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Caro T, Andrews J, Clark M, Borgerhoff Mulder M. Practical guide to coproduction in conservation science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14011. [PMID: 36178023 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We considered a series of conservation-related research projects on the island of Pemba, Tanzania, to reflect on the broad significance of Beier et al.'s recommendations for linking conservation science with practical conservation outcomes. The implementation of just some of their suggestions can advance a successful coproduction of actionable science by small research teams. Key elements include, first, scientists and managers working together in the field to ensure feedback in real time; second, questions jointly identified by managers and researchers to facilitate engaged collaboration; third, conducting research at multiple sites, thereby broadening managers' abilities to reach multiple stakeholders; and fourth, establishing a multidisciplinary team because most of the concerns of local managers require input from multiple disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- School Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jeffrey Andrews
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthew Clark
- Human-Environment Systems Research Group, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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2
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Nokelainen O, Galarza JA, Kirvesoja J, Suisto K, Mappes J. Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:467-478. [PMID: 35239231 PMCID: PMC9314616 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely coloured phenotypes. This classification is, however, elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a ‘cryptic morph’ in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well‐studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20,000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as their hindwing colour varies continuously with no clear link with male genotypes. Next, we investigated if the male genotype can be predicted from their phenotype by machine learning algorithms and by human observers. Linear discriminant analysis grouped male genotypes with 97% accuracy, whereas humans could only group the yy genotype. Using vision modelling, we also tested whether the genotypes have differential discriminability to humans, moth conspecifics and their bird predators. The human perception was poor separating the genotypes, but avian and moth vision models with ultraviolet sensitivity could separate white WW and Wy males. We emphasize the importance of objective methodology when studying colour polymorphism. Our findings indicate that by‐eye categorization methods may be problematic, because humans fail to see differences that can be visible for relevant receivers. Ultimately, receivers equipped with different perception than ours may impose selection to morphs hidden from human sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juan A Galarza
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jimi Kirvesoja
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kaisa Suisto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an iconic mammal, but the function of its black-and-white coloration is mysterious. Using photographs of giant pandas taken in the wild and state-of-the-art image analysis, we confirm the counterintuitive hypothesis that their coloration provides camouflage in their natural environment. The black fur blends into dark shades and tree trunks, whereas white fur matches foliage and snow when present, and intermediate pelage tones match rocks and ground. At longer viewing distances giant pandas show high edge disruption that breaks up their outline, and up close they rely more on background matching. The results are consistent across acuity-corrected canine, feline, and human vision models. We also show quantitatively that the species animal-to-background colour matching falls within the range of other species that are widely recognised as cryptic. Thus, their coloration is an adaptation to provide background matching in the visual environment in which they live and simultaneously to afford distance-dependent disruptive coloration, the latter of which constitutes the first computational evidence of this form of protective coloration in mammals.
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Abstract
AbstractBiologists usually pursue the adaptationist paradigm in trying to explain the functional significance of animal coloration. Here I collate instances in which coloration may be a poor match in the context of background matching, Batesian mimicry, aposematism, and colour polymorphisms. This can occur because of trade-offs with other functions, relaxed selection from predation, or colour trait neutrality. Also, mechanistic, pleiotropic and chance genetic effects can all result in a poor match to the background environment or to signaling efficiently. While biologists implicitly recognise these constraints placed on adaptive coloration, they rarely explicitly acknowledge the heterodox notion that coloration might be under weak selection or no selection at all. Unfortunately, it is difficult to show this definitively, as illustrated in an investigation into the function of colour polymorphisms in coconut crabs.
