51
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Hunt ESE, Felice RN, Tobias JA, Goswami A. Ecological and life-history drivers of avian skull evolution. Evolution 2023; 77:1720-1729. [PMID: 37105944 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
One of the most famous examples of adaptive radiation is that of the Galápagos finches, where skull morphology, particularly the beak, varies with feeding ecology. Yet increasingly studies are questioning the strength of this correlation between feeding ecology and morphology in relation to the entire neornithine radiation, suggesting that other factors also significantly affect skull evolution. Here, we broaden this debate to assess the influence of a range of ecological and life-history factors, specifically habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, in shaping avian skull evolution. Using 3D geometric morphometric data to robustly quantify skull shape for 354 extant species spanning avian diversity, we fitted flexible phylogenetic regressions and estimated evolutionary rates for each of these factors across the full data set. The results support a highly significant relationship between skull shape and both habitat density and migration, but not developmental mode. We further found heterogenous rates of evolution between different character states within habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, with rapid skull evolution in species that occupy dense habitats, are migratory, or are precocial. These patterns demonstrate that diverse factors affect the tempo and mode of avian phenotypic evolution and that skull evolution in birds is not simply a reflection of feeding ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise S E Hunt
- Department of Life Sciences and Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan N Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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52
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Kimball RT, Braun EL, Liu Y, Zhou L, Goodale E, Zhou W, Robinson SK. Can convergence in mixed-species flocks lead to evolutionary divergence? Evidence for and methods to test this hypothesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220112. [PMID: 37066651 PMCID: PMC10107229 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most fundamental goals of modern biology is to achieve a deep understanding of the origin and maintenance of biodiversity. It has been observed that in some mixed-species animal societies, there appears to be a drive towards some degree of phenotypic trait matching, such as similar coloration or patterning. Here we build on these observations and hypothesize that selection in mixed-species animal societies, such as mixed-species bird flocks, may drive diversification, potentially leading to speciation. We review evidence for possible convergent evolution and even outright mimicry in flocks from southwestern China, where we have observed several cases in which species and subspecies differ from their closest relatives in traits that match particular flock types. However, understanding whether this is phenotypic matching driven by convergence, and whether this divergence has promoted biodiversity, requires testing multiple facets of this hypothesis. We propose a series of steps that can be used to tease apart alternative hypotheses to build our understanding of the potential role of convergence in diversification in participants of mixed-species societies. Even if our social convergence/divergence hypothesis is not supported, the testing at each step should help highlight alternative processes that may affect mixed-species flocks, trait evolution and possible convergence. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca T. Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Edward L. Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Zhou
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyi Zhou
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Scott K. Robinson
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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53
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Krishnan A. Biomechanics illuminates form-function relationships in bird bills. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297128. [PMID: 36912385 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of comparative biomechanics examines how form, mechanical properties and environmental interactions shape the function of biological structures. Biomechanics has advanced by leaps and bounds as rapid technological progress opens up new research horizons. In this Review, I describe how our understanding of the avian bill, a morphologically diverse multifunctional appendage, has been transformed by employing a biomechanical perspective. Across functions from feeding to excavating hollows in trees and as a vocal apparatus, the study of the bill spans both solid and fluid biomechanics, rendering it useful to understand general principles across disciplines. The different shapes of the bill across bird species result in functional and mechanical trade-offs, thus representing a microcosm of many broader form-function questions. Using examples from diverse studies, I discuss how research into bird bills has been shaped over recent decades, and its influence on our understanding of avian ecology and evolution. Next, I examine how bill material properties and geometry influence performance in dietary and non-dietary contexts, simultaneously imposing trade-offs on other functions. Following an examination of the interactions of bills with fluids and their role as part of the vocal apparatus, I end with a discussion of the sensory biomechanics of the bill, focusing specifically on the bill-tip mechanosensory organ. With these case studies, I highlight how this burgeoning and consequential field represents a roadmap for our understanding of the function and evolution of biological structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Krishnan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhauri 462066, Madhya Pradesh, India
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54
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Drager KI, Rivera MD, Gibson JC, Ruzi SA, Hanisch PE, Achury R, Suarez AV. Testing the predictive value of functional traits in diverse ant communities. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10000. [PMID: 37091559 PMCID: PMC10115899 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Associating morphological features with ecological traits is essential for understanding the connection between organisms and their roles in the environment. If applied successfully, functional trait approaches link form and function in an organism. However, functional trait data not associated with natural history information provide an incomplete picture of an organism's role in the ecosystem. Using data on the relative trophic position of 592 ant (Formicidae) samples comprising 393 species from 11 subfamilies and 19 widely distributed communities, we tested the extent to which commonly used functional proxies (i.e., morphometric traits) predict diet/trophic position as estimated from stable isotopes (δ15N). We chose ants as a group due to their ubiquity and abundance, as well as the wealth of available data on species traits and trophic levels. We measured 12 traits that have previously been identified as functionally significant, and corrected trait values for size and evolutionary history by using phylogenetically corrected trait residuals. Estimated trophic positions varied from 0.9 to 4.8 or roughly 4 trophic levels. Morphological data spanned nearly the entire size range seen in ants from the smallest (e.g., Strumigenys mitis total length 1.1 mm) to the largest species (e.g., Dinoponera australis total length 28.3 mm). We found overall body size, relative eye position, and scape length to be informative for predicting diet/trophic position in these communities, albeit with relatively weak predictive values. Specifically, trophic position was negatively correlated with body size and positively correlated with sensory traits (higher eye position and scape length). Our results suggest that functional trait-based approaches can be informative but should be used with caution unless clear links between form and function have been established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim I. Drager
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Michael D. Rivera
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Joshua C. Gibson
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and TechnologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign405 N. Mathews AveUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Selina A. Ruzi
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State University115 David Clark Labs, 100 Eugene Brooks AvenueRaleighNorth Carolina27695USA
| | - Priscila E. Hanisch
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgAm Hubland 97074WürzburgGermany
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” MACN‐CONICETBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Rafael Achury
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Terrestrial Ecology Research GroupTechnical University of MunichHans‐Carl‐von‐Carlowitz‐Platz 2Freising85354Germany
| | - Andrew V. Suarez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
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55
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Extractive foraging behaviour in woodpeckers evolves in species that retain a large ancestral brain. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
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56
