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Symmetry
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Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress
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Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Life Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 30216

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. John H. Graham

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA 30149, USA
Interests: fluctuating asymmetry; developmental instability; evolutionary genetics; hybrid zones; community ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Zakharov

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Head of the Center of Sustainable Development and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
Interests: developmental and population biology; developmental stability; homeostasis; developmental noise; population phenogenetics; ecosystem health; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Elena Shadrina

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
Interests: fluctuating asymmetry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The nationwide Russian conference on “Biodiversity Assessment: a Study of Developmental Stability” took place with international cooperation on May 29, 2019 (Moscow, Russia) at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution (Moscow, Leninskii prospekt, 33).

In 2020, the organizing committee is planning to hold an international conference, dedicated to the problems of assessing developmental stability in plants and animals as a reflection of environmental well-being.

The pertinent topics for discussion in this conference are approaches to assessment of environment health and biodiversity on different levels (from ecosystem and community to population and organism), and the main directions are:

  • fluctuating asymmetry as a reflection of developmental homeostasis and a measure of environmental and genetic stress,
  • interconnection of the organism, population and community homeostatic mechanisms, providing optimal adaptation to environmental conditions
  • assessment of environment health in undisturbed biotopes and in conditions of intensifying anthropogenic impact, methods and methodology of bioindication;

Co-chairmen:

Vladimir Zakharov, head of the Center of Sustainable Development and Ecosystem Health, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia)

Aleksei Surov, deputy director, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia)

Elena Shadrina, Chief researcher, Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (Yakutsk, Russia).

We invite all those who would be interested to participate.