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Drozdova P, Saranchina A, Morgunova M, Kizenko A, Lubyaga Y, Baduev B, Timofeyev M. The level of putative carotenoid-binding proteins determines the body color in two species of endemic Lake Baikal amphipods. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9387. [PMID: 32596057 PMCID: PMC7307558 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Color is an essential clue for intra- and interspecies communication, playing a role in selection and speciation. Coloration can be based on nanostructures and pigments; carotenoids and carotenoproteins are among the most widespread pigments in animals. Over 350 species and subspecies of amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda) endemic to Lake Baikal exhibit an impressive variability of colors and coloration patterns, including intraspecific color morphs. However, the mechanisms forming this diversity are underexplored, as while the carotenoid composition of several transparent, green, and red species was investigated, there have been no reports on the corresponding carotenoid-binding proteins. In this work, we analyze the coloration of two brightly colored Baikal amphipods characterized by intraspecific color variability, Eulimnogammarus cyaneus and E. vittatus. We showed that the color of either species is defined by the level of putative carotenoid-binding proteins similar to the pheromone/odorant-binding protein family, as the concentration of these putative crustacyanin analogs was higher in blue or teal-colored animals than in the orange- or yellow-colored ones. At the same time, the color did not depend on the total carotenoid content, as it was similar between animals of contrasting color morphs. By exploring the diversity of these sequences within a larger phylogeny of invertebrate crustacyanins, we show that amphipods lack orthologs of the well-studied crustacyanins A and C, even though they possess some crustacyanin-like sequences. The analysis of expression levels in E. cyaneus showed that the transcripts encoding crustacyanin analogs had much higher expression than the crustacyanin-like sequences, suggesting that the former indeed contribute to the color of these brightly colored animals. The crustacyanin analogs seem to act in a similar way to the well-studied crustacyanins in body color formation, but the details of their action are still to be revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Drozdova
- Institute of Biology, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia.,Baikal Research Centre, Irkutsk, Russia
| | | | | | - Alena Kizenko
- Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Bioinformatics Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yulia Lubyaga
- Institute of Biology, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia.,Baikal Research Centre, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Boris Baduev
- Institute of Biology, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Maxim Timofeyev
- Institute of Biology, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia.,Baikal Research Centre, Irkutsk, Russia
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A case study of the coconut crab Birgus latro on Zanzibar highlights global threats and conservation solutions. ORYX 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605319000863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The coconut crab Birgus latro, the largest terrestrial decapod, is under threat in most parts of its geographical range. Its life cycle involves two biomes (restricted terrestrial habitats near the coast, and salt water currents of the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans). Its dependence on coastal habitat means it is highly vulnerable to the habitat destruction that typically accompanies human population expansion along coastlines. Additionally, it has a slow reproductive rate and can reach large adult body sizes that, together with its slow movement when on land, make it highly susceptible to overharvesting. We studied the distribution and population changes of coconut crabs at 15 island sites in coastal Tanzania on the western edge of the species' geographical range. Our aim was to provide the data required for reassessment of the extinction risk status of this species, which, despite indications of sharp declines in many places, is currently categorized on the IUCN Red List as Data Deficient. Pemba Island, Zanzibar, in Tanzania, is an important refuge for B. latro but subpopulations are fragmented and exploited by children and fishers. We discovered that larger subpopulations are found in the presence of crops and farther away from people, whereas the largest adult coconut crabs are found on more remote island reserves and where crabs are not exploited. Remoteness and protection still offer hope for this species but there are also opportunities for protection through local communities capitalizing on tourist revenue, a conservation solution that could be applied more generally across the species' range.
