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Li BV, Wu S, Pimm SL, Cui J. The synergy between protected area effectiveness and economic growth. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2907-2920.e5. [PMID: 38906143 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.044] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Protected areas conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions but might impede local economic growth. Understanding the global patterns and predictors of different relationships between protected area effectiveness and neighboring community economic growth can inform better implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We assessed 10,143 protected areas globally with matched samples to address the non-random location of protected areas. Our results show that protected areas resist human-induced land cover changes and do not limit nightlight increases in neighboring settlements. This result is robust, using different matching techniques, parameter settings, and selection of covariates. We identify four types of relationships between land cover changes and nightlight changes for each protected area: "synergy," "retreat," and two tradeoff relationships. About half of the protected areas (47.5%) retain their natural land cover and do so despite an increase of nightlights in the neighboring communities. This synergy relationship is the most common globally but varies between biomes and continents. Synergy is less frequent in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and some developing areas, where most biodiversity resides and which suffer more from poverty. Smaller protected areas and those with better access to cities, moderate road density, and better baseline economic conditions have a higher probability of reaching synergy. Our results are promising, as the expansion of protected areas and increased species protection will rely more on conserving the human-modified landscape with smaller protected areas. Future interventions should address local development and biodiversity conservation together to achieve more co-benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin V Li
- Environmental Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Shuyao Wu
- Environmental Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China; Center for Yellow River Ecosystem Products, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China; Qingdao Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Stuart L Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jingbo Cui
- Environmental Research Center, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
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2
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Diamant ES, Yeh PJ. Complex patterns of morphological diversity across multiple populations of an urban bird species. Evolution 2024; 78:1325-1337. [PMID: 38700135 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae067] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization presents a natural evolutionary experiment because selection pressures in cities can be strongly mismatched with those found in species' historic habitats. However, some species have managed to adapt and even thrive in these novel conditions. When a species persists across multiple cities, a fundamental question arises: do we see similar traits evolve in similar novel environments? By testing if and how similar phenotypes emerge across multiple urban populations, we can begin to assess the predictability of population response to anthropogenic change. Here, we examine variation within and across multiple populations of a songbird, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). We measured morphological variations in juncos across urban and nonurban populations in Southern California. We investigated whether the variations we observed were due to differences in environmental conditions across cities. Bill shape differed across urban populations; Los Angeles and Santa Barbara juncos had shorter, deeper bills than nonurban juncos, but San Diego juncos did not. On the other hand, wing length decreased with the built environment, regardless of the population. Southern Californian urban juncos exhibit both similarities and differences in morphological traits. Studying multiple urban populations can help us determine the predictability of phenotypic evolutionary responses to novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor S Diamant
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Jacob Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Pamela J Yeh
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States
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Meinzen TC, Burkle LA, Debinski DM. Roadside habitat: Boon or bane for pollinating insects? Bioscience 2024; 74:54-64. [PMID: 38313561 PMCID: PMC10831221 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad111] [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: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pollinators, which provide vital services to wild ecosystems and agricultural crops, are facing global declines and habitat loss. As undeveloped land becomes increasingly scarce, much focus has been directed recently to roadsides as potential target zones for providing floral resources to pollinators. Roadsides, however, are risky places for pollinators, with threats from vehicle collisions, toxic pollutants, mowing, herbicides, and more. Although these threats have been investigated, most studies have yet to quantify the costs and benefits of roadsides to pollinators and, therefore, do not address whether the costs outweigh the benefits for pollinator populations using roadside habitats. In this article, we address how, when, and under what conditions roadside habitats may benefit or harm pollinators, reviewing existing knowledge and recommending practical questions that managers and policymakers should consider when planning pollinator-focused roadside management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Meinzen
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States
| | - Laura A Burkle
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States
| | - Diane M Debinski
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States
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Ydenberg RC, Fernández G, Ortiz Lopez E, Lank DB. Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10325. [PMID: 37492461 PMCID: PMC10363853 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10325] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing predation danger can select for safety-enhancing modifications to prey morphology. Here, we document the multi-decade wing lengthening of a Pacific flyway migrant, the western sandpiper (Calidris mauri), and contrast this with contemporaneous wing shortening of the closely related semipalmated sandpiper (C. pusilla) on the Atlantic flyway. We measured >12,000 southbound western sandpipers captured from 1978 to 2020 at a major stopover site in British Columbia. Wing length increased at 0.074 mm year-1 (SE = 0.017; p < .0003) for adults, and 0.087 mm year-1 (SE = 0.029; p < .007) for juveniles. These rates are of similarly large magnitude (4%-5% overall), but opposite in direction, to the rate we previously reported for semipalmated sandpiper adults (-0.103 mm year-1). In both species, the change is specific to wings rather than being part of a general body size change. We interpret both trends as responses to the ongoing strong increase of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) populations since the mid-1970s, an important predator encountered by these species in contrasting ways during migration. Western sandpipers and peregrine migrations have temporal and spatial overlap. Longer wings enhance migratory speed and efficiency, enabling western sandpipers to decrease overlap by advancing to safer zones ahead of falcon passage. In contrast, semipalmated sandpipers primarily encounter peregrines as residents at migratory staging sites. Shorter wings improve acceleration and agility, helping migrants to escape attacks. Juvenile western sandpiper wing length also shows a component additive to the lengthening trend, shifting between years at 0.055 mm day-1 with the highly variable snowmelt date, with wings shorter following early springs. On the Pacific flyway, the timing of peregrine southward passage advances with snowmelt, increasing the relative exposure of juveniles to post-migratory resident peregrines. We interpret this annual wing length adjustment as an induced defense, made possible because snowmelt timing is a reliable cue to danger in the upcoming migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald C. Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Guillermo Fernández
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mary LimnologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMazatlanMexico
| | | | - David B. Lank
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Maranho R, Ferreira MT, Curate F. Secular Trends in the Size and Shape of the Scapula among the Portuguese between the 19th and the 21st Centuries. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:928. [PMID: 37508358 PMCID: PMC10376422 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Potential secular changes in the human scapula are fundamentally unbeknownst, with most of the preceding anatomical studies focusing on long-term changes in the long bones and the skull. As such, the cardinal purpose of this study pertains to the evaluation of secular trends on the shape and size of the scapula in a time period spanning from the 19th to the early 21st centuries. The study sample included 211 individuals (100 males and 111 females) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection and the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection. The size and shape of the scapula were evaluated using geometric morphometrics. Results show secular changes over a relatively short period of time in both the shape and size of the scapula in Portuguese nationals. Shape changes were observed in both sexes but expressed minimally, while a significant negative trend in the size of the scapula was detected in males. Scapular size decrement in males conceivably echoes general trends of the overall anatomy towards a narrower body associated with higher standards of living that include enhanced nutrition and universal healthcare, among other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Maranho
