Data from: Sex differences in dispersal syndrome are modulated by environment and evolution

Dispersal syndromes (i.e. suites of phenotypic correlates of dispersal) are potentially important determinants of local adaptation in populations. Species that exhibit sexual dimorphism in their life history or behaviour may exhibit sex-specific differences in their dispersal syndromes. Unfortunately, there is little empirical evidence of sex differences in dispersal syndromes and how they respond to environmental change or dispersal evolution. We investigated these issues using two same-generation studies and a long-term (greater than 70 generations) selection experiment on laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster. There was a marked difference between the dispersal syndromes of males and females, the extent of which was modulated by nutrition availability. Moreover, dispersal evolution via spatial sorting reversed the direction of dispersal × sex interaction in one trait (desiccation resistance), while eliminating the sex difference in another trait (body size). Thus, we show that sex differences obtained through same-generation trait-associations (‘ecological dispersal syndromes’) are probably environment-dependent. Moreover, even under constant environments, they are not good predictors of the sex differences in ‘evolutionary dispersal syndrome’ (i.e. trait-associations shaped during dispersal evolution). Our findings have implications for local adaptation in the context of sex-biased dispersal and habitat-matching, as well as for the use of dispersal syndromes as a proxy of dispersal.扩散综合征（Dispersal syndromes）即与扩散相关的表型关联组合，是影响种群局部适应的潜在关键因素。对于生活史或行为存在性二态性的物种而言，其扩散综合征可能表现出性别特异性差异。然而目前关于扩散综合征的性别差异及其对环境变化或扩散演化的响应的实证研究证据仍十分匮乏。 本研究依托两项同代研究，以及针对黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）实验室种群开展的70余代长期选择实验，对上述问题进行了探究。结果显示，雌雄个体的扩散综合征存在显著差异，且该差异受营养供给水平的调控。进一步研究发现，通过空间分选介导的扩散演化，不仅使某一性状（抗干燥性）的扩散×性别交互作用方向发生逆转，还消除了另一性状（体型）的性别差异。 综上，通过同代性状关联得到的“生态扩散综合征（ecological dispersal syndromes）”相关性别差异，大概率具有环境依赖性；即便在恒定环境中，这类差异也无法有效预测“演化扩散综合征（evolutionary dispersal syndrome，即扩散演化过程中形成的性状关联）”中的性别差异。本研究结果可为性别偏向扩散与生境匹配背景下的局部适应研究，以及将扩散综合征作为扩散水平替代指标的应用提供理论参考。