Prof. Dr. John H. Graham
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Zakharov
Prof. Dr. Elena Shadrina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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7 pages, 481 KiB  
Article
Fluctuating Asymmetry and Population Dynamics of the Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in Central Siberia under Climate Change Conditions
by Vladimir M. Zakharov, Ilya E. Trofimov and Boris I. Sheftel
Symmetry 2020, 12(12), 1960; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12121960 - 27 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
We examine possible temporal variation in a measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry of several characters of skull morphology, of the common shrew, Sorex araneus L., 1758, in Central Siberia. The level of fluctuating asymmetry during the [...] Read more.
We examine possible temporal variation in a measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry of several characters of skull morphology, of the common shrew, Sorex araneus L., 1758, in Central Siberia. The level of fluctuating asymmetry during the study period in the beginning of this century (2002–2013) is not correlated with population abundance, while at the end of the last century it was correlated with population abundance, suggesting that high density was the important negative factor affecting breeding females. The absence of an adverse effect of high abundance on developmental stability in the current situation can be related to both an impact of oscillations in environmental conditions and an increase in habitat carrying capacity due to the climate change. Positive correlation of population abundance with the number of adults born last summer and young specimens born this summer indicates the influence of winter and summer conditions on population size. If in the last century developmental stability was correlated with breeding success, indicating that both parameters were affected by the physiological condition of breeding females, in this century these two parameters vary independently, suggesting that breeding success may be affected by other population and habitat factors. Thus, the situation in the population under study is more similar to the noncyclic dynamics than to the four-year cycles, which were revealed for the population in the last century. The results indicate an importance of monitoring possible changes in developmental stability measure, as another population parameter, under climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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17 pages, 9288 KiB  
Article
Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Method of Assessing Environmental Stress in Two Predatory Carabid Species within Mediterranean Agroecosystems
by Lara Ivanković Tatalović, Barbara Anđelić, Mišel Jelić, Tomislav Kos, Hugo A. Benítez and Lucija Šerić Jelaska
Symmetry 2020, 12(11), 1890; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12111890 - 17 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2875
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is used in assessing the effect of environmental stress on the development stability of individuals by measuring small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry. Here, we checked for FA on two predatory carabid beetles, Pterostichus melas and Poecilus koyi, [...] Read more.
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is used in assessing the effect of environmental stress on the development stability of individuals by measuring small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry. Here, we checked for FA on two predatory carabid beetles, Pterostichus melas and Poecilus koyi, in order to evaluate species response to agricultural practices within Mediterranean agroecosystems, as well as FA as a method. The samples were collected in vineyards and olive groves, both under integrated pest management (IPM) and ecological pest management (EPM), and in pristine habitats in the Mediterranean region of Croatia. Geometric morphometrics (GMMs) were used to analyze the pronotum and abdomen shape variations and left–right asymmetries of each population. In respect to the FA measurements, analyzed species responded differently, with P. koyi displaying a lower intensity of FA than P. melas. On the other hand, P. melas beetles from vineyards showed a higher intensity of FA compared with populations from pristine habitats and olive groves. Accordingly, FA pointed out olive groves as potentially less adverse habitats to predatory carabids, keeping in mind the different levels of asymmetry between the two species. Our study singled out P.melas as a more suitable species for further research, in the effect that different agricultural practices can have their impact on non-target invertebrates analyzed by measuring the FA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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19 pages, 3060 KiB  
Article
Change of Leaf Trait Asymmetry Type in Tilia cordata Mill. and Betula pendula Roth under Air Pollution
by Elena A. Erofeeva and Basil N. Yakimov
Symmetry 2020, 12(5), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12050727 - 03 May 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3137
Abstract
Leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is widely used as an environmental stress index, including pollution. Besides FA, leaf bilateral traits can have directional asymmetry (DA) and antisymmetry (AS), which are considered hereditary. Leaf FA transitioning to DA/AS or mixed asymmetry, under air pollution, has [...] Read more.
Leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is widely used as an environmental stress index, including pollution. Besides FA, leaf bilateral traits can have directional asymmetry (DA) and antisymmetry (AS), which are considered hereditary. Leaf FA transitioning to DA/AS or mixed asymmetry, under air pollution, has been insufficiently investigated. This study analysed leaf asymmetry types in Tilia cordata Mill. and Betula pendula Roth under traffic air pollution over several years. In addition, the relations of such transitions to pollution, and their effect on FA-integrated index, were studied. The asymmetry types of all studied leaf traits varied with air pollution increase, as well as in control trees in different years. T. cordata most often had FA transition to DA/mixed asymmetry, while B. pendula rarely had a mixed asymmetry and FA transitions to DA/AS were observed with the same frequency. Air pollution impacted FA transitions to other asymmetry types. In most cases their frequency changed non-monotonically that corresponded to hormesis and paradoxical effects. However, FA integrated index in studied trees did not depend on change of leaf asymmetry type. Thus, DA and AS in studied plants were not exclusively hereditary. Hence, the changes of leaf asymmetry type should be considered when using leaf FA in environment assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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9 pages, 2090 KiB  
Article
Fluctuating Asymmetry in Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Conditions of Its Manifestation
by Sukhodolskaya Raisa, Saveliev Anatoliy, Mukhametnabiev Timur and Eremeeva Natalia
Symmetry 2019, 11(12), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym11121475 - 04 Dec 2019
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2372
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is used to reveal environmental or genetic stress, but the results of some studies are inconsistent. We aimed to give some explanations of possible controversial conclusions, when FA was employed. We measured FA (one dimensional and one meristic traits) in [...] Read more.
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is used to reveal environmental or genetic stress, but the results of some studies are inconsistent. We aimed to give some explanations of possible controversial conclusions, when FA was employed. We measured FA (one dimensional and one meristic traits) in the recognized bioindicators—ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Beetles were sampled in a vast area (four provinces of Russia with the spectrum of the studied sites, which differed in anthropogenic impact, vegetation, and landscape features). On the basis of such measurements (4673 specimen) we created a data base. Subsequent ANOVA showed, that FA was species-specific (out of six species investigated it was expressed in five ones), sex-biased (males had higher levels of FA), and were affected practically by all environmental factors. Besides significant species–sex and factors–sex interactions were found. So, when employing FA as an indicator of stress, overall biological and ecological variation in species-indicator must be investigated before. Sometimes FA (or its absence) may not be due to pollution or another disturbing factor, but be the result of the effect of unaccounted but FA determinative factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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Review

