1
|
Petrov K, Van Dyke JU, Georges A, Keitel C, Spencer RJ. Maternal diet influences fecundity in a freshwater turtle undergoing population decline. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae033. [PMID: 38803426 PMCID: PMC11129712 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Food availability determines the amount of energy animals can acquire and allocate to reproduction and other necessary functions. Female animals that are food limited thus experience reduced energy available for reproduction. When this occurs, females may reduce frequency of reproductive events or the number or size of offspring per reproductive bout. We assessed how maternal diet affects reproductive output in adult female Murray River short-necked turtles, Emydura macquarii, from four wetlands in Victoria. We previously found that turtle diets differ in the composition of plants and animals between our study wetlands. In this study, we tested whether differences in turtle diet composition (i.e. plants and animals) at these wetlands were associated with differences in clutch mass, individual egg mass, bulk egg composition and hatching success. We found total clutch mass increased with maternal body size at each site. At sites where filamentous green algae were scarce and E. macquarii were carnivorous, females produced smaller clutches relative to body size compared to females from sites where algae were abundant, and turtles were more herbivorous. Individual egg mass, bulk egg composition and hatching success did not differ across wetlands. Isotopic analysis revealed significant positive relationships between the carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) of the eggs and those of the mothers, indicating that mothers allocated ratios of carbon and nitrogen isotopes to their eggs similar to those present in their tissues. Our study suggests that at sites where females are more carnivorous due to a relative absence of algae, females produce smaller clutches, but other aspects of their reproduction are not significantly impacted. The reduction in clutch size associated with differences in the availability of dietary plants and animals may have long-term consequences for E. macquarii and other freshwater turtle species that are experiencing population declines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Petrov
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - James U Van Dyke
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, Department of Environment and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environment, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga Campus, PO Box 821, Wodonga, VIC 3689, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street,Bruce, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Claudia Keitel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Brownlow Hill, NSW 2570, Australia
| | - Ricky-John Spencer
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Starostová Z, Píchová V, Bauerová A, Kubička L, Kratochvíl L. Catch-up growth and overweight adults in the offspring of young gecko mothers resembling low birth weight infants. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20230452. [PMID: 38228187 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0452] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Endothermic and ectothermic amniotes differ in the timing of reproductive onset, with reptiles initiating reproduction before reaching final body size. Long-term consequences of maternal effect for early reptile offspring are poorly explored. We conducted growth experiments to compare the growth of offspring produced by young and older females of gecko Paroedura picta. Young, not fully grown females lay smaller eggs leading to production of smaller offspring. These offspring undergo accelerated growth and ultimately reach a comparable sex-specific final body length as do offspring of older females. Final body length is thus canalized with respect to the maternal effect on egg size. Notably, the offspring of young mothers have a tendency towards larger body mass. Ontogeny of the offspring of young females shares similarities with that of mammalian offspring with low birth weight or early malnutrition, exhibiting catch-up growth and a predisposition to obesity. We highlight the important consequences of early reproduction for offspring in animals that initiate reproduction prior to reaching final body size. Both life-history models and conservation practices should take into account that female lizards might produce the most fit offspring only between reaching their final body length and the onset of reproductive senescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Starostová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Píchová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Bauerová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kubička
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Streeting LM, Bower DS, Dillon ML, Spark P, Gough M, Skidmore A, McDonald PG, Delaney H, Burns A, Watson S, Dissanayake DSB, Georges A, McKnight DT. Optimising the hatching success of artificially incubated eggs for use in a conservation program for the western saw-shelled turtle (. AUST J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/zo22014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Artificial incubation of eggs and the release of hatchlings into the wild is a common conservation intervention designed to augment threatened turtle populations. We investigate a range of incubation temperatures to establish an optimal temperature for maximum hatching success of western saw-shelled turtle (Myuchelys bellii) eggs. We report on the influence of incubation temperature on incubation duration and hatching success and describe two experimental incubation methods which, for the same incubation temperature (27°C), resulted in 77% and 97% hatching success, respectively. Eggs were incubated at constant temperatures (27°C, 28°C and 29°C) to determine the influence of temperature on incubation period, hatchling morphology and external residual yolk. Incubation duration was negatively correlated with incubation temperature. We report on the morphology of eggs and hatchlings and show that their dimensions are positively correlated with maternal adult size and mass. A constant incubation temperature of 27°C produced the highest hatching success and smallest external residual yolk on hatching and is therefore recommended for incubation of eggs for population reinforcement programs. Our study is the first to optimise artificial incubation procedures for M. bellii and will be a valuable resource for M. bellii and other threatened freshwater turtle conservation initiatives.
Collapse
|
4
|
Toyama KS, Mahler DL, Goodman RM. Climate shapes patterns of sexual size and shape dimorphism across the native range of the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis (Squamata: Dactyloidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Geographical variation in sexual size dimorphism (SSD) can result from the combined effects of environmental and sexual selection. To understand the determinants of SSD across geographical landscapes, we tested for relationships between SSD and climatic variables in the widespread lizard Anolis carolinensis. To distinguish alternative hypotheses for observed patterns of variation in SSD, we also examined sex-specific patterns of body size evolution and asked whether SSD was associated with certain patterns of sexual shape dimorphism. We found strong evidence for Rensch’s rule (an increase in male-biased SSD with average body size) in A. carolinensis and evidence for the reversed version of Bergmann’s rule (an increase in body size towards warmer environments) in males. Across populations, SSD was positively related to temperature; however, female body size was not related to any climatic variable, suggesting that the latitudinal gradient of SSD might be driven by a gradient in the intensity of sexual selection acting on males. Sexual size dimorphism was positively correlated with sexual dimorphism in head shape and negatively correlated with limb length dimorphism, suggesting that sexual selection in males might drive the evolution of SSD and that differences in size and limb shape between sexes might represent alternative strategies to avoid competition for the same resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ken S Toyama
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , ON , Canada M5S 3B2
| | - D Luke Mahler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , ON , Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Rachel M Goodman
- Biology Department, Hampden-Sydney College , Hampden-Sydney, VA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sulikowska-Drozd A, Maltz TK, Janiszewska K. Flexible embryonic shell allies large offspring size and anti-predatory protection in viviparous snails. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17881. [PMID: 36289315 PMCID: PMC9605993 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary conflicts between viviparous reproductive mode and skeleton shape may occur whenever the space available for embryo development or delivery is limited by hard inflexible structures of a parent (bones, shell, etc.). In tetrapods, offspring size is at odds with female locomotion efficiency, which results in obstetric selection. We suggest a similar relationship for viviparous gastropods, where spacious canal needed for embryo delivery may interfere with anti-predatory role of narrow and toothed shell aperture. We explored this hypothesis in the group of viviparous land snails (Clausiliidae, subfamily Phaedusinae), known for complex apertural barriers protecting the shell interior. Most of the shell structure modifications we recorded facilitate the delivery of embryos but simultaneously reduce the safeguard of a narrow shell opening. However, we also observed highly flexible embryonic shells that may withstand squeezing between apertural barriers during birth. We investigated the microstructure of these flexible embryonic shells, compared to the typical hard shells of clausiliid embryos, which are rigid and unpliable already in the genital tract of the parent. Our results suggest that the unusual flexibility, which is related to a low number of organomineral layers in the shell, evolved in two phylogenetically distant lineages of Phaedusinae. This adaptation reduces mechanical constraints for birth of the neonates but allows to maintain the protective function of the apertural barriers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Sulikowska-Drozd
- grid.10789.370000 0000 9730 2769Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - T. K. Maltz
- grid.8505.80000 0001 1010 5103Museum of Natural History, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - K. Janiszewska
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Padilla Perez DJ, Angilletta MJ. Macroclimatic and maternal effects on the evolution of reproductive traits in lizards. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8885. [PMID: 35509612 PMCID: PMC9058792 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8885] [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: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of life-history theory rests on fundamental assumptions about constraints on the acquisition and allocation of energy to growth and reproduction. In general, the allocation of energy to reproduction depends on maternal size, which in turn depends on environmental factors experienced throughout the life of the mother. Here, we used phylogenetic path analyses to evaluate competing hypotheses about the environmental and maternal drivers of reproductive traits in lizards. In doing so, we discovered that precipitation, rather than temperature, has shaped the evolution of the life history. Specifically, environments with greater rainfall have enabled the evolution of larger maternal size. In turn, these larger mothers produce larger clutches of larger offspring. However, annual precipitation has a negative direct effect on offspring size, despite the positive indirect effect mediated by maternal size. Possibly, the evolution of offspring size was driven by the need to conserve water in dry environments, because small organisms are particularly sensitive to water loss. Since we found that body size variation among lizards is related to a combination of climatic factors, mainly precipitation and perhaps primary production, our study challenges previous generalizations (e.g., temperature-size rule and Bergmann's rule) and suggests alternative mechanisms underlying the evolution of body size.
