1
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Lin JW, Liao CP, Chou CC, Clark RW, Tseng HY, Hsu JY, Huang WS. Loss of sea turtle eggs drives the collapse of an insular reptile community. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj7052. [PMID: 38091400 PMCID: PMC10848710 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj7052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine subsidies are vital for terrestrial ecosystems, especially low-productivity islands. However, the impact of losing these subsidies on the terrestrial food web can be difficult to predict. We analyzed 23 years of survey data from Orchid Island to assess the consequences of the abrupt loss of an important marine subsidy. After climate-driven beach erosion and predator exclusion efforts resulted in the abrupt loss of sea turtle eggs from the terrestrial food web, predatory snakes altered their foraging habitats. This increased predation on other reptile species in inland areas, resulting in population declines in most terrestrial reptile species. Comparisons with sea turtle-free locations where lizard populations remained stable supported these findings. Our study emphasizes the cascading effects of generalist predators and the unintended consequences of single-species conservation, highlighting the importance of understanding species interconnectedness and considering potential ripple effects in marine-dependent insular ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhan-Wei Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chia Chou
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Master’s Program in Biodiversity, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rulon W. Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
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2
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Araujo G, Moura RR. Beyond classical theories: An integrative mathematical model of mating dynamics and parental care. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1411-1427. [PMID: 37691454 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14210] [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: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Classical theories, such as Bateman's principle and Trivers' parental investment theory, attempted to explain the coevolution of sexual selection and parental care through simple verbal arguments. Since then, quantitative models have demonstrated that it is rarely that simple because many non-intuitive structures and non-linear relationships are actually at play. In this study, we propose a new standard for models of mating dynamics and parental care, emphasizing the clarity and use of mathematical and probabilistic arguments, the meaning of consistency conditions, and the key role of spatial densities and the law of mass action. We used adaptive dynamics to calculate the evolutionary trajectory of the total care duration. Our results clearly show how the outcomes of parental care evolution can be diverse, depending on the quantitative balance between a set of dynamical forces arising from relevant differences and conditions in the male and female populations. The intensity of sexual selection, synergy of care, care quality, and relative mortality rates during mating interactions and caring activities act as forces driving evolutionary transitions between uniparental and biparental care. Sexual selection reduces the care duration of the selected sex, uniparental care evolves in the sex that offers the higher care quality, higher mortality during mating interactions of one sex leads to more care by that sex, and higher mortality during caring activities of one sex favours the evolution of uniparental care in the other sex. Both synergy and higher overall mortality during mating interactions can stabilize biparental care when sexual selection reduces the care duration of the selected sex. We discuss how the interaction between these forces influences the evolution of care patterns, and how sex ratios can vary and be interpreted in these contexts. We also propose new directions for future developments of our integrative model, creating new comparable analyses that share the same underlying assumptions and dynamical frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui Araujo
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Wales, UK
- Departamento de Ciâncias Agrárias e Naturais, Núcleo de Extensão e Pesquisa em Ecologia e Evolução (NEPEE), Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, Brazil
| | - Rafael Rios Moura
- Departamento de Ciâncias Agrárias e Naturais, Núcleo de Extensão e Pesquisa em Ecologia e Evolução (NEPEE), Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, Brazil
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
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3
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Schuett GW, Peterson KH, Powell AR, Taylor JD, Alexander JR, Lappin AK. Female-female aggression in the Gila monster ( Heloderma suspectum). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221466. [PMID: 37181791 PMCID: PMC10170349 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Historically, the role of aggression in the social lives of animals overwhelmingly focused on males. In recent years, however, female-female aggression in vertebrates, particularly lizards, has received increasing attention. This growing body of literature shows both similarities and differences to aggressive behaviours between males. Here, we document female-female aggression in captive Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum). Based on four unique dyadic trials (eight adult female subjects), we developed a qualitative ethogram. Unexpected and most intriguing were the prevalence and intensity of aggressive acts that included brief and sustained biting, envenomation, and lateral rotation (i.e. rolling of body while holding onto opponent with closed jaws). Given specific behavioural acts (i.e. biting) and the results of bite-force experiments, we postulate that osteoderms (bony deposits in the skin) offer some degree of protection and reduce the likelihood of serious injury during female-female fights. Male-male contests in H. suspectum, in contrast, are more ritualized, and biting is rarely reported. Female-female aggression in other lizards has a role in territoriality, courtship tactics, and nest and offspring guarding. Future behavioural research on aggression in female Gila monsters is warranted to test these and other hypotheses in the laboratory and field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon W. Schuett
- Department of Biology | Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | | | - Anthony R. Powell
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - John D. Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Alexander
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - A. Kristopher Lappin
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
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4
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Quero A, Gonzaga MO, Vasconcellos-Neto J, Moura RR. Offspring mortality factors and parental care efficiency of the spider Manogea porracea (Araneidae) in the Brazilian savanna. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2022.2152197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adilson Quero
- Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo O. Gonzaga
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - João Vasconcellos-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael R. Moura