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Curate
- Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Rua Arco da Traição 7, 3000-056 Coimbra, Portugal
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Nothing in the Environment Makes Sense Except in the Light of a Living System: Organisms, Their Relationships to the Environment, and Evolution. Evol Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09594-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Wood H, Cousins SAO. Variability in bat morphology is influenced by temperature and forest cover and their interactions. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9695. [PMID: 36726877 PMCID: PMC9884614 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9695] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple climatic and landscape drivers have been linked to variations in bat body size and wing functional traits. Most previous studies used proxies rather than actual climate and land-use data, and their interactions are rarely explored. We investigate whether higher summer average temperatures are driving decreasing bat body size as predicted by Bergmann's rule or increasing appendage size as per Allen's rule. We also explore whether temperature or resource availability (namely forest cover) is responsible for changes in wing functional traits. Using land-use data from historical maps and national statistics combined with climatic data, we assessed the effect of temperature and resource availability on bat morphology. We used 464 museum specimens of three bat species (Eptesicus nilssonii, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, and Plecotus auritus), spanning 180 years, across a 1200 km latitudinal gradient. We found no evidence of higher summer average temperatures driving decreases in body size in bats. Jaw sizes of P. auritus and P. pygmaeus changed over time but in different directions. The geographical variation of forest cover was also related to differences in wing functional traits in two species. Crucially, there was a significant antagonistic interactive effect of forest and temperature on tip index in P. pygmaeus whereby above 14.5°C the relationship between forest and tip index actually reversed. This could indicate that higher temperatures promote more pointed wings, which may provide energetic benefits. Our results show the importance of including both climatic and land-use variables when assessing trends in bat morphology and exploring interactions. Encouragingly, all three species have shown an ability to adapt their body size and functional traits to different conditions, and it could demonstrate their potential to overcome future negative impacts of climate and land-use change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Wood
- Landscape, Environment & Geomatics, Department of Physical GeographyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Sara A. O. Cousins
- Landscape, Environment & Geomatics, Department of Physical GeographyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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Baxter-Gilbert J, Riley JL, Wagener C, Baider C, Florens FBV, Kowalski P, Campbell M, Measey J. Island Hopping through Urban Filters: Anthropogenic Habitats and Colonized Landscapes Alter Morphological and Performance Traits of an Invasive Amphibian. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192549. [PMID: 36230289 PMCID: PMC9559409 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Invasive species are common on islands and, increasingly so, in urban ecosystems. They can pose serious ecological and socioeconomic impacts, making research on how invasions are promoted critically important. We examined different traits of guttural toads (Sclerophrys gutturalis) in their natural and invasive ranges (both natural and urban populations in native and invasive sites) to understand if divergences in habitats in their native range could increase their invasive potential. We found that invasive island populations on Mauritius and Réunion (Indian Ocean) have reduced body sizes, proportionally shorter limbs, slower escape speeds, and reduced endurance capacities compared to the native South African populations. In short, these changes occurred post-invasion. However, increase climbing ability was seen within the urban-native toads, a trait maintained within the two invasions, suggesting that it may have been an advantageous prior adaptation. Becoming climbers may have benefited the toad during colonization, increasing navigation and hunting ability within the urbanized areas where they were introduced, prior to their spread into natural areas. This change in climbing performance is an example of how the urbanization of native taxa may be increasing the ability of certain species to become better invaders should they be introduced outside their native range. Abstract A prominent feature of the modern era is the increasing spread of invasive species, particularly within island and urban ecosystems, and these occurrences provide valuable natural experiments by which evolutionary and invasion hypotheses can be tested. In this study, we used the invasion route of guttural toads (Sclerophrys gutturalis) from natural-native and urban-native populations (Durban, South Africa) to their urban-invasive and natural-invasive populations (Mauritius and Réunion) to determine whether phenotypic changes that arose once the toads became urbanized in their native range have increased their invasive potential before they were transported (i.e., prior adaptation) or whether the observed changes are unique to the invasive populations. This urban/natural by native/invasive gradient allowed us to examine differences in guttural toad morphology (i.e., body size, hindlimb, and hindfoot length) and performance capacity (i.e., escape speed, endurance, and climbing ability) along their invasion route. Our findings indicate that invasive island populations have reduced body sizes, shorter limbs in relation to snout-vent length, decreased escape speeds, and decreased endurance capacities that are distinct from the native mainland populations (i.e., invasion-derived change). Thus, these characteristics did not likely arise directly from a pre-transport anthropogenic “filter” (i.e., urban-derived change). Climbing ability, however, did appear to originate within the urban-native range and was maintained within the invasive populations, thereby suggesting it may have been a prior adaptation that provided this species with an advantage during its establishment in urban areas and spread into natural forests. We discuss how this shift in climbing performance may be ecologically related to the success of urban and invasive guttural toad populations, as well as how it may have impacted other island-derived morphological and performance phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Baxter-Gilbert
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7405, South Africa
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB E4L 1E2, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Julia L. Riley
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB E4L 1E2, Canada
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7405, South Africa
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Carla Wagener
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7405, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - Cláudia Baider
- The Mauritius Herbarium, Agricultural Services, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Réduit 80835, Mauritius
| | - F. B. Vincent Florens
- Tropical Island Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation Pole of Research, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit 80837, Mauritius
| | | | - May Campbell
- Grow Learning Support, Ballito 4391, South Africa
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7405, South Africa
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Sacramento E, Rodríguez B, Rodríguez A. Roadkill mortality decreases after road inauguration. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01574-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe main factors affecting specific road casualty rates are related to life-history traits, road features, and landscape variables. After road inauguration, roadkill rate and spatial and temporal patterns can change substantially due to changes in traffic intensity, avoidance behaviour or local population decline. Despite the Canary Islands constituting a biodiversity hotspot, Canarian ecosystems are highly threatened because of the high human density, and studies on anthropogenic sources of mortality of wildlife are scarce. Here, we counted roadkills during two annual cycles after the inauguration of an 8.8-km-road section on Tenerife, the largest and most densely populated island of the Canaries. We counted 694 roadkills belonging to a minimum of 19 species of birds and six species of introduced mammals. Seasonal variation was apparent during both annual cycles, particularly for birds, being the majority of victims concentrated in May and June. Although traffic intensity increased since road inauguration, the number of roadkills decreased significantly in the second annual cycle. The reduction in road mortality in the second cycle could be related to some non-mutually exclusive factors such as population decline, road avoidance, or weather conditions. As road networks of the Canary Islands are still increasing, further studies quantifying road mortality impacts on Canarian ecosystems and threatened species are urgently needed to guarantee the management and conservation of its fragile wildlife.