Collapse
|
7
|
Jorgewich-Cohen G, Henrique RS, Dias PH, Sánchez-Villagra MR. The evolution of reproductive strategies in turtles. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13014. [PMID: 35295558 PMCID: PMC8919852 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimal egg size theory assumes that changes in the egg and clutch are driven by selection, resulting in adjustments for the largest possible production of offspring with the highest fitness. Evidence supports the idea that large-bodied turtles tend to produce larger clutches with small and round eggs, while smaller species produce small clutches with large and elongated eggs. Our goals were to investigate whether egg and clutch size follow the predictions of egg size theory, if there are convergent reproductive strategies, and identify ecological factors that influence clutch and egg traits across all clades of living turtles. Using phylogenetic methods, we tested the covariance among reproductive traits, if they are convergent among different turtle lineages, and which ecological factors influence these traits. We found that both egg shape and size inversely correlate with clutch size, although with different evolutionary rates, following the predictions of the egg size theory. We also present compelling evidence for convergence among different turtle clades, over at least two reproductive strategies. Furthermore, climatic zone is the only ecological predictor to influence both egg size and fecundity, while diet only influences egg size. We conclude that egg and clutch traits in Testudines evolved independently several times across non-directly related clades that converged to similar reproductive strategies. Egg and clutch characteristics follow the trade-offs predicted by egg size theory and are influenced by ecological factors. Climatic zone and diet play an important role in the distribution of reproductive characteristics among turtles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael S. Henrique
- Laboratório de Anfíbios, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Dias
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jeantet L, Hadetskyi V, Vigon V, Korysko F, Paranthoen N, Chevallier D. Estimation of the Maternal Investment of Sea Turtles by Automatic Identification of Nesting Behavior and Number of Eggs Laid from a Tri-Axial Accelerometer. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040520. [PMID: 35203228 PMCID: PMC8868198 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040520] [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: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary During the reproduction period, female sea turtles come several times onto the beaches to lay their eggs. Monitoring of the nesting populations is therefore important to estimate the state of a population and its future. However, measuring the clutch size and frequency of sea turtles is tedious work that requires rigorous monitoring of the nesting site throughout the breeding season. In order to support the fieldwork, we propose an automatic method to remotely record the behavior on land of the sea turtles from animal-attached sensors; an accelerometer. The proposed method estimates, with an accuracy of 95%, the behaviors on land of sea turtles and the number of eggs laid. This automatic method should therefore help researchers monitor nesting sea turtle populations and contribute to improving global knowledge on the demographic status of these threatened species. Abstract Monitoring reproductive outputs of sea turtles is difficult, as it requires a large number of observers patrolling extended beaches every night throughout the breeding season with the risk of missing nesting individuals. We introduce the first automatic method to remotely record the reproductive outputs of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) using accelerometers. First, we trained a fully convolutional neural network, the V-net, to automatically identify the six behaviors shown during nesting. With an accuracy of 0.95, the V-net succeeded in detecting the Egg laying process with a precision of 0.97. Then, we estimated the number of laid eggs from the predicted Egg laying sequence and obtained the outputs with a mean relative error of 7% compared to the observed numbers in the field. Based on deployment of non-invasive and miniature loggers, the proposed method should help researchers monitor nesting sea turtle populations. Furthermore, its use can be coupled with the deployment of accelerometers at sea during the intra-nesting period, from which behaviors can also be estimated. The knowledge of the behavior of sea turtle on land and at sea during the entire reproduction period is essential to improve our knowledge of this threatened species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorène Jeantet
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS–Unistra, 67087 Strasbourg, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Vadym Hadetskyi
- UFR Math-Info, Université de Strasbourg, 7 rue Descartes, CEDEX, 67081 Strasbourg, France; (V.H.); (V.V.)
| | - Vincent Vigon
- UFR Math-Info, Université de Strasbourg, 7 rue Descartes, CEDEX, 67081 Strasbourg, France; (V.H.); (V.V.)
| | - François Korysko
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction des Outre-mer, Délégation Guyane, 44 rue Pasteur, BP 10808, 97338 Cayenne, France; (F.K.); (N.P.)
| | - Nicolas Paranthoen
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction des Outre-mer, Délégation Guyane, 44 rue Pasteur, BP 10808, 97338 Cayenne, France; (F.K.); (N.P.)