- Núcleo de Extensão e Pesquisa em Ecologia e Evolução (NEPEE), Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Naturais, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, MG, Brazil
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5
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Furness AI, Capellini I. The reproductive ecology drivers of egg attendance in amphibians. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2500-2512. [PMID: 36181688 PMCID: PMC9827844 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is extremely diverse but, despite much research, why parental care evolves is poorly understood. Here we address this outstanding question using egg attendance, the simplest and most common care form in many taxa. We demonstrate that, in amphibians, terrestrial egg deposition, laying eggs in hidden locations and direct development promote the evolution of female egg attendance. Male egg attendance follows the evolution of hidden eggs and is associated with terrestrial egg deposition but not with direct development. We conclude that egg attendance, particularly by females, evolves following changes in reproductive ecology that are likely to increase egg survival, select for small clutches of large eggs and/or expose eggs to new environmental challenges. While our results resolve a long-standing question on whether reproductive ecology traits are drivers, consequences or alternative solutions to caring, they also unravel important, yet previously unappreciated, differences between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I. Furness
- Department of Biological and Marine SciencesUniversity of HullHullUK,Energy and Environment Institute, University of HullHullUK
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6
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Sex difference in homing: males but not females return home despite offspring mortality in Ikakogi tayrona, a glassfrog with prolonged maternal care. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03107-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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7
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Furness AI, Venditti C, Capellini I. Terrestrial reproduction and parental care drive rapid evolution in the trade-off between offspring size and number across amphibians. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001495. [PMID: 34982764 PMCID: PMC8726499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between offspring size and number is central to life history strategies. Both the evolutionary gain of parental care or more favorable habitats for offspring development are predicted to result in fewer, larger offspring. However, despite much research, it remains unclear whether and how different forms of care and habitats drive the evolution of the trade-off. Using data for over 800 amphibian species, we demonstrate that, after controlling for allometry, amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviors and adaptations vary in their effects on the trade-off. Specifically, among the 11 care forms we considered at the egg, tadpole and juvenile stage, egg brooding, male egg attendance, and female egg attendance increase egg size; female tadpole attendance and tadpole feeding decrease egg size, while egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and male tadpole transport decrease clutch size. Unlike egg size that shows exceptionally high rates of phenotypic change in just 19 branches of the amphibian phylogeny, clutch size has evolved at exceptionally high rates in 135 branches, indicating episodes of strong selection; egg and tadpole environment, direct development, egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and tadpole transport explain 80% of these events. By explicitly considering diversity in parental care and offspring habitat by stage of offspring development, this study demonstrates that more favorable conditions for offspring development promote the evolution of larger offspring in smaller broods and reveals that the diversity of parental care forms influences the trade-off in more nuanced ways than previously appreciated. What selective pressures alter the tradeoff between offspring size and number? A phylogenetic comparative approach shows that amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviours and adaptations vary in their effects on the tradeoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I. Furness
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
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8
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Don't put all your eggs in small baskets: Ineffective guardians, incidence of parasitoids and clutch size of Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae, Theridiidae) along an urban gradient. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Males and females of a polygamous songbird respond differently to mating opportunities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03000-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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Liao CP, Hsu JY, Huang SP, Clark RW, Lin JW, Tseng HY, Huang WS. Sum of fears among intraguild predators drives the survival of green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas) eggs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202631. [PMID: 33563122 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists have long theorized that apex predators stabilize trophic systems by exerting a net protective effect on the basal resource of a food web. Although experimental and observational studies have borne this out, it is not always clear what behavioural mechanisms among the trophically connected species are responsible for this stability. Fear of intraguild predation is commonly identified as one such mechanism in models and mesocosm studies, but empirical evidence in natural systems remains limited, as the complexity of many trophic systems renders detailed behavioural studies of species interactions challenging. Here, we combine long-term field observations of a trophic system in nature with experimental behavioural studies of how all the species in this system interact, in both pairs and groups. The results demonstrate how an abundant, sessile and palatable prey item (sea turtle eggs, Chelonia mydas) survives when faced by three potential predators that all readily eat eggs: an apex predator (the stink ratsnake, Elaphe carinata) and two mesopredators (the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, and kukri snake, Oligodon formosanus). Our results detail how fear of intraguild predation, conspecific cannibalism, habitat structure and territorial behaviour among these species interact in a complex fashion that results in high egg survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Ping Huang
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jhan-Wei Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
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11
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Huang SP, Lin YC, Lin TE, Richard R. Thermal physiology explains the elevational range for a lizard, Eutropis longicaudata, in Taiwan. J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102730. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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12
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Hearn L, Williams ACDC. Pain in dinosaurs: what is the evidence? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190370. [PMID: 31544618 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