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Marino C, Bellard C. When origin, reproduction ability and diet define the role of birds in invasions. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230196. [PMID: 36987640 PMCID: PMC10050945 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) are increasingly documented; however, they are usually studied through the lens of either the IAS or the affected species (IAS-threatened species). A clear understanding of how both protagonists of biological invasions are characterized is still lacking. We investigated the morphology, life history and ecology of birds involved in biological invasions. Evaluating the distribution of 450 IAS-threatened birds and 400 alien birds in a functional space, we found that both groups retained various strategies. Aliens had larger clutches and were more likely to be herbivores than IAS-threatened and worldwide birds, while IAS-threatened birds were more insular endemic from the Australia region than alien and worldwide birds. IAS-threatened species showed opposite strategies to aliens regarding traits related to diet, origin and reproduction. Further comparing traits associated with impact magnitude, we found that even if aliens were mostly herbivorous, those with high impact had more a generalist behaviour and an animal-based diet compared to aliens with low impact. By emphasizing differences relating to the distribution of bird groups in a functional space, we opened new opportunities to identify the role of birds in biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Marino
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Céline Bellard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay 91405, France
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57
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Neate-Clegg MHC, Tonelli BA, Youngflesh C, Wu JX, Montgomery GA, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Tingley MW. Traits shaping urban tolerance in birds differ around the world. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1677-1688.e6. [PMID: 37023752 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
As human density increases, biodiversity must increasingly co-exist with urbanization or face local extinction. Tolerance of urban areas has been linked to numerous functional traits, yet few globally consistent patterns have emerged to explain variation in urban tolerance, which stymies attempts at a generalizable predictive framework. Here, we calculate an Urban Association Index (UAI) for 3,768 bird species in 137 cities across all permanently inhabited continents. We then assess how this UAI varies as a function of ten species-specific traits and further test whether the strength of trait relationships vary as a function of three city-specific variables. Of the ten species traits, nine were significantly associated with urban tolerance. Urban-associated species tend to be smaller, less territorial, have greater dispersal ability, broader dietary and habitat niches, larger clutch sizes, greater longevity, and lower elevational limits. Only bill shape showed no global association with urban tolerance. Additionally, the strength of several trait relationships varied across cities as a function of latitude and/or human population density. For example, the associations of body mass and diet breadth were more pronounced at higher latitudes, while the associations of territoriality and longevity were reduced in cities with higher population density. Thus, the importance of trait filters in birds varies predictably across cities, indicating biogeographic variation in selection for urban tolerance that could explain prior challenges in the search for global patterns. A globally informed framework that predicts urban tolerance will be integral to conservation as increasing proportions of the world's biodiversity are impacted by urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montague H C Neate-Clegg
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Benjamin A Tonelli
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Casey Youngflesh
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Joanna X Wu
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Graham A Montgomery
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Çağan H Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, Sarıyer, 34450 İstanbul, Türkiye
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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58
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Clark AD, Hu H, Benson RBJ, O’Connor JK. Reconstructing the dietary habits and trophic positions of the Longipterygidae (Aves: Enantiornithes) using neontological and comparative morphological methods. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15139. [PMID: 37009163 PMCID: PMC10062354 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Longipterygidae are a unique clade among the enantiornithines in that they exhibit elongate rostra (≥60% total skull length) with dentition restricted to the distal tip of the rostrum, and pedal morphologies suited for an arboreal lifestyle (as in other enantiornithines). This suite of features has made interpretations of this group’s diet and ecology difficult to determine due to the lack of analogous taxa that exhibit similar morphologies together. Many extant bird groups exhibit rostral elongation, which is associated with several disparate ecologies and diets (e.g., aerial insectivory, piscivory, terrestrial carnivory). Thus, the presence of rostral elongation in the Longipterygidae only somewhat refines trophic predictions of this clade. Anatomical morphologies do not function singularly but as part of a whole and thus, any dietary or ecological hypothesis regarding this clade must also consider other features such as their unique dentition. The only extant group of dentulous volant tetrapods are the chiropterans, in which tooth morphology and enamel thickness vary depending upon food preference. Drawing inferences from both avian bill proportions and variations in the dental morphology of extinct and extant taxa, we provide quantitative data to support the hypothesis that the Longipterygidae were animalivorous, with greater support for insectivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D. Clark
- Cincinnati Museum Center, Geier Collections & Research Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
| | - Han Hu
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roger BJ Benson
- American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, United States
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59
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Miller CV, Pittman M, Wang X, Zheng X, Bright JA. Quantitative investigation of pengornithid enantiornithine diet reveals macrocarnivorous ecology evolved in birds by Early Cretaceous. iScience 2023; 26:106211. [PMID: 36923002 PMCID: PMC10009206 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The diet of Mesozoic birds is poorly known, limiting evolutionary understanding of birds' roles in modern ecosystems. Pengornithidae is one of the best understood families of Mesozoic birds, hypothesized to eat insects or only small amounts of meat. We investigate these hypotheses with four lines of evidence: estimated body mass, claw traditional morphometrics, jaw mechanical advantage, and jaw finite element analysis. Owing to limited data, the diets of Eopengornis and Chiappeavis remain obscure. Pengornis, Parapengornis, and Yuanchuavis show adaptations for vertebrate carnivory. Pengornis also has talons similar to living raptorial birds like caracaras that capture and kill large prey, which represents the earliest known adaptation for macrocarnivory in a bird. This supports the appearance of this ecology ∼35 million years earlier than previously thought. These findings greatly increase the niche breadth known for Early Cretaceous birds, and shift the prevailing view that Mesozoic birds mainly occupied low trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276005, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276005, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300, China
| | - Jen A. Bright
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
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60
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Allometry reveals trade-offs between Bergmann's and Allen's rules, and different avian adaptive strategies for thermoregulation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1101. [PMID: 36843121 PMCID: PMC9968716 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36676-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals tend to decrease in body size (Bergmann's rule) and elongate appendages (Allen's rule) in warm climates. However, it is unknown whether these patterns depend on each other or constitute independent responses to the thermal environment. Here, based on a global phylogenetic comparative analysis across 99.7% of the world's bird species, we show that the way in which the relative length of unfeathered appendages co-varies with temperature depends on body size and vice versa. First, the larger the body, the greater the increase in beak length with temperature. Second, the temperature-based increase in tarsus length is apparent only in larger birds, whereas in smaller birds, tarsus length decreases with temperature. Third, body size and the length of beak and tarsus interact with each other to predict the species' environmental temperature. These findings suggest that the animals' body size and shape are products of an evolutionary compromise that reflects distinct alternative thermoregulatory adaptations.
