B Kempenaers

Publications (27)77.8 Total impact

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  Available from: Kimberley J. Mathot

  Dataset: Mathot et al. 2013 heredity supplementary

  K J Mathot, K Martin, B Kempenaers, W Forstmeier
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  Available from: Kimberley J. Mathot

  Dataset: Mathot et al. 2013 heredity supplementary

  K J Mathot, K Martin, B Kempenaers, W Forstmeier
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  Available from: Kimberley J. Mathot

  Article: Basal metabolic rate can evolve independently of morphological and behavioural traits.

  K J Mathot, K Martin, B Kempenaers, W Forstmeier
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  ABSTRACT: Quantitative genetic analyses of basal metabolic rate (BMR) can inform us about the evolvability of the trait by providing estimates of heritability, and also of genetic correlations with other traits that may constrain the ability of BMR to respond to selection. Here, we studied a captive population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in which selection lines for male courtship rate have been established. We measure BMR in these lines to see whether selection on male sexual activity would change BMR as a potentially correlated trait. We find that the genetic correlation between courtship rate and BMR is practically zero, indicating that the two traits can evolve independently of each other. Interestingly, we find that the heritability of BMR in our population (h(2)=0.45) is markedly higher than was previously reported for a captive zebra finch population from Norway. A comparison of the two studies shows that additive genetic variance in BMR has been largely depleted in the Norwegian population, especially the genetic variance in BMR that is independent of body mass. In our population, the slope of BMR increase with body mass differs not only between the sexes but also between the six selection lines, which we tentatively attribute to genetic drift and/or founder effects being strong in small populations. Our study therefore highlights two things. First, the evolvability of BMR may be less constrained by genetic correlations and lack of independent genetic variation than previously described. Second, genetic drift in small populations can rapidly lead to different evolvabilities across populations.Heredity advance online publication, 1 May 2013; doi:10.1038/hdy.2013.35.
  Heredity 05/2013; · 4.60 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Mihai Valcu

  Dataset: GEB 739 sm AppendixS2-S5 (latest version)

  M. Valcu, J. Dale, B. Kempenaers
• Article: MHC class I variation in a natural blue tit population (Cyanistes caeruleus).

  R Wutzler, K Foerster, B Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is central to the vertebrate immune system and its highly polymorphic genes are considered to influence several life-history traits of individuals. To characterize the MHC in a natural population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) we investigated the class I exon 3 diversity of more than 900 individuals. We designed two pairs of motif-specific primers that reliably amplify independent subsets of MHC alleles. Applying denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) we obtained 48 independently inherited units of unique band patterns (DGGE-haplogroups), which were validated in a segregation analysis within 105 families. In a second approach, we extensively sequenced 6 unrelated individuals to confirm that DGGE-haplogroup composition reflects individual allelic variation. The highest number of different DGGE-haplogroups in a single individual corresponded in 19 MHC exon 3 sequences, suggesting a minimum of 10 amplified MHC class I loci in the blue tit. In total, we identified 50 unique functional and 3 non-functional sequences. Functional sequences showed high levels of recombination and strong positive selection in the antigen binding region, whereas nucleotide diversity was comparatively low in the range of all passerine species. Finally, in a phylogenetic comparison of passerine MHC class I exon 3 sequences we discuss conflicting evolutionary signals possibly due to recent gene duplication, recombination events and concerted evolution. Our results indicate that the described method is suitable to effectively explore the MHC diversity and its ecological impacts in blue tits in future studies.
  Genetica 10/2012; · 2.15 Impact Factor
• Article: Testing for associations between candidate genes for circadian rhythms and individual variation in sleep behaviour in blue tits.

  C Steinmeyer, B Kempenaers, J C Mueller
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  ABSTRACT: The regulation of sleep in animals is controlled by environmental factors, homeostatic mechanisms and endogenous circadian oscillators. The molecular mechanisms underlying such circadian oscillators have been described in detail and a variety of genes that are components of these molecular clocks have been reported. In addition to inter-specific variation in the temporal organization of sleep, there is significant intra-specific variation in different organisms. From numerous studies in humans it is known that polymorphisms in the regulatory clock genes are causing such variation but knowledge about associations between naturally occurring polymorphisms and sleep patterns in wild animals is scarce. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic sleep correlates of eleven previously described polymorphisms in seven candidate genes within a free-living blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus population. We detected associations between four single nucleotide polymorphisms and three of the nine tested sleep parameters representing temporal organization. Awakening time was associated with polymorphisms in AANAT and PERIOD2, morning latency with a polymorphism in CKIε and the duration of the longest sleep bout with a second polymorphism in AANAT. However, by a permutation procedure we showed that the number of significant results and the most significant association has a study-wide likelihood of 46.7 and 5.9 % respectively. Further replication studies are needed to evaluate the potential associations.
  Genetica 08/2012; 140(4-6):219-28. · 2.15 Impact Factor
• Article: Feather deuterium as an indicator of age‐class in the Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