| | - Damien Chevallier
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS–Unistra, 67087 Strasbourg, France;
- BOREA Research Unit, National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), UMR CNRS 7208, Sorbonne Université, French Institute for Research and Development (IRD 207), University of Caen Normandie, University of Antilles, CEDEX 05, 75231 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Heston L, Meylan P, Goessling JM. Life history consequences of miniaturization in turtles: evidence from the subfamily Kinosterninae (Testudines: Kinosternidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A miniaturized species is one that has endured ecological, physiological or life history costs due to small size and has implemented discrete strategies to compensate for those costs. We studied the impact of small size on the reproductive biology of the miniaturized turtle, Sternotherus minor (Kinosternidae: Kinosterninae), by exploring two alternative hypotheses that explain within-clutch trade-offs: the Optimal Egg Size Theory (OEST) and the Morphological Constraint Hypothesis (MCH). Female S. minor in this study showed a combination of reproductive parameters that support both the MCH and the OEST. Small individuals follow the MCH and larger individuals follow the OEST, fitting the previously proposed ‘threshold size-constrained’ model of egg size to female size. The large proportion of suboptimally-sized eggs (31.1%) produced in our study population is evidence that a novel strategy that compensates for very small size exists in this kinosternine turtle. Early reproduction in our study population, as well as a mobile plastron made up of a reduced number of bones and scutes in all members of this subfamily, is strong evidence of paedomorphosis, a frequent consequence of miniaturization. Re-examination of reproduction in other kinosternines will further test how this life history strategy facilitated miniaturization in testudines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lark Heston
- Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
| | - Peter Meylan
- Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Goessling
- Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
AbstractTrade-offs and constraints are inherent to life, and studies of these phenomena play a central role in both organismal and evolutionary biology. Trade-offs can be defined, categorized, and studied in at least six, not mutually exclusive, ways. (1) Allocation constraints are caused by a limited resource (e.g., energy, time, space, essential nutrients), such that increasing allocation to one component necessarily requires a decrease in another (if only two components are involved, this is referred to as the Y-model, e.g., energy devoted to size versus number of offspring). (2) Functional conflicts occur when features that enhance performance of one task decrease performance of another (e.g., relative lengths of in-levers and out-levers, force-velocity trade-offs related to muscle fiber type composition). (3) Shared biochemical pathways, often involving integrator molecules (e.g., hormones, neurotransmitters, transcription factors), can simultaneously affect multiple traits, with some effects being beneficial for one or more components of Darwinian fitness (e.g., survival, age at first reproduction, fecundity) and others detrimental. (4) Antagonistic pleiotropy describes genetic variants that increase one component of fitness (or a lower-level trait) while simultaneously decreasing another. (5) Ecological circumstances (or selective regime) may impose trade-offs, such as when foraging behavior increases energy availability yet also decreases survival. (6) Sexual selection may lead to the elaboration of (usually male) secondary sexual characters that improve mating success but handicap survival and/or impose energetic costs that reduce other fitness components. Empirical studies of trade-offs often search for negative correlations between two traits that are the expected outcomes of the trade-offs, but this will generally be inadequate if more than two traits are involved and especially for complex physiological networks of interacting traits. Moreover, trade-offs often occur only in populations that are experiencing harsh environmental conditions or energetic challenges at the extremes of phenotypic distributions, such as among individuals or species that have exceptional athletic abilities. Trade-offs may be (partially) circumvented through various compensatory mechanisms, depending on the timescale involved, ranging from acute to evolutionary. Going forward, a pluralistic view of trade-offs and constraints, combined with integrative analyses that cross levels of biological organization and traditional boundaries among disciplines, will enhance the study of evolutionary organismal biology.
Collapse
|
11
|
Bock SL, Hale MD, Rainwater TR, Wilkinson PM, Parrott BB. Incubation Temperature and Maternal Resource Provisioning, but Not Contaminant Exposure, Shape Hatchling Phenotypes in a Species with Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2021; 241:43-54. [PMID: 34436964 DOI: 10.1086/714572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe environment experienced during embryonic development is a rich source of phenotypic variation, as environmental signals have the potential to both inform adaptive plastic responses and disrupt normal developmental programs. Environment-by-embryo interactions are particularly consequential for species with temperature-dependent sex determination, a mode of sex determination common in non-avian reptiles and fish, in which thermal cues during a discrete period of development drive the formation of either an ovary or a testis. Here we examine the impact of thermal variation during incubation in combination with developmental exposure to a common endocrine-disrupting contaminant on fitness-related hatchling traits in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Using a factorial design, we exposed field-collected eggs to five thermal profiles (three constant temperatures, two fluctuating temperatures) and two environmentally relevant doses of the pesticide metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; and we quantified incubation duration, sex ratios, hatchling morphometric traits, and growth (9-10 days post-hatch). Whereas dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene exposure did not generally affect hatchling traits, constant and fluctuating temperatures produced diverse phenotypic effects. Thermal fluctuations led to subtle changes in incubation duration and produced shorter hatchlings with smaller heads when compared to the constant temperature control. Warmer, male-promoting incubation temperatures resulted in larger hatchlings with more residual yolk reserves when compared to cooler, female-promoting temperatures. Together, these findings advance our understanding of how complex environmental factors interact with developing organisms to generate phenotypic variation and raise questions regarding the mechanisms connecting variable thermal conditions to responses in hatchling traits and their evolutionary implications for temperature-dependent sex determination.
Collapse
|
12
|
Fischer B, Grunstra NDS, Zaffarini E, Mitteroecker P. Sex differences in the pelvis did not evolve de novo in modern humans. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:625-630. [PMID: 33767411 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01425-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that the strong sexual dimorphism of the human pelvis evolved for delivering the relatively large human foetuses. Here we compare pelvic sex differences across modern humans and chimpanzees using a comprehensive geometric morphometric approach. Even though the magnitude of sex differences in pelvis shape was two times larger in humans than in chimpanzees, we found that the pattern is almost identical in the two species. We conclude that this pattern of pelvic sex differences did not evolve de novo in modern humans and must have been present in the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, and thus also in the extinct Homo species. We further suggest that this shared pattern was already present in early mammals and propose a hypothesis of facilitated variation as an explanation: the conserved mammalian endocrine system strongly constrains the evolution of the pattern of pelvic differences but enables rapid evolutionary change of the magnitude of sexual dimorphism, which in turn facilitated the rapid increase in hominin brain size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Fischer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Nicole D S Grunstra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria.,Mammal Collection, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Zaffarini
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Philipp Mitteroecker
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
D'Alba L, Goldenberg J, Nallapaneni A, Parkinson DY, Zhu C, Vanthournout B, Shawkey MD. Evolution of eggshell structure in relation to nesting ecology in non-avian reptiles. J Morphol 2021; 282:1066-1079. [PMID: 33713039 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amniotic eggs are multifunctional structures that enabled early tetrapods to colonize the land millions of years ago, and are now the reproductive mode of over 70% of all terrestrial amniotes. Eggshell morphology is at the core of animal survival, mediating the interactions between embryos and their environment, and has evolved into a massive diversity of forms and functions in modern reptiles. These functions are critical to embryonic survival and may serve as models for new antimicrobial and/or breathable membranes. However, we still lack critical data on the basic structural and functional properties of eggs, particularly of reptiles. Here, we first characterized egg shape, shell thickness, porosity, and mineralization of eggs from 91 reptile species using optical images, scanning electron microscopy, and micro computed tomography, and collected data on nesting ecology from the literature. We then used comparative analyses to test hypotheses on the selective pressures driving their evolution. We hypothesized that eggshell morphology has evolved to protect shells from physical damage and desiccation, and, in support, found a positive relationship between thickness and precipitation, and a negative relationship between porosity and temperature. Although mineralization varied extensively, it was not correlated with nesting ecology variables. Ancestral state reconstructions show thinning and increased porosity over evolutionary time in squamates, but the opposite in turtles and crocodilians. Egg shape, size, porosity and calcification were correlated, suggesting potential structural or developmental tradeoffs. This study provides new data and insights into the morphology and evolution of reptile eggs, and raises numerous questions for additional research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana D'Alba
- Department of Biology, EON-Unit, Universiteit Gent, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Asritha Nallapaneni
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Dilworth Y Parkinson
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Chenhui Zhu
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sakai O. One or two eggs: what underlies clutch size variation within a gecko species? ZOOLOGY 2021; 146:125911. [PMID: 33711783 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Although the majority of reptiles show variable clutch sizes, geckos have a fixed clutch size (one or two eggs) and modify reproductive output by changing the offspring size or clutch frequency. However, the clutch size of several geckos is not strictly fixed at the species level; they actually lay both single- and double-egg clutches. We still do not fully understand if clutch size variation within a gecko species is due to adaptive control or reproductive failure like accidental absorption of one of two eggs. This study investigated differences between single- and double-egg clutches of a gecko species in terms of reproductive frequency, egg size, and offspring trait. I housed mourning geckos Lepidodactylus lugubris in a controlled environment and observed their reproduction for seven years. No large differences between single- and double-egg clutches were detected in reproductive frequency and egg size, indicating that life-history trade-offs do not explain much about clutch size variation. Single-egg was comparable in egg size to double-egg, but hatchlings from single-egg showed significantly lower body condition than did those from double-egg. These results suggest that the single-egg is not only a reduction of reproductive output per clutch, but it may provide negative effect on ontogeny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Sakai
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Golden KB, Belk MC, Johnson JB. Predator Environment Does Not Predict Life History in the Morphologically Constrained Fish Alfaro cultratus (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.607802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is known to have a significant effect on life history diversification in a variety of species. However, physical constraints of body shape and size can sometimes limit life history divergence. We test this idea in the Costa Rican livebearing fishAlfaro cultratus. Individuals in this species have a narrow body and keeled ventral surface, and females do not develop a distended abdomen when pregnant like other livebearing fishes. Here, we describe the life history ofA. cultratusfrom 20 different populations across both high-predation and low-predation environments. We found significantly lower reproductive allotment in females from high-predation environments than in females from low-predation environments, but no significant difference in female or male size at maturity, number of offspring produced by females, or size of offspring. We found thatA. cultratusexhibit isometric patterns of allocation for clutch dry mass in relation to female dry mass in high-predation and low-predation environments. Our results suggest that body shape constraints in this species limit the life history divergence we typically see between populations from high-predation and low-predation environments in other species.
