhasaurus) are evidences of similarity between Portuguese Upper Jurassic and Morrison Formation sauropods. Nevertheless, an incipient vicariant process could explain the small differences recognized on both faunas. 10 Poster session Alvarina Couto [email protected] Couto A1, Rocha S1,2, Pinho C1 1CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto 2Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, España Multilocus Phylogenetics: Inferring the Species Tree of the Iberian and North African Podarcis Wall Lizards Infer evolutionary relationships between species, when they have diverged recently, or very rapidly, offers significant challenges. This is the case of the Iberian and North African Podarcis wall lizards, whose taxonomy has remained controversial even despite studies based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), allozymes and morphology. We here used 30 nuclear loci for 170 individuals representative of all currently known morphotypes and mtDNA lineages to evaluate the levels of genetic polymorphism and to infer the species-­‐tree. We used a variety of species-­‐tree methods comprising summary statistics distance (NJst) and maximum pseudolikelihood (MP-­‐EST) ones, and full probabilistic Bayesian co-­‐estimation ones (*BEAST), take into account incomplete lineage sorting the process which is thought to be the main cause of incongruence between gene-­‐trees and species-­‐
trees in the case of Podarcis. The results show high levels of haplotype sharing between previously defined mtDNA lineages and gene flow was found. In some cases had already been detected but in others it was observed for the first time. Some situations of clear cytonuclear discordance were revealed. The species-­‐trees obtained corroborated some of the relationships as inferred by mtDNA but also revealed some completely different ones. The information obtained provides new evidences about the speciation dynamics of this group and also stronger hypotheses about their evolutionary relationships. It also allowed us comparisons between performances of different methods using real datasets derived from complex scenarios of incipient speciation with very shallow divergence, extensive incomplete lineage sorting and haplotype sharing. Ana Margarida Sousa [email protected] Sousa AM1, Lourenço M1, Barroso-­‐Batista J1, Gordo I1 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia The repeatability of Escherichia coli evolution in its natural environment Classic examples of experiments where evolution is studied in real time make use of model organisms typically evolving under strong selective pressures. These have revealed an impressive level of parallelism in the genetic basis of 11 adaptation. Here we uncover the repeatability of evolution during the colonization of the mammalian gut by a common bacterium as it adapts to its natural environment, where multiple selective pressures exist. As an adaptive walk is expected to involve more than one adaptive step, we have studied the adaptive mutations corresponding to the first and second steps of adaptation of Escherichia coli to the mouse gut. We estimate the mean effect of adaptive mutations, about 10% in each step, and their genetic basis. We observed that the first step of adaptation shows a remarkable parallelism at the phenotypic level characterized by a rapid hard phenotypic sweep, and several soft genetic sweeps (mainly TE insertions). The second step of adaptation is also remarkably parallel, this time involving one of 7 possible targets. Similarly to the first step most of these second-­‐step mutations were TE insertions but this time affecting regulatory region of specific genes without impairing its function. In fact some of these even significantly increased gene expression. In sum, our results demonstrate that the adaptive process can show a remarkable level of repeatability in a natural environment with multiple selective pressures, such as the mammalian gut. This suggests that parallel evolution is not restricted to idiosyncratic laboratory environments and may be very common in nature. Ana Martins Pereira [email protected] Pereira AM1, Brito C, Sanches1 J, Sousa-­‐Santos C1, Robalo JI1 1ISPA Absence of consistent genetic differentiation among several morphs of Actinia (Actiniaria: Actiniidae) occurring in the Portuguese coast Actinia equina, the beadlet sea anemone, is a very labile species, displaying variable colour patters, broad habitat choice and diverse modes of reproduction. Historically, studies using genetic markers as allozymes and differences in habitat choice lead several authors to propose that different colour morphs could represent different species. One of the species defined was A. fragacea. The relationships between brown, red and green colour morphs of A. equina and A. fragacea were studied, using two DNA fragments (one mitochondrial and one nuclear). Individuals were sampled from three different areas in Portugal, separated by a maximum distance of 500 km. This is the first study applying direct sequencing of selected gene fragments to approach the validity of Actinia morphs as different genetic entities. The results show that, at least in the Portuguese coast, these colour morphs do not correspond to the two valid species recognized in the literature. The existence of cryptic species is discussed. 12 Ana Sofia Lindeza Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência [email protected] Lindeza AS1; Carvalho MJ1; Martins N1; Mirth C1 1Instituto Guklbenkian de Ciência, Lisboa, Portugal Genetic variation in alcohol consumption in Drosophila melanogaster An animal’s fitness is highly dependent on resource quality and its ability to attain the nutrients in order to survive. Because of this foraging behavior often involves a delicate balance of benefits and risks. The benefits of nutrient acquisition are weighed against exposure to threats from predators, parasites or toxins. Many risk-­‐mitigating adaptations, which help to increase the foraging benefit-­‐to-­‐risk ratio, have evolved among animals. For animals that feed on decaying or fermented fruit, such as Drosophila melanogaster, disease due to ingestion of pathogenic bacteria or viruses or parasitism is a common risk. Self-­‐
medication is a specific therapeutic and adaptive behavior that improves the fitness of infected animals and decreases fitness in the absence of infection. In some cases, animals infected with parasites or bacteria alter their ethanol consumption to remedy the illness. How self-­‐medication evolves remains poorly understood. To understand how these behaviors evolve, we are exploiting three different strains of D. melanogaster that through experimental evolution have adapted to be resistant to systemic virus, systemic bacterial or oral bacterial infection. We use a simple two-­‐choice design to reveal whether these lines have evolved in their preference for ethanol-­‐spiked foods. In addition, we will test for differences in ethanol preference in infected and non-­‐infected adult flies. Taken together, these studies will help us understand genetic differences between different populations of the same species to address if specific behavior of ethanol consumption can be driven by some intrinsic immune change like resistance to a certain virus or bacteria. Carla Sousa Santos [email protected] Sousa-­‐Santos C1, Robalo J1, Francisco S1, Carrapato C2, Cardoso AC2, Doadrio I3 1MARE-­‐ISPA, Portugal 2ICNF-­‐PNVG, Portugal 3MNCN-­‐CSIC, Espanha Phylogeography and demography of the critically endangered Anaecypris hispanica Mitochondrial and nuclear markers were used to address phylogeographic and demographic data on the critically endangered Anaecypris hispanica, using a broad sampling set which covered its known distribution area in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results showed that the populations of A. hispanica are strongly differentiated (high and significant ФST and FST values, corroborated by the results from AMOVA and SAMOVA) and genetically diversified. We suggest that the restricted gene flow between populations may have been potentiated by ecological, hydrological and anthropogenic causes. Bayesian skyline plots revealed a signal for expansion for all populations (tMRCA between 68kya and 13 1.33Mya) and a genetic diversity latitudinal gradient was detected between the populations from the Upper (more diversified) and the Lower (less diversified) Guadiana river basin. We postulate a Pleistocenic westwards colonization route for A. hispanica in the Guadiana river basin, which is in agreement with the tempo and mode of paleoevolution of this drainage. The colonization of River Guadalquivir around 60kya with migrants from the Upper Guadiana, most likely by stream capture, is also suggested. Daniela Susana Rodrigues Tavares [email protected] Tavares D1, Loureiro J1, Martins A1, Castro M1, Costa J1, Pinho e Melo T2, Pineiro M2, Roiloa S3, Castro S1 1CFE, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-­‐
456 Coimbra, Portugal. 2Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-­‐535 Coimbra, Portugal. 3Unit of Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain. Evolution of invasiveness: the case study of the invasive Oxalis pes-­‐caprae in the Mediterranean basin. Rapid evolutionary changes often play an important role in determining the success of plant invasions. Oxalis pes-­‐caprae, a bulbous geophyte native to South Africa, has become a persistent invasive weed in several areas of the world, being particularly widespread in regions with a Mediterranean climate. The objective of this study was to assess evolutionary changes, mainly regarding competitive ability, in O. pes-­‐caprae populations from the invaded range of the western Mediterranean basin. For this, genetically based differences in life-­‐
history traits between invasive (western Mediterranean basin) and native (South African) populations were tested in a greenhouse experiment with plants from both ranges growing alone or in competition with Trifolium repens. The results demonstrated significant differences between invasive and native populations of O. pes-­‐caprae, with plants from the invaded region emerging earlier, beginning flowering later and producing more aboveground biomass and offspring bulbs than South African plants. Interspecific competition had no significant effect on any life-­‐history trait of O. pes-­‐caprae regardless of plant’s provenance. Nonetheless, T. repens growth was more severely affected by invasive plants than by their native conspecifics, which may be indicative of a greater competitive ability. These findings provide strong evidence for genetic differentiation, indicating a rapid change towards a phenotype with higher invasive potential in invasive populations. It is suggested that founder events and rapid post-­‐introduction adaptive evolution, possibly associated with a reallocation of resources from defense to growth and reproduction in the absence of natural enemies, may have contributed, independently or in concert, to this divergence. 14 Diogo Alexandre Prino Godinho [email protected] Godinho D1, Janssen A2, Li D2, Cruz C1, Magalhães S1 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental (CBA), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa 2Institute for Biodiversity and Ecological Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam. The interaction between host nutrition and competitors in determining the distribution of herbivorous mites on plants Plants respond to herbivory producing defences that affect herbivore performance. Nutrient availability directly affects plant defences. When plant tissue C/N ratio is reduced less carbon-­‐based defensive compounds are produced. This weakens plant defences, increasing plant quality and possibly, competition among herbivore species. Therefore, within-­‐plant distribution of herbivores is likely to hinge upon the interaction between the production of plant defences and the presence of competitors. Here, we tested this using a system composed of two spider mite species, Tetranychus evansi, an invasive spider mite specialized on Solanaceae plants and T. urticae, a generalist species, when co-­‐occurring on tomato plants. Unlike T. urticae, which up-­‐regulates tomato anti-­‐herbivory defences, T. evansi down-­‐