How far back can we trace behaviour associated with pain? Behaviour is not preserved in the palaeontological record, so, for dinosaurs, we are restricted to what we can deduce from fossilized bones and tracks. This review is a thought experiment using circumstantial evidence from dinosaur fossils and from the behaviour of their extant relatives to describe probable responses of dinosaurs to serious injuries. Searches yielded 196 papers and chapters with: reports of healed serious injuries, and limping gait and injured feet in trackways; information about physiology and behaviour relevant to healing; evidence of evolutionary connections with birds and crocodilians, and their behaviour; and information about relevant aspects of evolution. Clearly, many dinosaurs survived injuries that would have seriously hampered mobility, impairing hunting or escape from predators, and affecting social interactions. Recovery from severe injuries implies pain-mediated responses. Rates of healing seem faster than for other reptiles, possibily aided by warm-bloodedness. Nesting was often communal, raising the possibility of parental and group protection for injured young. The existence of family groups, packs or herds raises the possibility of protection or feeding from pack kills. This is the first study, to our knowledge, of possible pain behaviour and responses to injury in dinosaurs. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Les Hearn
- Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group, Oxford, UK
| | - Amanda C de C Williams
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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13
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Klug H, Bonsall MB. Coevolution influences the evolution of filial cannibalism, offspring abandonment and parental care. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191419. [PMID: 31431165 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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
Understanding evolutionary patterns of parental investment and care has been a long-standing focus in studies of evolutionary and behavioural ecology. Indeed, patterns of investment and care are highly diverse, and fully understanding such diversity has been challenging. Recently, several studies have highlighted the need to consider coevolutionary dynamics in studies of parental care, as parental care is likely to co-occur and co-originate with a range of other traits. Two traits that commonly co-occur with parental care are offspring abandonment (the termination of parental investment prior to full independence in offspring) and filial cannibalism (the consumption of one's offspring). Here, we use a mathematical framework to explore how co-occurrence and coevolution among care, abandonment and cannibalism can influence the life-history conditions under which care is expected to evolve. Our results suggest that in some cases, the evolution of parental care can be inhibited by offspring abandonment and filial cannibalism. In other cases, abandonment and filial cannibalism that benefits parents can promote the evolution of parental care. It is particularly interesting that behaviours that seem so contrary to care-that is, eating or abandoning one's young-can in some cases broaden the conditions under which care can evolve. In general, our findings highlight that considering co-occurrence and coevolutionary dynamics between two or more traits is essential to understanding the evolution of trait diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Klug
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA.,SimCenter, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | - Michael B Bonsall
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,St Peter's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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14
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Socias-Martínez L, Kappeler PM. Catalyzing Transitions to Sociality: Ecology Builds on Parental Care. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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15
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Lee CY, Pike DA, Tseng HY, Hsu JY, Huang SL, Shaner PJL, Liao CP, Manica A, Huang WS. When males live longer: Resource-driven territorial behavior drives sex-specific survival in snakes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaar5478. [PMID: 31032398 PMCID: PMC6482014 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic analysis has shown that males' propensity to engage in aggressive encounters is associated with females having greater longevity. Here, we confirm the causal link between aggression and reduced longevity by looking at an egg-eating snake (Oligodon formosanus) in which females defend territories in the presence of sea turtle eggs. We monitored aggressiveness and survival at two sites: a control site with a stable supply of turtle eggs, and a second site where we collected data before and after a storm that eroded the beach on which turtles nested, thus leading to a loss of territoriality. We show that territoriality was the driver behind higher injury rates in females. Territorial females also had lower survival and decreased longevity compared with the nonterritorial males, but these differences disappeared when females were not territorial. Our study demonstrates how resource availability can influence the evolution of sex-specific patterns of survival across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ying Lee
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan
| | - David A. Pike
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Lin Huang
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pei-Jen L. Shaner
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taiwan
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taiwan
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16
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Watson GS, Green DW, Watson JA. Observations supporting parental care by a viviparous reptile: aggressive behaviour against predators demonstrated by Cunningham’s skinks. AUST J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/zo20024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Most reptiles exhibit no parental care and aggressive behaviour towards heterospecific predators has rarely been recorded in the natural environment. Several species of the subfamily Egerniinae are amongst the most highly social of all squamate reptiles, exhibiting stable social aggregations and high levels of long-term social and genetic monogamy. We have examined Cunningham’s skinks, Egernia cunninghami, over a three-year period during late January and early February (total 32 days) in the alpine region of New South Wales using video and thermal imaging. Four birthing sessions were witnessed during our field studies of social aggregations of skinks. Our observations monitored skink encounters, in the presence of offspring, with an eastern brown snake, Pseudonaja textilis (two separate encounters, one recorded by video/imaging) and 12 encounters with the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen. All events were associated with aggressive chasing and/or attack by adult skinks. The first snake encounter involved the active targeting of a recently born juvenile with the mother of the juvenile attacking the snake (running towards the snake, biting and remaining attached for several seconds). The second encounter (the following year) comprised two adult skinks attacking and biting a snake, Pseudonaja textilis. All magpie encounters resulted in chases by adult skinks.
