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Wang Z, Chen H, Wang Y, Liu Q, Sun Y, Yang Z. Inhibitory effects of toxic Dolichospermum flos-aquae and anatoxin-a on inducible defenses of Daphnia magna. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 363:142952. [PMID: 39067826 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms, resulting from serious eutrophication, can produce various cyanotoxins and severely disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Inducible defenses are adaptive traits developed by prey in response to predation risks. However, the effects of the increasing proportion of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins produced during cyanobacterial blooms on the inducible defenses of cladocerans, particularly in terms of behavioral defenses, remain unclear. In this study, we selected Daphnia magna and investigated the defensive traits against predation risks by the predator Rhodeus ocellatus under different ratios of cyanobacteria (Dolichospermum flos-aquae) and green algae (Scenedesmus obliquus), as well as varying concentrations of anatoxin-a (ATX), a cyanotoxin. We recorded the inducible defensive traits involving to morphology, behavior, and offspring production of D. magna. Results showed that the body length of D. magna at sexual maturity and the number of offspring in the first brood were significantly reduced by the presence of D. flos-aquae. Moreover, when the proportion of D. flos-aquae reached 75% and 100%, D. magna did not develop to sexual maturity. Furthermore, D. flos-aquae inhibited the formation of inducible behavioral defense of D. magna, with a stronger inhibitory effect as the proportion of D. flos-aquae increased. In this experiment, the effects of ATX on the morphological traits at sexual maturity and offspring production of D. magna were minor, but ATX still had the potential to inhibit the formation of inducible behavioral defense. We confirmed that changes in the proportion of cyanobacteria and green algae as well as the production of ATX by cyanobacteria during cyanobacterial blooms can affect the growth, development, and inducible defensive traits of cladocerans, potentially altering their population dynamics during such events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihang Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yixiang Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yunfei Sun
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhou Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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2
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Wilson KM, Burley NT. Early-Life Silver Spoon Improves Survival and Breeding Performance of Adult Zebra Finches. Am Nat 2024; 204:73-95. [PMID: 38857346 DOI: 10.1086/730265] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
AbstractDevelopmental plasticity allows organisms to increase the fit between their phenotype and their early-life environment. The extent to which such plasticity also enhances adult fitness is not well understood, however, particularly when early-life and adult environments differ substantially. Using a cross-factorial design that manipulated diet at two life stages, we examined predictions of major hypotheses-silver spoon, environmental matching, and thrifty phenotype-concerning the joint impacts of early-life and adult diets on adult morphology/display traits, survival, and reproductive allocation. Overall, results aligned with the silver spoon hypothesis, which makes several predictions based on the premise that development in poor-quality environments constrains adult performance. Males reared and bred on a low-protein diet had lower adult survivorship than other male treatment groups; females' survivorship was higher than males' and not impacted by early diet. Measures of allocation to reproduction primarily reflected breeding diet, but where natal diet impacted reproduction, results supported the silver spoon. Both sexes showed reduced expression of display traits when reared on a low-protein diet. Results accord with other studies in supporting the relevance of the silver spoon hypothesis to birds and point to significant ramifications of sex differences in early-life viability selection on the applicability/strength of silver spoon effects.