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Wagnon GS, Pletcher OM, Brown CR. Change in beak overhangs of cliff swallows over 40 years: Partly a response to parasites? PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263422. [PMID: 35192650 PMCID: PMC8863248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Some birds exhibit a maxillary overhang, in which the tip of the upper beak projects beyond the lower mandible and may curve downward. The overhang is thought to help control ectoparasites on the feathers. Little is known about the extent to which the maxillary overhang varies spatially or temporally within populations of the same species. The colonial cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) has relatively recently shifted to almost exclusive use of artificial structures such as bridges and highway culverts for nesting and consequently has been exposed to higher levels of parasitism than on its ancestral cliff nesting sites. We examined whether increased ectoparasitism may have favored recent changes in the extent of the maxillary overhang. Using a specimen collection of cliff swallows from western Nebraska, USA, spanning 40 years and field data on live birds, we found that the extent of the maxillary overhang increased across years in a nonlinear way, peaking in the late 2000's, and varied inversely with cliff swallow colony size for unknown reasons. The number of fleas on nestling cliff swallows declined in general over this period. Those birds with perceptible overhangs had fewer swallow bugs on the outside of their nest, but they did not have higher nesting success than birds with no overhangs. The intraspecific variation in the maxillary overhang in cliff swallows was partly consistent with it having a functional role in combatting ectoparasites. The temporal increase in the extent of the overhang may be a response by cliff swallows to their relatively recent increased exposure to parasitism. Our results demonstrate that this avian morphological trait can change rapidly over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gigi S. Wagnon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Olivia M. Pletcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Charles R. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
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Riera R, Herrera AM, Rodríguez RA. Relationships between ergodic indicators of dispersal intensity, IUCN Red List values, and selected environmental variables in connection with European birds whose foraging and flying behavior is associated to roads and highways. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Phenotypic variation in a neotropical understory bird driven by environmental change in an urbanizing Amazonian landscape. Oecologia 2021; 196:763-779. [PMID: 34259906 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04976-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: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Environmental change through habitat fragmentation and urbanization drives biodiversity loss in the Neotropics at an alarming rate. Some individuals and species confined to habitat fragments may develop phenotypic adjustments that allow populations to persist, even in landscapes made harsh by human activities. Behavioral and morphological adjustments may enhance a population's ability to cope with anthropogenic hazards. We examined potential differences in the behavioral and morphological phenotype of populations of the neotropical Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus)-an understory forest specialist insectivorous bird-between populations from urban fragmented forests and continuous preserved forests. We evaluated exploratory behavior and morphological traits using generalized linear models and linear discriminant analysis to quantify phenotypical differences among populations. We used failure time analysis to compare latency to explore and move during exploration in a Novel Environment Test (NET). Our analyses detected differences in certain movement behaviors (latencies to move during NET), indicating that individuals from fragmented forests are slow explorers in relation to individuals from the continuous forest. We also found shorter tarsi and tails in the fragmented forest population which were attributed to an overall reduction in body size in these populations. Our results suggest that environmental change driven by fragmentation in an urban landscape is causing population differentiation, but we cannot ascribe observed variations to evolutionary processes only, as the differences observed may be explained by other processes too. However, we suggest that phenotypic differences may be aiding this small understory forest specialist to persist in an urban fragmented landscape.
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Where wildlife and traffic collide: Roadkill rates change through time in a wildlife-tourism hotspot. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Medrano‐Vizcaíno P, Espinosa S. Geography of roadkills within the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot: Poorly known vertebrates are part of the toll. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Medrano‐Vizcaíno
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Quito Ecuador
- School of Biological Sciences University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Santiago Espinosa
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Quito Ecuador
- Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí México
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Landscape and Species Traits Co-Drive Roadkills of Bats in a Subtropical Island. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13030117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The expansion of roads has threatened wildlife populations by driving casualties due to vehicle collisions. However, the ecological drivers of wildlife roadkills are not yet fully explored. We investigated the strength of landscape features and ecomorphological traits in determining spatial patterns of bat roadkills in Taiwan. In total, 661 roadkills that belonged to 20 bat species were acquired by citizen scientists between 2011 and 2019. The number and species richness of victim bats declined with increasing elevations with varying species compositions. Elevation and artificial light had significantly negative effects on the occurrence of roadkill, whereas protected area and its interaction with elevation had positive effects. Ordination analyses showed that roadkills were driven by different ecomorphological traits and landscape features. At low elevations, road casualties were associated with an aerial hawking hunting strategy. At higher elevations, roadkills were associated with higher elevational distribution. Roadkills of non-cave bats were associated with brighter environments, suggesting that bats might be exposed to higher risk when hunting insects near artificial light. Our findings suggest that management agencies shall consider both species traits and landscape features when planning impact assessments and mitigation practices of roadkills for bats and probably other wildlife, particularly when long environmental gradients are covered.
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Allio R, Tilak MK, Scornavacca C, Avenant NL, Kitchener AC, Corre E, Nabholz B, Delsuc F. High-quality carnivoran genomes from roadkill samples enable comparative species delineation in aardwolf and bat-eared fox. eLife 2021; 10:e63167. [PMID: 33599612 PMCID: PMC7963486 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In a context of ongoing biodiversity erosion, obtaining genomic resources from wildlife is essential for conservation. The thousands of yearly mammalian roadkill provide a useful source material for genomic surveys. To illustrate the potential of this underexploited resource, we used roadkill samples to study the genomic diversity of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), both having subspecies with similar disjunct distributions in Eastern and Southern Africa. First, we obtained reference genomes with high contiguity and gene completeness by combining Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. Then, we showed that the two subspecies of aardwolf might warrant species status (P. cristatus and P. septentrionalis) by comparing their genome-wide genetic differentiation to pairs of well-defined species across Carnivora with a new Genetic Differentiation index (GDI) based on only a few resequenced individuals. Finally, we obtained a genome-scale Carnivora phylogeny including the new aardwolf species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allio
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Marie-Ka Tilak
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Celine Scornavacca
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Nico L Avenant
- National Museum and Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums ScotlandEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Erwan Corre
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, ABiMS, Station Biologique de RoscoffRoscoffFrance
| | - Benoit Nabholz
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)ParisFrance
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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17
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Brown CR, Hannebaum SL, O’Brien VA, Page CE, Rannala B, Roche EA, Wagnon GS, Knutie SA, Moore AT, Brown MB. The cost of ectoparasitism in Cliff Swallows declines over 35 years. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles R. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Stacey L. Hannebaum
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Valerie A. O’Brien
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Catherine E. Page
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Bruce Rannala
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Erin A. Roche
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Gigi S. Wagnon
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Sarah A. Knutie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut 75 N. Eagleville Rd. Storrs Connecticut 06269 USA
| | - Amy T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
| | - Mary B. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Dr. Tulsa Oklahoma 74104 USA
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18
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Grosklos G, Cortez MH. Evolutionary and Plastic Phenotypic Change Can Be Just as Fast as Changes in Population Densities. Am Nat 2021; 197:47-59. [PMID: 33417519 DOI: 10.1086/711928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEvolution and plasticity can drive population-level phenotypic change (e.g., changes in the mean phenotype) on timescales comparable to changes in population densities. However, it is unclear whether phenotypic change has the potential to be just as fast as changes in densities or whether comparable rates of change occur only when densities are changing slow enough for phenotypes to keep pace. Moreover, it is unclear whether this depends on the mode of adaptation. Using scaling theory and fast-slow dynamical systems theory, we develop a method for comparing maximum rates of density and phenotypic change estimated from population-level time-series data. We apply our method to 30 published empirical studies where changes in morphological traits are caused by evolution, plasticity, or an unknown combination. For every study, the maximum rate of phenotypic change was between 0.5 and 2.5 times faster than the maximum rate of change in density. Moreover, there were no systematic differences between systems with different modes of adaptation. Our results show that plasticity and evolution can drive phenotypic change just as fast as changes in densities. We discuss the implications of our results in terms of the strengths of feedbacks between population densities and traits.