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17
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Pre-ovipositional maternal care alleviates food stress of offspring in the flower beetle Dicronocephalus wallichii. J ETHOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-018-0544-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Unlike most other flower beetles, females of Dicronocephalus wallichii exhibit nesting behaviour. The female constructs a burrow in the soil, cuts dead plant leaves into small pieces to provision the nest, and then lays one egg inside the nest. Hatched larvae have been thought to feed on the nest materials prepared by their mothers, but the effects of pre-ovipositional care on larval performance have not been tested. The hatched larvae were found to stay in the nest for 15–30 days until they consumed the nest materials. We examined whether the presence of provisioned nests enhanced larval performance under both benign and food-stress conditions. With high-nutrient soil, larval survival rate and growth speed were not affected by the presence of provisioned nests. By contrast, with low-nutrient soil, mortality of the larvae was much higher in the absence than in the presence of provisioned nests. The growth speed of larvae with nests located in low-nutrient soil was as high as those reared in high-nutrient soil. These results indicate that females alleviate the food stress of larvae during their initial developmental stage by constructing provisioned nests.
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18
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Cabezas‐Cartes F, Boretto JM, Halloy M, Krenz JD, Ibargüengoytía NR. Maternal behaviour in response to predation threats in a vulnerable lizard from Patagonia, Argentina. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Cabezas‐Cartes
- Laboratorio de Eco‐fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles INIBIOMA–CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - J. M. Boretto
- Laboratorio de Eco‐fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles INIBIOMA–CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - M. Halloy
- Instituto de Herpetología Fundación Miguel Lillo San Miguel de Tucumán Argentina
| | - J. D. Krenz
- Department of Biological Sciences Minnesota State University Mankato MN USA
| | - N. R. Ibargüengoytía
- Laboratorio de Eco‐fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles INIBIOMA–CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
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19
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Moura RR, Vasconcellos-Neto J, Gonzaga MDO. Extended male care in Manogea porracea (Araneae: Araneidae): the exceptional case of a spider with amphisexual care. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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20
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Royle NJ, Alonzo SH, Moore AJ. Co-evolution, conflict and complexity: what have we learned about the evolution of parental care behaviours? Curr Opin Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Santos ESA, Bueno PP, Gilbert JDJ, Machado G. Macroecology of parental care in arthropods: higher mortality risk leads to higher benefits of offspring protection in tropical climates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1688-1701. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo S. A. Santos
- LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; Rua do Matão, travessa 14, n° 101, Cid. Universitária 05508-090 São Paulo Brazil
- BECO do Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; Rua do Matão, travessa 14, n° 101, Cid. Universitária 05508-090 São Paulo Brazil
| | - Pedro P. Bueno
- LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; Rua do Matão, travessa 14, n° 101, Cid. Universitária 05508-090 São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Glauco Machado
- LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; Rua do Matão, travessa 14, n° 101, Cid. Universitária 05508-090 São Paulo Brazil
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Durso AM, Mullin SJ. Ontogenetic shifts in the diet of plains hog-nosed snakes (Heterodon nasicus) revealed by stable isotope analysis. ZOOLOGY 2016; 120:83-91. [PMID: 27692795 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wild snake diets are difficult to study using traditional methods, but stable isotopes offer several advantages, including integrating dietary information over time, providing data from individuals that have not fed recently, and avoiding bias towards slowly-digesting prey items. We used stable isotope signatures of carbon and nitrogen from scale tissue, red blood cells, and blood plasma to assess the diet of wild plains hog-nosed snakes (Heterodon nasicus) in Illinois. We developed Bayesian mixing models which, taken together, predicted that H. nasicus shifted from a juvenile diet predominantly (31-63%) composed of six-lined racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus) and their eggs to an adult diet predominantly (44-56%) composed of eggs of the aquatic turtles Chrysemys picta and Chelydra serpentina, with a contribution from toads (Anaxyrus sp.; 6-27%) during their adolescent years. These results agreed with sparse data from gut contents. Combining traditional and isotopic techniques for studying the diets of wild snakes can increase the utility of both types of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Durso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USA.
| | - Stephen J Mullin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USA
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