  E. Yohannes, R.W. Lee, M. Valcu, B. Kempenaers
  Ibis. 01/2012;
• Article: Male extrapair nestlings fledge first

  L. Schlicht, A. Girg, P. Loës, M. Valcu, B. Kempenaers
  Animal Behaviour. 01/2012;
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  Available from: Mihai Valcu

  Article: rangeMapper: a platform for the study of macroecology of life‐history traits

  M. Valcu, J. Dale, B. Kempenaers
  Global Ecology and Biogeography. 01/2012;
• Article: Determinants of distribution and prevalence of avian malaria in blue tit populations across Europe: separating host and parasite effects.

  E Szöllosi, M Cichoń, M Eens, D Hasselquist, B Kempenaers, S Merino, J-Å Nilsson, B Rosivall, S Rytkönen, J Török, M J Wood, L Z Garamszegi
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  ABSTRACT: Although avian malarial parasites are globally distributed, the factors that affect the geographical distribution and local prevalence of different parasite lineages across host populations or species are still poorly understood. Based on the intense screening of avian malarial parasites in nine European blue tit populations, we studied whether distribution ranges as well as local adaptation, host specialization and phylogenetic relationships can determine the observed prevalences within populations. We found that prevalence differed consistently between parasite lineages and host populations, indicating that the transmission success of parasites is lineage specific but is partly shaped by locality-specific effects. We also found that the lineage-specific estimate of prevalence was related to the distribution range of parasites: lineages found in more host populations were generally more prevalent within these populations. Additionally, parasites with high prevalence that were also widely distributed among blue tit populations were also found to infect more host species. These findings suggest that parasites reaching high local prevalence can also realize wide distribution at a global scale that can have further consequences for host specialization. Although phylogenetic relationships among parasites did not predict prevalence, we detected a close match between a tree based on the geographic distance of the host populations and the parasite phylogenetic tree, implying that neighbouring host populations shared a related parasite fauna.
  Journal of Evolutionary Biology 09/2011; 24(9):2014-24. · 3.28 Impact Factor
• Article: Erratum to: Search for informative polymorphisms in candidate genes: clock genes and circadian behaviour in blue tits.

  C Steinmeyer, J. C. Mueller, B Kempenaers
  Genetica 03/2010; · 2.15 Impact Factor
• Article: Inbreeding depression of sexually selected traits and attractiveness in the zebra finch

  E Bolund, K Martin, B Kempenaers, W Forstmeier
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  ABSTRACT: An underexploited approach to study condition dependence of sexually selected ornaments is to use inbreeding to manipulate individual genetic quality. Because of differences in genetic architecture, sexually selected traits are expected to suffer stronger inbreeding depression than morphological traits. We used full-sib mating to investigate the effects of inbreeding on viability, attractiveness, morphology and potentially secondary sexual traits in male and female zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. Unexpectedly, the genetic load from lethal alleles (leading to early mortality) was low. In males, we found strong negative effects of inbreeding on song rate, beak colour, body size and choice chamber attractiveness, whereas body condition, fat deposition, song structure and plumage ornaments were unaffected. In females, beak colour, body size, fat deposition and choice chamber behaviour showed significant inbreeding depression. These results indicate that some but not all adult phenotypes are affected by inbreeding, most probably because of the homozygous expression of slightly deleterious mutations. Our findings complement alternative approaches to study the condition dependence of traits that may be relevant in mate choice or competition.
  Animal Behaviour 02/2010; 79(4):947-955. · 3.49 Impact Factor
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  Available from: PubMed Central

  Article: Search for informative polymorphisms in candidate genes: clock genes and circadian behaviour in blue tits.