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61
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Feng K, Zhou C, Wang L, Zhang C, Yang Z, Hu Z, Yue B, Wu Y. Comprehensive Comparative Analysis Sheds Light on the Patterns of Microsatellite Distribution across Birds Based on the Chromosome-Level Genomes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:655. [PMID: 36830442 PMCID: PMC9951716 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsatellites (SSRs) are widely distributed in the genomes of organisms and are an important genetic basis for genome evolution and phenotypic adaptation. Although the distribution patterns of microsatellites have been investigated in many phylogenetic lineages, they remain unclear within the morphologically and physiologically diverse avian clades. Here, based on high-quality chromosome-level genomes, we examined the microsatellite distribution patterns for 53 birds from 16 orders. The results demonstrated that each type of SSR had the same ratio between taxa. For example, the frequency of imperfect SSRs (I-SSRs) was 69.90-84.61%, while perfect SSRs (P-SSRs) were 14.86-28.13% and compound SSRs (C-SSRs) were 0.39-2.24%. Mononucleotide SSRs were dominant for perfect SSRs (32.66-76.48%) in most bird species (98.11%), and A(n) was the most abundant repeat motifs of P-SSRs in all birds (5.42-68.22%). Our study further confirmed that the abundance and diversity of microsatellites were less effected by evolutionary history but its length. The number of P-SSRs decreased with increasing repeat times, and longer P-SSRs motifs had a higher variability coefficient of the repeat copy number and lower diversity, indicating that longer motifs tended to have more stable preferences in avian genomes. We also found that P-SSRs were mainly distributed at the gene ends, and the functional annotation for these genes demonstrated that they were related to signal transduction and cellular process. In conclusion, our research provided avian SSR distribution patterns, which will help to explore the genetic basis for phenotypic diversity in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaize Feng
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Chuang Zhou
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Zhixiong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Zhengrui Hu
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Bisong Yue
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Yongjie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
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62
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Collins KS, Edie SM, Jablonski D. Convergence and contingency in the evolution of a specialized mode of life: multiple origins and high disparity of rock-boring bivalves. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221907. [PMID: 36750185 PMCID: PMC9904949 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary adaptation to novel, specialized modes of life is often associated with a close mapping of form to the new function, resulting in narrow morphological disparity. For bivalve molluscs, endolithy (rock-boring) has biomechanical requirements thought to diverge strongly from those of ancestral functions. However, endolithy in bivalves has originated at least eight times. Three-dimensional morphometric data representing 75 species from approximately 94% of extant endolithic genera and families, along with 310 non-endolithic species in those families, show that endolithy is evolutionarily accessible from many different morphological starting points. Although some endoliths appear to converge on certain shell morphologies, the range of endolith shell form is as broad as that belonging to any other bivalve substrate use. Nevertheless, endolithy is a taxon-poor function in Bivalvia today. This limited richness does not derive from origination within source clades having significantly low origination or high extinction rates, and today's endoliths are not confined to low-diversity biogeographic regions. Instead, endolithy may be limited by habitat availability. Both determinism (as reflected by convergence among distantly related taxa) and contingency (as reflected by the endoliths that remain close to the disparate morphologies of their source clades) underlie the occupation of endolith morphospace.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stewart M. Edie
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - David Jablonski
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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63
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Abundance and trait-matching both shape interaction frequencies between plants and birds in seed-dispersal networks. Basic Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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64
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Villastrigo A, Deharveng L, Balke M. New Caledonia's enigmatic terrestrial diving beetle
Typhlodessus monteithi
is a derived species of
Paroster. ZOOL SCR 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Villastrigo
- Division of Entomology SNSB‐Zoologische Staatssammlung München Munich Germany
| | - Louis Deharveng
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS UMR 7205, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle Sorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Michael Balke
- Division of Entomology SNSB‐Zoologische Staatssammlung München Munich Germany
- GeoBioCenter Ludwig Maximilians University Munich Germany
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65
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Konno N, Iwasaki W. Machine learning enables prediction of metabolic system evolution in bacteria. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadc9130. [PMID: 36630500 PMCID: PMC9833677 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc9130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Evolution prediction is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology, with potential impacts on strategic pathogen control, genome engineering, and synthetic biology. While laboratory evolution studies have shown the predictability of short-term and sequence-level evolution, that of long-term and system-level evolution has not been systematically examined. Here, we show that the gene content evolution of metabolic systems is generally predictable by applying ancestral gene content reconstruction and machine learning techniques to ~3000 bacterial genomes. Our framework, Evodictor, successfully predicted gene gain and loss evolution at the branches of the reference phylogenetic tree, suggesting that evolutionary pressures and constraints on metabolic systems are universally shared. Investigation of pathway architectures and meta-analysis of metagenomic datasets confirmed that these evolutionary patterns have physiological and ecological bases as functional dependencies among metabolic reactions and bacterial habitat changes. Last, pan-genomic analysis of intraspecies gene content variations proved that even "ongoing" evolution in extant bacterial species is predictable in our framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Konno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Corresponding author. (N.K.); (W.I.)
| | - Wataru Iwasaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Corresponding author. (N.K.); (W.I.)
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66
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Wilson JD, Bond JE, Harvey MS, Ramírez MJ, Rix MG. Correlation with a limited set of behavioral niches explains the convergence of somatic morphology in mygalomorph spiders. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9706. [PMID: 36636427 PMCID: PMC9830016 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of morphological convergence requires investigation into its relationship with behavior and niche space, and such investigations in turn provide insights into evolutionary dynamics, functional morphology, and life history. Mygalomorph spiders (trapdoor spiders and their kin) have long been associated with high levels of morphological homoplasy, and many convergent features can be intuitively associated with different behavioral niches. Using genus-level phylogenies based on recent genomic studies and a newly assembled matrix of discrete behavioral and somatic morphological characters, we reconstruct the evolution of burrowing behavior in the Mygalomorphae, compare the influence of behavior and evolutionary history on somatic morphology, and test hypotheses of correlated evolution between specific morphological features and behavior. Our results reveal the simplicity of the mygalomorph adaptive landscape, with opportunistic, web-building taxa at one end, and burrowing/nesting taxa with structurally modified burrow entrances (e.g., a trapdoor) at the other. Shifts in behavioral niche, in both directions, are common across the evolutionary history of the Mygalomorphae, and several major clades include taxa inhabiting both behavioral extremes. Somatic morphology is heavily influenced by behavior, with taxa inhabiting the same behavioral niche often more similar morphologically than more closely related but behaviorally divergent taxa, and we were able to identify a suite of 11 somatic features that show significant correlation with particular behaviors. We discuss these findings in light of the function of particular morphological features, niche dynamics within the Mygalomorphae, and constraints on the mygalomorph adaptive landscape relative to other spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D. Wilson
- Biodiversity and Geosciences ProgramQueensland Museum Collections and Research CentreHendraQueenslandAustralia
| | - Jason E. Bond
- Department of Entomology and NematologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mark S. Harvey
- Collections and ResearchWestern Australian MuseumWelshpoolWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Martín J. Ramírez
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias NaturalesConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Michael G. Rix
- Biodiversity and Geosciences ProgramQueensland Museum Collections and Research CentreHendraQueenslandAustralia
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67
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Riegner MF, Bassar RD. Morphological Covariance and Onset of Foot Prehensility as Indicators of Integrated Evolutionary Dynamics in the Herons (Ardeidae). Integr Org Biol 2023; 5:obad010. [PMID: 37122592 PMCID: PMC10132848 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ultimate form an organism attains is based, in part, on the rate and timing of developmental trajectories and on compensatory relationships between morphological traits. For example, there is often an inverse correlation between the relative size of an organism's head and the length of its legs. Avian examples with a disproportionately small head and long legs include ostriches (Struthionidae), flamingos (Phoenicopteridae), cranes (Gruidae), and stilts (Recurvirostridae). To determine whether a possible compensatory relationship exists between relative head size and hind-limb length in a typically long-legged family of birds-the Ardeidae-we measured and analyzed skull dimensions (length, width, and height of cranium, and bill length) and skeletal hind-limb dimensions (femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus) of the 12 North American species (north of Mexico) and of 12 additional taxa, including the morphologically divergent Agamia and Cochlearius. We found that Ardea species exhibit the smallest relative head sizes associated with the longest legs, while Butorides, Nycticorax, Nyctanassa, and Cochlearius have among the largest heads relative to hind-limb length. Furthermore, both positive and negative allometries occur in paired comparisons between the three hind-limb bones, expressed in tall morphotypes having disproportionately short femurs while short-legged morphotypes exhibit disproportionately long femurs; we show that this relationship has implications for foraging behavior. Moreover, the nestlings of short-legged herons exhibit functional precociality of the hind limbs through an early onset of prehensile ability of the feet to grasp branches, which is later expressed in adult foraging mode. This developmentally accelerated prehensile function in small-bodied species may be attributed, in part, to selection for predator avoidance in the early nestling stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Riegner