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Lopez-Hervas K, Porwal N, Delacoux M, Vezyrakis A, Guenther A. Is the speed of adjusting to environmental change condition dependent? An experiment with house mice ( Mus musculus). Curr Zool 2024; 70:350-360. [PMID: 39035765 PMCID: PMC11256001 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions change constantly either by anthropogenic perturbation or naturally across space and time. Often, a change in behavior is the first response to changing conditions. Behavioral flexibility can potentially improve an organism's chances to survive and reproduce. Currently, we lack an understanding on the time-scale such behavioral adjustments need, how they actually affect reproduction and survival and whether behavioral adjustments are sufficient in keeping up with changing conditions. We used house mice (Mus musculus) to test whether personality and life-history traits can adjust to an experimentally induced food-switch flexibly in adulthood or by intergenerational plasticity, that is, adjustments only becoming visible in the offspring generation. Mice lived in 6 experimental populations of semi-natural environments either on high or standard quality food for 4 generations. We showed previously that high-quality food induced better conditions and a less risk-prone personality. Here, we tested whether the speed and/ or magnitude of adjustment shows condition-dependency and whether adjustments incur fitness effects. Life-history but not personality traits reacted flexibly to a food-switch, primarily by a direct reduction of reproduction and slowed-down growth. Offspring whose parents received a food-switch developed a more active stress-coping personality and gained weight at a slower rate compared with their respective controls. Furthermore, the modulation of most traits was condition-dependent, with animals previously fed with high-quality food showing stronger responses. Our study highlights that life-history and personality traits adjust at different speed toward environmental change, thus, highlighting the importance of the environment and the mode of response for evolutionary models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karem Lopez-Hervas
- RG Behavioural Ecology of Individual Differences, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Neelam Porwal
- RG Behavioural Ecology of Individual Differences, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Wieniawskiego 1, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
| | - Mathilde Delacoux
- RG Behavioural Ecology of Individual Differences, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Department for Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, 78464 Constance, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Alexandros Vezyrakis
- RG Behavioural Ecology of Individual Differences, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anja Guenther
- RG Behavioural Ecology of Individual Differences, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
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Čapkun-Huot C, Blumstein DT, Garant D, Sol D, Réale D. Toward a unified framework for studying behavioural tolerance. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:446-455. [PMID: 38177010 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.12.006] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural responses are widely held to allow animals to cope with human-induced environmental changes. Less often appreciated is that the absence of behavioural response can also be advantageous. This is particularly true when animals become tolerant to situations that may be perceived as risky, although the actual risk is nonexistent. We provide a framework to understand the causes and consequences of behavioural tolerance. Tolerance can emerge from genetic, epigenetic, or learning mechanisms, each exerting different degrees of influence on its speed of acquisition, reversibility, specificity, and duration. The ultimate impact on fitness hinges on the interplay between these mechanisms and the nature of the stressor. Mechanistic clarity is therefore essential to better understand and manage human-wildlife interactions in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Čapkun-Huot
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal H2X 1Y4, Canada.
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Daniel Sol
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal H2X 1Y4, Canada
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5
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Houston AI, Fromhage L, McNamara JM. A general framework for modelling trade-offs in adaptive behaviour. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:56-69. [PMID: 37609707 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
An animal's behaviour can influence many variables, such as its energy reserves, its risk of injury or mortality, and its rate of reproduction. To identify the optimal action in a given situation, these various effects can be compared in the common currency of reproductive value. While this idea has been widely used to study trade-offs between pairs of variables, e.g. between energy gain versus survival, here we present a unified framework that makes explicit how these various trade-offs fit together. This unification covers a wide range of biological phenomena, highlighting similarities in their logical structure and helping to identify knowledge gaps. To fill one such gap, we present a new model of foraging under the risk of predation and damage accumulation. We conclude by discussing the use and limitations of state-dependent optimisation theory in predicting biological observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alasdair I Houston
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Lutz Fromhage
- University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - John M McNamara
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Fry Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK
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6