  C Steinmeyer, J C Mueller, B Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: The identification of functional polymorphisms in genes that underlie behavioural trait variation is a challenging but intriguing task in evolutionary biology. Given the wealth of genomic data and the increasing number of genotype-phenotype association studies in model organisms, one can ask whether and how this information can be used for non-model organisms. Here we describe two strategies to search for likely functional polymorphisms in candidate genes in a bird species that has been intensively studied by behavioural and population ecologists, the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus. In the first approach we searched for repeating elements in coding regions of the genome using information about repeats in Gallus gallus genes. The rationale is that tandem-repeat elements have a high potential to be polymorphic and functional. The second strategy aimed to replicate reported genotype-phenotype association studies by extrapolating results from model organisms to our study species. Both strategies showed high success rates with respect to finding homologous gene regions and potentially informative genetic variants in the genes AANAT, ADCYAP1, CKIepsilon, CLOCK, CREB1, NPAS2 and PERIOD2.
  Genetica 10/2008; 136(1):109-17. · 2.15 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Anne Charmantier

  Article: Avian Clock gene polymorphism: evidence for a latitudinal cline in allele frequencies.

  A Johnsen, A E Fidler, S Kuhn, K L Carter, A Hoffmann, I R Barr, C Biard, A Charmantier, M Eens, P Korsten, H Siitari, J Tomiuk, B Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: In comparison with most animal behaviours, circadian rhythms have a well-characterized molecular genetic basis. Detailed studies of circadian clock genes in 'model' organisms provide a foundation for interpreting the functional and evolutionary significance of polymorphic circadian clock genes found within free-living animal populations. Here, we describe allelic variation in a region of the avian Clock orthologue which encodes a functionally significant polyglutamine repeat (ClkpolyQcds), within free-living populations of two passerine birds, the migratory bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) and the predominantly nonmigratory blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Multiple ClkpolyQcds alleles were found within populations of both species (bluethroat: 12 populations, 7 alleles; blue tit: 14 populations, 9 alleles). Some populations of both species were differentiated at the ClkpolyQcds locus as measured by F(ST) and R(ST) values. Among the blue tit, but not bluethroat populations, we found evidence of latitudinal clines in (i) mean ClkpolyQcds repeat length, and (ii) the proportions of three ClkpolyQcds genotype groupings. Parallel analyses of microsatellite allele frequencies, which are considered to reflect selectively neutral processes, indicate that interpopulation allele frequency variation at the ClkpolyQcds and microsatellite loci does not reflect the same underlying demographic processes. The possibility that the observed interpopulation ClkpolyQcds allele frequency variation is, at least in part, maintained by selection for microevolutionary adaptation to photoperiodic parameters correlated with latitude warrants further study.
  Molecular Ecology 12/2007; 16(22):4867-80. · 5.52 Impact Factor
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  Available from: mpg.de

  Article: Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers for paternity analysis in the pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos

  K. L. CARTER, B. KEMPENAERS
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  ABSTRACT: Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated for the pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos. The number of alleles observed in a sample of 149 presumably unrelated adults ranged from nine to 23 with an observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.79 to 0.92. The set of markers described here will prove useful for accurately determining paternity and therefore elucidate the hitherto unknown mating system of this species. We also report on cross-species amplification of these markers in the semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla.
  Molecular Ecology Notes 06/2007; 7(4):658 - 660. · 2.38 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Mihai Valcu

  Article: A spatial genetic structure and effects of relatedness on mate choice in a wild bird population.

  K Foerster, M Valcu, A Johnsen, B Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: Inbreeding depression, as commonly found in natural populations, should favour the evolution of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. If natal dispersal, the first and probably most effective mechanism, does not lead to a complete separation of males and females from a common origin, a small-scale genetic population structure may result and other mechanisms to avoid inbreeding may exist. We studied the genetic population structure and individual mating patterns in blue tits (Parus caeruleus). The population showed a local genetic structure in two out of four years: genetic relatedness between individuals (estimated from microsatellite markers) decreased with distance. This pattern was mainly caused by immigrants to the study area; these, if paired with fellow immigrants, were more related than expected by chance. Since blue tits did not avoid inbreeding with their social partner, we examined if individuals preferred less related partners at later stages of the mate choice process. We found no evidence that females or males avoided inbreeding through extra-pair copulations or through mate desertion and postbreeding dispersal. Although the small-scale genetic population structure suggests that blue tits could use a simple rule of thumb to select less related mates, females did not generally prefer more distantly breeding extra-pair partners. However, the proportion of young fathered by an extra-pair male in mixed paternity broods depended on the genetic relatedness with the female. This suggests that there is a fertilization bias towards less related copulation partners and that blue tits are able to reduce the costs of inbreeding through a postcopulatory process.
  Molecular Ecology 01/2007; 15(14):4555-67. · 5.52 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Anne Peters