- Environmental Studies Department, Prescott College, Prescott, AZ 86301, USA
| | - R D Bassar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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68
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Crouch NMA, Jablonski D. Is species richness mediated by functional and genetic divergence? A global analysis in birds. Funct Ecol 2023; 37:125-138. [PMID: 37064506 PMCID: PMC10086807 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Unravelling why species richness shows such dramatic spatial variation is an ongoing challenge. Common to many theories is that increasing species richness (e.g. with latitude) requires a compensatory trade-off on an axis of species' ecology. Spatial variation in species richness may also affect genetic diversity if large numbers of coexisting, related species result in smaller population sizes.Here, we test whether increasing species richness results in differential occupation of morphospace by the constituent species, or decreases species' genetic diversity. We test for two potential mechanisms of morphological accommodation: denser packing in ecomorphological space, and expansion of the space. We then test whether species differ in their nucleotide diversity depending on allopatry or sympatry with relatives, indicative of potential genetic consequences of coexistence that would reduce genetic diversity in sympatry. We ask these questions in a spatially explicit framework, using a global database of avian functional trait measurements in combination with >120,000 sequences downloaded from GenBank.We find that higher species richness within families is not systematically correlated with either packing in morphological space or overdispersion but, at the Class level, we find a general positive relationship between packing and species richness, but that points sampled in the tropics have comparatively greater packing than temperate ones relative to their species richness. We find limited evidence that geographical co-occurrence with closely related species or tropical distributions decreases nucleotide diversity of nuclear genes; however, this requires further analysis.Our results suggest that avian families can accumulate species regionally with minimal tradeoffs or cost, implying that external biotic factors do not limit species richness. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Jablonski
- Department of the Geophysical SciencesThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
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69
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Gibb H, Bishop TR, Leahy L, Parr CL, Lessard J, Sanders NJ, Shik JZ, Ibarra‐Isassi J, Narendra A, Dunn RR, Wright IJ. Ecological strategies of (pl)ants: Towards a world-wide worker economic spectrum for ants. Funct Ecol 2023; 37:13-25. [PMID: 37056633 PMCID: PMC10084388 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Current global challenges call for a rigorously predictive ecology. Our understanding of ecological strategies, imputed through suites of measurable functional traits, comes from decades of work that largely focussed on plants. However, a key question is whether plant ecological strategies resemble those of other organisms.Among animals, ants have long been recognised to possess similarities with plants: as (largely) central place foragers. For example, individual ant workers play similar foraging roles to plant leaves and roots and are similarly expendable. Frameworks that aim to understand plant ecological strategies through key functional traits, such as the 'leaf economics spectrum', offer the potential for significant parallels with ant ecological strategies.Here, we explore these parallels across several proposed ecological strategy dimensions, including an 'economic spectrum', propagule size-number trade-offs, apparency-defence trade-offs, resource acquisition trade-offs and stress-tolerance trade-offs. We also highlight where ecological strategies may differ between plants and ants. Furthermore, we consider how these strategies play out among the different modules of eusocial organisms, where selective forces act on the worker and reproductive castes, as well as the colony.Finally, we suggest future directions for ecological strategy research, including highlighting the availability of data and traits that may be more difficult to measure, but should receive more attention in future to better understand the ecological strategies of ants. The unique biology of eusocial organisms provides an unrivalled opportunity to bridge the gap in our understanding of ecological strategies in plants and animals and we hope that this perspective will ignite further interest. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloise Gibb
- Department of Environment and Genetics and Centre for Future LandscapesLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVic.Australia
| | - Tom R. Bishop
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Lily Leahy
- Department of Environment and Genetics and Centre for Future LandscapesLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVic.Australia
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Jonathan Z. Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of BiologyUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Ajay Narendra
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNSWAustralia
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Ian J. Wright
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNSWAustralia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNSWAustralia
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70
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Hodge JR, Price SA. Biotic Interactions and the Future of Fishes on Coral Reefs: The Importance of Trait-Based Approaches. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1734-1747. [PMID: 36138511 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotic interactions govern the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems. As environmental conditions change, reef-associated fish populations can persist by tracking their preferred niche or adapting to new conditions. Biotic interactions will affect how these responses proceed and whether they are successful. Yet, our understanding of these effects is currently limited. Ecological and evolutionary theories make explicit predictions about the effects of biotic interactions, but many remain untested. Here, we argue that large-scale functional trait datasets enable us to investigate how biotic interactions have shaped the assembly of contemporary reef fish communities and the evolution of species within them, thus improving our ability to predict future changes. Importantly, the effects of biotic interactions on these processes have occurred simultaneously within dynamic environments. Functional traits provide a means to integrate the effects of both ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as a way to overcome some of the challenges of studying biotic interactions. Moreover, functional trait data can enhance predictive modeling of future reef fish distributions and evolvability. We hope that our vision for an integrative approach, focused on quantifying functionally relevant traits and how they mediate biotic interactions in different environmental contexts, will catalyze new research on the future of reef fishes in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Hodge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Samantha A Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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71
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Tyler J, Younger JL. Diving into a dead-end: asymmetric evolution of diving drives diversity and disparity shifts in waterbirds. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20222056. [PMID: 36515120 PMCID: PMC9748772 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diving is a relatively uncommon and highly specialized foraging strategy in birds, mostly observed within the Aequorlitornithes (waterbirds) by groups such as penguins, cormorants and alcids. Three key diving techniques are employed within waterbirds: wing-propelled pursuit diving (e.g. penguins), foot-propelled pursuit diving (e.g. cormorants) and plunge diving (e.g. gannets). How many times diving evolved within waterbirds, whether plunge diving is an intermediate state between aerial foraging and submarine diving, and whether the transition to a diving niche is reversible are not known. Here, we elucidate the evolutionary history of diving in waterbirds. We show that diving has been acquired independently at least 14 times within waterbirds, and this acquisition is apparently irreversible, in a striking example of asymmetric evolution. All three modes of diving have evolved independently, with no evidence for plunge diving as an intermediate evolutionary state. Net diversification rates differ significantly between diving versus non-diving lineages, with some diving clades apparently prone to extinction. We find that body mass is evolving under multiple macroevolutionary regimes, with unique optima for each diving type with varying degrees of constraint. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of highly specialized lineages during the ongoing sixth mass extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Tyler
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Jane L. Younger
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, Australia
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72
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Anderson SAS, Weir JT. The role of divergent ecological adaptation during allopatric speciation in vertebrates. Science 2022; 378:1214-1218. [PMID: 36520892 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo7719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
After decades of debate, biologists today largely agree that most speciation events require an allopatric phase (that is, geographic separation), but the role of adaptive ecological divergence during this critical period is still unknown. Here, we show that relatively few allopatric pairs of birds, mammals, or amphibians exhibit trait differences consistent with models of divergent adaptation in each of many ecologically relevant traits. By fitting new evolutionary models to numerous sets of sister-pair trait differences, we find that speciating and recently speciated allopatric taxa seem to overwhelmingly evolve under similar rather than divergent macro-selective pressures. This contradicts the classical view of divergent adaptation as a prominent driver of the early stages of speciation and helps synthesize two historical controversies regarding the ecology and geography of species formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A S Anderson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason T Weir
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
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73