regulates them. When colonizing clean tomato plants, both species preferred younger leaves but lost this preference when such leaves were infested with heterospecifics. Additionally, T. evansi preferred older leaves when these were infested by T. urticae. On plants with low C/N, both species lost preference for younger leaves. Host nutrition did not affect how T. evansi colonized infested plants. Avoidance of heterospecifics by T. urticae increased on less defended plants. We thus conclude that within-­‐plant distribution of spider mites is affected by host nutrition, interspecific competition and its interaction. T. evansi did not avoid T. urticae possibly because it can out-­‐compete it on this host. This study confirms the importance of plant defences in mediating the interactions among herbivores. Diogo Santos [email protected] Santos D1, Perfeito L1 1Instituto Gulbenkian da Ciência Explaining fitness from biological processes In order to understand the evolutionary fate of any population, the key feature that one has to measure is fitness. A large body of knowledge exists to explain how changes in fitness due to mutations affect population dynamics, but little is know about the biological constraints that generate the distribution of fitness effect of mutations (DFEM). Our objective is to derive general rules based on biological processes and features that can explain the observed DFEM and predict new ones. In a bottom-­‐up approach we explain the change in resistance of Escherichia coli to ampicillin provided by TEM-­‐1 by modeling changes in the protein concentration and activity. In a top-­‐down approach we try to model microbial growth and predict the fitness of mutants for specific growth 15 parameters. Both approaches predict different types of epistasis and are a first step to explain the DFEM. By combining these two approaches we expect to be able to predict the DFEM in new strains and environments. Dragan Stajic [email protected] Stajic D1, Perfeito L1, Jansen L1 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal The role of epigenetic mechanisms in adaptive evolution For natural selection to act upon a population, there must be heritable variation in fitness-­‐related traits. Genetic variation is clearly heritable and therefore subject to selection, but in principle, any heritable trait can be selected. Epigenetic, non-­‐DNA sequence based inheritance can therefore potentially contribute to adaptation. However, whether this is the case is largely unknown and will depend critically on the number of generations epigenetic “information” can be transmitted. In order to understand the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the evolutionary pathway of a population we are using Sacharomyces cerevisiae as a model system. We are exposing populations with and without epigenetic silencing of the URA3 gene to an environment where expression of this gene is deleterious. We then monitor how quickly and through which mechanism populations adapt. We observe that if the population size is large or selective pressure is high genetic mutations will have strong effect and will quickly fix in population that cannot silence the gene epigenetically. On the other hand, in the presence of epigenetic control, we do not observe the appearance of genetic mutations, suggesting that they are outcompeted by lineages that silenced the gene by epigenetic means. In smaller populations, strains without epigenetic control quickly go extinct, while populations with epigenetic mechanisms have a chance of surviving and producing genetic mutations that will enable their long term survival and adaptation. Further work is aimed at determining the exact conditions under which the epigenetic system confers advantage in adaptation to the novel environment. 16 Elisabete Malafaia [email protected] Malafaia E1,2,3, Ortega F2,4, Cachão M1, Escaso F2,4, Mocho P2,4,5 1 Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências and Instituto Dom Luiz, Lisboa, Portugal 2Sociedade de História Natural, Torres Vedras, Portugal 3Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência 4Grupo de Biología Evolutiva, UNED, Madrid, Spain 5Unidad de Paleontología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain Morphometric analysis of theropod teeth from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (central-­‐west of Portugal) The record of theropods from the Late Jurassic of Lusitanian Basin includes abundant isolated teeth collected in several fossil sites from middle Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian/lower Berriasian in age. This record is composed by morphotypes related to well-­‐documented large taxa but also by small/medium sized derived forms that are poorly known in the Late Jurassic. Herein we present a study of a set of isolated theropod teeth based on an integrative analysis combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The goal of this study is to identify and describe the systematic groups to which the teeth belong. Morphometric analysis has proved to be a useful methodology for a systematic identification of isolated theropod teeth. This methodology uses measured variables describing teeth morphologies, including crown length, base length and width, crown curvature and denticles density. A morphometric analysis applied to a set of thirteen small theropod teeth from different sites of the Lusitanian Basin allowed the identification of three different and well-­‐
defined morphotypes. An integrated analysis including data from other described theropod teeth shows that these morphotypes could be related to Allosaurus, Richardoestesia and indeterminate dromaeosaurids. The combination of discrete characters and the morphometric analysis provided an accurate taxonomic approach for problematic morphotypes, mainly within the Dromaeosauridae clade. From this work results that the analyses of isolated theropod teeth may be of great utility for identification and setting of the diversity and distribution of several poorly known theropod groups for which other remains are scarce. Elvira Lafuente [email protected] Lafuente E1, Beldade P1 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência Environmentally-­‐induced phenotypic variation: molecular mechanisms and evolution. Genotype and environment are linked in the production and evolution of phenotypes. Development can either respond or resist environmental perturbation, and the balance between both processes is crucial for optimal fitness in variable environments. Developmental plasticity, the property of a genotype to give rise to different phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions experienced during development, is itself a complex trait that can be 17 heritable, subject to selection, and, therefore, it can evolve. Studies in natural and artificial populations have documented many examples of transitions to and from environmentally sensitive development. Yet, little is known about the genetic basis of inter-­‐individual variation in levels of plasticity and about the genetic mechanisms whereby the external environment regulates development. We focus on thermal plasticity in body pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster to ask about what loci contribute to variation in the level of plasticity and what genes are thermally-­‐regulated and affect phenotype. We are also exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying environmentally induced phenotypic variation. Specifically, we are testing the potential role for RNA editing, a process that enables the production of different mRNAs from the same primary transcript, in mediating the effect of the environment on phenotype. We developed a method to quantify different aspects of the pigmentation phenotype, including color quality and color pattern, and documented levels of plasticity in each of them and in different genotypes. We also showed differences between traits and genotypes in which period during development is sensitive to temperature variation. Finally, we have some preliminary data on how pigmentation plasticity is affected upon reduction of the RNA-­‐editing activity. Francisco Rente de Pina Martins [email protected] Pina-­‐Martins F1,2, Batista D3,4,5, Paulo OS1 1Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 2Departamento de Biologia e CESAM, Univ. de Aveiro, Portugal 3Centro de Investigação das Ferrugens do Cafeeiro (CIFC) 4Biotrop 5Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical (IICT) New SNPs mined from ESTs reveal lack of genetic structuring in Cork Oak populations. Previous studies on *Quercus suber* L. populations, performed with plastidial markers have revealed a deep population structuring. The present study uses nuclear genome-­‐wide SNP markers and integrates genetic with ecological data, to reveal new insights on the population structure of this tree, which are relevant within a climate change scenario. Frederico Almada [email protected] Almada F1,2, Francisco S1,2, Robalo J1,2 1MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre 2UIEE – Eco-­‐Ethology Research Unit ISPA -­‐ Instituto Universitário, , Portugal Morphological differentiation and apparent genetic cohesiveness over an entire distribution area: the Ballan Wrasse Labrus bergylta (Labridae) The Ballan Wrasse, Labrus bergylta, is a protogynous hermaphrodite temperate fish species relatively common in rocky shores and kelp beds in the northeastern 18 Atlantic from Norway to Morocco. Two distinct color patterns, plain green and spotted red, have been reported in the literature. Although sympatric along its entire distribution area, these morphotypes show different growth patterns and usually segregate each other in scuba-­‐diving observations. We failed to find genetic differences using mitochondrial (18S, COI and control region) and nuclear (S7) markers. Our results suggest either an ecological driven polymorphism whose mechanism is still undescribed or a very recent divergence that is not expressed even in molecular markers frequently used in population genetics studies. Gilberto Bento [email protected] Bento G1, Routtu J1, Bourgeois Y1, Ebert D1 Genetics of Host-­‐Pathogen Coevolution in Daphnia magna -­‐ Pasteuria ramosa system Host-­‐pathogen relationships are a common type of antagonistic interactions and are hypothesized to drive fast evolutionary change of its participants. One of the proposed mechanisms for host-­‐pathogen coevolution is negative frequency dependent selection. However, little is known about specific genes underlying natural variation and evolutionary change in host-­‐pathogen systems. Daphnia magna is a crustacean that is a model for ecology and evolution and, in particular, for host-­‐pathogen coevolution. The Daphnia magna-­‐Pasteuria ramosa host-­‐pathogen system has been investigated for the genetic and molecular basis of natural variation in host resistance. Specificity in genotype-­‐to-­‐genotype interactions was previously reported in the D. magna-­‐P. ramosa system. In addition, using a D. magna F2 panel, it was found that one QTL explains variation in host resistance to one pathogen genotype, C19. Underlying this QTL we found a 50 kb insertion-­‐deletion polymorphism, locus