Collapse
|
16
|
Meiri S, Murali G, Zimin A, Shak L, Itescu Y, Caetano G, Roll U. Different solutions lead to similar life history traits across the great divides of the amniote tree of life. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:3. [PMID: 33557958 PMCID: PMC7869468 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-021-00134-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Amniote vertebrates share a suite of extra-embryonic membranes that distinguish them from anamniotes. Other than that, however, their reproductive characteristics could not be more different. They differ in basic ectothermic vs endothermic physiology, in that two clades evolved powered flight, and one clade evolved a protective shell. In terms of reproductive strategies, some produce eggs and others give birth to live young, at various degrees of development. Crucially, endotherms provide lengthy parental care, including thermal and food provisioning—whereas ectotherms seldom do. These differences could be expected to manifest themselves in major differences between clades in quantitative reproductive traits. We review the reproductive characteristics, and the distributions of brood sizes, breeding frequencies, offspring sizes and their derivatives (yearly fecundity and biomass production rates) of the four major amniote clades (mammals, birds, turtles and squamates), and several major subclades (birds: Palaeognathae, Galloanserae, Neoaves; mammals: Metatheria and Eutheria). While there are differences between these clades in some of these traits, they generally show similar ranges, distribution shapes and central tendencies across birds, placental mammals and squamates. Marsupials and turtles, however, differ in having smaller offspring, a strategy which subsequently influences other traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Gopal Murali
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - Anna Zimin
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Shak
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuval Itescu
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriel Caetano
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - Uri Roll
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ramírez‐Bautista A, Cruz‐Elizalde R, Stephenson BP, Hernández‐Salinas U. Geographic variation in female body size and clutch size of the lizard
Sceloporus variabilis
(Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) in Mexico. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio Ramírez‐Bautista
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo Hidalgo México
| | - Raciel Cruz‐Elizalde
- Museo de Zoología “Alfonso L. Herrera” Departamento de Biología Evolutiva Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Ciudad de México México
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Grabowska J, Tarkan AS, Błońska D, Top Karakuş N, Janic B, Przybylski M. Prolific pioneers and reserved settlers. Changes in the life-history of the western tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris) at different invasion stages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:142316. [PMID: 33182175 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The western tubenose goby is one of the most wide-spread invasive fish species in European freshwaters, though information of its life-history in relation to its invasion success is limited. We compared the reproductive traits, growth rate and condition of three populations that differed in their stage of invasion in its expanding range in the River Vistula: core - the oldest population established at the centre of the invasive range; intermediate - long established by downstream dispersal from the core area but continuously supplemented by drifting specimens; front - new population at the edge of the invasive range, upstream from the core area. Pronounced differences in life-history traits were found between the 'core' and the 'front' populations. The 'front' population displayed high investment in reproduction and had heavier gonads, higher fecundity, higher batch fecundity though smaller eggs than the 'core' population. The 'core' population was characterized by the lowest fecundity, the largest eggs, the highest condition after spawning, and the highest maximum age of males. The 'intermediate' population was intermediate between the 'front' and the 'core' populations regarding reproductive traits, but showed the highest growth rates. The life-history traits that varied most among populations were gonad weight, fecundity, gonado-somatic index, condition and growth in the first years of life. Inter-individual variability of life-history traits was lower in the front of the invasive range than in the core and intermediate area. The observed plasticity in life-history appears to favour production of large numbers of offspring in newly-colonised areas in the initial stages of invasion and at the edge of the expanding range. In longer-established populations, at the core of invasive range, a strategy for greater competitiveness under intra-specific competition appears to be favoured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Grabowska
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Ali Serhan Tarkan
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Faculty of Fisheries, 48000 Menteşe, Muğla, Türkiye
| | - Dagmara Błońska
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
| | - Nildeniz Top Karakuş
- Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Faculty of Fisheries, 48000 Menteşe, Muğla, Türkiye
| | - Bartosz Janic
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
| | - Mirosław Przybylski
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lindeman PV. Comparative Reproductive Allometry of Syntopic Black-Knobbed Sawbacks (Graptemys nigrinoda) and Alabama Map Turtles (Graptemys pulchra) in the Alabama River, with Comparison to Three Congeners. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1399.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter V. Lindeman
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, 230 Scotland Road, Edinboro, Pennsylvania 16444 USA []
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thompson DM, Fillmore R, Fillmore BM, Graves KG, Ligon DB. Reproductive Investment Patterns in a Captive Population of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii
). HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-19-00007.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Denise M. Thompson
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Rebecca Fillmore
- Durant Hatchery, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Caddo, OK 74729, USA
| | - Brian M. Fillmore
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery, Tishomingo, OK 73460, USA
| | - Kerry G. Graves
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery, Tishomingo, OK 73460, USA
| | - Day B. Ligon
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Suriyamongkol T, Mali I. Aspects of the Reproductive Biology of the Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) on the Black River, New Mexico. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1385.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thanchira Suriyamongkol
- Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, 1500 South Avenue K, Station 33, Portales, New Mexico 88130 USA [; ]
| | - Ivana Mali
- Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, 1500 South Avenue K, Station 33, Portales, New Mexico 88130 USA [; ]
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Iverson JB, Lindeman PV, Lovich JE. Understanding reproductive allometry in turtles: A slippery "slope". Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11891-11903. [PMID: 31695895 PMCID: PMC6822033 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Measures of reproductive output in turtles are generally positively correlated with female body size. However, a full understanding of reproductive allometry in turtles requires logarithmic transformation of reproductive and body size variables prior to regression analyses. This allows for slope comparisons with expected linear or cubic relationships for linear to linear and linear to volumetric variables, respectively. We compiled scaling data using this approach from published and unpublished turtle studies (46 populations of 25 species from eight families) to quantify patterns among taxa. Our results suggest that for log-log comparisons of clutch size, egg width, egg mass, clutch mass, and pelvic aperture width to shell length, all scale hypoallometrically despite theoretical predictions of isometry. Clutch size generally scaled at ~1.7 to 2.0 (compared to an isometric expectation of 3.0), egg width at ~0.5 (compared to an expectation of 1.0), egg mass at ~1.1 to 1.3 (3.0), clutch mass at ~2.5 to 2.8 (3.0), and pelvic aperture width at 0.8-0.9 (1.0). We also found preliminary evidence that scaling may differ across years and clutches even in the same population, as well as across populations of the same species. Future investigators should aspire to collect data on all these reproductive parameters and to report log-log allometric analyses to test our preliminary conclusions regarding reproductive allometry in turtles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter V. Lindeman
- Department of Biology and Health SciencesEdinboro University of PennsylvaniaEdinboroPAUSA
| | - Jeffrey E. Lovich
- U.S. Geological SurveySouthwest Biological Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Suárez-Varón G, Suárez-Rodríguez O, Granados-González G, Villagrán-Santa Cruz M, Gribbins KM, Cortez-Quezada D, Hernández-Gallegos O. Relative clutch mass of Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 (Squamata, Corytophanidae): female morphological constraints. HERPETOZOA 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e35910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clutch size (CS) and relative clutch mass (RCM) are considered important features in life history descriptions of species within Squamata. Variations in these two characteristics are caused by both biotic and abiotic factors. The present study provides the first account related to CS and RCM ofBasiliscus vittatusin Mexico within a population that inhabits an open riverbed juxtapositioned to tropical rainforest habitat in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico (170 m a.s.l.). Twenty-nine gravid females were collected and kept in captivity under favorable conditions that promote oviposition. The CS within this population was 6.2 ± 0.2 and was correlated positively with snout vent-length (SVL); while the RCM was 0.17 ± 0.006 and was correlated positively with both CS and width of egg. Factors, such as female morphology and environmental conditions, should influence these reproductive traits inB. vittatus. The data collected in this study could provide a framework for comparisons of the life history traits across populations ofB. vittatusin Mexico and within other species of the family Corytophanidae and provide a model for testing how abiotic and biotic factors may influence the CS and RCM in basilisk lizards throughout their range.