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Hewes AE, Cuban D, Groom DJE, Sargent AJ, Beltrán DF, Rico-Guevara A. Variable evidence for convergence in morphology and function across avian nectarivores. J Morphol 2022; 283:1483-1504. [PMID: 36062802 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nectar-feeding birds provide an excellent system in which to examine form-function relationships over evolutionary time. There are many independent origins of nectarivory in birds, and nectar feeding is a lifestyle with many inherent biophysical constraints. We review the morphology and function of the feeding apparatus, the locomotor apparatus, and the digestive and renal systems across avian nectarivores with the goals of synthesizing available information and identifying the extent to which different aspects of anatomy have morphologically and functionally converged. In doing so, we have systematically tabulated the occurrence of putative adaptations to nectarivory across birds and created what is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive summary of adaptations to nectarivory across body systems and taxa. We also provide the first phylogenetically informed estimate of the number of times nectarivory has evolved within Aves. Based on this synthesis of existing knowledge, we identify current knowledge gaps and provide suggestions for future research questions and methods of data collection that will increase our understanding of the distribution of adaptations across bodily systems and taxa, and the relationship between those adaptations and ecological and evolutionary factors. We hope that this synthesis will serve as a landmark for the current state of the field, prompting investigators to begin collecting new data and addressing questions that have heretofore been impossible to answer about the ecology, evolution, and functional morphology of avian nectarivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Hewes
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David Cuban
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Derrick J E Groom
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alyssa J Sargent
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Diego F Beltrán
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alejandro Rico-Guevara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
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74
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Weeks BC, Klemz M, Wada H, Darling R, Dias T, O'Brien BK, Probst CM, Zhang M, Zimova M. Temperature, size and developmental plasticity in birds. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220357. [PMID: 36475424 PMCID: PMC9727665 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As temperatures increase, there is growing evidence that species across much of the tree of life are getting smaller. These climate change-driven size reductions are often interpreted as a temporal analogue of the observation that individuals within a species tend to be smaller in the warmer parts of the species' range. For ectotherms, there has been a broad effort to understand the role of developmental plasticity in temperature-size relationships, but in endotherms, this mechanism has received relatively little attention in favour of selection-based explanations. We review the evidence for a role of developmental plasticity in warming-driven size reductions in birds and highlight insulin-like growth factors as a potential mechanism underlying plastic responses to temperature in endotherms. We find that, as with ectotherms, changes in temperature during development can result in shifts in body size in birds, with size reductions associated with warmer temperatures being the most frequent association. This suggests developmental plasticity may be an important, but largely overlooked, mechanism underlying warming-driven size reductions in endotherms. Plasticity and natural selection have very different constraining forces, thus understanding the mechanism linking temperature and body size in endotherms has broad implications for predicting future impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Madeleine Klemz
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Rachel Darling
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Tiffany Dias
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Bruce K. O'Brien
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charlotte M. Probst
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
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75
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Ali JR, Blonder BW, Pigot AL, Tobias JA. Bird extinctions threaten to cause disproportionate reductions of functional diversity and uniqueness. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jarome R. Ali
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Ascot UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
| | - Benjamin W. Blonder
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Alex L. Pigot
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
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76
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Sebastianelli M, Lukhele SM, Nwankwo EC, Hadjioannou L, Kirschel ANG. Continent-wide patterns of song variation predicted by classical rules of biogeography. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2448-2462. [PMID: 36124660 PMCID: PMC9826498 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Physiological constraints related to atmospheric temperature pose a limit to body and appendage size in endothermic animals. This relationship has been summarised by two classical principles of biogeography: Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Body size may also constrain other phenotypic traits important in ecology, evolution and behaviour, and such effects have seldom been investigated at a continental scale. Through a multilevel-modelling approach, we demonstrate that continent-wide morphology of related African barbets follows predictions of Bergmann's rule, and that body size mirrors variation in song pitch, an acoustic trait important in species recognition and sexual selection. Specifically, effects on song frequency in accordance with Bergmann's rule dwarf those of acoustic adaptation at a continental scale. Our findings suggest that macroecological patterns of body size can influence phenotypic traits important in ecology and evolution, and provide a baseline for further studies on the effects of environmental change on bird song.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexander N. G. Kirschel
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CyprusNicosiaCyprus,University of California Los AngelesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Edward Grey Institute, Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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77
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Environmental signal in the evolutionary diversification of bird skeletons. Nature 2022; 611:306-311. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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78
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Cramer JF, Miller ET, Ko MC, Liang Q, Cockburn G, Nakagita T, Cardinale M, Fusani L, Toda Y, Baldwin MW. A single residue confers selective loss of sugar sensing in wrynecks. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4270-4278.e5. [PMID: 35985327 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sensory receptors evolve, and changes to their response profiles can directly impact sensory perception and affect diverse behaviors, from mate choice to foraging decisions.1-3 Although receptor sensitivities can be highly contingent on changes occurring early in a lineage's evolutionary history,4 subsequent shifts in a species' behavior and ecology may exert selective pressure to modify and even reverse sensory receptor capabilities.5-7 Neither the extent to which sensory reversion occurs nor the mechanisms underlying such shifts is well understood. Using receptor profiling and behavioral tests, we uncover both an early gain and an unexpected subsequent loss of sugar sensing in woodpeckers, a primarily insectivorous family of landbirds.8,9 Our analyses show that, similar to hummingbirds10 and songbirds,4 the ancestors of woodpeckers repurposed their T1R1-T1R3 savory receptor to detect sugars. Importantly, whereas woodpeckers seem to have broadly retained this ability, our experiments demonstrate that wrynecks (an enigmatic ant-eating group sister to all other woodpeckers) selectively lost sugar sensing through a novel mechanism involving a single amino acid change in the T1R3 transmembrane domain. The identification of this molecular microswitch responsible for a sensory shift in taste receptors provides an example of the molecular basis of a sensory reversion in vertebrates and offers novel insights into structure-function relationships during sensory receptor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia F Cramer
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Eliot T Miller
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Meng-Ching Ko
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Qiaoyi Liang
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Glenn Cockburn
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Tomoya Nakagita
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan; Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 453 30 Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Austrian Ornithological Centre, Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Wien, Austria; Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1160 Wien, Austria
| | - Yasuka Toda
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Maude W Baldwin
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
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79
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Hughes EC, Edwards DP, Thomas GH. The homogenization of avian morphological and phylogenetic diversity under the global extinction crisis. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3830-3837.e3. [PMID: 35868322 PMCID: PMC9616725 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity is facing a global extinction crisis that will reduce ecological trait diversity, evolutionary history, and ultimately ecosystem functioning and services.1-4 A key challenge is understanding how species losses will impact morphological and phylogenetic diversity at global scales.5,6 Here, we test whether the loss of species threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) leads to morphological and phylogenetic homogenization7,8 across both the whole avian class and within each biome and ecoregion globally. We use a comprehensive set of continuous morphological traits extracted from museum collections of 8,455 bird species, including geometric morphometric beak shape data,9 and sequentially remove species from those at most to least threat of extinction. We find evidence of morphological, but not phylogenetic, homogenization across the avian class, with species becoming more alike in terms of their morphology. We find that most biome and ecoregions are expected to lose morphological diversity at a greater rate than predicted by species loss alone, with the most imperiled regions found in East Asia and the Himalayan uplands and foothills. Only a small proportion of assemblages are threatened with phylogenetic homogenization, in particular parts of Indochina. Species extinctions will lead to a major loss of avian ecological strategies, but not a comparable loss of phylogenetic diversity. As the decline of species with unique traits and their replacement with more widespread generalist species continues, the protection of assemblages at most risk of morphological and phylogenetic homogenization should be a key conservation priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Hughes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring HP23 6AP, UK.
| | - David P Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring HP23 6AP, UK.