A. We found that locus A is associated to a combination of resistance to C1 and susceptibility to C19 throughout a genetically and phenotypically diverse meta-­‐population. We are currently investigating which specific genes are responsible for the phenotypes observed. For that we are using a technique of genome editing, CRISPR/Cas9, recently established for Daphnia magna. We expect to knockdown candidate genes, and to establish functional relationship between gene and host resistance. Our results are consistent with the D. magna-­‐P. ramosa system evolving by negative frequency dependent selection. Gonçalo Faria [email protected] Faria GS1, Fragata I, Simões P, Seabra S, Santos M, Varela SAM, Matos M 1Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal The role of mate-­‐choice copying in hybridization Mate-­‐choice copying (MCC) by females occurs when they obtain information about the performance of a male, increasing or decreasing their preference for 19 that male, accordingly. It has been proposed that MCC can lead to reproductive isolation between populations from the same species, since it can be responsible for a cultural background of sexual choices. However, if invader individuals copy the choices of natives, this can also lead to a hybridization event. We studied this hypothesis using different populations of Drosophila subobscura, originated from the extremes of the species European latitudinal cline: Portugal (PT) and the Netherlands (NL). Half of the females received positive social information about a male from their own population and the other half about a male from a control (lab) population. At generation six in the lab, we saw that females had an innate preference for the males of their own population, and that they did not copy. After four more generations of convergent adaptation in the lab, PT females started to mate-­‐choice copy. This suggests that MCC may be selected in nature only under specific ecological and social contexts and it supports the hypothesis that MCC is most advantageous when males are phenotypically similar. Gonçalo Santos Matos [email protected] Matos G1, Wybouw N2,3, Martins NE4, Zélé F1; Riga M5, Vontas J5, Grbić M6, Van Leeuwen T7, Magalhães S1, Sucena E1,4 1CE3C: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal 2Laboratory of Agrozoology, Ghent University, Belgium. 3Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 4Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal 5Faculty of Applied Biotechnology and Biology,University of Crete, Greece. 6Department of Biology University of Western Ontario, Canada. 7Laboratory of Agrozoology, Ghent University, Belgium. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Ecological factors dictate the degeneration of induced immunity in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Macroevolutionary trends in arthropod immune systems are poorly understood. An herbivorous spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, lacks canonical Drosophila immune pathways. This suggests that (1) T. urticae relies on different mechanisms to gain protection against pathogens, or that it does not possess an immune system altogether, either because (2) it is a basal arthropod, or (3) its ecology does not select for such system. Aiming to disentangle these hypotheses, we show that spider mites die and do not modify their gene expression upon infection with Escherichia coli or Bacillus megaterium, whereas both Drosophila melanogaster and Sancassania berlesei, a litter-­‐dwelling mite, do. Infections in the latter two species are kept under control, whereas bacteria grow exponentially inside infected spider mites. Finally, we show that spider mites harbour less bacteria than S. berlesei. We conclude that the ecology of T. urticae underlies its lack of an immune response. This study sheds novel light into the evolution of the immune system in arthropods. 20 Gustavo Nuno Martins Eduardo [email protected] Eduardo G1, Delgado SF1, Marques AP1 e Perfeito L1 1GNME: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal Differences in mutation accumulation in S. pombe due to the presence of chromosomal rearrangements Many factors affect the evolution of populations, namely rate and effect of spontaneous mutations. Our goal is to show how the genome background influences its own evolution in controlled environment and selection conditions. Adapting methods previously used to test the effects of spontaneous mutations in other model organisms, our project allows testing whether different strains of Schizosaccharomyces pombe accumulate mutations at different rates. These strains were constructed from a common ancestral through the introduction of chromosomal rearrangements. In total, we propagated 10 strains: 5 rearrangements and their respective wild type controls. The populations were subjected to artificial bottlenecks, minimizing selection and allowing for accumulation of mutations in the genome, irrespective of their effect. Since most mutations are deleterious/neutral, fitness should decrease in every background. Through competition experiments against a reference strain, we measured the fitness changes of each genome. To assess whether the accumulated mutations had epistatic effects, we used mating experiments and a tetrad dissection protocol to produce recombinant spores. Mean recombinant fitness was measured and compared to mean parental fitness. After 48 bottlenecks (±600 generations), one of the wild type strains showed a significantly decreased fitness of -­‐0,026±0,018 (mean effect ± standard deviation). Surprisingly, the respective translocation had an increase in fitness of 0,041±0,010; indicating that natural selection is effective in our experiment, despite the severe bottlenecks. Our preliminary data indicates that different genetic backgrounds accumulate mutations at different rates, even when natural selection is very weak. We are currently measuring fitness changes of the remaining strains. 21 Inês Carvalho Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência [email protected] Carvalho I1,2,3, Martinho F2,4, Brito C2,4,5, Pierce G3; Sequeira M6, Silva M7,8, Freitas L9, Ferreira M10,11, Marçalo A3,10, Chikhi L1,12,13 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-­‐156 Oeiras, Portugal 2Associação para as Ciências do Mar, Edificio Tech Labs, Campus da FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-­‐
016 Lisboa, Portugal 3Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-­‐193 Aveiro, Portugal 4Escola de Mar, Edificio Tech Labs, Campus da FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-­‐016 Lisboa, Portugal 5CHAM (Portuguese Center for Global History), FCSH-­‐NOVA/UAc, 1069-­‐061 Lisboa, Portugal 6Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas – ICNF, Av. República 16, 1050-­‐191 Lisboa, Portugal 7Center of the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) & Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Portugal 8Laboratory of Robotics and Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS), Lisbon, Portugal 9Museu da Baleia, Rua da Pedra D'Eira, 9200-­‐031 Caniçal, Madeira, Portugal 10Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-­‐057, Braga, Portugal 11CBMA, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-­‐057, Braga, Portugal 12CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), France 13Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, CNRS; UMR5174 EDB, F-­‐31062 Toulouse, France Using a multi-­‐disciplinary approach to define and assess the conservation unit of the bottlenose dolphin from the Sado estuary The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most endangered cetaceans in Europe. It is listed under Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive, requiring the designation of Special Areas of Conservation. Our study focuses on the resident Sado estuary population and on its relationship with other T. truncatus populations. The Sado population inhabits a degraded and polluted estuarine environment and it is one of the few resident populations in Europe, and the only one of Portugal. Dedicated research has revealed year-­‐
round long-­‐term site fidelity, an ageing population, high calf/juvenile mortality and a declining population in the last few decades (with less than 30 individuals). Recognizing the uniqueness of the Sado population, the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, approved the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Bottlenose dolphins Population of Sado Estuary. An integrative approach combining molecular, ecotoxicological, and environmental data is being developed in order to better understand the genetic diversity and the demographic history of the Sado population and its relationship with other bottlenose dolphins populations. It will also help identifying other demographically independent conservation units along the Portuguese coast. The results from this project will be crucial to identify threats and promote effective conservation of the last Sado dolphins, as well as to redefine the boundaries of existing MPAs in the region and/or propose new ones. 22 Inês Fragata [email protected] Fragata I1, Lopes-­‐Cunha M1, Bárbaro M1, Kellen B1, Lima M1, Santos MA1, Faria GS1, Santos M2, Matos M1, Simões P1 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental and Departamento Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 2Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona How much can history constrain evolution? Lessons from inversion polymorphisms in D. subobscura. Chromosomal inversions are present in a wide range of animals and plants, and have an important role in adaptation and speciation. Although empirical evidence of their adaptive value is abundant, the role of different processes underlying evolution of chromosomal polymorphisms is not fully understood. The role of history and selection in shaping inversion polymorphism variation is yet largely unknown. Here, we perform a real-­‐time evolution study addressing the role of historical constraints and selection in the evolution of these polymorphisms. We founded laboratory populations of Drosophila subobscura derived from three locations along the European cline and followed the evolutionary dynamics of inversion polymorphisms throughout the first 40 generations. During the first stages of adaptation populations were highly differentiated and remained so throughout generations. We observed evidence of positive selection for some inversions, variable between foundations. However signs of negative selection were more frequent, in particular for most cold-­‐climate standard inversions across the three foundations. We found that changes in the inversion frequencies were not associated with previously observed convergence at the phenotypic level in these populations. In conclusion, our study shows that selection has shaped the evolutionary dynamics of inversion frequencies, but doing so within the constraints imposed by previous history. Both history and selection are therefore fundamental to predict the evolutionary potential of different populations to respond to global environmental changes. Inês Santos [email protected] Santos I1, Clemente S1, Varela S2, Rodrigues L1, Magalhães S1 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental (CBA), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL) 2Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar -­‐ Lisboa Reproductive interference among two spider mite species Reproductive interference, heterospecific sexual interactions associated with fitness loss for one or both species, is caused by incomplete specific recognition and can have important consequences for population dynamics and evolution of species interactions. Tetranychus