Collapse
|
24
|
Affiliation(s)
- J. Whitfield Gibbons
- University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Lovich
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2255 North Gemini Drive MS-9394, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-1600, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Pettersen AK, White CR, Bryson-Richardson RJ, Marshall DJ. Linking life-history theory and metabolic theory explains the offspring size-temperature relationship. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:518-526. [PMID: 30618178 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Temperature often affects maternal investment in offspring. Across and within species, mothers in colder environments generally produce larger offspring than mothers in warmer environments, but the underlying drivers of this relationship remain unresolved. We formally evaluated the ubiquity of the temperature-offspring size relationship and found strong support for a negative relationship across a wide variety of ectotherms. We then tested an explanation for this relationship that formally links life-history and metabolic theories. We estimated the costs of development across temperatures using a series of laboratory experiments on model organisms, and a meta-analysis across 72 species of ectotherms spanning five phyla. We found that both metabolic and developmental rates increase with temperature, but developmental rate is more temperature sensitive than metabolic rate, such that the overall costs of development decrease with temperature. Hence, within a species' natural temperature range, development at relatively cooler temperatures requires mothers to produce larger, better provisioned offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Pettersen
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig R White
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Dustin J Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Averill-Murray RC, Christopher TE, Henen BT. Reproductive Ecology and Life History of Female Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai). HERPETOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS 2018. [DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-18-00003.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roy C. Averill-Murray
- Nongame Branch, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 West Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA
| | - Terry E. Christopher
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Zoological Research, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Brian T. Henen
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Zoological Research, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hagmayer A, Furness AI, Reznick DN, Pollux BJA. Maternal size and body condition predict the amount of post-fertilization maternal provisioning in matrotrophic fish. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12386-12396. [PMID: 30619553 PMCID: PMC6308890 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects often provide a mechanism for adaptive transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. The maternal phenotype can profoundly influence the potential for such environmentally induced adjustments of the offspring phenotype, causing correlations between offspring and maternal traits. Here, we study potential effects of the maternal phenotype on offspring provisioning prior to and during gestation in the matrotrophic live-bearing fish species Poeciliopsis retropinna. Specifically, we examine how maternal traits such as body fat, lean mass, and length relate to pre- (i.e., allocation to the egg prior to fertilization) and post-fertilization (i.e., allocation to the embryo during pregnancy) maternal provisioning and how this ultimately affects offspring size and body composition at birth. We show that pre- and post-fertilization maternal provisioning is associated with maternal length and body fat, but not with maternal lean mass. Maternal length is proportionally associated with egg mass at fertilization and offspring mass at birth, notably without changing the ratio of pre- to post-fertilization maternal provisioning. This ratio, referred to as the matrotrophy index (MI), is often used to quantify the level of matrotrophy. By contrast, the proportion of maternal body fat is positively associated with post-fertilization, but not pre-fertilization, maternal provisioning and consequently is strongly positively correlated with the MI. We furthermore found that the composition of embryos changes throughout pregnancy. Females invest first in embryo lean mass, and then allocate fat reserves to embryos very late in pregnancy. We argue that this delay in fat allocation may be adaptive, because it delays an unnecessary high reproductive burden to the mother during earlier stages of pregnancy, potentially leading to a more slender body shape and improved locomotor performance. In conclusion, our study suggests that (a) offspring size at birth is a plastic trait that is predicted by both maternal length and body fat, and (b) the MI is a plastic trait that is predicted solely by the proportion of maternal body fat. It herewith provides new insights into the potential maternal causes and consequences of embryo provisioning during pregnancy in matrotrophic live-bearing species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andres Hagmayer
- Department of Animal SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Andrew I. Furness
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCalifornia
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of HullHullUK
| | - David N. Reznick
- Department of BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCalifornia
| | - Bart J. A. Pollux
- Department of Animal SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Liang T, Zhou L, He W, Xiao L, Shi L. Variations in the reproductive strategies of three populations of Phrynocephalus helioscopus in China. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5705. [PMID: 30386689 PMCID: PMC6203940 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Egg size and clutch size are key life history traits. During the breeding period, it is possible for females to increase their reproductive output either by increasing the number of eggs if the optimal egg size (OES) is maintained, or by increasing the allocation of energy to each egg. However, the strategies adopted are often influenced by animals’ morphology and environment. Methods Here, we examined variation in female morphological and reproductive traits, tested for trade-offs between egg size and clutch size, and evaluated the relationship between egg size and female morphology in three populations of Phrynocephalus helioscopus. Results Female body size, egg size, and clutch size were larger in the Yi Ning (YN) and Fu Yun (FY) populations than in the Bei Tun (BT) population (the FY and YN populations laid more, and rounder eggs). Egg size was independent of female body size in two populations (BT and FY), even though both populations had an egg-size/clutch size trade-off. In the YN population, egg size and clutch size were independent, but egg size was correlated with female body size, consistent with the hypothesis of morphological constraint. Conclusions Our study found geographical variation in body size and reproductive strategies of P. helioscopus. Egg size was correlated with morphology in the larger-bodied females of the YN population, but not in the smaller-bodied females of the BT population, illustrating that constraints on female body size and egg size are not consistent between populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.,Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wenfeng He
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lirong Xiao
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Hofmeyr MD, Henen BT, Loehr VJT. Reproductive investments of a small, arid zone tortoise
Chersobius signatus
: Follicle and egg development. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Margaretha D. Hofmeyr
- Chelonian Biodiversity and Conservation Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape Bellville South Africa
| | - Brian T. Henen
- Chelonian Biodiversity and Conservation Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape Bellville South Africa
- Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Environmental Affairs, MCAGCC Twentynine Palms California
| | - Victor J. T. Loehr
- Chelonian Biodiversity and Conservation Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape Bellville South Africa
- Homopus Research Foundation IJsselstein The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Burke RL, Clendening B, Kanonik A. Long-term increases in clutch size in common snapping turtles ( Chelydra serpentina) and diamondback terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin). J NAT HIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1483539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell L. Burke
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
- American Littoral Society, Northeast Chapter, Broad Channel, NY, USA
| | | | - Alexandra Kanonik
- American Littoral Society, Northeast Chapter, Broad Channel, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Deeming DC. Nesting environment may drive variation in eggshell structure and egg characteristics in the Testudinata. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:331-342. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Charles Deeming