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80
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Imfeld TS, Barker FK. Songbirds of the Americas show uniform morphological evolution despite heterogeneous diversification. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1335-1351. [PMID: 36057939 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studying the relationship between diversification and functional trait evolution among broadly co-occurring clades can shed light on interactions between ecology and evolutionary history. However, evidence from many studies is compromised because of their focus on overly broad geographic or narrow phylogenetic scales. We addressed these limitations by studying 46 independent, biogeographically delimited clades of songbirds that dispersed from the Eastern Hemisphere into the Americas and assessed (1) whether diversification has varied through time and/or among clades within this assemblage, (2) the extent of heterogeneity in clade-specific morphological trait disparity and (3) whether morphological disparity among these clades is consistent with a uniform diversification model. We found equivalent support for constant rates birth-death and density-dependent speciation processes, with notable outliers having significantly fewer or more species than expected given their age. We also found substantial variation in morphological disparity among these clades, but that variation was broadly consistent with uniform evolutionary rates, despite the existence of diversification outliers. These findings indicate relatively continuous, ongoing morphological diversification, arguing against conceptual models of adaptive radiation in these continental clades. Additionally, they suggest surprisingly consistent diversification among the majority of these clades, despite tremendous variance in colonization history, habitat valences and trophic specializations that exist among continental clades of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Imfeld
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - F Keith Barker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.,Bell Museum, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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81
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The morphological allometry of four closely related and coexisting insect species reveals adaptation to the mean and variability of the resource size. Oecologia 2022; 200:159-168. [PMID: 36053351 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05249-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The size of organisms may result from various, sometimes antagonistic forces operating on distinct traits, within an evolutionary framework that may also be constraining. Morphological allometry, referring to the way trait size scales with body size, has been shown to reflect ecological adaptation to the mean size of the resource exploited. We examined the allometric relationships between rostrum and body size among four insect (Curculio spp.) specialists of oak acorns. In all four species, weevil females drill a hole with their rostrum prior depositing one or a few eggs inside the seed. The four weevil species, that coexist on the same individual trees, displayed partitioned egg-laying periods in the year, thereby encountering acorns of different size and maturation stage. We found marked differences in the allometric slope among females: species laying eggs late in the season had a steeper slope, leading to increasingly longer rostrum relative to body length, along with the mean size of the growing acorns. Females of the smallest species had the longest oviposition period and also had the steepest slope, which provided them with the most variable rostrum length, thereby matching the variable size of the resource through time. Our work highlights the need to consider not only the average size but also the degree of variability in resource size to understand the adaptive value of allometric relationships.
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82
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Luther DA, Cooper WJ, Jirinec V, Wolfe JD, Rutt CL, Bierregaard Jr RO, Lovejoy TE, Stouffer PC. Long-term changes in avian biomass and functional diversity within disturbed and undisturbed Amazonian rainforest. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221123. [PMID: 35975441 PMCID: PMC9382209 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent long-term studies in protected areas have revealed the loss of biodiversity, yet the ramifications for ecosystem health and resilience remain unknown. Here, we investigate how the loss of understory birds, in the lowest stratum of the forest, affects avian biomass and functional diversity in the Amazon rainforest. Across approximately 30 years in the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, we used a historical baseline of avian communities to contrast the avian communities in today's primary forest with those in modern disturbed habitat. We found that in primary rainforest, the reduced abundance of insectivorous species led to reduced functional diversity, but no reduction of biomass, indicating that species with similar functional traits are less likely to coexist in modern primary forests. Because today's forests contain fewer functionally redundant species-those with similar traits-we argue that avian communities in modern primary Amazonian rainforests are less resilient, which may ultimately disrupt the ecosystem in dynamic and unforeseen ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Luther
- Biology Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - W. Justin Cooper
- Biology Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Vitek Jirinec
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Integral Ecology Research Center, 239 Railroad Avenue, Blue Lake, CA 95525, USA
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Jared D. Wolfe
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Cameron L. Rutt
- Biology Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
- American Bird Conservancy, The Plains, VA 20198, USA
| | | | - Thomas E. Lovejoy
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Philip C Stouffer
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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83
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Neuron numbers link innovativeness with both absolute and relative brain size in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1381-1389. [PMID: 35817825 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A longstanding issue in biology is whether the intelligence of animals can be predicted by absolute or relative brain size. However, progress has been hampered by an insufficient understanding of how neuron numbers shape internal brain organization and cognitive performance. On the basis of estimations of neuron numbers for 111 bird species, we show here that the number of neurons in the pallial telencephalon is positively associated with a major expression of intelligence: innovation propensity. The number of pallial neurons, in turn, is greater in brains that are larger in both absolute and relative terms and positively covaries with longer post-hatching development periods. Thus, our analyses show that neuron numbers link cognitive performance to both absolute and relative brain size through developmental adjustments. These findings help unify neuro-anatomical measures at multiple levels, reconciling contradictory views over the biological significance of brain expansion. The results also highlight the value of a life history perspective to advance our understanding of the evolutionary bases of the connections between brain and cognition.