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19
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An avian urban morphotype: how the city environment shapes great tit morphology at different life stages. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01077-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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20
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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21
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Harpak A, Garud N, Rosenberg NA, Petrov DA, Combs M, Pennings PS, Munshi-South J. Genetic Adaptation in New York City Rats. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 13:5991490. [PMID: 33211096 PMCID: PMC7851592 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive in urban environments by navigating the anthropocentric environment and taking advantage of human resources and by-products. From the human perspective, rats are a chronic problem that causes billions of dollars in damage to agriculture, health, and infrastructure. Did genetic adaptation play a role in the spread of rats in cities? To approach this question, we collected whole-genome sequences from 29 brown rats from New York City (NYC) and scanned for genetic signatures of adaptation. We tested for 1) high-frequency, extended haplotypes that could indicate selective sweeps and 2) loci of extreme genetic differentiation between the NYC sample and a sample from the presumed ancestral range of brown rats in northeast China. We found candidate selective sweeps near or inside genes associated with metabolism, diet, the nervous system, and locomotory behavior. Patterns of differentiation between NYC and Chinese rats at putative sweep loci suggest that many sweeps began after the split from the ancestral population. Together, our results suggest several hypotheses on adaptation in rats living in proximity to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arbel Harpak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University
| | - Nandita Garud
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Matthew Combs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University
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22
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Baxter-Gilbert J, Riley JL, Frère CH, Whiting MJ. Shrinking into the big city: influence of genetic and environmental factors on urban dragon lizard morphology and performance capacity. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01065-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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23
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Wagnon GS, Brown CR. Smaller brained cliff swallows are more likely to die during harsh weather. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200264. [PMID: 32673545 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cognitive-buffer hypothesis proposes that more harsh and unpredictable environments favour animals with larger brains and resulting greater cognitive skills. Comparisons across taxa have supported the hypothesis, but it has rarely been tested within a species. We measured brain size, as inferred from head dimensions, for 1141 cliff swallow specimens collected in western Nebraska, 1982-2018. Cliff swallows starving to death during unusual late-spring cold snaps had significantly smaller brains than those dying from other causes, suggesting that brain size in this species can affect foraging success and that greater cognitive ability may confer advantages when conditions exceed normal environmental extremes. Brain size declined significantly with the size of the breeding colony from which a specimen came. Larger brains may be favoured in smaller colonies that represent more unpredictable and more challenging social environments where there is less public information on food sources and less collective vigilance against predators, even in relatively normal conditions. Our results provide intraspecific support for the cognitive-buffer hypothesis and emphasize the potential evolutionary impact of rare climatic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gigi S Wagnon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa 74104, OK, USA
| | - Charles R Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa 74104, OK, USA
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24
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Parsons KJ, Rigg A, Conith AJ, Kitchener AC, Harris S, Zhu H. Skull morphology diverges between urban and rural populations of red foxes mirroring patterns of domestication and macroevolution. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200763. [PMID: 32486981 PMCID: PMC7341913 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activity is drastically altering the habitat use of natural populations. This has been documented as a driver of phenotypic divergence in a number of wild animal populations. Here, we show that urban and rural populations of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from London and surrounding boroughs are divergent in skull traits. These changes are primarily found to be involved with snout length, with urban individuals tending to have shorter and wider muzzles relative to rural individuals, smaller braincases and reduced sexual dimorphism. Changes were widespread and related to muscle attachment sites and thus are likely driven by differing biomechanical demands of feeding or cognition between habitats. Through extensive sampling of the genus Vulpes, we found no support for phylogenetic effects on skull morphology, but patterns of divergence found between urban and rural habitats in V. vulpes quantitatively aligned with macroevolutionary divergence between species. The patterns of skull divergence between urban and rural habitats matched the description of morphological changes that can occur during domestication. Specifically, urban populations of foxes show variation consistent with 'domestication syndrome'. Therefore, we suggest that occurrences of phenotypic divergence in relation to human activity, while interesting themselves, also have the potential to inform us of the conditions and mechanisms that could initiate domestication. Finally, this also suggests that patterns of domestication may be developmentally biased towards larger patterns of interspecific divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. J. Parsons
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Anders Rigg
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - A. J. Conith
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - A. C. Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
- Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - S. Harris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Haoyu Zhu
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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25
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Perry GH. How human behavior can impact the evolution of genetically-mediated behavior in wild non-human species. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:337-342. [PMID: 32201915 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01415-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Humans intensely modify the ecosystems we inhabit. Many of the impacts that this behavior can have on other species also sharing these spaces are obvious. A prime example is the devastating current extinction crisis. Yet some populations of non-human, non-domesticated species survive or even appear to thrive in heavily disturbed or human-built habitats. Theoretically, this apparent paradox could be facilitated partly by the evolution of genetically-mediated trait adaptations to the impacts of human behavior. At the least, persistence in strongly modified habitats would provide requisite selection pressures for this process to potentially occur in the future. In fact, we have a growing number of well-characterized examples of morphological trait adaptations to human behavior. However, our knowledge of genetically-mediated behavioral adaptations in similar contexts is less well developed. In this review I set up and discuss several evolutionary scenarios by which human behavior might have impacted the evolution of genetically mediated behavior in non-human, non-domestic species and highlight several approaches that could be used in future studies of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- George H Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. .,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. .,DFG Center for Advanced Studies, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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26
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Jumeau J, Lopez J, Morand A, Petrod L, Burel F, Handrich Y. Factors driving the distribution of an amphibian community in stormwater ponds: a study case in the agricultural plain of Bas-Rhin, France. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-1364-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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27
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Scordato ESC, Smith CCR, Semenov GA, Liu Y, Wilkins MR, Liang W, Rubtsov A, Sundev G, Koyama K, Turbek SP, Wunder MB, Stricker CA, Safran RJ. Migratory divides coincide with reproductive barriers across replicated avian hybrid zones above the Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:231-241. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S. C. Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- Department of Biological Sciences California State Polytechnic University Pomona CA USA
| | - Chris C. R. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - Georgy A. Semenov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- Institute of Ecology and Systematics of Animals Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Yu Liu
- Queen Mary University of London London England
- Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Matthew R. Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- Vanderbilt University Center for Science Outreach Nashville TN37212 USA
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou571158 China