- School of Life Sciences; Joseph Banks Laboratories; University of Lincoln; Lincoln, LN6 7DL UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Van Dyke JU, Griffith OW. Mechanisms of reproductive allocation as drivers of developmental plasticity in reptiles. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:275-286. [PMID: 29733527 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity in offspring phenotype occurs as a result of the environmental conditions embryos experience during development. The nutritional environment provided to a fetus is an important source of developmental plasticity. Reptiles are a particularly interesting system to study this plasticity because of their varied routes of maternal nutrient allocation to reproduction. Most reptiles provide their offspring with all or most of the nutrients they require in egg yolk (lecithotrophy) while viviparous reptiles also provide their offspring with nutrients via a placenta (placentotrophy). We review the ways in which both lecithotrophy and placentotrophy can lead to differences in the nutrients embryonic reptiles receive, and discuss how these differences lead to developmental plasticity in offspring phenotype. We finish by reviewing the ecological and conservation consequences of nutritional-driven developmental plasticity in reptiles. If nutritional-driven developmental plasticity has fitness consequences, then understanding the basis of this plasticity has exciting potential to identify how reptile recruitment is affected by environmental changes in food supply. Such knowledge is critical to our ability to protect taxa threatened by environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James U Van Dyke
- School of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia
| | - Oliver W Griffith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Cordero GA. Is the Pelvis Sexually Dimorphic in Turtles? Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 301:1382-1389. [PMID: 29677702 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Variation in the pelvis is intrinsically linked to life history evolution. This is perhaps best exemplified by sexually dimorphic pelvic variation in bipedal primates. Yet, whether this trend is applicable to other taxa is unclear. Using turtle anatomy as a model, I tested the hypothesis that the pelvis is also sexually dimorphic in egg-laying tetrapods. I sampled a natural turtle population with female-biased sexual size dimorphism (i.e., larger females). I show that the area of the egg canal (pelvic aperture) is greater in females. Morphological differences between sexes were predicted by body size, such that skeletal shape deformation of the female ilium increased proportionally with pelvic aperture area. These results suggest that sexual pelvic dimorphism might be indirectly maintained by selection for large female size, consistent with the pelvic constraint hypothesis in reptiles. However, subsampling of similarly sized individuals revealed that pelvic aperture area and shape may vary in disproportion to body size. Comparisons of pelvic ontogenetic trajectories across multiple lineages are needed to clarify the occurrence of sexual pelvic dimorphism in turtles and other egg-laying tetrapods. My findings provide impetus to further explore how sex-specific functional demands influence the architecture of the pelvic girdle. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A Cordero
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 5011
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Hedrick A, Klondaris H, Corichi L, Dreslik M, Iverson J. The effects of climate on annual variation in reproductive output in Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina). CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reptiles are highly dependent on climatic patterns to regulate their behavior and physiology, and studies of the effects of climate on the biology of organisms are increasingly important given expected climate change. Our study examined the effects of climate variation over 15 of the 26 years between 1990 and 2015 on the reproductive output of the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758)). Egg mass, clutch size, and clutch mass (relative to body size) were significantly higher in years following warmer temperatures in September and October of the year before reproduction, but not related to temperatures in April and May just before reproduction. Of the above life-history traits, egg mass varied the least across years, and after warm autumns small turtles (225–285 mm carapace length) increased clutch mass by increasing clutch size but not egg mass. In contrast, under the same conditions, large turtles increased clutch mass by increasing egg mass but not clutch size. Our data suggest optimal egg mass may vary with female size. Climate change may already have impacted reproductive output in Snapping Turtles at the site because temperatures during September and October have increased about 0.5 °C each decade for the last 45 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A.R. Hedrick
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
| | - H.M. Klondaris
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
| | - L.C. Corichi
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
| | - M.J. Dreslik
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - J.B. Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hargrove JW, Muzari MO, English S. How maternal investment varies with environmental factors and the age and physiological state of wild tsetse Glossina pallidipes and Glossina morsitans morsitans. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171739. [PMID: 29515882 PMCID: PMC5830771 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Theory suggests females should optimize resource allocation across reproductive bouts to maximize lifetime reproduction, balancing current and future reproductive efforts according to physiological state and projected survival and reproduction. Tests of these ideas focus on long-lived vertebrates: few measure age-related reproductive output in iteroparous invertebrates, or partition reserves between those allocated to offspring versus mothers. We investigated how maternal age, and environmental and physiological factors influence reproductive investment in wild tsetse, Glossina pallidipes Austen and G. morsitans morsitans Westwood. Tsetse provide a tractable system to measure reproductive allocation. Females exhibit high maternal investment, producing single, large offspring that rely exclusively on maternal reserves. We find that mothers in better physiological condition and experiencing cooler temperatures produce larger offspring. Pupal size increases significantly but weakly with age. In both species, females with less fat invest proportionately more in offspring. Post-partum fat decreases in flies with badly frayed wings: poor flight capability may limit their feeding efficiency, or they may sacrifice more reserves as a terminal investment. Our results support evidence that offspring size increases with maternal size, investment depends on the environment, and females with lower chances of future reproduction invest more into current offspring. We discuss the implications of maternal effects for predicting vector population responses to environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John W. Hargrove
- Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - M. Odwell Muzari
- Tropical Public Health Services, Queensland Health, Cairns, Australia
| | - Sinead English
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hoekstra LA, Weber RC, Bronikowski AM, Janzen FJ. Sex-specific growth, shape, and their impacts on the life history of a long-lived vertebrate. EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY RESEARCH 2018; 19:639-657. [PMID: 32944008 PMCID: PMC7494217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual growth rates both comprise and determine life-history phenotypes. Despite decades of interest in understanding the relationship between individual growth and life history, chelonian longevity has limited our ability to robustly estimate individual growth curves that span the life of both sexes. QUESTIONS (1) Do patterns of growth in size and shape differ between the sexes of the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta? (2) Does individual variation in size and shape affect female reproductive effort? METHODS Using 30 years of field data on shell morphology of a single population of painted turtles, we used principal components analysis to summarize multivariate size and shape. We assessed the ability of three non-linear growth models - the logistic, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy - to predict size-at-age and used model comparison to justify sex-specific model fits. We correlated age-specific size and shape of females with their reproductive efforts. RESULTS Model comparison supported separate fits of the von Bertalanffy growth function for each sex; non-overlapping confidence intervals imply differences in sex-specific asymptotic size, but not growth rate. Higher-order axes of variation in shell morphology described significant sexual dimorphism in shell shape related to the sphericity and curviness of the shell. Shell sphericity of females covaried with clutch size, mean egg mass, and total clutch mass. Irrespective of shell morphology, we found evidence of an egg number versus egg mass trade-off. Yet, females who matured at a larger size produced greater reproductive efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Hoekstra
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Rachel C Weber
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sirsi S, Singh S, Tripathi A, McCracken SF, Forstner MR, Horne BD. Variation in Reproductive Output of the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) and the Three-striped Roofed Turtle (Batagur dhongoka) in the Chambal River of North India. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1236.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shashwat Sirsi
- Turtle Survival Alliance-India, D1/317, Sector F, Jankipuram, Lucknow-226021, India []
| | - Shailendra Singh
- Turtle Survival Alliance-India, D1/317, Sector F, Jankipuram, Lucknow-226021, India []
| | - Ashutosh Tripathi
- Turtle Survival Alliance-India, D1/317, Sector F, Jankipuram, Lucknow-226021, India []
- Present address: Gharial Conservation Alliance, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology, Post Bag No. 4, Vadanemelli Village, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram-603104, India []