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Richardson J, Zuk M. Meta-analytical evidence that males prefer virgin females. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14341. [PMID: 37988323 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14341] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Males are often predicted to prefer virgin over non-virgin females because of the reduced risk of sperm competition. Does this prediction hold across studies? Our systematic meta-analysis of 138 studies, mainly conducted in invertebrates, confirms that males generally prefer virgin females. However, males preferred virgin females even in species with last male sperm precedence, suggesting that sperm competition alone does not drive male preferences. Furthermore, our results suggest that males may reject mated females even when no alternative exists. Preference for virgins is unlikely to influence female reproductive success since virginity cannot be selected for, but strong preference for virgin females could swamp or reinforce selection on other traits. Our results add to growing evidence that males are not indiscriminate in mating. However, given the unexplained heterogeneity in effect sizes, we urge caution in assuming that males will prefer virgins and recommend considering the natural context of mating decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Richardson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
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7
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Rubin AM, Seebacher F. Feeding frequency does not interact with BPA exposure to influence metabolism or behaviour in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Physiol Behav 2024; 273:114403. [PMID: 37939830 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114403] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Resource limitation can constrain energy (ATP) production, and thereby affect locomotion and behaviour such as exploration of novel environments and boldness. Consequently, ecological processes such as dispersal and interactions within and between species may be influenced by food availability. Energy metabolism, and behaviour are regulated by endocrine signalling, and may therefore be impacted by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) including bisphenol A (BPA) derived from plastic manufacture and pollution. It is important to determine the impacts of these novel environmental contexts to understand how human activity alters individual physiology and behaviour and thereby populations. Our aim was to determine whether BPA exposure interacts with feeding frequency to alter metabolism and behaviour. In a fully factorial experiment, we show that low feeding frequency reduced zebrafish (Danio rerio) mass, condition, resting metabolic rates, total distance moved and speed in a novel arena, as well as anxiety indicated by the number of times fish returned to a dark shelter. However, feeding frequency did not significantly affect maximal metabolic rates, aerobic scope, swimming performance, latency to leave a shelter, or metabolic enzyme activities (citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase). Natural or anthropogenic fluctuation in food resources can therefore impact energetics and movement of animals with repercussions for ecological processes such as dispersal. BPA exposure reduced LDH activity and body mass, but did not interact with feeding frequency. Hence, behaviour of adult fish is relatively insensitive to disruption by BPA. However, alteration of LDH activity by BPA could disrupt lactate metabolism and signalling and together with reduction in body mass could affect size-dependent reproductive output. BPA released by plastic manufacture and pollution can thereby impact conservation and management of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Rubin
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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8
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Barbee B, Pinter-Wollman N. Nutritional needs and mortality risk combine to shape foraging decisions in ants. Curr Zool 2023; 69:747-755. [PMID: 37876638 PMCID: PMC10591143 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac089] [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: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
When foraging, internal needs for particular nutrients might affect food choice, and external constraints, such as predation risk, might impact trade-offs between foraging and risk avoidance. Examining both internal and external constraints simultaneously can provide important insights into how animals make decisions. We examined how internal nutritional needs and external cues of mortality risk jointly impact the foraging behavior of ants. Ant colonies require carbohydrates to support workers energetically and proteins to raise brood. Furthermore, colonies adjust their foraging activity in response to the environment, such as food availability and the presence of predators or heterospecifics. Here we examine the foraging decisions of groups of Argentine ants Linepithema humile, which differ in their nutritional needs in high-risk environments. We starved groups of ants for either proteins or carbohydrates and determined the foraging choices that ants made when cues of heterospecifics were present. We found that ants preferentially forage for carbohydrates in high-risk conditions. Furthermore, starvation for carbohydrates increased the ants' preference for carbohydrates, even when cues of heterospecifics were present at both carbohydrates and protein resources. Starvation for protein also resulted in preferential foraging for carbohydrates, but it increased visitation to a protein food source in high-risk environments compared to when ants were starved for carbohydrates or for both resources. Examining the effect of both nutrition and mortality risk on foraging simultaneously provides insights about state-dependent risk-taking behavior that may have important implications for predicting the invasion of species into novel habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce Barbee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Pirotta E, Fernandez Ajó A, Bierlich KC, Bird CN, Buck CL, Haver SM, Haxel JH, Hildebrand L, Hunt KE, Lemos LS, New L, Torres LG. Assessing variation in faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in gray whales exposed to anthropogenic stressors. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad082. [PMID: 38026800 PMCID: PMC10660368 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how individual animals respond to stressors behaviourally and physiologically is a critical step towards quantifying long-term population consequences and informing management efforts. Glucocorticoid (GC) metabolite accumulation in various matrices provides an integrated measure of adrenal activation in baleen whales and could thus be used to investigate physiological changes following exposure to stressors. In this study, we measured GC concentrations in faecal samples of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) collected over seven consecutive years to assess the association between GC content and metrics of exposure to sound levels and vessel traffic at different temporal scales, while controlling for contextual variables such as sex, reproductive status, age, body condition, year, time of year and location. We develop a Bayesian Generalized Additive Modelling approach that accommodates the many complexities of these data, including non-linear variation in hormone concentrations, missing covariate values, repeated samples, sampling variability and some hormone concentrations below the limit of detection. Estimated relationships showed large variability, but emerging patterns indicate a strong context-dependency of physiological variation, depending on sex, body condition and proximity to a port. Our results highlight the need to control for baseline hormone variation related to context, which otherwise can obscure the functional relationship between faecal GCs and stressor exposure. Therefore, extensive data collection to determine sources of baseline variation in well-studied populations, such as PCFG gray whales, could shed light on cetacean stress physiology and be used to extend applicability to less-well-studied taxa. GC analyses may offer greatest utility when employed as part of a suite of markers that, in aggregate, provide a multivariate measure of physiological status, better informing estimates of individuals' health and ultimately the consequences of anthropogenic stressors on populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Alejandro Fernandez Ajó
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - KC Bierlich
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Clara N Bird
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Samara M Haver
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Joseph H Haxel
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Coastal Sciences Division, 1529 W. Sequim Bay Rd., Sequim, WA 98362, USA
| | - Lisa Hildebrand
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation & Department of Biology, George Mason University, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Leila S Lemos
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Leslie New
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ursinus College, 601 E Main St, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Leigh G Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA
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10
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Mezőfi L, Markó V, Taranyi DÁ, Markó G. Sex-specific life-history strategies among immature jumping spiders: Differences in body parameters and behavior. Curr Zool 2023; 69:535-551. [PMID: 37637309 PMCID: PMC10449423 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Selection forces often generate sex-specific differences in various traits closely related to fitness. While in adult spiders (Araneae), sexes often differ in coloration, body size, antipredator, or foraging behavior, such sex-related differences are less pronounced among immatures. However, sex-specific life-history strategies may also be adaptive for immatures. Thus, we hypothesized that among spiders, immature individuals show different life-history strategies that are expressed as sex-specific differences in body parameters and behavioral features, and also in their relationships. We used immature individuals of a protandrous jumping spider, Carrhotus xanthogramma, and examined sex-related differences. The results showed that males have higher mass and larger prosoma than females. Males were more active and more risk tolerant than females. Male activity increased with time, and larger males tended to capture the prey faster than small ones, while females showed no such patterns. However, females reacted to the threatening abiotic stimuli more with the increasing number of test sessions. In both males and females, individuals with better body conditions tended to be more risk averse. Spiders showed no sex-specific differences in interindividual behavioral consistency and in intraindividual behavioral variation in the measured behavioral traits. Finally, we also found evidence for behavioral syndromes (i.e., correlation between different behaviors), where in males, only the activity correlated with the risk-taking behavior, but in females, all the measured behavioral traits were involved. The present study demonstrates that C. xanthogramma sexes follow different life-history strategies even before attaining maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Mezőfi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest 1118, Hungary
| | - Viktor Markó
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest 1118, Hungary
| | - Dóra Ágnes Taranyi
- Institute of Viticulture and Enology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest 1118, Hungary
| | - Gábor Markó
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest 1118, Hungary
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11
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Strijker BN, Iwińska K, van der Zalm B, Zub K, Boratyński JS. Is personality and its association with energetics sex-specific in yellow-necked mice Apodemus flavicollis? Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10233. [PMID: 37408630 PMCID: PMC10318423 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last two decades, behavioral physiologists aimed to explain a plausible covariation between energetics and personality, predicted by the "pace-of-life syndrome" (POLS) hypothesis. However, the results of these attempts are mixed with no definitive answer as to which of the two most acknowledged models "performance" or "allocation" predicts covariation between consistent among-individual variation in metabolism and repeatable behavior (animal personality). The general conclusion is that the association between personality and energetics is rather context-dependent. Life-history, behavior, and physiology as well as its plausible covariation can be considered a part of sexual dimorphism. However, up to now, only a few studies demonstrated a sex-specific correlation between metabolism and personality. Therefore, we tested the relationships between physiological and personality traits in a single population of yellow-necked mice Apodemus flavicollis in the context of a plausible between-sexes difference in this covariation. We hypothesized that the performance model will explain proactive behavior in males and the allocation model will apply to