Abstract
Developmental stability is most accurately assessed by measuring the small asymmetries between left and right elements of bilateral traits, i.e. fluctuating asymmetry. Although there has been much recent interest in fluctuating asymmetry, as low asymmetry may reflect high fitness, relatively little is known concerning the developmental origins of these minor discrepancies. Understanding the mechanisms that determine fluctuating asymmetry is crucial to interpreting much of the recent literature, for example, it has often been claimed that asymmetry reflects properties of an individuals genome. Therefore, in this study, we have examined the ontogeny of fluctuating asymmetry in the primary feathers of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and compared our data with six published hypotheses of the mechanisms of asymmetry development. We found that signed asymmetries were not consistently biased toward either the left or the right side among feathers on the same individual; growth increments (measured every two days) were also not sided; and both absolute and relative asymmetry decrease as the feathers develop. These data are most consistent with a developmental regulatory system that involves some elements of feedback between left and right sides and episodes of compensational growth to correct large asymmetries. We discuss the possible differences in developmental mechanisms that determine asymmetry in traits of varying functional importance.
Keywords: Fluctuating Asymmetry Developmental Stability Feathers Starling Growth Moult
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (204.2 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Corruccini R. S., Potter R. H. Developmental correlates of crown component asymmetry and occlusal discrepancy. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1981 May;55(1):21–31. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330550105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Coyne J. A. Lack of response to selection for directional asymmetry in Drosophila melanogaster. J Hered. 1987 Mar-Apr;78(2):119–119. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a110329. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Møller A. P. Female swallow preference for symmetrical male sexual ornaments. Nature. 1992 May 21;357(6375):238–240. doi: 10.1038/357238a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nemeth S., Greven K. M., Ekstrand K. E., Randall M. E., Hendrix J., McCunniff A. J., Evans L. Impact of bone density corrections on target dose delivered to the prostate with 4 MV, 6 MV, 10 MV, and 18 MV photons. Med Dosim. 1993 Winter;18(4):171–177. doi: 10.1016/0958-3947(93)90003-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Parsons P. A. Fluctuating asymmetry: an epigenetic measure of stress. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 1990 May;65(2):131–145. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.1990.tb01186.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smith J M, Sondhi K C. The Genetics of a Pattern. Genetics. 1960 Aug;45(8):1039–1050. doi: 10.1093/genetics/45.8.1039. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tuinstra E. J., De Jong G., Scharloo W. Lack of response to family selection for directional asymmetry in Drosophila melanogaster: left and right are not distinguished in development. Proc Biol Sci. 1990 Aug 22;241(1301):146–152. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1990.0078. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]