| | - Shawn F. McCracken
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666 USA []
| | - Michael R.J. Forstner
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666 USA []
| | - Brian D. Horne
- San Diego Institute for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027 USA
- Present address: Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10460 USA []
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Escalona T, Adams DC, Valenzuela N. A lengthy solution to the optimal propagule size problem in the large-bodied South American freshwater turtle, Podocnemis unifilis. Evol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-017-9922-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
39
|
Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Fuentes-G JA, Ossip-Drahos AG, Martins EP. Repeated evolution of viviparity in phrynosomatid lizards constrained interspecific diversification in some life-history traits. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0653. [PMID: 27903777 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, viviparity has evolved independently multiple times, apparently increasing morphological diversification and speciation rates as a consequence. We tested whether the evolution of viviparity has also increased diversification of life-history traits by estimating evolutionary rates of lizards from the North American family Phrynosomatidae. Using modern phylogenetic comparative methods, we compared these rates between oviparous and viviparous species, and found no support for this hypothesis. Instead, we found higher evolutionary rates for oviparous species in some life-history traits. Our results suggest that the evolution of viviparity may have constrained rather than facilitated evolution of life histories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
| | | | - Alison G Ossip-Drahos
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.,Department of Biology, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA 30566, USA
| | - Emília P Martins
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Cameron H, Monro K, Malerba M, Munch S, Marshall D. Why do larger mothers produce larger offspring? A test of classic theory. Ecology 2017; 97:3452-3459. [PMID: 27912014 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Across a wide range of taxa, larger mothers produce larger offspring. Theory assumes that larger, more fecund mothers create higher local densities of siblings, and so larger mothers produce larger offspring to offset sibling competition. This assumption has been debated for over 30 yr, but direct empirical tests are surprisingly rare. Here, we test two key assumptions of classic theories that predict sibling competition drives maternal-size-offspring-size (MSOS) correlations: (1) independent effects of offspring size and sibling density on offspring performance or (2) as a product of an interaction between these two factors. To simultaneously test these alternative assumptions, we manipulate offspring size and sibling density in the marine invertebrate, Bugula neritina, and monitor offspring performance in the field. We found that, depending on the fitness metric being considered, offspring size and sibling density can either independently or interactively affect offspring performance. Yet sibling density did not affect offspring performance in the ways that classic theories assume. Given our results, it is unlikely that sibling competition drives the positive MSOS correlation observed in this species. Empirical support for these classic theories remains lacking, suggesting alternative explanations are necessary.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Cameron
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Keyne Monro
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Martino Malerba
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Stephan Munch
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Centre, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Dustin Marshall
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Crill WD, Huey RB, Gilchrist GW. WITHIN‐ AND BETWEEN‐GENERATION EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF
DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. Evolution 2017; 50:1205-1218. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1996.tb02361.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/1995] [Accepted: 06/16/1995] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wayne D. Crill
- Department of Zoology University of Washington Box 351800 Seattle Washington 98195‐1800
| | - Raymond B. Huey
- Department of Zoology University of Washington Box 351800 Seattle Washington 98195‐1800
| | - George W. Gilchrist
- Department of Zoology University of Washington Box 351800 Seattle Washington 98195‐1800
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Scribner KT, Congdon JD, Chesser RK, Smith MH. ANNUAL DIFFERENCES IN FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AFFECT SPATIAL AND COHORT-SPECIFIC GENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY IN PAINTED TURTLES. Evolution 2017; 47:1360-1373. [PMID: 28564898 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1993.tb02160.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/1991] [Accepted: 03/17/1993] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Long-term ecological data were used to evaluate the relative importance of movements, breeding structure, and reproductive ecological factors to the degree of spatial and age-specific variation in genetic characteristics of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) on the E. S. George Reserve in southeastern Michigan. Estimates of the degree of spatial genetic structuring were based on the proportion of total genotypic variance partitioned within and between subpopulations (inferred from hierarchical F-statistics based on variation at 18 protein loci), and in terms of gene correlations (co-ancestry among individuals derived from reproductive data on full-sib families of females nesting at specific nesting areas). Little variation in allele frequency was observed among turtles from different marshes (Fmt = 0.003), though significant variation was observed among turtles from different nesting areas associated with each marsh (Fnm = 0.046). Gene correlations among individuals within nesting areas varied greatly over years (0.032-0.171; mean = 0.069) and were negatively correlated to the proportion of females that successfully nested during each year. General concordance between independent estimates of genotypic correlations (i.e., Fnm derived from protein electrophoretic variation vs. mean co-ancestry) suggests that allozyme data, when collected over spatial scales consistent with species behavioral characteristics and reproductive ecology, may accurately reflect the apportionment of gene diversity within and among subpopulations. The magnitude and patterning of allelic variation among nesting areas and individuals appears to be primarily a function of gametic correlations among members of full-sib families, irrespective of the degree of gene flow or female nesting-site fidelity. Comparisons of genetic characteristics among 11 cohorts (1974-1984) revealed that heterozygosity (H) and inbreeding coefficients (F) varied greatly. Cohort estimates of H and F were correlated to female nesting success and to estimates of co-ancestry for the same years. Results clearly reflect the concomitant importance of ecological factors (principally the proportion of the female population that successfully produce offspring during each year) in determining the magnitude and patterning of gene correlations within and among groups, and to the genotypic composition of offspring born during each year.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim T Scribner
- Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602
| | - Justin D Congdon
- Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29801
| | - Ronald K Chesser
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29801
| | - Michael H Smith
- Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina, 29801
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Dani KGS, Kodandaramaiah U. Plant and Animal Reproductive Strategies: Lessons from Offspring Size and Number Tradeoffs. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
|
44
|
Ennen JR, Lovich JE, Averill-Murray RC, Yackulic CB, Agha M, Loughran C, Tennant L, Sinervo B. The evolution of different maternal investment strategies in two closely related desert vertebrates. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3177-3189. [PMID: 28480017 PMCID: PMC5415531 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We compared egg size phenotypes and tested several predictions from the optimal egg size (OES) and bet-hedging theories in two North American desert-dwelling sister tortoise taxa, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai, that inhabit different climate spaces: relatively unpredictable and more predictable climate spaces, respectively. Observed patterns in both species differed from the predictions of OES in several ways. Mean egg size increased with maternal body size in both species. Mean egg size was inversely related to clutch order in G. agassizii, a strategy more consistent with the within-generation hypothesis arising out of bet-hedging theory or a constraint in egg investment due to resource availability, and contrary to theories of density dependence, which posit that increasing hatchling competition from later season clutches should drive selection for larger eggs. We provide empirical evidence that one species, G. agassizii, employs a bet-hedging strategy that is a combination of two different bet-hedging hypotheses. Additionally, we found some evidence for G. morafkai employing a conservative bet-hedging strategy. (e.g., lack of intra- and interclutch variation in egg size relative to body size). Our novel adaptive hypothesis suggests the possibility that natural selection favors smaller offspring in late-season clutches because they experience a more benign environment or less energetically challenging environmental conditions (i.e., winter) than early clutch progeny, that emerge under harsher and more energetically challenging environmental conditions (i.e., summer). We also discuss alternative hypotheses of sexually antagonistic selection, which arise from the trade-offs of son versus daughter production that might have different optima depending on clutch order and variation in temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) among clutches. Resolution of these hypotheses will require long-term data on fitness of sons versus daughters as a function of incubation environment, data as yet unavailable for any species with TSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Ennen
- Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute Chattanooga TN USA
| | - Jeffrey E Lovich
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Roy C Averill-Murray
- Nongame Branch Arizona Game and Fish Department Phoenix AZ USA.,Present address: Desert Tortoise Recovery Office United States Fish and Wildlife Service Reno NV 89502 USA
| | - Charles B Yackulic
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Mickey Agha
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Caleb Loughran
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Laura Tennant
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California at Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Kamel SJ, Williams PD. Resource exploitation and relatedness: implications for offspring size variation within broods. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J. Kamel
- Dept of Biology and Marine Biology, Center for Marine Science; Univ. of North Carolina Wilmington; 601 S. College Rd. Wilmington, NC 28403 USA
| | - Paul D. Williams
- Dept of Biology and Marine Biology, Center for Marine Science; Univ. of North Carolina Wilmington; 601 S. College Rd. Wilmington, NC 28403 USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Lucas PS, Bager A. Contrasting reproductive strategies in a narrow latitude range: the case of D’Orbigny’s slider. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive traits and the level of parental investment in offspring varies between individuals and species. These are central issues in life history theory and evolutionary biology. Maternal body size plays an important role in reproduction, and we usually observe variable investment in offspring by females. Thus, optimal egg size may not be reached in some populations or species. In this study, we tested if reproductive traits differed between populations of D’Orbigny’s slider in a specific geographical area in Brazil. We evaluated the relationship between reproductive traits to maternal body size and clutch size to egg size to determine possible trade-offs across populations. At the population level, maternal body size and reproductive traits of D’Orbigny’s slider were different even in geographically nearby areas. Maternal body size had a positive effect on clutch size, but not on egg size, except in the Arroio Grande population. Nevertheless, we did not observe a negative correlation between clutch and egg size in any population. Although maternal body size had effects in the different populations explaining most of the variation of clutch size, variation in egg size may be the result of decreased survival chances in unpredictable environments and possibly morphological constraints. The trade-off between egg size and number was not observed and this could be expected if resource availability and reproductive allocation by females vary greatly among individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Silva Lucas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, CP 3037, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
- Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, CP 3037, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | - Alex Bager
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, CP 3037, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
- Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, CP 3037, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Biaggini M, Corti C. Variability of breeding resource partitioning in a lacertid lizard at field scale. ANIM BIOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Human activities cause increasingly deep alterations to natural environments. Yet, the effects on vertebrates with low dispersal capacity are still poorly investigated, especially at field scale. Life history variation represents one means by which species can adapt to a changing environment. Among vertebrates, lizards exhibit a high degree of variation in life-history traits, often associated with environmental variability. We examined the female breeding output ofPodarcissiculus(Lacertidae) inside agricultural habitats, to test whether different cultivation and management influence the life-history traits of this species. Interestingly, we recorded variability of female breeding output at a very fine scale, namely among adjacent vineyards and olive orchards under different management levels. Lizards displayed the lowest breeding effort in the almost unmanaged sites, while clutch mass, relative fecundity and mean egg mass slightly increased in more intensively managed sites. However, in the most intensive cultivations we detected a life-history trade-off, where eggs from larger clutches tended to be relatively smaller than eggs from smaller clutches. This pattern suggests that agriculture can influence lizard reproductive output, partly favouring it in the presence of medium intensity cultivation but causing, in the most intensively managed sites, some environmental constraints that require a peculiar partitioning of the breeding resources. Even though further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms driving the observed pattern, our results can be considered a starting point for evaluating the analysis of lizard breeding features as a tool to assess the impact of human activities, at least in agricultural environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Biaggini
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia “La Specola”, Via Romana 17, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Claudia Corti
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia “La Specola”, Via Romana 17, 50125 Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Kavanagh BT, Kwiatkowski MA. Sexual Dimorphism, Movement Patterns, and Diets of Sternotherus carinatus (Razorback Musk Turtle). SOUTHEAST NAT 2016. [DOI: 10.1656/058.015.0sp914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew A. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, PO Box 13003, Nacogdoches, TX 75962
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Fehrenbach AK, Louque I, McFadden SL, Huntzinger C, Lyons E, Shively SH, Selman W, Lindeman PV. Habitat-Related Variation in Body Size and Reproductive Output and an Examination of Reproductive Allometry in the Sabine Map Turtle (Graptemys sabinensis) across Three River Drainages. COPEIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-15-273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
50
|
Sieg AE, Gambone MM, Wallace BP, Clusella-Trullas S, Spotila JR, Avery HW. Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) thermal ecology and reproductive success along a rainfall cline. Integr Zool 2016; 10:282-94. [PMID: 25827446 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Desert resource environments (e.g. microclimates, food) are tied to limited, highly localized rainfall regimes which generate microgeographic variation in the life histories of inhabitants. Typically, enhanced growth rates, reproduction and survivorship are observed in response to increased resource availability in a variety of desert plants and short-lived animals. We examined the thermal ecology and reproduction of US federally threatened Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), long-lived and large-bodied ectotherms, at opposite ends of a 250-m elevation-related rainfall cline within Ivanpah Valley in the eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA. Biophysical operative environments in both the upper-elevation, "Cima," and the lower-elevation, "Pumphouse," plots corresponded with daily and seasonal patterns of incident solar radiation. Cima received 22% more rainfall and contained greater perennial vegetative cover, which conferred 5°C-cooler daytime shaded temperatures. In a monitored average rainfall year, Cima tortoises had longer potential activity periods by up to several hours and greater ephemeral forage. Enhanced resource availability in Cima was associated with larger-bodied females producing larger eggs, while still producing the same number of eggs as Pumphouse females. However, reproductive success was lower in Cima because 90% of eggs were depredated versus 11% in Pumphouse, indicating that predatory interactions produced counter-gradient variation in reproductive success across the rainfall cline. Land-use impacts on deserts (e.g. solar energy generation) are increasing rapidly, and conservation strategies designed to protect and recover threatened desert inhabitants, such as desert tortoises, should incorporate these strong ecosystem-level responses to regional resource variation in assessments of habitat for prospective development and mitigation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annette E Sieg
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Bryan P Wallace
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.,Stratus Consulting, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Susana Clusella-Trullas
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - James R Spotila
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Harold W Avery
- Department of Biology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|