urticae and Tetranychus ludeni are two phytophagous spider mite species that can share the same host plants. Heterospecific matings were observed among these species, although hybrids were not found. Here we investigate the occurrence and magnitude reproductive interference in both single and double matings. In the latter, second crosses occurred either immediately after the first one or 24 hours later. Results showed 23 that for both species, mating with a heterospecific before mating with a conspecific lowered fecundity when the first mating was followed immediately by the second, but not in the other crosses. Offspring sex-­‐ratio however was not affected by heterospecific crosses. Therefore, a negative effect of mating with heterospecifics exists, but only in a specific order and timing of mating. Our results suggest that the coexistence of these closely related species may be hampered by reproductive interference. Ioanna Bachtsevanidou STrantzali [email protected] Strantzali IB1, Jordana X2, Galobart A2,3 1Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT UNL) 2Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) 3Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) Bone histology of the Late Cretaceous small-­‐sized Titanosaur femur from Moli del Baró-­‐2 (Spain). Insights on its growth stage Herein, a recently discovered, extremely small-­‐sized, Titanosaur femur from Molí del Baró-­‐2 (Spain) is under question. It is the smallest Titanosaur specimen discovered from the Late Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula, which raises the question of whether it is a very young individual, or a small-­‐sized species. Its ontogenetic stage has been determined by using paleohistological analysis. Cores from the anterior and posterior part of the midshaft of the femur were obtained. The histological study showed dense Haversian bone throughout the cortex, indicating a late ontogenetic stage and a fully-­‐grown individual (HOS 13/14 according to Klein and Sander 2008 and Stein et al. 2010). Primary fibrolamellar bone tissue was observed in interstitial areas between secondary osteons in the outer cortex. Fibrolamellar bone consisted mostly of longitudinal channels, which contrasts with the frequent fast-­‐growing laminar tissue in large sauropods. The results provide evidence of the existence of a small-­‐sized Titanosaur species in Southern Pyrenees during the Late Cretaceous. The possibility of insular dwarfing to explain the small size of this species is here discussed, in the light of other coeval dwarfed Titanosaurs from the European Archipelago. However, the coexistence of small and large Titanosaur forms in the same region challenges this hypothesis. Different ecological niche are suggested to explain this diversity in body size. Isabel Marques [email protected] Marques I1, Graham SW1 1University of British Columbia Shall we need to re-­‐think the root of the flowering-­‐plant phylogeny? Most molecular evidence points to a root of flowering-­‐plant phylogeny that divides the angiosperm crown group into Amborella vs. all remaining species. However, a subset of analyses has persistently recovered alternative arrangements, typically connecting the root node between Amborella plus water lilies, vs. all other angiosperms. These results may be a result of low taxon 24 density in angiosperms or outgroups, but concern seems warranted about this issue given the large phylogenetic distance that separates angiosperms from the other extant seed plants, a possible source of strong systematic error. Some recent publications have focused on using whole plastid genome samplings to investigate this problem (for analysis of the subset of protein-­‐coding plastid gene regions, the plastid gene set). However, the number of relevant lineages that have had their plastid genomes sequenced is still relatively sparse. Here we revisit this question with an expanded sampling of plastomes from multiple lineages around the root node of angiosperm phylogeny. We are aiming for a complete genus-­‐level sampling from the ANITA grade of angiosperms, and currently have 12 of the ~15 genera represented, which we generated using genome-­‐survey sequencing and de novo assembly. Our sampling includes multiple outgroups and other angiosperms, in addition to multiple representatives of the aquatic family Hydatellaceae (Nymphaeales). We also sequenced full plastid circles for a representative subset of taxa to investigate genome structural evolution among these lineages, which define the earliest splits in angiosperm phylogeny. Joana Costa [email protected] Costa J1, Castro S1, Loureiro L1, Barrett SCH2 CFE, Centro de Ecologia Funcional, Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Universidade de Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-­‐456, Coimbra, Portugal. 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2. Variation in floral morph frequencies in tristylous populations of Lythrum salicaria: the role of geographical and demographic factors. Style morph frequencies in heterostylous populations are largely determined by a balance between stochastic forces and negative frequency-­‐dependent selection. Investigation of morph frequencies at geographical range limits can provide new insights on the forces maintaining the floral polymorphism and the factors causing biased morph ratios. The goal of our study was to conduct a survey of morph frequencies at the southern European limit of the distribution of the tristylous self-­‐incompatible perennial Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae). Floral morph composition was assessed in 101 localities along a latitudinal transect from Galicia to Andalucia in the Iberian Peninsula. In each population we recorded population size, morph frequencies and plant height. Most populations of L. salicaria were trimorphic (90.10%) and exhibited 1:1:1 morph ratios (68.75%). Population size was positively associated with latitude, with smaller populations occurring towards the southern range limit. Population size was associated with morph evenness, with larger populations having higher evenness indices, and small populations exhibited the greatest variance in morph frequencies. No consistent bias in floral morph frequencies across the sampled area was evident. Our results provide evidence for the abundant centre distribution model and illustrate the influence of finite population size and genetic drift on floral morph frequencies in a tristylous species. 25 Joana Robalo [email protected] Francisco SM1,2, Almada VC1,2, Faria C3, Velasco EM4, Robalo JJ1,2 1SMF: MARE -­‐ Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre 2Eco‑Ethology Research Unit, ISPA University Institute, Portugal 3Centro de Investigação em Educação. Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal 4Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón, Spain Phylogeographic pattern and glacial refugia of a rocky shore species with limited dispersal capability: the case of Montagu’s blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita, Blenniidae) Phylogeographic patterns among coastal fishes are expected to be influenced by distinct ecological, biological and life history traits, along with historical events and oceanography (past and present). This study focuses on the broad range phylogeography of the Montagu’s blenny Coryphoblennius galerita, a species with well-­‐known ecological features, strictly tied to rocky environments and with limited dispersal capability. Eleven locations from the western Mediterranean to the Bay of Biscay (including the Macaronesian archipelagos) were sampled. Mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) and the first intron of the S7 ribosomal protein gene were used to address the population structure, the signatures of expansion/contraction events retained in the genealogies and potential glacial refugia. The genetic diversity of the Montagu’s blenny was high throughout the sampled area, reaching maximum values in the Mediterranean and western Iberian Peninsula. The results confirmed a marked structure of C. galerita along the sampled area, with a major separation found between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic populations, and suggesting also a separation between the Azores and the remaining Atlantic locations. This study revealed complex and deep genealogies for this species, with Montagu’s blenny populations presenting signatures of events clearly older than the Last Glacial Maximum, with lineages coalescing in early Pleistocene and Pliocene. Three potential glacial refugia where this species might have survived Pleistocene glaciations and from where the recolonization process might have taken place are suggested: South of Iberian Peninsula/North Africa, Mediterranean and Azores. João Muchagata Madeira Duarte [email protected] João Muchagata1,2 J, Mateus O1,3 1FCT-­‐Universidade Nova de Lisboa 2Univ. Évora 3Museu da Lourinhã Why Globicetus (fossil beaked-­‐whale) has a bony sphere inside the head? Ziphiids or beaked-­‐whales are deep-­‐diving, echolocation-­‐user odontocetes and the family includes 21 extant species and 6 genera. Recently, a new fossil taxon, Globicetus hiberus Bianucci et al., 2013, was described from the Atlantic Ocean 26 floor phosphatized deposits from the Upper Early Miocene – Middle Miocene of off-­‐shore of central Portugal and Galicia. The most peculiar feature of the holotype skull (ML1361) is the large spherical prominence in a medial position of the rostrum, which justified the generic name: the species has a fused premaxillae that forms a sphere and a premaxillary shelf in a posterior position. The purpose of the study is to shed light on function of this bizarre structure. The origin of this structure is mysterious but we can advance some hypotheses: 1. Malformation, disease or deformity; 2. Head-­‐butting during mating rituals; 3. Ballast, by providing weight that aids in deep-­‐diving; 4. Increase of the velocity of the sound waves; 5. Reflective and directional aim of the sound beam; 6. Sound barrier between the emitted sound waves from the phonic lips into the sound-­‐reception tooth row in the lower jaw; 7. Secondary sexual organ (“inside antlers hypothesis”), by the recognition of another whale by echolocating their ultradense bones. Despite the several hypotheses, the exact function is not yet known, but ongoing research using computer simulation based in 3D models and images may shed some insight to the whales’ behavior and determine how the soft tissue and sound propagation in Globicetus was. Jordi Salmona [email protected] Salmona J1, Jan F1, Kun-­‐Rodrigues C1, Rasolondraibe E1, Besolo1, Rabarivola C2, Marques TA3, Chikhi L1,4,5 1IGC:Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, P-­‐2780-­‐156 Oeiras, Portugal 2UMG:Université de Mahajanga, Faculté des Sciences, Campus Universitaire Ambondrona BP 652 401 Mahajanga, Madagascar 3CRE:Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9LZ, Scotland 4UMR:CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA, UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique), 118 route de Narbonne, F-­‐31062 Toulouse, France 5UT:Université de Toulouse, UMR 5174 EDB, F-­‐31062 Toulouse, France Coquerel’s Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) Distribution and Abundance Propithecus coquereli is one of the last sifaka species for which no reliable and extensive density estimates are yet available. Despite its Endangered conservation status [IUCN, 2012] its population in its last main refugium, the Ankarafantsika National Park (ANP), is still poorly known. Using line transect distance sampling surveys we estimated population density and abundance in the ANP. Furthermore we investigated roads, forest