Data from: Limited plasticity in the phenotypic variance-covariance matrix for male advertisement calls in the black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus

Phenotypic integration and plasticity are central to our understanding of how complex phenotypic traits evolve. Evolutionary change in complex quantitative traits can be predicted using the multivariate breeders’ equation, but such predictions are only accurate if the matrices involved are stable over evolutionary time. Recent study, however, suggests that these matrices are temporally plastic, spatially variable and themselves evolvable. The data available on phenotypic variance-covariance matrix (P) stability are sparse, and largely focused on morphological traits. Here, we compared P for the structure of the complex sexual advertisement call of six divergent allopatric populations of the Australian black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus. We measured a subset of calls from wild-caught crickets from each of the populations and then a second subset after rearing crickets under common-garden conditions for three generations. In a second experiment, crickets from each population were reared in the laboratory on high- and low-nutrient diets and their calls recorded. In both experiments, we estimated P for call traits and used multiple methods to compare them statistically (Flury hierarchy, geometric subspace comparisons and random skewers). Despite considerable variation in means and variances of individual call traits, the structure of P was largely conserved among populations, across generations and between our rearing diets. Our finding that P remains largely stable, among populations and between environmental conditions, suggests that selection has preserved the structure of call traits in order that they can function as an integrated unit.表型整合（Phenotypic integration）与表型可塑性（Phenotypic plasticity）是我们理解复杂表型性状演化机制的核心所在。可借助多元育种者方程（multivariate breeders’ equation）预测复杂数量性状的演化变化，但此类预测仅在所涉及的矩阵在演化时间尺度上保持稳定时才准确。然而近期研究表明，这些矩阵具有时间可塑性、空间异质性且自身亦可演化。目前关于表型方差-协方差矩阵（phenotypic variance-covariance matrix，记为P）稳定性的相关数据较为匮乏，且研究对象大多局限于形态性状。本研究以澳大利亚黑田蟋蟀（*Teleogryllus commodus*）6个分化异域种群的复杂性求偶鸣曲结构为研究对象，对比了其P矩阵的差异。我们首先采集了各种群野生捕获蟋蟀的鸣曲样本子集，随后将各种群蟋蟀置于同质园饲养条件下繁殖三代，再次采集其鸣曲样本子集。在第二项实验中，我们将各种群蟋蟀置于实验室环境下，分别以高营养与低营养饲料饲喂，并记录其鸣曲。两项实验中，我们均对鸣曲性状的P矩阵进行了估计，并采用弗吕里层级法（Flury hierarchy）、几何子空间比较法（geometric subspace comparisons）与随机弯曲法（random skewers）等多种统计方法开展对比分析。尽管单个鸣曲性状的均值与方差存在显著变异，但P矩阵的结构在不同种群间、不同世代间以及不同饲喂饲料条件下均保持高度保守。本研究发现P矩阵在种群间与环境条件下均整体保持稳定，这提示自然选择保留了鸣曲性状的结构，使其能够作为一个整合功能单元发挥作用。