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8 pages, 407 KiB  
Review
Fluctuating Asymmetry and Developmental Instability, a Guide to Best Practice
by John H. Graham
Symmetry 2021, 13(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13010009 - 23 Dec 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3636
Abstract
Best practices in studies of developmental instability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, have developed over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, they are haphazardly applied in many of the papers submitted for review. Most often, research designs suffer from lack of randomization, inadequate replication, [...] Read more.
Best practices in studies of developmental instability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, have developed over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, they are haphazardly applied in many of the papers submitted for review. Most often, research designs suffer from lack of randomization, inadequate replication, poor attention to size scaling, lack of attention to measurement error, and unrecognized mixtures of additive and multiplicative errors. Here, I summarize a set of best practices, especially in studies that examine the effects of environmental stress on fluctuating asymmetry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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13 pages, 2018 KiB  
Review
Breaking Symmetry: Fluctuating Asymmetry and Geometric Morphometrics as Tools for Evaluating Developmental Instability under Diverse Agroecosystems
by Hugo A. Benítez, Darija Lemic, Amado Villalobos-Leiva, Renata Bažok, Rodrigo Órdenes-Claveria, Ivana Pajač Živković and Katarina M. Mikac
Symmetry 2020, 12(11), 1789; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12111789 - 29 Oct 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 11874
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), in contrast with other asymmetries, is the bilateral asymmetry that represents small, random developmental differences between right and left sides. After nearly a century of using traditional morphometrics in the estimation of FA, geometric morphometrics (GM) now provides new insights [...] Read more.
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), in contrast with other asymmetries, is the bilateral asymmetry that represents small, random developmental differences between right and left sides. After nearly a century of using traditional morphometrics in the estimation of FA, geometric morphometrics (GM) now provides new insights into the use of FA as a tool, especially for assessing environmental and developmental stress. Thus, it will be possible to assess adaptation to various environmental stressors as particular triggers for unavoidable selection pressures. In this review, we describe measures of FA that use geometric morphometrics, and we include a flow chart of the methodology. We also describe how this combination (GM + FA) has been tested in several agroecosystems. Nutritional stress, temperature, chemical pollution, and population density are known stressors experienced by populations in agroecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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24 pages, 2830 KiB  
Review
Fluctuating Asymmetry, Developmental Noise and Developmental Stability: Future Prospects for the Population Developmental Biology Approach
by Vladimir M. Zakharov, Elena G. Shadrina and Ilya E. Trofimov
Symmetry 2020, 12(8), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12081376 - 18 Aug 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3239
Abstract
Developmental noise—which level may vary within a certain backlash allowed by natural selection—is a reflection of the state of a developing system or developmental stability. Phenotypic variations inside the genetically determined norm observed in case of fluctuating asymmetry provide a unique opportunity for [...] Read more.
Developmental noise—which level may vary within a certain backlash allowed by natural selection—is a reflection of the state of a developing system or developmental stability. Phenotypic variations inside the genetically determined norm observed in case of fluctuating asymmetry provide a unique opportunity for evaluating this form of ontogenetic variability. Low levels of developmental noise for the biologic system under study is observed under certain conditions, while its increase acts as a measure of stress. The concordance of changes in developmental stability with changes in other parameters of developmental homeostasis indicates the significance of fluctuating asymmetry estimates. All this determines the future prospects of the study of fluctuating asymmetry not only for developmental biology, but also for population biology. The study of developmental stability may act as the basis of an approach of population developmental biology to assess the nature of the phenotypic diversity and the state of natural populations under various impacts and during evolutionary transformations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Measure of Stress)
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