  Article: Age-dependent association between testosterone and crown UV coloration in male blue tits (Parus caeruleus)

  Anne Peters, Kaspar Delhey, Wolfgang Goymann, Bart Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: The proximate basis of sexual traits can suggest mechanisms maintaining honesty in signalling. A central role hereby has been attributed to testosterone, although its importance for brightly coloured plumage has been questioned. We determined circulating testosterone levels in male blue tits captured at the start of breeding and demonstrated an age-dependent relationship between testosterone and male crown UV/blue coloration. In yearling males, testosterone increases with increasing ornamentation (higher UV chroma, higher chroma, more UV-shifted hue), whereas in older males, this relationship is negative, with less UV-ornamented males having higher testosterone. This pattern is robust since it occurred in 2years, before and after egg laying, and in males sampled during the day and during the night, despite a tenfold difference in testosterone levels. Since more UV-ornamented young males gain higher within-pair paternity, while less UV-ornamented older males achieve more extra-pair matings, the results imply that higher testosterone is associated with reproductive success and attractiveness in both age classes. We hypothesize that this relationship could result from causal effects of testosterone on coloration or through associations with behaviour and suggest ways to test these hypotheses. Our results caution against premature dismissal of a potential role for testosterone in maintaining honesty of plumage signals.
  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 04/2006; 59(5):666-673. · 3.18 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Anne Peters

  Article: Carotenoid-based bill colour as an indicator of immunocompetence and sperm performance in male mallards.

  A Peters, A G Denk, K Delhey, B Kempenaers
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  ABSTRACT: Female mate choice is often based on exaggerated sexual traits, signals of male qualities that females cannot assess directly. Two such key qualities are male immune and/or sexual competence, whereby honesty in signalling could be maintained by physiological trade-offs. Carotenoid-based ornaments likely constitute such honest signals, as there is direct competition for (limited) carotenoids between ornament deposition and anti-oxidant support of immune or sperm functioning. Using spectrometry, we assessed the potential signalling function of the yellow, carotenoid-based colour of the bill of male mallards, a target of female mate choice. Here we demonstrate that bill reflectance varied with plasma carotenoid level, indicating antioxidant reserves. Moreover, lower relative UV reflectance during autumn pairing predicted immune responsiveness and correlated positively with sperm velocity during breeding, a trait that affects fertility. Our data provide support for current theories that females could use carotenoid-based sexual signals to detect immune vigour and fertilizing ability of prospective mates.
  Journal of Evolutionary Biology 10/2004; 17(5):1111-20. · 3.28 Impact Factor
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  Available from: mpg.de

  Article: Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci for paternity assessment in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

  A. G. DENK, B. GAUTSCHI, K. CARTER, B. KEMPENAERS
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  ABSTRACT: We describe seven polymorphic microsatellite loci for the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The microsatellites presented here are highly polymorphic, with on average 12 alleles in a sample of 15 presumably unrelated individuals. Therefore, they enable detailed parentage analysis in wild mallard populations, and can be used to answer many intriguing questions in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology.
  Molecular Ecology Notes 08/2004; 4(3):506 - 508. · 2.38 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Marcel Eens

  Article: The effect of heavy metal exposure on egg size, eggshell thickness and the number of spermatozoa in blue tit Parus caeruleus eggs.

  T Dauwe, E Janssens, B Kempenaers, M Eens
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  ABSTRACT: In this study we compared the egg size, the eggshell thickness and the number of spermatozoa trapped on the perivitelline layer of the eggs in three blue tit (Parus caeruleus) populations across a heavy metal pollution gradient. No significant differences were observed in egg characteristics among study sites. Eggs from the two most polluted sites however, had significantly less spermatozoa on the perivitelline layer than eggs from the least polluted site. Our results suggest a significant effect of pollution on blue tit sperm concentrations in the infundibulum. Determining the number of spermatozoa on the egg membranes is relatively cheap and straightforward, which renders this technique a new and useful tool in biomonitoring.
  Environmental Pollution 06/2004; 129(1):125-9. · 3.75 Impact Factor