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Nokelainen O, Brito JC, Scott-Samuel NE, Valkonen JK, Boratyński Z. Camouflage accuracy in Sahara-Sahel desert rodents. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1658-1669. [PMID: 32227336 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Camouflage helps animals to hide from predators and is therefore key to survival. Although widespread convergence of animal phenotypes to their natural environment is well-established, there is a lack of knowledge about how species compromise camouflage accuracy across different background types in their habitat. Here we tested how background matching has responded to top-down selection by avian and mammalian predators using Sahara-Sahel desert rodents in North Africa. We show that the fur colouration of several species has become an accurate match to different types of desert habitats. This is supported by a correlation analysis of colour and pattern metrics, investigation of animal-to-background similarities at different spatial scales and is confirmed by modelling of two predator vision systems. The background match was closest across large (or global) spatial scales, suggesting a generalist camouflage tactic for many background types. Some species, may have a better match to the background over small (or focal) spatial scales, which could be the result of habitat choices or differential predation. Nevertheless, predicted discrimination distances of fur colouration were virtually indistinguishable for mammalian and low for avian vision model, which implies effective camouflage. Our study provides one of the best documented cases of multilevel camouflage accuracy in geographically widespread taxa. We conclude that background matching has become an effective and common adaptation against predatory threat in Sahara-Sahelian desert rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Janne K Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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8
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Caro T, Cluff E, Morgan VM. Colour polymorphism and protective coloration in coconut crabs. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1626488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Emma Cluff
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Victoria M. Morgan
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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9
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Nokelainen O, Maynes R, Mynott S, Price N, Stevens M. Improved camouflage through ontogenetic colour change confers reduced detection risk in shore crabs. Funct Ecol 2019; 33:654-669. [PMID: 31217655 PMCID: PMC6559319 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animals from many taxa, from snakes and crabs to caterpillars and lobsters, change appearance with age, but the reasons why this occurs are rarely tested.We show the importance that ontogenetic changes in coloration have on the camouflage of the green shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), known for their remarkable phenotypic variation and plasticity in colour and pattern.In controlled conditions, we reared juvenile crabs of two shades, pale or dark, on two background types simulating different habitats for 10 weeks.In contrast to expectations for reversible colour change, crabs did not tune their background match to specific microhabitats, but instead, and regardless of treatment, all developed a uniform dark green phenotype. This parallels changes in shore crab appearance with age observed in the field.Next, we undertook a citizen science experiment at the Natural History Museum London, where human subjects ("predators") searched for crabs representing natural colour variation from different habitats, simulating predator vision.In concert, crabs were not hardest to find against their original habitat, but instead, the dark green phenotype was hardest to detect against all backgrounds.The evolution of camouflage can be better understood by acknowledging that the optimal phenotype to hide from predators may change over the life history of many animals, including the utilization of a generalist camouflage strategy. A plain language summary is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Ruth Maynes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Sara Mynott
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Natasha Price
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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10
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Duarte RC, Stevens M, Flores AAV. The adaptive value of camouflage and colour change in a polymorphic prawn. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16028. [PMID: 30375480 PMCID: PMC6207773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34470-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage has been a textbook example of natural selection and adaptation since the time of the earliest evolutionists. However, aside from correlational evidence and studies using artificial dummy prey, experiments directly showing that better camouflaged prey to predator vision are at reduced risk of attack are lacking. Here, we show that the level of camouflage achieved through colour adjustments towards the appearance of seaweed habitats is adaptive in reducing predation pressure in the prawn Hippolyte obliquimanus. Digital image analysis and visual modelling of a fish predator (seahorse) predicted that brown prawns would be imperfectly concealed against both brown and red seaweed respectively, whereas pink prawns should be well camouflaged only in red weed. Predation trials with captive seahorses (Hippocampus reidi), coupled with high-speed video analyses, closely matched model predictions: predation rates were similar for brown prawns between seaweed types, but pink individuals were attacked significantly less on red than brown weed. Our work provides some of the clearest direct evidence to date that colour polymorphism and colour change provides a clear adaptive advantage for camouflage, and also highlights how this can be asymmetric across morphs and habitats (i.e. dependent on the specific background-morph combination).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Campos Duarte
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manoel Hypólito do Rego, km 131.5, São Sebastião, SP, 11612-109, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Augusto Alberto Valero Flores
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manoel Hypólito do Rego, km 131.5, São Sebastião, SP, 11612-109, Brazil
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11
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Correlates of color polymorphism in coconut crabs Birgus latro. ZOOLOGY 2018; 129:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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