DOI: 10.5061/dryad.95x69p8wt
title: Data from: Female-biased spontaneous dispersal in Drosophila melanogaster: The influence of nutrition and density on their movement

description: Dispersal is often essential for attaining Darwinian fitness, especially
 for species living in spatially structured, heterogeneous habitats.
 Theoretically, sex-specific resource requirements can drive the two sexes
 to disperse differently, resulting in sex-biased dispersal (SBD).
 Understanding ecological factors affecting SBD is important. Using an
 experimental two-patch dispersal setup we measured spontaneous dispersal
 in laboratory-adapted populations of Drosophila melanogaster under a set
 of common, interlinked ecological scenarios relating to – (a) dietary
 ecology and (b) adult density. We found the deteriorating overall
 nutritional quality of food affects the strength of SBD, and female
 dispersal is particularly sensitive to the availability of protein. Adult
 density had sex sex-specific effect on dispersal. Female dispersal was
 found to be density-independent but males showed increased dispersal at
 higher density. Females tend to disperse more from male-biased patches
 likely to avoid male harassment whereas the absence of females drives male
 dispersal solidifying the mate-finding dispersal hypothesis. This evidence
 of dispersal suggests that variation in dietary ecology and intraspecific
 competition can affect the degree and strength of existing SBD and thereby
 male-female interactions in a patch potentially affecting fitness
 components and population dynamics.
description: Experiments were conducted using laboratory populations of
 <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>. All experiments were based
 on manual observations, without any video recording. The experimental
 details can be found in the published manuscript. 
description: # Data from: Female-biased spontaneous dispersal in Drosophila
 melanogaster: The influence of nutrition and density on their movement
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.95x69p8wt](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.95x69p8wt) ## Description of the data and file structure The experiments were carried out following a randomized block design. *Drosophila melanogaster* laboratory populations were used to conduct these experiments. Within a block, each treatment was replicated. Replicate setups, where dispersal was recorded were two-patch dispersal setups as described in the manuscript. Proportion dispersed within a fixed window of time was recorded for both sexes.  ### Files and variables #### File: Data\_file\_for\_review\_and\_archive.xlsx **Description:** A combined data file having data from all experiments, separated in different tabs.  ##### Variables * Treatment  * Vial id * block  * Dispersal * Proportion  * BW * Sex * Survivorship  * DT * PropD **Key to reading the data file:** Data from all the experiments reported in the manuscript titled “**Female-biased spontaneous dispersal in Drosophila melanogaster: the influence of nutrition and density on their movement**” can be found in the spreadsheet file. Data of different assays from all the experiments have been separated into different tabs in the spreadsheet. Data are arranged vertically with factors/treatments separated in columns. Columns are clearly labelled. The details of the tabs are following. * Experiment 1.1(**Tab 1**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of dietary manipulation (Control, 75%, 50%, 20% and 0%). ‘Sex’ refers to Male (M) and Female (F). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_2, B_3, B_4.  ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. - Experiment 1.2(**Tab 2**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of macronutrient manipulation in diet (A-Control, C-25% Jaggery, P-25% Yeast, NP-No Yeast, NC-No Jaggery) ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3. ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. * Experiment 2.1(**Tab 3**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of density manipulation (L-Low density, N-Control, H- High density). ‘Sex’ refers to Male (M) and Female (F). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3. ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. - Experiment 2.1_Female (**Tab 4**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of sex-ratio manipulation (AF, FB, ES, MB). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. * Experiment 2.2_Male (**Tab 5**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of sex-ratio manipulation (AM, FB, ES, MB). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. - SI_Body weight (**Tab 6**): ‘‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of dietary manipulation (A-Control, C-20% and 40%).  ‘Sex’ refers to Male (M) and Female (F). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  BW refers to body weight in microgram (µg). * SI_Survivorship (**Tab 7**): ‘‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of dietary manipulation (A-Control, C-20% and 40%).  ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  Proportion data is unit less. - SI_Development time (**Tab 8**): ‘‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of dietary manipulation (A-Control, C-20% and 40%).  ‘Sex’ refers to Male (M) and Female (F). ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  DT refers to egg to adult development time in hours. * SI_Experiment2_male (**Tab 9**): ‘Treatment’ refers to the levels of macronutrient manipulation in diet (A-Control, C-25% Jaggery, P-25% Yeast, NP-No Yeast, NC-No Jaggery) ‘Block’ refers to three randomized block mentioned as B_1, B_2, B_3.  ‘Trial’ refers to total number of one particular sex i.e., 15 and ‘Dispersal’ refers to the absolute number of flies that dispersed. Count data is unit less. ‘PropD’ refers to proportion dispersed, which can be calculated as ‘Dispersal’/’Trial’. ## Code/software Any spreadsheet viewer or R can be used to view the data.