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84
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Rurangwa ML, Niyigaba P, Tobias JA, Whittaker RJ. Functional and phylogenetic diversity of an agricultural matrix avifauna: The role of habitat heterogeneity in Afrotropical farmland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9024. [PMID: 35822114 PMCID: PMC9259849 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Varied strategies to alleviate the loss of farmland biodiversity have been tested, yet there is still insufficient evidence supporting their effectiveness, especially when considering phylogenetic and functional diversity alongside traditional taxonomic diversity metrics. This conservation challenge is accentuated in the Afrotropics by the rapid agricultural expansion and intensification for the production of cash crops and by a comparative lack of research. In this study, we assessed how farming practices influence avian phylogenetic and functional diversity. We conducted point-count surveys to assess avian diversity in monocultures of tea and mixed crop farming systems surrounding the Nyungwe rainforest in south-west Rwanda, allowing us to investigate the drivers of avian diversity at farm level. Species composition was found to be moderately different between farm types, with mixed crop farms supporting higher phylogenetic diversity than tea plantations. There were no significant seasonal differences in species composition, functional or phylogenetic diversity. Overall, functional diversity did not differ between farm types, but the dispersion of trophic-related traits was significantly higher in mixed crop farms. Both functional and phylogenetic diversity were influenced by floristic diversity, vegetation height, tree number, and elevation to varying degrees. Our results also (i) highlight the role of farmland heterogeneity (e.g., crop species composition, height, and tree cover extent) in encouraging avian functional and phylogenetic diversity in the Afrotropics and (ii) indicate that the generally negative biodiversity impacts of monoculture agriculture can be partially alleviated by extensive agroforestry with an emphasis on indigenous tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonBerksUK
| | - Robert J. Whittaker
- School of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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85
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Duque-Correa MJ, Clauss M, Hoppe MI, Buyse K, Codron D, Meloro C, Edwards MS. Diet, habitat and flight characteristics correlate with intestine length in birds. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220675. [PMID: 35642364 PMCID: PMC9156916 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A link between diet and avian intestinal anatomy is generally assumed. We collated the length of intestinal sections and body mass of 390 bird species and tested relationships with diet, climate and locomotion. There was a strong phylogenetic signal in all datasets. The total and small intestine scaled more-than-geometrically (95%CI of the scaling exponent > 0.33). The traditional dietary classification (faunivore, omnivore and herbivore) had no significant effect on total intestine (TI) length. Significant dietary proxies included %folivory, %frugi-nectarivory and categories (frugi-nectarivory, granivory, folivory, omnivory, insectivory and vertivory). Individual intestinal sections were affected by different dietary proxies. The best model indicates that higher consumption of fruit and nectar, drier habitats, and a high degree of flightedness are linked to shorter TI length. Notably, the length of the avian intestine depends on other biological factors as much as on diet. Given the weak dietary signal in our datasets, the diet intestinal length relationships lend themselves to narratives of flexibility (morphology is not destiny) rather than of distinct adaptations that facilitate using one character (intestine length) as proxy for another (diet). Birds have TIs of about 85% that of similar-sized mammals, corroborating systematic differences in intestinal macroanatomy between vertebrate clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J. Duque-Correa
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Monika I. Hoppe
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kobe Buyse
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, 9300 Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark S. Edwards
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
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86
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Ocampo M, Pincheira-Donoso D, Sayol F, Rios RS. Evolutionary transitions in diet influence the exceptional diversification of a lizard adaptive radiation. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:74. [PMID: 35672668 PMCID: PMC9175459 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diet is a key component of a species ecological niche and plays critical roles in guiding the trajectories of evolutionary change. Previous studies suggest that dietary evolution can influence the rates and patterns of species diversification, with omnivorous (animal and plant, ‘generalist’) diets slowing down diversification compared to more restricted (‘specialist’) herbivorous and carnivorous diets. This hypothesis, here termed the “dietary macroevolutionary sink” hypothesis (DMS), predicts that transitions to omnivorous diets occur at higher rates than into any specialist diet, and omnivores are expected to have the lowest diversification rates, causing an evolutionary sink into a single type of diet. However, evidence for the DMS hypothesis remains conflicting. Here, we present the first test of the DMS hypothesis in a lineage of ectothermic tetrapods—the prolific Liolaemidae lizard radiation from South America. Results Ancestral reconstructions suggest that the stem ancestor was probably insectivorous. The best supported trait model is a diet-dependent speciation rate, with independent extinction rates. Herbivory has the highest net diversification rate, omnivory ranks second, and insectivory has the lowest. The extinction rate is the same for all three diet types and is much lower than the speciation rates. The highest transition rate was from omnivory to insectivory, and the lowest transition rates were between insectivory and herbivory. Conclusions Our findings challenge the core prediction of the DMS hypothesis that generalist diets represent an ‘evolutionary sink’. Interestingly, liolaemid lizards have rapidly and successfully proliferated across some of the world’s coldest climates (at high elevations and latitudes), where species have evolved mixed arthropod-plant (omnivore) or predominantly herbivore diets. This longstanding observation is consistent with the higher net diversification rates found in both herbivory and omnivory. Collectively, just like the evolution of viviparity has been regarded as a ‘key adaptation’ during the liolaemid radiation across cold climates, our findings suggest that transitions from insectivory to herbivory (bridged by omnivory) are likely to have played a role as an additional key adaptation underlying the exceptional diversification of these reptiles across extreme climates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02028-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Ocampo
- Departamento de Biología, Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Ecología de Zonas Áridas (EZA), Universidad de la Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile. .,Red de Investigadores en Herpetología-Bolivia, Los Pinos Zona Sur, Av. José Aguirre 260, La Paz, Bolivia. .,Unidad de Zoología, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Casilla 10077-Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - Daniel Pincheira-Donoso
- MacroBiodiversity Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Ferran Sayol
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rodrigo S Rios
- Departamento de Biología, Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Ecología de Zonas Áridas (EZA), Universidad de la Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile.,Instituto de Investigación Multidisciplinario en Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
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87
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Dehling DM, Barreto E, Graham CH. The contribution of mutualistic interactions to functional and phylogenetic diversity. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:768-776. [PMID: 35680468 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Reduction of functional diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) likely affects ecosystem functions and reduces the potential of communities to respond to changes, such as climate change. Mutualistic interactions are essential for maintaining diversity, but their role has largely been ignored in conservation planning. We propose using a species' interaction niche - the diversity of its interaction partners - to measure a species' contribution to the maintenance of FD and PD via mutualistic interactions, and thus identify species and interspecific interactions that are particularly important for the conservation of ecosystem functions and evolutionary lineages in ecological communities. Our approach represents a switch in perspective that allows a direct assessment of the importance of mutualistic interactions for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Barreto
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Laboratório de Ecologia Teórica e Síntese, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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88
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Miller CV, Pittman M, Wang X, Zheng X, Bright JA. Diet of Mesozoic toothed birds (Longipterygidae) inferred from quantitative analysis of extant avian diet proxies. BMC Biol 2022; 20:101. [PMID: 35550084 PMCID: PMC9097364 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds are key indicator species in extant ecosystems, and thus we would expect extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many aspects of extinct bird ecology, particularly their diet, remain obscure. One group of particular interest is the bizarre toothed and long-snouted longipterygid birds. Longipterygidae is the most well-understood family of enantiornithine birds, the dominant birds of the Cretaceous period. However, as with most Mesozoic birds, their diet remains entirely speculative. RESULTS To improve our understanding of longipterygids, we investigated four proxies in extant birds to determine diagnostic traits for birds with a given diet: body mass, claw morphometrics, jaw mechanical advantage, and jaw strength via finite element analysis. Body mass of birds tended to correspond to the size of their main food source, with both carnivores and herbivores splitting into two subsets by mass: invertivores or vertivores for carnivores, and granivores + nectarivores or folivores + frugivores for herbivores. Using claw morphometrics, we successfully distinguished ground birds, non-raptorial perching birds, and raptorial birds from one another. We were unable to replicate past results isolating subtypes of raptorial behaviour. Mechanical advantage was able to distinguish herbivorous diets with particularly high values of functional indices, and so is useful for identifying these specific diets in fossil taxa, but overall did a poor job of reflecting diet. Finite element analysis effectively separated birds with hard and/or tough diets from those eating foods which are neither, though could not distinguish hard and tough diets from one another. We reconstructed each of these proxies in longipterygids as well, and after synthesising the four lines of evidence, we find all members of the family but Shengjingornis (whose diet remains inconclusive) most likely to be invertivores or generalist feeders, with raptorial behaviour likely in Longipteryx and Rapaxavis. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a 20% increase in quantitatively supported fossil bird diets, triples the number of diets reconstructed in enantiornithine species, and serves as an important first step in quantitatively investigating the origins of the trophic diversity of living birds. These findings are consistent with past hypotheses that Mesozoic birds occupied low trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, 276005, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, 276005, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
| | - Jen A Bright
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
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89
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Frank TM, Dodson P, Hedrick BP. Form and function in the avian pelvis. J Morphol 2022; 283:875-893. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tanner M. Frank
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California‐Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Peter Dodson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, School of Arts and Sciences University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
| | - Brandon P. Hedrick
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans Los Angeles USA
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90
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Natale R, Slater GJ. The effects of foraging ecology and allometry on avian skull shape vary across levels of phylogeny. Am Nat 2022; 200:E174-E188. [DOI: 10.1086/720745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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91
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92
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Birds’ ecological characteristics differ among habitats: an analysis based on national citizen science data. COMMUNITY ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-022-00089-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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93
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Niche expansion and adaptive divergence in the global radiation of crows and ravens. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2086. [PMID: 35449129 PMCID: PMC9023458 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29707-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The processes that allow some lineages to diversify rapidly at a global scale remain poorly understood. Although earlier studies emphasized the importance of dispersal, global expansions expose populations to novel environments and may also require adaptation and diversification across new niches. In this study, we investigated the contributions of these processes to the global radiation of crows and ravens (genus Corvus). Combining a new phylogeny with comprehensive phenotypic and climatic data, we show that Corvus experienced a massive expansion of the climatic niche that was coupled with a substantial increase in the rates of species and phenotypic diversification. The initiation of these processes coincided with the evolution of traits that promoted dispersal and niche expansion. Our findings suggest that rapid global radiations may be better understood as processes in which high dispersal abilities synergise with traits that, like cognition, facilitate persistence in new environments. Traits that facilitate adaptive responses to novel environments may facilitate global radiations. Here, the authors describe diversification dynamics of crows, finding that their global radiation coincides with high rates of phenotypic and climatic niche evolution.
