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Alujević K, Streicher JW, Garcia RA, Riesgo A, Taboada S, Logan ML, Clusella-Trullas S. Mismatches between phenotype and environment shape fitness at hyperlocal scales. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230865. [PMID: 37312553 PMCID: PMC10265021 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the era of human-driven climate change, understanding whether behavioural buffering of temperature change is linked with organismal fitness is essential. According to the 'cost-benefit' model of thermoregulation, animals that live in environments with high frequencies of favourable thermal microclimates should incur lower thermoregulatory costs, thermoregulate more efficiently and shunt the associated savings in time and energy towards other vital tasks such as feeding, territory defence and mate acquisition, increasing fitness. Here, we explore how thermal landscapes at the scale of individual territories, physiological performance and behaviour interact and shape fitness in the southern rock agama lizard (Agama atra). We integrated laboratory assays of whole organism performance with behavioural observations in the field, fine-scale estimates of environmental temperature, and paternity assignment of offspring to test whether fitness is predicted by territory thermal quality (i.e. the number of hours that operative temperatures in a territory fall within an individual's performance breadth). Male lizards that occupied territories of low thermal quality spent more time behaviourally compensating for sub-optimal temperatures and displayed less. Further, display rate was positively associated with lizard fitness, suggesting that there is an opportunity cost to engaging in thermoregulatory behaviour that will change as climate change progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Alujević
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | | | - Raquel A. Garcia
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Taboada
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, EU-US Marine Biodiversity Group, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Michael L. Logan
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Susana Clusella-Trullas
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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Amdekar MS, Thaker M. Colours of stress in male Indian rock agamas predict testosterone levels but not performance. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105214. [PMID: 35696781 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rapid physiological colour change offers dynamic signalling opportunities that can reveal distinct information to receivers in different contexts. Information content in dynamic colours, however, is largely unexplored. In males of the Indian rock agama (Psammophilus dorsalis), stressful events, including male-male agonistic interactions, induce a colour change, wherein the dorsal band turns yellow and the lateral bands turn orange. We aimed to determine whether these pigment-based dynamic colours convey information about individual quality. Using an agamid-specific visual model, we first quantified the chromatic and achromatic contrasts of each colour component displayed by males during handling stress, which induces the maximal response of aggression-typical colours. We then measured baseline testosterone levels, morphology (body mass and size), and performance measures (bite force and sprint speed) of these lizards. Chromatic contrasts of the dorsal yellow and lateral orange bands, individually and relative to each other (internal pair), were negatively correlated with testosterone levels, while the chromatic contrast of the internal pair was positively correlated with body condition. The lack of an association between colour contrasts and both bite force and sprint speed indicate that the conspicuousness of colours expressed during stressful events, such as agonistic interactions, do not reveal male performance ability. Despite our expectations of a positive relationship with testosterone, morphology (body condition), and performance (bite force, sprint speed), we find that for P. dorsalis, the conspicuousness of stress-induced colours provide only some information about individual quality. We speculate that the dynamicity of physiological colours may influence their function as content-containing signals in social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhura S Amdekar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India.
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Zhu X, Qiu X, Tang X, Qi Y. Tail display is regulated by anaerobic metabolism in an Asian agamid lizard. Integr Zool 2021; 16:729-740. [PMID: 33733614 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism underlying signal variation is an important goal in the study of animal communication. Several potential causes have been proposed for signal variation, including environmental noise (e.g. wind, sound), energy limitation, and predation risk, among others, but the physiological control of many signals are often unclear. Here, we examined the correlation between tail display signal variation and energy metabolic activity using an Asian agamid lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Individual tail display signals were observed in the field, and blood lactate concentration as well as 2 energy metabolic enzymes was assayed. Our results showed that average tail coil speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, while tail coil duration was negatively associated with LDH activity. We also found that average tail lash speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, suggesting that the tail display behavior of P. vlangalii was regulated by anaerobic metabolism. Furthermore, the correlation between tail display behavior and energy metabolism was not sex-dependent. Taken together, our research provides insight into the physiological mechanisms underlying tail display variation in lizards, and suggests that tail display variation likely transmits important information on individual body condition and resource holding potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Qiu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yin Qi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China
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Noble DWA, Kar F, Nakagawa S, Keogh JS, Whiting MJ. Sexual selection on performance traits in an Australian lizard with alternative reproductive tactics. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:451-464. [PMID: 33296538 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection shapes the adaptive landscape in complex ways that lead to trait integration. Much of our understanding of selection comes from studies of morphological traits. However, few studies attempt to quantify the form and direction of selection on performance even though it is predicted to be a more direct target of selection in nature. We measured sexual selection on performance traits (bite force, sprint speed and endurance) in an Australian lizard, the Eastern water skink (Eulamprus quoyii). We first staged 123 contests between size-matched males to investigate whether performance traits were important in determining contest outcome. In a second experiment, we established six breeding populations in large replicate semi-natural enclosures to estimate whether performance traits predicted reproductive success. Our results show that none of the performance measures were important in predicting contest outcome and were not generally strong predictors of reproductive success. However, our analyses suggest a complex fitness landscape driven by males adopting different alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). We provide a rare test of the role performance plays in sexual selection and highlight the need to test common assumptions regarding the link between maximal performance and fitness. Our results suggest that performance traits may not necessarily be direct targets of sexual selection, but rather indirect targets through their integration with morphological and/or behavioural traits, highlighting a need for more explicit tests of the predicted links between performance and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W A Noble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Fonti Kar
