Data from: Predictable adaptive trajectories of sexual coloration in the wild: evidence from replicate experimental guppy populations

The question of whether populations evolve predictably and consistently under similar selective regimes is fundamental to understanding how adaptation proceeds in the wild. We address this question with a replicated evolution experiment focused upon male sexual coloration in guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Fish were transplanted from a single high predation population in the Guanapo River to four replicate, guppy‐free low predation headwater streams. Two streams had their canopies thinned to adjust the setting under which male coloration is displayed and perceived. We assessed evolutionary divergence using second‐generation lab‐bred offspring of fish sampled four to six years following translocation. A prior experiment of the same design, performed in an adjacent drainage, resulted in the evolution of more extensive orange, black and iridescent markings. We however found evidence for expansion only in structural coloration (iridescent blue/green), no change in orange, and a reduction in black. This response amplifies earlier findings for Guanapo fish, revealing that trajectories of color elaboration differ among drainages. We also found that color phenotypes evolved more greatly at the thinned‐canopy sites. Our findings support the predictability of sexual trait evolution in the wild, and underscore the importance of signaling conditions and ornamental starting points in shaping adaptive trajectories.

Usage Notes
Raw Data EVO-18-0005Body size and color patch size for individual guppies from the Guanapo River and four experimental headwater sites.

探究在相似的筛选机制下，种群是否能够可预测且一致地进化，这对于理解野外适应过程的进展至关重要。本研究以雄性孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata）的性色彩为焦点，通过重复进化实验来解答这一问题。实验中，将鱼从瓜纳波河的一个高捕食种群移植到四个重复的、无孔雀鱼的低捕食源头溪流中。其中两条溪流的树冠被疏剪，以调整男性色彩展示和感知的环境。通过评估第二代实验室培育的后代，即移植后四至六年内采集的鱼的样本，我们分析了进化分歧。在同一设计的前期实验中，在相邻的排水系统中，观察到更广泛的橙色、黑色和彩虹色标记的进化。然而，我们只发现了结构色彩（彩虹蓝/绿色）的扩张证据，橙色没有变化，黑色则有所减少。这一反应放大了瓜纳波鱼早期的研究发现，揭示了不同排水系统中色彩装饰轨迹的差异。我们还发现，在树冠疏剪的地点，色彩表型进化更为显著。我们的研究结果支持了野外性征进化的可预测性，并强调了信号条件与装饰起点在塑造适应轨迹中的重要性。

使用说明
原始数据 EVO-18-0005：瓜纳波河和四个实验源头地点的孔雀鱼个体体型和色彩斑块的尺寸。