edge and river proximity, and group size effects on sighting frequencies and density estimates. We provide here the first population density estimates throughout the ANP. We found that density varied greatly among surveyed sites (from 5 to ~100 ind/km²) which could result from significant (negative) effects of roads, and forest edge, and/or a (positive) effect of river proximity. Our results also suggest that the population size may be ~47,000 individuals in the ANP, hinting that the population likely underwent a strong decline in some parts of the park in recent decades, possibly 27 caused by habitat loss from fires and charcoal production and by poaching. We suggest community based conservation actions for the largest remaining population of Coquerel’s sifaka: (i) maintain forest connectivity (ii) implement alternatives to deforestation causes (charcoal production, logging, and savanna fires) and (iii) to poaching causes, and (iv), long term monitoring of the population. José Cerca de Oliveira [email protected] Cerca de Oliveira1, Castro JS1, Agudo A1,2, Alvarez I2, Afonso A, Torices R1 1Centre for Functional Ecology -­‐ University of Coimbra 2Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid Pollinator preference in a hybrid zone between two generalist plant species Most plants rely on pollinators for their reproductive success. To attract pollinators, plants display conspicuous structures such as rays in many species of the sunflower family. Rayed plants usually attract a larger number of pollinators than rayless plants, thus increasing the rate of outcrossing. However, the preferences of different functional groups of pollinators on the ray/rayless polymorphism remain unexplored. To fill this gap, we studied preferences of different pollinator groups for general plant traits, inflorescence traits and neighbourhood traits in a generalist hybrid zone where the rayed Anacyclus clavatus and the rayless Anacyclus valentinus co-­‐exist and hybridize, forming an intermediate phenotype that bridges both phenotypes and generates phenotypic variation. Furthermore, we combined this observational study with a manipulative experiment of the ray phenotype. We found that the production of rays influenced the probability of being visited by specific insect groups, in particular by Dipteran groups. However bee pollinators showed no preference for a particular phenotype and its visitation pattern was mainly driven by the number of capitula simultaneously blooming in the plant or in the neighbourhood. Additionally, we found support for the importance of the neighbours’ phenotype when assessing pollinator preference on a focal individual. Rayed plants benefited from having other conspicuous neighbours, whereas rayless and intermediate phenotypes significantly competed for pollinators. Our results suggest that plant phenotype, neighbourhood context and differences in the behaviour of main pollinator groups might affect gene flow and the dynamics of the contact zone. 28 Leonor Rodrigues [email protected] Rodrigues L1, Varela SAM2, Olivieri I3, Magalhães S1 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental (CBA), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL); 2Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM); 3Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar-­‐Lisboa (CESAM-­‐Lisboa), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL) Paternity and mating costs in the spider mite In the spider mite Tetranychus urticae the first male sires most of the offspring. However, males attempt to copulate with mated females. We have previously found that extra-­‐matings do not result in a higher number of fertilized offspring, thus direct benefits for females are not obvious. Moreover, males can distinguish between mated and virgin females, preferring the latter. Therefore, the motivation for mating with mated females calls for an explanation. We thus hypothesized that the second mating event was beneficial to males or it entailed less costs. To search for benefits, we used pesticide resistance, conferred by a single recessive allele, as a marker trait to measure male precedence. Specifically, we mated females with a resistant and/or a susceptible male, then counted the offspring sired by each male after pesticide application. We found incomplete first male precedence, independently of the mating interval, with 17 per cent of the females producing offspring from their second mating. This suggests that there are benefits, even if reduced, in mating with mated females. To determine the costs of mating, we looked into male’s survival by allocating isolated males to different treatments varying in female’s number and mating status. Male survival was not affected by the number of females they stayed with. However, males placed with mated females survived longer than those placed with virgins. Hence, the cost of staying with mated females is reduced. In conclusion, males may benefit from mating with mated females, since benefits, though scarce, exist and costs are reduced. Lounes Chikhi [email protected] Mazet O1, Rodriguez W1, Chikhi L2 1Institut de Mathématiques, INSA, Toulouse, France, 2CNRS, UNiv. Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France Identifying models using genetic data from a single individual: separating population size variation from population structure The rapid development of sequencing technologies represents new opportunities for population genetics research. It is expected that genomic data will increase our ability to reconstruct the history of populations. While this increase in genetic information will likely help biologists and anthropologists to reconstruct the demographic history of populations, it also represents new challenges. Recent work has shown that structured population generate signals of population size change. As a consequence it is often difficult to determine whether demographic events such as expansions or contractions (bottlenecks) 29 inferred from genetic data are real or due to the fact that populations are structured in nature. Given that few inferential methods allow us to account for that structure, and that genomic data will necessarily increase the (perhaps misleading) precision of parameter estimates, it is important to develop new approaches. I will present some of our recent work where we show that we can identify models and estimate parameters from the genetic data obtained from a single individual. Maria Adelina Gonçalves Jerónimo [email protected] Jerónimo MA1, Beldade P1 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal Mechanisms and significance of immunity-­‐mediated phenotypic plasticity in butterfly wing color patterns Pigmentation is a highly variable and visually compelling trait with well-­‐
documented ecological relevance in functions such as thermal regulation, camouflage, and mate choice. Pigmentation differs between species, between populations of the same species, as well as between individuals of the same population. Furthermore, body pigmentation it is often affected by the environmental conditions during development, including nutrition and temperature. In many cases of seasonal plasticity, the environment experienced during development leads to adult phenotypes better suited for the conditions they will face. The color patterns on the wings of Bicyclus anynana butterflies have become an eco-­‐evo-­‐devo model of this type of developmental plasticity. The temperature during larval and pupal development influences color patterns mediated by changes in the levels of ecdysone hormone. These convey information about the external environment to the tissues developing internally. We have recently discovered that the activation of an immune response in pupae phenocopies the effects of lower developmental temperature, leading to the production of wing patterns similar to the natural cooler season. We tested the hypothesis that the effect of immune activation on wing color is mediated by changes in ecdysone levels by: 1) establishing that the immune challenge leads to lowering ecdysone titers in the haemolymph, and 2) rescuing the effect of the immune challenging by artificially increasing ecdysone levels. We now want to address the ecological relevance of our findings by testing the hypothesis that there is thermal-­‐plasticity in immunity, which would be adaptive if the likelihood of infection is variable between seasons. Marina Silva [email protected] Silva M1,2, Alshamali F1,3, Pereira L1,4, Soares P1,5 1Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Portugal. 2Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto (FCUP), Portugal. 3General Department of Forensic Sciences & Criminology, Dubai Police GHQ, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 4Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (FMUP), Portugal 5Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal. 30 Phylogeography of mtDNA haplogroup L2: insights into some African population movements Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup L2 originated in Western Africa but is nowadays spread across the entire continent, being very frequent also in Eastern and Southern Africa. L2 movements were previously postulated to be related to the Bantu expansion, which crossed sub-­‐Saharan Africa in the last 5 thousand years (5 ka). However, previous HVRI (Hypervariable region I) analysis showed that L2 expansion eastwards probably occurred much earlier, during the early Holocene (~10-­‐12 ka). We aimed to reconstruct the phylogeny of L2 to provide insights on the complex net of migrations that occurred in Africa in the last thousand years. Our results show that lineages in Southern Africa cluster with west-­‐central African lineages at a recent time scale, whereas, eastern lineages seem to be older, suggesting that L2 expanded eastwards in the early Holocene. Three moments of expansion are associated to L2: (1) ~25-­‐30 ka, during the upper Palaeolithic, (2) post-­‐glacial movements (~11.5 ka), when most of L2 lineages arrived in Eastern Africa and (3) the Bantu Expansion (<5 ka) that took L2 southwards. A similar pattern is observed in the phylogeny of subhaplogroup L0a. Complementary population analysis indicates no strong evidence of mtDNA gene flow between eastern and southern populations, suggesting that Bantu permanence in Eastern Africa did not result in strong admixture with local populations and the populations that migrated southwards had almost entirely ancestry in Central African mtDNA gene pool. Marisa Rodrigues [email protected] Rodrigues M1, Mirth C1 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal The effects of macronutrient composition of the larval diet on life history traits in Drosophila virilis One of the main contributers to an animal’s success is good nutrition. Macronutrients, such as proteins and carbohydrates, are essential for organism development, impacting body size or reproductive capacity. Animals use macronutrients differently, in concordance with their nutritional environments. However, when given the opportunity they all balance their food intake in order to achieve their own species-­‐specific nutritional optima, referred as intake target. Uncovering animal’s intake target requires solving the problem of balance multiple and changing nutrient needs in a variable nutritional environment. Using the nutritional geometry framework, we can create a nutrient space to understand the effect of macronutrient variation on life history traits. We explore how macronutrient composition of the larval diet affected life history traits in Drosophila virilis, a specialist in feeding on sap flux. We measured the response of four life history traits, survival, developmental time, body size and ovariole number, to