| | | | - Gomboobaatar Sundev
- National University of Mongolia P. O. Box 537 Ulaanbaatar210646 Mongolia
- Mongolian Ornithological Society P. O. Box 537 Ulaanbaatar210646 Mongolia
| | - Kazuo Koyama
- Japan Bird Research Association Tokyo Japan183‐0034
| | - Sheela P. Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - Michael B. Wunder
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Colorado Denver Denver CO USA
| | | | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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28
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Brady SP, Zamora‐Camacho FJ, Eriksson FAA, Goedert D, Comas M, Calsbeek R. Fitter frogs from polluted ponds: The complex impacts of human-altered environments. Evol Appl 2019; 12:1360-1370. [PMID: 31417620 PMCID: PMC6691218 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-modified habitats rarely yield outcomes that are aligned with conservation ideals. Landscapes that are subdivided by roads are no exception, precipitating negative impacts on populations due to fragmentation, pollution, and road kill. Although many populations in human-modified habitats show evidence for local adaptation, rarely does environmental change yield outright benefits for populations of conservation interest. Contrary to expectations, we report surprising benefits experienced by amphibian populations breeding and dwelling in proximity to roads. We show that roadside populations of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica, exhibit better locomotor performance and higher measures of traits related to fitness compared with frogs from less disturbed environments located further away from roads. These results contrast previous evidence for maladaptation in roadside populations of wood frogs studied elsewhere. Our results indicate that altered habitats might not be unequivocally detrimental and at times might contribute to metapopulation success. While the frequency of such beneficial outcomes remains unknown, their occurrence underscores the complexity of inferring consequences of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P. Brady
- Biology DepartmentSouthern Connecticut State UniversityNew HavenConnecticut
| | - Francisco J. Zamora‐Camacho
- Department of Biological SciencesDartmouth CollegeHanoverNew Hampshire
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC)MadridSpain
| | | | - Debora Goedert
- Department of Biological SciencesDartmouth CollegeHanoverNew Hampshire
| | - Mar Comas
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC)SevilleSpain
| | - Ryan Calsbeek
- Department of Biological SciencesDartmouth CollegeHanoverNew Hampshire
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29
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Abstract
Roads now penetrate even the most remote parts of much of the world, but the majority of research on the effects of roads on biota has been in less remote temperate environments. The impacts of roads in semi-arid and arid areas may differ from these results in a number of ways. Here, we review the research on the impacts of roads on biodiversity patterns and ecological and evolutionary processes in semi-arid regions. The most obvious effect of roads is mortality or injury through collision. A diversity of scavengers are killed whilst feeding on roadkill, a source of easily accessed food. Noise pollution from roads and traffic interferes with vocal communication by animals, and birds and frogs living along noisy roads compensate for traffic noise by increasing the amplitude or pitch of their calls. Artificial light along roads impacts certain species’ ability to navigate, as well as attracting invertebrates. Animals are in turn attracted to invertebrates at streetlights, and vulnerable to becoming roadkill themselves. Genetics research across taxa confirms a loss of genetic diversity in small populations isolated by roads, but the long-term impact on the fitness of affected populations through a reduction in genetic diversity is not yet clear. Roads may rapidly cause genetic effects, raising conservation concerns about rare and threatened species. We assess mitigation measures and collate methods to identify the impact of roads on wildlife populations and their associated ecosystems, with a particular focus on recent advances.
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30
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Anderson AM, Friis C, Gratto-Trevor CL, Morrison RIG, Smith PA, Nol E. Consistent declines in wing lengths of Calidridine sandpipers suggest a rapid morphometric response to environmental change. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213930. [PMID: 30943247 PMCID: PMC6447156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent study demonstrated that semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) wing lengths have shortened from the 1980s to the present-day. We examined alternative and untested hypotheses for this change at an important stopover site, James Bay, Ontario, Canada. We evaluated morphometric patterns in wing length and bill length by age and sex, when possible, and assessed if wing shape has also changed during this time-period. We investigated patterns of morphological change in two additional Calidridine sandpipers, white-rumped sandpipers (Calidris fuscicollis) and least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla), to determine if shorter wing lengths are a widespread pattern in small sandpipers. We also examined allometric changes in wing and bill lengths to clarify if wing length declines were consistent with historical scaling relationships and indicative of a change in body size instead of only wing length change. We found that including sex and wing shape in analyses revealed important patterns in morphometric change for semipalmated sandpipers. Wing lengths declined for both sexes, but the magnitude of decline was smaller and not significant for males. Additionally, semipalmated sandpiper wings have become more convex, a shape that increases maneuverability in flight. Wing lengths, but not bill lengths, declined for most species and age classes, a pattern that was inconsistent with historical allometric scaling relationships. For juvenile semipalmated sandpipers, however, both bill and wing lengths declined according to historical scaling relationships, which could be a consequence of nutritional stress during development or a shift in the proportion of birds from smaller-sized, western breeding populations. Except for juvenile semipalmated sandpipers, we did not find evidence for an increase in the proportion of birds from different breeding populations at the stopover site. Given the wide, hemispheric distribution of these sandpipers throughout their annual cycles, our results, paired with those from a previous study, provide evidence for wide-spread reduction in wing lengths of Calidridine sandpipers since the 1980s. The shorter wing lengths and more convex wing shapes found in this study support the hypothesis that selection has favored more maneuverable wing morphology in small sandpipers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Anderson
- Trent University, Environmental and Life Sciences, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - R. I. Guy Morrison
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul A. Smith
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erica Nol
- Trent University, Biology Department, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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31
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Otto SP. Adaptation, speciation and extinction in the Anthropocene. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20182047. [PMID: 30429309 PMCID: PMC6253383 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have dramatically altered the planet over the course of a century, from the acidity of our oceans to the fragmentation of our landscapes and the temperature of our climate. Species find themselves in novel environments, within communities assembled from never before encountered mixtures of invasives and natives. The speed with which the biotic and abiotic environment of species has changed has already altered the evolutionary trajectory of species, a trend that promises to escalate. In this article, I reflect upon this altered course of evolution. Human activities have reshaped selection pressures, favouring individuals that better survive in our built landscapes, that avoid our hunting and fishing, and that best tolerate the species that we have introduced. Human-altered selection pressures have also modified how organisms live and move through the landscape, and even the nature of reproduction and genome structure. Humans are also shaping selection pressures at the species level, and I discuss how species traits are affecting both extinction and speciation rates in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah P Otto
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
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32
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Sundstrom SM, Angeler DG, Barichievy C, Eason T, Garmestani A, Gunderson L, Knutson M, Nash KL, Spanbauer T, Stow C, Allen CR. The distribution and role of functional abundance in cross-scale resilience. Ecology 2018; 99:2421-2432. [PMID: 30175443 PMCID: PMC6792002 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The cross-scale resilience model suggests that system-level ecological resilience emerges from the distribution of species' functions within and across the spatial and temporal scales of a system. It has provided a quantitative method for calculating the resilience of a given system and so has been a valuable contribution to a largely qualitative field. As it is currently laid out, the model accounts for the spatial and temporal scales at which environmental resources and species are present and the functional roles species play but does not inform us about how much resource is present or how much function is provided. In short, it does not account for abundance in the distribution of species and their functional roles within and across the scales of a system. We detail the ways in which we would expect species' abundance to be relevant to the cross-scale resilience model based on the extensive abundance literature in ecology. We also put forward a series of testable hypotheses that would improve our ability to anticipate and quantify how resilience is generated, and how ecosystems will (or will not) buffer recent rapid global changes. This stream of research may provide an improved foundation for the quantitative evaluation of ecological resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana M. Sundstrom
