Data from: Multivariate heredity of melanin-based coloration, body mass and immunity

The genetic covariation among different traits may cause the appearance of correlated response to selection on multivariate phenotypes. Genes responsible for the expression of melanin-based color traits are also involved in other important physiological functions such as immunity and metabolism by pleiotropy, suggesting the possibility of multivariate evolution. However, little is known about the relationship between melanin coloration and these functions at the additive genetic level in wild vertebrates. From a multivariate perspective, we simultaneously explored inheritance and selection of melanin coloration, body mass and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-mediated immune response by using long-term data over an 18-year period collected in a wild population of the common kestrel Falco tinnunculus. Pedigree-based quantitative genetic analyses showed negative genetic covariance between melanin-based coloration and body mass in male adults and positive genetic covariance between body mass and PHA-mediated immune response in fledglings as predicted by pleiotropic effects of melanocortin receptor (MCR) activity. Multiple selection analyses showed an increased fitness in male adults with intermediate phenotypic values for melanin color and body mass. In male fledglings, there was evidence for a disruptive selection on rump grey color but a stabilizing selection on PHA-mediated immune response. Our results provide an insight into the evolution of multivariate traits genetically related with melanin-based coloration. The differences in multivariate inheritance and selection between male and female kestrels might have resulted in sexual dimorphism in size and color. When pleiotropic effects are present, coloration can evolve through a complex pathway involving correlated response to selection on multivariate traits.不同性状间的遗传协变，可引发多变量表型选择下的相关响应。调控黑色素依赖型颜色性状表达的基因，还可通过多效性参与免疫、代谢等其他重要生理功能，提示多变量进化存在可能性。然而，在野生脊椎动物中，关于黑色素着色与上述功能在加性遗传层面的关联，目前仍知之甚少。本研究从多变量视角出发，利用野生红隼（Falco tinnunculus）种群长达18年的长期监测数据，同步探究了黑色素着色、体质量以及植物血凝素（phytohemagglutinin, PHA）介导的免疫反应的遗传模式与选择效应。基于家系的数量遗传分析结果显示：成年雄性个体中，黑色素依赖型着色与体质量呈负向遗传协变；雏鸟中，体质量与PHA介导的免疫反应呈正向遗传协变，这与黑皮质素受体（melanocortin receptor, MCR）活性的多效性效应预测相符。多重选择分析表明，成年雄性个体中，黑色素着色与体质量的表型值处于中等水平时，其适合度更高。在雄性雏鸟中，臀部灰色着色存在歧化选择证据，而PHA介导的免疫反应则呈现稳定选择。本研究结果为解析与黑色素依赖型颜色性状存在遗传关联的多变量性状进化提供了新视角。红隼雌雄个体间多变量遗传与选择模式的差异，可能是导致其体型与颜色出现性二态性的原因。当存在多效性效应时，颜色性状可通过涉及多变量表型选择相关响应的复杂路径实现进化。