a range of food differing in their caloric content and protein to carbohydrate (P:C) ratios. We found that D. virilis optimizes all the life history traits at high P:C ratios. Then, we explored whether larvae align their 31 macronutrient intake to these optimal macronutrient conditions. We found that larvae do not regulate their intake to the optima. This suggests that there could be additional trade-­‐offs of consuming the highest P:C ratios or that the nutritional requirements change between life stages, once we used third instar larvae in this last point. Miguel Baltazar-­‐Soares [email protected] Baltazar-­‐Soares M1, EIzaguirre C2 1Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research (GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany 2Queen Mary University of London, London, UK" Asymmetric gene flow amongst matrilineages maintains the evolutionary potential of the endangered European eel Using evolutionary theory to predict the dynamics of populations is one of the aims of the emerging field of evolutionary conservation. In endangered species, whose geographic range extends over continuous areas, the predictive capacity of evolutionary-­‐based measures greatly depends on the accurate identification of reproductive units. The endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a highly migratory fish species whose recruitment has undergone a steady low since the steep decline in the beginning of the 1980s. Despite punctual observations of genetic structure, the population is viewed as a single panmictic reproductive unit. Using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear loci, we indirectly evaluated the hypothesis that female philopatry within the Sargasso Sea constrains the contemporary evolution of the species. For that, 403 glass eels from three distinct cohorts were measured, weighed and screened for genetic variation. Over the consecutive years of sampling, we detected an increase in both body condition and allelic richness – suggestive of a population recovery. We also identified three major matrilineages hypothetically representing female philopatric demes. Interestingly, not only we found that population genetic models support matrilineage-­‐driven demes over a complete panmictic spawning ground, but also that there is a strong asymmetric gene flow amongst the putative matrilineage demes. Altogether our results suggest the existence of population recovery and constraints to panmixia linked to matrilineages. We uphold the suggestion that this structure maintains the adaptive potential of the species and explains that, despite the drastic population collapse, no genomic signature of bottleneck have ever been recorded. Mónica Sofia Lopes Marques [email protected] Lopes-­‐Marques M1,2, Ruivo R1, Sainath SB1, Capitão A1,3, Santos MM1,3, L. Castro LFC1,3 1CIMAR/CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research), University of Porto 2ICBAS (Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar), University of Porto 3Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto 32 A PPAR orthologue from a lophotrocozoan mollusc: insights into the evolution of nuclear receptors Nuclear Receptors (NRs) play a critical role in the regulation of several biological processes such as metabolism, development and reproduction; they act as transcription factors regulating the expression of specific target genes. Consequently, NRs play a paramount role in the homeostasis of endocrine systems in metazoans. The evolution of NRs superfamily has gathered considerable attention over the past decade, particularly, since NRs have often been linked with endocrine disruption processes. Nevertheless, the vast majority of NR families remain uncharacterized particularly in the protostome lineage. The Peroxisome proliferator-­‐activated receptor (PPARs) constitutes an important family of NRs, which regulate energy balance, as well as, lipid and glucose homeostasis. Here, we investigate the PPAR in lophotrocozoans by combining extensive searches in the full genomes available with phylogenetic analysis. We uncovered PPAR-­‐like sequences in molluscs, further phylogenetic analysis of these sequences indicate that they are orthologous to the corresponding NRs described in the vertebrate lineage, indicating that PPAR evolved in bilaterian ancestry. Additionally we provide the first isolation and characterization of PPAR gene in the mollusc limpet P. depressa and in the basal deuterostome P. lividus. We next performed comparative homology modelling and find a high degree of structural conservation. Finally, the novel NRs were functionally characterized using transactivation assays. The overall findings are discussed considering the evolution of the PPAR signalling pathways and endocrine disruption mechanisms mediated by this family. This work was financed by FCT projects PTDC/MAR/105199/2008,PTDC/MAR/115199/2009,EXPL/MAR/EST/1540/20
12 and PhD grant SFRH / BD / 84238 / 2012 awarded to ML-­‐M. Nuno Soares [email protected] Soares N1, Beldade P1, Mirth C1 1IGC -­‐ Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal Understanding nutritional adaption to new ecological niches – the case of Drosophila suzukii For all organisms, nutrition and type of food/substrate they explore are determinant for defining their ecological niche. In drosophilids, the majority of the species are associated to rotting/damaged plant parts, e.g. rotting fruit, with exception of D.suzukii. D. suzukii is a spreading pest causing extensive damage to crops due to its oviposition preference for ripening soft-­‐skinned fruits, like strawberries. As an adaptation to the harder egg laying substrate, D. suzukii has evolved a serrated ovipositor that confers the ability to pierce fresh-­‐fruit skin. A major difference between rotting and ripening fruit is yeast content, which is the main source of protein for Drosophila flies and their larvae. This lead me to hypothesize that D. suzukii larvae may be better adapted to feed on substrates with low yeast, hence low protein, content. To explore this hypothesis, I am using a nutritional geometry approach to characterize the response of several larval 33 life-­‐history traits, such as survival and development time, to different protein:carbohydrate ratios and caloric concentrations in both D. suzukii and a closely related species D. biarmipes, known to feed and oviposit on rotting fruit. Here, I will discuss preliminary results for both species. D. suzukii appears to show a less sensitive response to protein and carbohydrates variation, while D. biarmipes displays a better performance in protein rich diets. These experiments will provide a better insight in D. suzukii’s evolution and how species adapt to new nutritional niches. Patrícia Alexandra Pinheiro dos Santos [email protected] Santos P1 1Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa Origin and evolution of petaloids in Claytonia L. (Montiaceae) Flowers, the reproductive organs in angiosperms, are the structures most susceptible to evolutionary pressures due to adaptation to specific pollination syndromes. A typical flower comprises of four types of organs arranged in a sequence -­‐ known as whorls: sepals (calyx), petals (corolla), anthers (male reproductive organs) and pistils (female reproductive organs that include ovaries, styles and stigmas). Study of morphological trends of floral structures provides insight into evolutionary history of different taxa. Caryophyllales is a plant order with a highly interesting floral morphology. It is unique in having flowers with only one perianth whorl – the perigone. The perigone, though petal-­‐like in appearance, is actually derived from the calyx. It can look like either petals (petaloid) or sepals (sepaloid). Within Carylophyllales, members of the suborder Portulacinae have a tendency to have a false bipartite perianth, which forms a petaloid perigone, and an epicalyx composed by the subtending bracts of the flower. Although Claytonia belongs to Portulacinae, previous studies have suggested separate origins for its petaloid organs, other than sepals. In this study we investigated the floral development of Claytonia using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to understand the origin of the petaloid organs in the genus. Our results show that petaloid organs in Claytonia are the expression of the typical Caryophyllales’ perigone engulfed in androecium tissue. Pedro Miguel Simões [email protected] Simões P1, Fragata I1, Seabra S1, Faria GS1, Santos MA1, Matos M1 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental – Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Can spatial and temporal variation in genetic backgrounds affect adaptive evolution? A meta-­‐analysis in Drosophila subobscura. Evolution of populations is contingent on factors such as prior genetic background of populations and chance events. Environmental changes across space and time, as well as stochastic, events can shape distinct genetic backgrounds and thus influence subsequent evolutionary responses and 34 potential. Here we address experimentally these effects on the initial performance of populations and their evolutionary changes in fecundity, physiological traits and inversion polymorphisms during short-­‐term adaptation to a new environment. We use two sets of two laboratory foundations of Drosophila subobscura, sampled 3 years apart, from the same two contrasting latitudes in Europe (Portugal vs. Netherlands), for which differentiation in several traits and inversion frequencies was described. We found initial differentiation between foundations from different locations, consistent in both years, for most traits. Early differences between years were found for age of first reproduction and male starvation resistance. As for the evolutionary rate during the first 14 generations, starvation resistance showed significant variation across locations and years. Initial chromosomal inversion frequencies differed across locations but not years. Differences between locations remained significant after 6/8 generations. Temporal changes in inversion frequencies during that period were not significant in three out of four foundations. Altogether, our findings indicate that spatial rather than temporal variation in the source natural populations is more likely to produce disparate starting points for evolution. Also, up to this point, it seems that the evolution of traits more loosely related to fitness (e.g. starvation resistance) is more contingent on both location and time of natural collections. Rui Castanhinha [email protected] Castanhinha R1,2, Sucena E1, Léon J1 1IGC 2Museu da Lourinhã Towards the resolution of an evolutionary conundrum: the aves frontal bone The chicken embryo is a central model organism in evolutionary developmental biology. Its anatomy and developmental genetics have been extensively studied and many relevant evolutionary implications have been made so far. However, important questions regarding the developmental origin of the chicken skull bones are still unresolved. This precludes evolutionary comparisons between model systems. A classical example is the disputed origin of the frontal bone. Different lineage tracing studies present dissimilar results. The first hypothesis claims that a population of cells exclusively derived from neural crest forms this bone. Other authors advocate for a double ontogenetic contribution from neural crest and paraxial mesoderm. In mice the results are unanimous attributing the origin of the entire frontal bone to cells derived from neural crest, while the posteriorly contiguous bone (the parietal) is formed exclusively by paraxial mesoderm derived cells. At the same time the posterior region of bird's adult skull misses one bone when