- School of Natural Resources, 103 Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege St., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
- Corresponding author:
| | - David G. Angeler
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Box 7050, SE- 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chris Barichievy
- Zoological Society of London. Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Tarsha Eason
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Ahjond Garmestani
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Lance Gunderson
- Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | | | - Kirsty L. Nash
- Centre for Marine Socioecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000
| | - Trisha Spanbauer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas-Austin, TX 78712
| | - Craig Stow
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA
| | - Craig R. Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey - Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
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Fernández-Juricic E, Brand J, Blackwell BF, Seamans TW, DeVault TL. Species With Greater Aerial Maneuverability Have Higher Frequency of Collisions With Aircraft: A Comparative Study. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Sparkman A, Howe S, Hynes S, Hobbs B, Handal K. Parallel behavioral and morphological divergence in fence lizards on two college campuses. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191800. [PMID: 29444102 PMCID: PMC5812597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of urban development has dramatically altered natural habitats, modifying community relationships, abiotic factors, and structural features. Animal populations living in these areas must perish, emigrate, or find ways to adjust to a suite of new selective pressures. Those that successfully inhabit the urban environment may make behavioral, physiological, and/or morphological adjustments that represent either evolutionary change and/or phenotypic plasticity. We tested for effects of urbanization on antipredator behavior and associated morphology across an urban-wild gradient in the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) in two California counties, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. We compared college campuses in both counties with adjacent rural habitats, conducting field trials that allowed us to characterize antipredator behavior in response to the acute stress of capture. We found notable divergence between campus and rural behavior, with campus lizards more frequently exhibiting diminished escape behavior, including tonic immobility, and lower sprint speeds. Furthermore, campus females had significantly shorter limbs, and while this did not explain variation in sprint speed, those with shorter limbs were more likely to show tonic immobility. We hypothesize that these parallel behavioral and morphological changes on both campuses reflect adjustment to a novel environment involving changes in predation and human presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Sparkman
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephen Howe
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Hynes
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Brooke Hobbs
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Karina Handal
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
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Alberti M, Marzluff J, Hunt VM. Urban driven phenotypic changes: empirical observations and theoretical implications for eco-evolutionary feedback. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0029. [PMID: 27920374 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence that cities drive micro-evolution raises the question of whether rapid urbanization of Earth might impact ecosystems by causing systemic changes in functional traits that regulate urban ecosystems' productivity and stability. Intraspecific trait variation-variation in organisms' morphological, physiological or behavioural characteristics stemming from genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity-has significant implications for ecological functions such as nutrient cycling and primary productivity. While it is well established that changes in ecological conditions can drive evolutionary change in species' traits that, in turn, can alter ecosystem function, an understanding of the reciprocal and simultaneous processes associated with such interactions is only beginning to emerge. In urban settings, the potential for rapid trait change may be exacerbated by multiple selection pressures operating simultaneously. This paper reviews evidence on mechanisms linking urban development patterns to rapid phenotypic changes, and differentiates phenotypic changes for which there is evidence of micro-evolution versus phenotypic changes which may represent plasticity. Studying how humans mediate phenotypic trait changes through urbanization could shed light on fundamental concepts in ecological and evolutionary theory. It can also contribute to our understanding of eco-evolutionary feedback and provide insights for maintaining ecosystem function over the long term.This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - John Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Victoria M Hunt
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Madden JR, Perkins SE. Why did the pheasant cross the road? Long-term road mortality patterns in relation to management changes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170617. [PMID: 29134073 PMCID: PMC5666256 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) are commonly killed on UK roads, presenting a threat to motorists and a loss to the game shooting industry. Pheasants may be inherently susceptible, or the recent increase in their artificial rearing and release may have exacerbated the situation, either through population increases or because artificial rearing has altered movement behaviour. We compared intra-annual patterns of roadkill reported in the UK from the 1960s (prior to the onset of mass release programmes) with that from the 2010s (when pheasant release was well established and widespread), considering roadkill sex and locations and accounting for changes in traffic levels. Pheasants in the UK are disproportionately likely to be reported killed on roads. However, this likelihood has not changed notably over the past 50 years. Instead, the timing of roadkill has changed. Pheasants in the 2010s are no longer susceptible during their breeding season, unlike in the 1960s, perhaps because relatively few breed successfully. Instead, roadkill first peaks in September-November as pheasants disperse from release pens, females first. Roadkill declines over winter, but when supplementary feeding ceases in February, we see a second peak in roadkill. Roadkill rates are higher in regions of the UK where there is little arable farming and hence natural food supplies are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joah R. Madden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- Author for correspondence: Joah R. Madden e-mail:
| | - Sarah E. Perkins
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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Brady SP, Goedert D. Positive Sire Effects and Adaptive Genotype by Environment Interaction Occur despite Pattern of Local Maladaptation in Roadside Populations of an Amphibian. COPEIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1643/cg-16-535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Why come back home? Breeding-site fidelity varies with group size and parasite load in a colonial bird. Anim Behav 2017; 132:167-180. [PMID: 29662246 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Fidelity to a past breeding site is widespread among animals and may confer both costs and benefits. Colonial species occur at specific sites that can accommodate multiple breeders, and the choice of whether to return to last year's site or disperse elsewhere can affect colony site use, the colony size distribution and individual fitness. For the colonial cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, which occupies colonies of widely different sizes, we used a 30-year field study in western Nebraska to investigate how the extent of infestation by ectoparasites and colony size affected breeders' colony site fidelity between years. We compared philopatry at colonies where parasitic swallow bugs, Oeciacus vicarius, had been removed by fumigation with that at nonfumigated sites exposed to natural levels of ectoparasites. About 25% of birds at nonfumigated colonies returned to their previous year's site, whereas about 69% of birds at fumigated colonies did so. Site fidelity was greatest at nonfumigated sites that changed the least in size between years. Birds were less likely to return to a nonfumigated site as the colony there became increasingly larger. Individuals philopatric to both nonfumigated and fumigated sites resided in colonies more similar in size between years than did dispersing birds. Most cliff swallows settled within 6 km of their previous year's site, indicating that many nonphilopatric birds still may have had some familiarity with the local landscape surrounding the site to which they moved. Removal of ectoparasites at a site allows large colonies to persist there perennially, probably contributing to higher philopatry because such large colonies are rare and would have been difficult to find had the residents dispersed. Cliff swallows are likely to be sensitive to both colony size and general familiarity with a given site or landscape region, and probably integrate these with other cues to select breeding colonies.