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J Scott Keogh
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Martin J Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Baxter-Gilbert J, Riley JL, Frère CH, Whiting MJ. Shrinking into the big city: influence of genetic and environmental factors on urban dragon lizard morphology and performance capacity. Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01065-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Chen J, Qi Y, Wu Y, Wang X, Tang Y. Covariations between personality behaviors and metabolic/performance traits in an Asian agamid lizard ( Phrynocephalus vlangalii). PeerJ 2019; 7:e7205. [PMID: 31293835 PMCID: PMC6601599 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological factors related to predation risks and foraging play major roles in determining which behavioral traits may mediate life history trade-offs and, therefore, the pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) structure among behavioral, physiological, and life-history traits. It has been proposed that activity/exploration or risk-taking behaviors are more likely to impact resource acquisition for organisms (individuals, populations, and species) foraging on clumped and ephemeral food sources than for organisms foraging on abundant and evenly distributed resources. In contrast, vigilance or freezing behavior would be expected to covary with the pace of life when organisms rely on food items requiring long bouts of handling. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how general this pattern is. We tested this hypothesis by examining the associations between exploration/risk-taking behaviors and metabolic/performance traits for the viviparous agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii. This species forages on sparse and patchy food sources. The results showed positive correlations between exploration and endurance capacity, and between bite force and risk-taking willingness. Our current findings, in conjunction with our previous work showed no correlations between freezing behavior and performance in this species, support the idea that behaviors in life-history trade-offs are natural history-dependent in P. vlangalii, and provide evidence that behavioral types play functional roles in life history trade-offs to supporting POLS hypothesis.
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Baxter-Gilbert J, Mühlenhaupt M, Whiting MJ. Comparability and repeatability of three commonly used methods for measuring endurance capacity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 327:583-591. [PMID: 29457704 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Measures of endurance (time to exhaustion) have been used to address a wide range of questions in ecomorphological and physiological research, as well as being used as a proxy for survival and fitness. Swimming, stationary (circular) track running, and treadmill running are all commonly used methods for measuring endurance. Despite the use of these methods across a broad range of taxa, how comparable these methods are to one another, and whether they are biologically relevant, is rarely examined. We used Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), a species that is morphologically adept at climbing, swimming, and running, to compare these three methods of endurance and examined if there is repeatability within and between trial methods. We found that time to exhaustion was not highly repeatable within a method, suggesting that single measures or a mean time to exhaustion across trials are not appropriate. Furthermore, we compared mean maximal endurance times among the three methods, and found that the two running methods (i.e., stationary track and treadmill) were similar, but swimming was distinctly different, resulting in lower mean maximal endurance times. Finally, an individual's endurance rank was not repeatable across methods, suggesting that the three endurance trial methods are not providing similar information about an individual's performance capacity. Overall, these results highlight the need to carefully match a measure of performance capacity with the study species and the research questions being asked so that the methods being used are behaviorally, ecologically, and physiologically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Baxter-Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Max Mühlenhaupt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin J Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Kar F, Whiting MJ, Noble DWA. Influence of prior contest experience and level of escalation on contest outcome. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2173-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Whiting MJ, Noble DW, Somaweera R. Sexual dimorphism in conspicuousness and ornamentation in the enigmatic leaf-nosed lizardCeratophora tennentiifrom Sri Lanka. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J. Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Daniel W.A. Noble
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW 2109 Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological; Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Kensington NSW 2052 Australia
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10
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Qi Y, Noble DWA, Wu Y, Whiting MJ. Sex- and performance-based escape behaviour in an Asian agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1809-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Lappin AK, Jones ME. Reliable quantification of bite-force performance requires use of appropriate biting substrate and standardization of bite out-lever. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:4303-12. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.106385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Bite-force performance is an ecologically important measure of whole-organism performance that shapes dietary breadth and feeding strategies and, in some taxa, determines reproductive success. It also is a metric critical to testing and evaluating biomechanical models. We reviewed nearly one-hundred published studies of a range of taxa that incorporate direct in vivo measurements of bite force. Problematically, methods of data collection and processing vary considerably among studies. In particular, there is little consensus on the appropriate substrate to use on the biting surface of force transducers. In addition, the bite out-lever, defined as the distance from the fulcrum (i.e. jaw joint) to the position along the jawline at which the jaws engage the transducer, is rarely taken into account. We examined the effect of bite substrate and bite out-lever on bite-force estimates in a diverse sample of lizards. Results indicate that both variables have a significant impact on the accuracy of measurements. Maximum bite force is significantly greater using leather as the biting substrate, as compared to a metal substrate. Less forceful bites on metal are likely due to inhibitory feedback from mechanoreceptors that prevent damage to the feeding apparatus. Standardization of bite out-lever affected which trial produced maximum performance for a given individual. Indeed, maximum bite force usually is underestimated without standardization because it is expected to be greatest at the minimum out-lever (i.e. back of jaws), which in studies is rarely targeted with success. We assert that future studies should use a pliable substrate, such as leather, and employ appropriate standardization for bite out-lever.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc E.H. Jones
- University of Adelaide, Australia; University College London, UK; South Australian Museum, Australia
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