compared with other Archosauria and mammals. This absence has been interpreted as an evolutionary lost of the interparietal. Nevertheless, it is not obvious whether the bird's frontal is homologous to one (frontal), or to a fusion of two skull bones (frontal + parietal). We present new data from GFP chicken to wt chicken chimeras and a preliminary interpretation is provided. These experiments, in combination with a thorough examination of 35 the published fossil material available, can help to establish more complete homology relationships between the skull bones, shedding new light on the evolution of development of the amniote skull. Rute Fonseca [email protected] da Fonseca RR1, Smith BD, Wales N, Cappellini E, Skoglund P, Fumagalli M, Samaniego JA, Carøe C, Ávila-­‐Arcos MC, Hufnagel DE, Korneliussen TS, Vieira FG, Jakobsson M, Arriaza B, Willerslev E, Nielsen R, Hufford MB, Albrechtsen A, Ross-­‐Ibarra J, Gilbert MTP1 The origin and evolution of maize from the SW of the USA The origin of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) in the US Southwest remains contentious, with conflicting archaeological data supporting either coastal or highland routes of diffusion of maize into the US. Furthermore, the genetics of adaptation to the new environmental and cultural context of the Southwest is largely uncharacterized. To address these issues, we compared nuclear DNA from 32 archaeological maize samples spanning 6000 years of evolution to modern landraces from across Mexico. We found that the initial diffusion of maize into the Southwest at about 4000 years ago likely occurred along a highland route, followed by gene flow from a lowland coastal maize beginning at least 2000 years ago. Our population genetic analysis also enabled us to differentiate selection during domestication for adaptation to the novel climatic and cultural environment of the Southwest, identifying adaptation loci relevant to drought tolerance and sugar content. Salomé Hipólito Clemente [email protected] Clemente S1, Magalhães M1, Moya-­‐Laraño J2 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa 2Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA, CSIC) Almería, Spain Using Individual-­‐based models to unravel eco-­‐evolutionary dynamics of competing spider-­‐mite species Ecological and evolutionary changes are intimately linked and can occur on the same time-­‐scale. In the study of species interactions, individual-­‐based models have a great potential to help understand the fine-­‐scale interplay of ecological and evolutionary factors, as they allow us to isolate mechanisms behind observed patterns. Spider mites interact indirectly, through resource competition i.e., plant nutrients. Nutrient availability depends on how herbivores cope with plant defences. It was recently found that T. evansi down-­‐regulates tomato defences, leading to its higher performance on induced plants than on clean plants. T. urticae’s performance is also higher on plants induced by T. evansi. We aim to characterize these interspecific interactions and test how they are shaped by evolution. In order to have a better understanding of the factors 36 affecting the eco-­‐evolutionary dynamics of this system we are developing an individual-­‐based model. To model the ecological interactions and evolutionary dynamics, we included quantitative genetics for each trait and the potential among-­‐trait genetic correlations. We created a spatially explicit model, were the environment has 4 possibilities of plant defence levels, depending on previous spider-­‐mite presence, which translate into distinct feeding efficiencies for the two species. It was previously shown that fecundity and dispersal of both species can be affected by the presence of competitors. Therefore, we included the genetics of two traits: oviposition rate, and dispersal, and implemented haplodiploidy, dominance and genetic correlation among traits. Our objective is to measure the evolutionary response of the two traits and compare the modelled scenarios with experimental data. Sara Rocha [email protected] Rocha S1,2,3, Escalona M3, Lemmon AR4, Lemmon EM5, Posada D3 1Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) 2University of Porto, InBIO Associated Laboratory, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-­‐661 Vairão, Portugal 3Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain 4Department of Scientific Computing, 400 Dirac Science Library, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 5Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Dr., Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida Probe Design for Anchored Hybrid Enrichment in Trovaoconus marine snails Phylogenetic inference and species-­‐delimitation are often problematic within recently speciated or fast diversifying clades, due to short internodal intervals. In these cases, it is important to examine a high number of highly variable and informative independent nuclear loci in order to draw reliable phylogenetic and phylogeographic inferences. Together with RAD-­‐sequencing, hybrid enrichment is a suitable and affordable strategy for obtaining a large number of single-­‐copy nuclear loci from multiple individuals in closely related species using next-­‐
generation sequencing. In short, hybrid enrichment (sequence capture) involves synthesis of 120 bp oligonucleotide sequences (capture probes or "baits") that are complementary to target regions in the genome, hybridizing them to a DNA library and isolating the targets from the genome prior to high-­‐throughput sequencing. Here we describe the loci choice and probe design for a set of 1750 anonymous markers, based on raw genomic reads of one individual of each Trovaoconus and Africonus marine snails radiations from Cabo Verde. These loci will now be used for phylogenetic inference and species delimitation in the recent radiation of the genus Trovaoconus endemic to Cabo Verde archipelago. 37 Sara Santos [email protected] Santos SC1, Marques AP1, Chelo IM1 1Eco-­‐Evolutionary Genetics Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 6, 2780-­‐156 Oeiras Determining frequency-­‐dependent selection in natural lines of C. elegans through 2b-­‐RAD sequencing With frequency-­‐dependent selection the fitness of a genotype depends on the frequency of other genotypes in a population. One interesting aspect is when the fitness values vary favoring rarer types (negative frequency-­‐dependent selection) leading to the maintenance of polymorphisms through time. Caenorhabditis elegans constitutes one particular interesting example where maintenance of natural diversity has not been completely understood. Recently, it has been demonstrated that frequency-­‐dependent selection can be important to maintain diversity in C. elegans. In this work, we are assessing the prevalence of frequency-­‐dependent selection in a C. elegans experimental system, by developing a new method to estimate relative fitness effects in “head-­‐to-­‐head” competitions. We used next generation sequencing on samples of pooled individuals to estimate the frequencies of competing genotypes over time. We employed a “genotyping by genome reducing and sequencing” strategy based on 2b-­‐RAD sequencing which generates fragments of constant size (35bp) and thus greatly simplifying library preparation. Comparison of frequency estimates obtained with this approach and standard scoring of marked (GFP-­‐tagged) individuals indicates that this methodology can be pursued as an effective way to estimate relative fitness effects, which is especially useful in the context of experimental evolution. Next we will apply this technique on all possible pairwise competitions between different C. elegans wild isolates, while varying initial frequencies, thereby accessing frequency-­‐dependent selection. This methodology has proven to be a simple and clear-­‐cut way to estimate relative fitness, hence, being a convenient tool to access frequency-­‐dependent selection and an alternative to current estimation techniques. Sérgio Ferreira Cardoso [email protected] Ferreira-­‐Cardoso S1,2, Castanhinha R3,4, Araújo R4,5,6, Walsh S7, Martins NE3, Martins RMS1,4,5, Martins GG3 1Universidade Nova de Lisboa 2Universidade de Évora, Portugal 3Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência 4Museu da Lourinhã, Portugal 5Instituto Superior Técnico-­‐Universidade de Lisboa 6Museum für Naturkunde, Alemanha 7National Museums Scotland, Reino Unido Can the Floccular Complex Lobe Fossa be a proxy for inducing paleoecology? Comparative neuroanatomy in vertebrate evolution provides deep insights into how brain structures evolved through time, their functions and relative importance. A central principle in neuroanatomy is that there is a relation 38 between relative neural tissue volume and its function. The floccular complex lobes of the cerebellum, housed in the floccular fossae, integrate visual and vestibular information and are responsible for the vestibulo-­‐ocular reflex, smooth pursuit and gaze holding (movements of the eye to fix an object in motion). The ubiquity and universal function of this complex led many autors to induce that the floccular complex lobes relative volume might be a proxy to infer some aspects of animals’ ecology. Some authors referred to variations of floccular complex lobes (FCL) volume and its relation with body mass with putative increased vision capacity and body agility. However, no comprehensive study has yet been performed in order to test some of these hypotheses. We analyzed brain cavity endocasts from diverse extant taxa to assess the relationship between the FCL volume and ecological variables. We tested the following hypotheses: 1) there is a correlation between optic lobes and FCL volume in theropods; 2) there is a negative allometry relation between the FCL volume and body mass; 3) floccular complex volume varies according to feeding habits and period of activity. Our results show that some paleobiological speculations are not supported by data, and a direct relationship between FCL size and behavior remains to be understood. Simone Fernandes Delgado [email protected] Delgado SF1, Perfeito L1 1Evolution and Genome Structure Group, Institutio Gulbenkian de Ciência, rua da Quinta Grande, nº 6; 2780-­‐156 Oeiras, Portugal Effect of chromosome rearrangements on the tempo and mode of adaptation Evolvability is the ability to generate adaptive diversity, which is then subjected to natural selection. Previous work has shown that evolvability itself may depend on genetic background. Here, we want to test the impact of large chromosome rearrangements (CRs) on the adaptation to new environments. To do so, we use experimental evolution with the model organism Schizosaccaromyces pombe. We adapted eight genetically engineered strains to rich medium (YES, yeast extract medium) for 600 generations. Of those, four present distinct chromosomal rearrangements, and four are the corresponding wild type controls. Fitness was measured for several intermediate time points, using competition assays against a reference strain with a fluorescent protein insert. Each competition was performed over seven days with daily quantification of strain frequencies. Selection coefficients (and fitness) were calculated using the slope of regression line per strain, through time. After 600 generations, all strains evolved increased fitness. The strains with lower initial fitness, irrespective of the presence of CRs, increased faster and presented higher trajectory variance, implying that fitness increases occurred at different rates. Clearly, initial fitness is an important determinant on the coordinates these genotypes start from in the fitness landscape. We also observe, however, an effect of chromosome organization on the fitness trajectories over time. This indicates that chromosome rearrangements are likely affecting the 39 rate and effect of initial mutations, but not the final fitness attained. We will now use whole genome sequencing to assess whether genome organization also affects the type of mutations accumulated during the adaptive process. Sofia Nunes [email protected] Nunes, S.1, Dey, S.2, Chelo, I.1, Ferreira, A.1, Teotónio, H.2 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal 2Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France Population extinction and the role of standing diversity in experimental Caenorhabiditis elegans Under higher rates of environmental change, higher population extinction rates are predicted. In populations with standing diversity, natural selection may however be able to prevent or retard extinction. We used Caenorhabditis elegans experimental evolution from standing genetic diversity to study the dynamics extinction to evermore challenging environmental conditions. We asked if the degree of previous adaptation affected the population extinction and tested whether segregation and recombination of standing diversity could rescue doomed populations. Our results indicate that the degree of previous adaptation did not impinge on future evolution, despite the occurrence of natural selection until extinction. Genetic data showed a positive relation between genetic diversity and the rate of environmental change. Most significantly, recombination of standing diversity did not ammeliorate the probability of extinction and segregation seemingly worsens it. Sofia G. Seabra [email protected] Seabra SG1, Fragata I1, Simões P1, Faria GS1, Santos MA1, Lopes-­‐Cunha M1, Matos, M1. 1Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal Genome-­‐wide analysis during laboratory adaptation of initially highly differentiated Drosophila subobscura populations Experimental evolution studies of local adaptation are a powerful approach to assess real-­‐time evolutionary dynamics under a controlled environment. Moreover, studying initially differentiated populations adapting to a common environment and replicating them allows characterizing the roles of history, chance and selection during adaptation to a new environment. With these goals in mind, we are analyzing the evolutionary dynamics of laboratory populations of Drosophila subobscura founded from wild collections in contrasting european latitudes. These studies across generations have previously revealed convergence at phenotypic traits, as well as changes in chromosomal inversions frequencies. We are now performing genome-­‐wide analysis in the two foundations derived from the extremes of the european cline, characterizing both the initial genomic differentiation, as well as the temporal changes during 40 laboratory adaptation. We also aim at characterizing genomic content within and outside inversions in order to understand the mechanisms of evolution of inversions. Three different approaches for genome-­‐wide analysis are taken: 1) Genome resequencing of pools of individuals (three replicates from each population), sampled at four different generations; 2) Restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing of individual larvae with known karyotype, to characterize SNP polymorphism at two different generations; 3) Genome resequencing of pools of individuals of homokaryotypic lines for two chromosomal inversions in the O chromosome (OST and O3+4) to characterize SNP variation within and outside these inversions. These combined approaches will ultimately allow us to address the impact of history and selection in genomic variation, and further the knowledge on the genomic impact of chromosomal inversions. Susana A. M. Varela [email protected] Varela SAM1, Santos M2, Matos M1 1Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal 2Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, Espanha Negative public information in mate-­‐choice copying helps the spread of a novel trait Numerous field and laboratory experiments have shown that many species have the capacity for social learning, including mate-­‐choice decisions that can be influenced by witnessing the mating decisions of others. Here we develop a numerical model of mate-­‐choice copying that follows the population genetics tradition, consisting in tracking allele frequencies in a population over time under various scenarios. In contrast to previous evolutionary models, we consider both positive and negative social information because many mating system are driven by males in pursuit of a mate, and female refusal of copulation may provide negative social information. The inclusion of negative social information to mate-­‐choice copying helps the spread of a novel trait, even if female innate mate-­‐choice preference is biased towards the common male-­‐type. We argue that the presence or absence of copying might simply mirror the associated cost-­‐benefit relationship of the mating system of a given species, and suggest how to test this prediction. 41 Tatiana Vital [email protected] Vital T1,2, Lima AC1,3, Amorim A1,2, Lopes AM1; 1Grupo de Genética Populacional, Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Portugal 2Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto (FCUP), Portugal 3Programa Graduado nas Áreas Básicas e Aplicadas da Biologia (GABBA), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal RPS4 paralogues in mammalian spermatogenesis: gains and losses in translation Ribosomal protein S4e is a highly conserved protein present in all Eukarya. The RPS4 gene is found on autosomes in all vertebrates except mammals, in which it is X-­‐linked, having also retained an ancestral Y-­‐linked copy in some lineages. In primates the ancestral RPS4Y gene duplicated and originated a second Y-­‐linked copy (RPS4Y2) in Old World Monkeys, while in the mouse RPS4X acquired an intronless paralogue on chromosome 6 encoding a highly identical protein. The primate-­‐specific RPS4Y2 as well as mouse Rps4L are expressed during spermatogenesis and may compensate for the transcriptional silencing of the X-­‐
linked copy during meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. In this study we aim to characterize lineage-­‐specific potentially functional copies of RPS4. By exploiting the available draft genome sequences of several species we have found RPS4 autosomal retrogenes with conserved open reading frames in dog, cow and rabbit. Interestingly, in those species which retained a Y-­‐linked RPS4 gene (pig and cat) we did not succeed in finding potentially functional duplicates in other chromosomes. We will combine phylogenetic analysis and functional genomics tools in order to address the role of RPS4 duplication in spermatogenesis, throughout mammalian evolution. Telma G. Laurentino [email protected] Laurentino TG1, Pina-­‐Martins F1, Fino J1, Patrício P2, Paulo OS1 1Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-­‐016, 1749-­‐016 Lisboa, Portugal 2Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-­‐016, 1749-­‐016 Lisboa, Portugal Dorsos are green, Eyespots are blue, Does Natural Selection shape you? Timon lepidus is one of the species that endured the climatic cycles of the Quaternary, which greatly influenced population evolutionary dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula. For this lizard, these phenomena resulted in three parapatric subspecies, nowadays distributed along an ecological cline. Along the cline, phenotypic differences in biometry and colour pattern arise, such that each phenotype occurs in association with a specific bioclimatic region of the species distribution, raising the question of whether incipient ecological speciation is occuring. Colour influences many biological aspects of the organism that can 42 impact individual fitness such as intra or intersexual selection, antipredator strategies, intraspecific communication, and thermoregulation. Thus, geographically divergent body coloration often appears adaptive.We access both morphological and genomic data, combining classical techniques such as reflectance analysis with cutting edge RAD-­‐seq technology, to understand if two of T. lepidus subspecies are under natural selective pressures and taking evolutionary steps towards reproductive isolation, giving rise to new branches of the tree of life. 43 List of Participants and contact emails Name
Contact email
Alexandra Sá Pinto Alexandre Leitão Alvarina Couto Ana Coutinho Ana Barradas Ana Catarina Silvestre Morais Ana Marcelino Ana Margarida Sousa Ana Margarida Valente Ana Martins Pereira Ana Paula Gomes Marques Ana Santos Ana Sofia De Almeida Da Costa Nunes Ana Sofia Lindeza Ana Teresa Mendes Eugénio Ana Vieira André Carvalho André Levy André Mesquita Andreia J. Amaral Andreia Teixeira Antónia Rosa Trindade Pinto Bárbara Düemke Coelho Faleiro Brigite Simões De Matos Bruno Vieira Caetano Souto Maior Carla Sousa Santos Carolina Dos Santos Alves Carolina Martins Peralta Lopes Da Silva Catarina Peraltinha Catarina Caprichoso Carvalho Catarina Dourado Catarina Pinto Cátia Bartilotti Cedrico Vaz Cristiana Alexandra Brito Cristina Lima Custódio De Oliveira Nunes Daniel Chagas Roquette Mameri Daniela Susana Rodrigues Tavares Daniela Zwerschke Diogo Alexandre Prino Godinho Diogo Santos Diogo Silva Dragan Stajic Eliana Sales [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ana-­‐sofia-­‐[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 44 Elisabete Malafaia Elvira Lafuente Emília Santos Ester Serrao Filipa Saraiva Francisco Costa Pinto Francisco Rente De Pina Martins Frederico Almada George Politis Gilberto Bento Gonçalo Faria Gonçalo Jorge Franco Silva Gonçalo Nuno Carreira Pereira Gonçalo Santos Matos Gonçalo Themudo Gustavo Nuno Martins Eduardo Helena Mendes-­‐Soares Hugo Gante Inês Carvalho Inês Fragata Inês Modesto Inês Órfão Inês Santos Ioanna Bachtsevanidou Strantzali Isa Aleixo Pais Isabel Alves Isabel Marques Ivo Chelo Jessica King Joana Bernardes Joana Costa Joana Figueira Alves Dos Anjos Joana Robalo Joana Sanches João André Da Silva Marinheiro João Gama João Muchagata Madeira Duarte Joao Proenca Joaquim Contradanças Jordi Salmona Jorge Moura De Sousa José Cerca De Oliveira José Nuno De Oliveira Neto José Ricardo Paula Leonor Rodrigues Lilia Perfeito Lounes CHIKHI Luís Afonso Luís Cardoso Luisa Azevedo Mafalda Ferreira Margarida Alexandra Duarte [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 45 Margarida Matos Maria Adelina Gonçalves Jerónimo Mariana Figueira Alves Dos Anjos Mariana Nunes Mariana Ramos Marília Freire Marina Silva Marisa Rodrigues Marta Lourenço Marta Susana Torres Ladeira Michael Miguel Azvedo Miguel Baltazar-­‐Soares Mónica Sofia Lopes Marques Nelson Eduardo Do Vale Martins Nelson Frazão Nuno Filipe Gomes Martins Nuno Soares Patrícia Alexandra Pinheiro Dos Santos Patrícia Beldade Paula Campos Paulo Durão Paulo Octávio Cunha Da Silva Pedro Branco Pedro Gabriel Condelipes Monteiro Pedro Miguel Simões Pedro Mocho Ricardo Graça Rita Isabel Rodrigues Vilas Boas Rita Ponce Rita Rasteiro Roberto Keller Rúben Filipe Sousa De Oliveira Rui Castanhinha Rui Miguel Macieira De Faria Rute Fonseca Ruxanda Salomé Hipólito Clemente Sara Magalhães Sara César Sara Correia Santos Sara Petiz Viana Sara Rodrigues Passos Rocha Sara Santos Sérgio Ferreira Cardoso Simone Fernandes Delgado Sofia Nunes Sofia G. Seabra Sofia Lopes Mendes Susana A. M. Varela Tânia Paulo Tatiana Vital [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 46 Telma G. Laurentino Tiago António Falcão Vermelho Maié Urtelinda Da Silva Ramos Vera L. Nunes [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The organizing committee: Ana Margarida Sousa João Alpedrinha Judite Alves Nelson Martins Ricardo Ramiro Roberto Keller 47