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Environmental exposure does not explain putative maladaptation in road-adjacent populations. Oecologia 2017; 184:931-942. [PMID: 28717880 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
While the ecological consequences of roads are well described, little is known of their role as agents of natural selection, which can shape adaptive and maladaptive responses in populations influenced by roads. This knowledge gap persists despite a growing appreciation for the influence of evolution in human-altered environments. There, insights indicate that natural selection typically results in local adaptation. Thus, populations influenced by road-induced selection should evolve fitness advantages in their local environment. Contrary to this expectation, wood frog tadpoles from roadside populations show evidence of a fitness disadvantage, consistent with local maladaptation. Specifically, in reciprocal transplants, roadside populations survive at lower rates compared to populations away from roads. A key question remaining is whether roadside environmental conditions experienced by early stage embryos induce this outcome. This represents an important missing piece in evaluating the evolutionary nature of this maladaptation pattern. Here, I address this gap using a reciprocal transplant experiment designed to test the hypothesis that embryonic exposure to roadside pond water induces a survival disadvantage. Contrary to this hypothesis, my results show that reduced survival persists when embryonic exposure is controlled. This outcome indicates that the survival disadvantage is parentally mediated, either genetically and/or through inherited environmental effects. This result suggests that roadside populations are either truly maladapted or potentially locally adapted at later life stages. I discuss these interpretations, noting that regardless of mechanism, patterns consistent with maladaptation have important implications for conservation. In light of the pervasiveness of roads, further resolution explaining maladaptive responses remains a critical challenge in conservation.
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Lank DB, Xu C, Harrington BA, Morrison RIG, Gratto-Trevor CL, Hicklin PW, Sandercock BK, Smith PA, Kwon E, Rausch J, Pirie Dominix LD, Hamilton DJ, Paquet J, Bliss SE, Neima SG, Friis C, Flemming SA, Anderson AM, Ydenberg RC. Long-term continental changes in wing length, but not bill length, of a long-distance migratory shorebird. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3243-3256. [PMID: 28480022 PMCID: PMC5415538 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We compiled a >50‐year record of morphometrics for semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), a shorebird species with a Nearctic breeding distribution and intercontinental migration to South America. Our data included >57,000 individuals captured 1972–2015 at five breeding locations and three major stopover sites, plus 139 museum specimens collected in earlier decades. Wing length increased by ca. 1.5 mm (>1%) prior to 1980, followed by a decrease of 3.85 mm (nearly 4%) over the subsequent 35 years. This can account for previously reported changes in metrics at a migratory stopover site from 1985 to 2006. Wing length decreased at a rate of 1,098 darwins, or 0.176 haldanes, within the ranges of other field studies of phenotypic change. Bill length, in contrast, showed no consistent change over the full period of our study. Decreased body size as a universal response of animal populations to climate warming, and several other potential mechanisms, are unable to account for the increasing and decreasing wing length pattern observed. We propose that the post‐WWII near‐extirpation of falcon populations and their post‐1973 recovery driven by the widespread use and subsequent limitation on DDT in North America selected initially for greater flight efficiency and latterly for greater agility. This predation danger hypothesis accounts for many features of the morphometric data and deserves further investigation in this and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Lank
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | - Cailin Xu
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | | | - Richard I Guy Morrison
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Cheri L Gratto-Trevor
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Peter W Hicklin
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Sackville
NB Canada
| | | | - Paul Allen Smith
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA.,Present address: Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
| | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Yellowknife NT Canada
| | - Lisa D Pirie Dominix
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Iqaluit NU Canada
| | - Diana J Hamilton
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Julie Paquet
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Sackville
NB Canada
| | - Sydney E Bliss
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Sarah G Neima
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Toronto ON Canada
| | - Scott A Flemming
- Environmental and Life Sciences Trent University Peterborough ON Canada
| | | | - Ronald C Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
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Littleford-Colquhoun BL, Clemente C, Whiting MJ, Ortiz-Barrientos D, Frère CH. Archipelagos of the Anthropocene: rapid and extensive differentiation of native terrestrial vertebrates in a single metropolis. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2466-2481. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christofer Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC Qld 4556 Australia
| | - Martin J. Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW 2109 Australia
| | | | - Celine H. Frère
- School of Science and Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC Qld 4556 Australia
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43
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Sullivan AP, Bird DW, Perry GH. Human behaviour as a long-term ecological driver of non-human evolution. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:65. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Johnson AE, Mitchell JS, Brown MB. Convergent evolution in social swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:550-560. [PMID: 28116052 PMCID: PMC5243784 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral shifts can initiate morphological evolution by pushing lineages into new adaptive zones. This has primarily been examined in ecological behaviors, such as foraging, but social behaviors may also alter morphology. Swallows and martins (Hirundinidae) are aerial insectivores that exhibit a range of social behaviors, from solitary to colonial breeding and foraging. Using a well-resolved phylogenetic tree, a database of social behaviors, and morphological measurements, we ask how shifts from solitary to social breeding and foraging have affected morphological evolution in the Hirundinidae. Using a threshold model of discrete state evolution, we find that shifts in both breeding and foraging social behavior are common across the phylogeny of swallows. Solitary swallows have highly variable morphology, while social swallows show much less absolute variance in all morphological traits. Metrics of convergence based on both the trajectory of social lineages through morphospace and the overall morphological distance between social species scaled by their phylogenetic distance indicate strong convergence in social swallows, especially socially foraging swallows. Smaller physical traits generally observed in social species suggest that social species benefit from a distinctive flight style, likely increasing maneuverability and foraging success and reducing in-flight collisions within large flocks. These results highlight the importance of sociality in species evolution, a link that had previously been examined only in eusocial insects and primates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan S. Mitchell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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Skandrani Z, Bovet D, Gasparini J, Baldaccini NE, Prévot AC. Sociality enhances birds’ capacity to deal with anthropogenic ecosystems. Urban Ecosyst 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-016-0618-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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46