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94
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Quitzau M, Frelat R, Bonhomme V, Möllmann C, Nagelkerke L, Bejarano S. Traits, landmarks and outlines: Three congruent sides of a tale on coral reef fish morphology. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8787. [PMID: 35475185 PMCID: PMC9021933 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marita Quitzau
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Romain Frelat
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Bonhomme
- UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, équipe Dynamique de la biodiversité Anthropo‐écologie Université de Montpellier CNRS IRD Montpellier Cedex 05 France
| | - Christian Möllmann
- Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science University of Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Leopold Nagelkerke
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Sonia Bejarano
- Reef Systems Research Group Ecology Department Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen Germany
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95
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Weeks BC, Zhou Z, O’Brien BK, Darling R, Dean M, Dias T, Hassena G, Zhang M, Fouhey DF. A deep neural network for high throughput measurement of functional traits on museum skeletal specimens. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
- Museum of Zoology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Zhizhuo Zhou
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Bruce K. O’Brien
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Rachel Darling
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Morgan Dean
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Tiffany Dias
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Gemmechu Hassena
- School of Information Technology and Engineering Addis Ababa University
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - David F. Fouhey
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
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96
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Junker RR, Albrecht J, Becker M, Keuth R, Farwig N, Schleuning M. Towards an animal economics spectrum for ecosystem research. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity University of Salzburg 5020 Salzburg Austria
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Marcel Becker
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Raya Keuth
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
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97
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Cheng C, Liu J, Ma Z. Effects of aquaculture on the maintenance of waterbird populations. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36. [PMID: 35338517 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The global aquaculture industry has expanded rapidly and is increasingly important for maintaining food security while also providing alternative artificial habitats for many waterbirds. Clarifying how waterbirds use aquafarms and how aquafarm use affects waterbird population maintenance can be useful for improving management of the artificial landscape that can also provide waterbird habitat. Here, we investigated aquafarm use by waterbirds in China, the world's largest producer of aquaculture products, supported by literature review and questionnaire survey. We used Bayesian phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models to analyze the relationship between the degree of aquafarm use and population trends of waterbirds. The results showed that 69% of waterbird species in China have been recorded at aquafarms. Approximately one-quarter of all waterbird species and about the same proportion of threatened species were found to forage at aquafarms, consuming either cultured aquatic products or other food types. In general, species with a high degree of aquafarm use were unlikely to exhibit a population decline over the past two decades, when rapid loss of natural habitats occurred in China. This relationship was not detected in threatened species, despite there being no significant difference in the degree of aquafarm use between threatened and non-threatened species. Our study suggests that the large and expanding aquaculture industry is important for maintaining waterbird populations in China. However, aquafarms are not a replacement for natural habitats, because threatened species benefit less from aquafarm use. Given that aquafarms often come at the expense of natural wetlands, the degree to which aquafarms compensate for natural habitat loss probably depends on the quality of aquafarm habitat. We recommend an integrated ecological and economic analysis for formulating management policies that help conserve wildlife within the constraints and opportunities associated with maintaining human livelihoods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuyu Cheng
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
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98
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Jarzyna MA, Norman KEA, LaMontagne JM, Helmus MR, Li D, Parker SM, Perez Rocha M, Record S, Sokol ER, Zarnetske PL, Surasinghe TD. Community stability is related to animal diversity change. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta A. Jarzyna
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
- Translational Data Analytics Institute The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Kari E. A. Norman
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | | | - Matthew R. Helmus
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
| | - Daijiang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
- Center for Computation and Technology Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | | | | | - Sydne Record
- Department of Biology Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania USA
| | - Eric R. Sokol
- Battelle National Ecological Observatory Network Boulder Colorado USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Phoebe L. Zarnetske
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Thilina D. Surasinghe
- Department of Biological Sciences Bridgewater State University Bridgewater Massachusetts USA
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99
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Boyce AJ, Shamon H, McShea WJ. Bison Reintroduction to Mixed-Grass Prairie Is Associated With Increases in Bird Diversity and Cervid Occupancy in Riparian Areas. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.821822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In grassland ecosystems, grazing by large herbivores is a highly influential process that affects biodiversity by modifying the vegetative environment through selective consumption. Here, we test whether restoration of bison is associated with increased bird diversity and cervid occupancy in networks of riparian habitat within a temperate grassland ecosystem, mixed-grass prairie in northcentral Montana, United States. We used a long time-series of remote sensing imagery to examine changes in riparian vegetation structure in stream networks within bison and cattle pastures. We then assessed how vegetation structure influenced diversity of bird communities and detection rates of mammals in these same riparian networks. We found that percent cover of woody vegetation, and native grasses and forbs increased more rapidly over time in bison pastures, and that these changes in vegetation structure were associated with increased bird diversity and cervid occupancy. In conclusion, bison reintroduction appears to function as a passive riparian restoration strategy with positive diversity outcomes for birds and mammals.
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100
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New Evidence on the Linkage of Population Trends and Species Traits to Long-Term Niche Changes. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the assessment of long-term niche dynamics could provide crucial information for investigating species responses to environmental changes, it is a poorly investigated topic in ecology. Here, we present a case study of multi-species niche analysis for 71 common breeding birds in Northern Italy, exploring long-term niche changes from 1992 to 2017 and their relationship with both population trends and species traits. We (i) quantified the realized Grinnellian niche in the environmental space, (ii) compared variations in niche breadth and centroid, (iii) tested niche divergence and conservatism through equivalency and similarity tests, (iv) calculated niche temporal overlap, expansion and unfilling indices, and (v) investigated their association with both population changes and species traits. Results supported niche divergence (equivalency test) for 32% of species, although two-thirds were not supported by the similarity test. We detected a general tendency to adjust the niche centroids towards warmer thermal conditions. Increasing populations were positively correlated with niche expansion, while negatively correlated with niche overlap, albeit at the limit of the significance threshold. We found moderate evidence for a non-random association between niche changes and species traits, especially for body size, clutch size, number of broods per year, inhabited landscape type, and migration strategy. We encourage studies correlating long-term population trends and niche changes with species traits’ information and a specific focus on cause-effect relationship at both the single and multiple-species level.
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