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DeLong JP, Forbes VE, Galic N, Gibert JP, Laport RG, Phillips JS, Vavra JM. How fast is fast? Eco-evolutionary dynamics and rates of change in populations and phenotypes. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:573-81. [PMID: 26843940 PMCID: PMC4729258 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It is increasingly recognized that evolution may occur in ecological time. It is not clear, however, how fast evolution – or phenotypic change more generally – may be in comparison with the associated ecology, or whether systems with fast ecological dynamics generally have relatively fast rates of phenotypic change. We developed a new dataset on standardized rates of change in population size and phenotypic traits for a wide range of species and taxonomic groups. We show that rates of change in phenotypes are generally no more than 2/3, and on average about 1/4, the concurrent rates of change in population size. There was no relationship between rates of population change and rates of phenotypic change across systems. We also found that the variance of both phenotypic and ecological rates increased with the mean across studies following a power law with an exponent of two, while temporal variation in phenotypic rates was lower than in ecological rates. Our results are consistent with the view that ecology and evolution may occur at similar time scales, but clarify that only rarely do populations change as fast in traits as they do in abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P DeLong
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Valery E Forbes
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Nika Galic
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Jean P Gibert
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Robert G Laport
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Joseph S Phillips
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Janna M Vavra
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588
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Feiner ZS, Chong SC, Knight CT, Lauer TE, Thomas MV, Tyson JT, Höök TO. Rapidly shifting maturation schedules following reduced commercial harvest in a freshwater fish. Evol Appl 2015; 8:724-37. [PMID: 26240608 PMCID: PMC4516423 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Size-selective harvest of fish stocks can lead to maturation at smaller sizes and younger ages, which may depress stock productivity and recovery. Such changes in maturation may be very slow to reverse, even following complete fisheries closures. We evaluated temporal trends in maturation of five Great Lakes stocks of yellow perch (Perca flavescens Mitchill) using indices that attempt to disentangle plastic and evolutionary changes in maturation: age at 50% maturity and probabilistic maturation reaction norms (PMRNs). Four populations were fished commercially throughout the time series, while the Lake Michigan fishery was closed following a stock collapse. We documented rapid increases in PMRNs of the Lake Michigan stock coincident with the commercial fishery closure. Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron PMRNs also increased following reduced harvest, while Lake Erie populations were continuously fished and showed little change. The rapid response of maturation may have been enhanced by the short generation time of yellow perch and potential gene flow between northern and southern Lake Michigan, in addition to potential reverse adaptation following the fishing moratorium. These results suggest that some fish stocks may retain the ability to recover from fisheries-induced life history shifts following fishing moratoria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary S Feiner
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Stephen C Chong
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada
| | - Carey T Knight
- Division of Wildlife, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Fairport Fish Research Station Fairport Harbor, OH, USA
| | - Thomas E Lauer
- Department of Biology, Ball State University Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Michael V Thomas
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station Harrison Township, Mt. Clemons, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Tyson
- Division of Wildlife, Sandusky Fisheries Research Unit, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Sandusky, OH, USA
| | - Tomas O Höök
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, USA ; Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Doudna JW, Danielson BJ. Rapid Morphological Change in the Masticatory Structures of an Important Ecosystem Service Provider. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127218. [PMID: 26061880 PMCID: PMC4465031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have altered the biotic and abiotic environmental conditions of most organisms. In some cases, such as intensive agriculture, an organism’s entire ecosystem is converted to novel conditions. Thus, it is striking that some species continue to thrive under such conditions. The prairie deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) is an example of such an organism, and so we sought to understand what role evolutionary adaptation played in the success of this species, with particular interest in adaptations to novel foods. In order to understand the evolutionary history of this species’ masticatory structures, we examined the maxilla, zygomatic plate, and mandible of historic specimens collected prior to 1910 to specimens collected in 2012 and 2013. We found that mandibles, zygomatic plates, and maxilla have all changed significantly since 1910, and that morphological development has shifted significantly. We present compelling evidence that these differences are due to natural selection as a response to a novel and ubiquitous food source, waste grain (corn, Zea mays and soybean, Glycine max).
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Doudna
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brent J. Danielson
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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49
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Mainwaring MC. The use of man-made structures as nesting sites by birds: A review of the costs and benefits. J Nat Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2015.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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50
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Rioux Paquette S, Pelletier F, Garant D, Bélisle M. Severe recent decrease of adult body mass in a declining insectivorous bird population. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0649. [PMID: 24850929 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory bird species that feed on air-borne insects are experiencing widespread regional declines, but these remain poorly understood. Agricultural intensification in the breeding range is often regarded as one of the main drivers of these declines. Here, we tested the hypothesis that body mass in breeding individuals should reflect habitat quality in an aerial insectivore, the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), along a gradient of agricultural intensity. Our dataset was collected over 7 years (2005-2011) and included 2918 swallow captures and 1483 broods. Analyses revealed a substantial decline of the population over the course of the study (-19% occupancy rate), mirrored by decreasing body mass. This trend was especially severe in females, representing a total loss of 8% of their mass. Reproductive success was negatively influenced by intensive agriculture, but did not decrease over time. Interestingly, variation in body mass was independent of breeding habitat quality, leading us to suggest that this decline in body mass may result from carry-over effects from non-breeding areas and affect population dynamics through reduced survival. This work contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that declines in migratory aerial insectivores are driven by multiple, complex factors requiring better knowledge of year-round habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Rioux Paquette
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1K 2R1
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