females. Behavioral traits were determined using the latency of risk-taking and the open field tests, whereas the basal metabolic rates (BMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry. We have found a positive correlation between body mass-adjusted BMR and repeatable proactive behavior in male mice, which can support the performance model. However, the females were rather consistent mainly in avoidance of risk-taking that did not correlate with BMR, suggesting essential differences in personality between sexes. Most likely, the lack of convincing association between energetics and personality traits at the population level is caused by a different selection acting on the life histories of males and females. This may only result in weak support for the predictions of the POLS hypothesis when assuming that only a single model explaining the link between physiology and behavior operates in males and females. Thus, there is a need to consider the differences between sexes in behavioral studies to evaluate this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau N. Strijker
- Van Hall LarensteinUniversity of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Karolina Iwińska
- University of Białystok Doctoral School in Exact and Natural SciencesBiałystokPoland
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Bram van der Zalm
- Van Hall LarensteinUniversity of Applied SciencesLeeuwardenThe Netherlands
| | - Karol Zub
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
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12
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Galli A, Behrens JW, Gesto M, Moran NP. Boldness and physiological variation in round goby populations along their Baltic Sea invasion front. Physiol Behav 2023:114261. [PMID: 37290607 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114261] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is a fish native to the Ponto-Caspian region that is highly invasive through freshwater and brackish habitats in northern Europe and North America. Individual behavioural variation appears to be an important factor in their spread, for example a round goby's personality traits can influence their dispersal tendency, which may also produce variation in the behavioural composition of populations at different points along their invasion fronts. To further analyze the drivers of behavioural variation within invasive round goby populations, we focused on two populations along the Baltic Sea invasion front with closely comparable physical and community characteristics. Specifically, this study measured personality within a novel environment and predator response context (i.e., boldness), and directly analyzed links between individuals' personality traits and their physiological characteristics and stress responses (i.e., blood cortisol and lactate, brain neurotransmitters). In contrast to previous findings, the more recently established population had similar activity levels but were less bold in response to a predator cue than the older population, which suggests that behavioural compositions within our study populations may be more driven by local environmental conditions rather than being a result of personality-biased dispersal. Furthermore, we found that both populations showed similar physiological stress responses, and there also appeared to be no detectable relationship between physiological parameters and behavioural responses to predator cues. Instead, body size and body condition were important factors influencing individual behavioural responses. Overall, our results reinforce the importance of boldness traits as a form of phenotypic variation in round goby populations in the Baltic Sea. We also highlight the importance of these traits for future studies specifically testing for effects of invasion processes on phenotypic variation in the species. Nonetheless, our results also highlight that the physiological mechanisms underpinning behavioural variation in these populations remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Galli
- Institute for Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua), Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej 101, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jane W Behrens
- Institute for Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua), Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej 101, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Manuel Gesto
- Institute for Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua), Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej 101, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Nicholas P Moran
- Centre for Ocean Life - DTU Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark; Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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13
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Bai X, Wang XJ, Ma CS, Ma G. Heat-avoidance behavior associates with thermal sensitivity rather than tolerance in aphid assemblages. J Therm Biol 2023; 114:103550. [PMID: 37344023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103550] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
How to predict animals' heat-avoidance behaviors is critical since behavior stands the first line for animals dealing with frequent heat events under ongoing climate warming. However, the discrepancy between the scarcity of research on heat-avoidance behaviors and the commonness of eco-physiological data for thermal tolerance and for thermal sensitivity such as the temperature-dependent survival time makes it difficult to link physiological thermal traits to heat-avoidance behavior. Aphids usually suck plant sap on a fixed site on the host plants at moderate temperatures, but they will leave and seek cooler feeding sites under stressful temperatures. Here we take the cereal aphid assemblages comprising different species with various development stages as a model system. We tested the hypotheses that heat tolerance (critical thermal maximum, CTmax) or heat sensitivity (temperature-dependent declining rate of survival time, similarly hereinafter) would associate with the temperature at which aphid activate heat-avoidance behavior. Specifically, we hypothesized the aphids with less heat tolerance or greater heat sensitivity would take a lower heat risk by leaving the host plant earlier. By mimicking the linear increase in ambient temperature during the daytime, we measured the CTmax and the heat-avoidance temperature (HAT, at which aphids leave the host plant to find cooler places) to understand their heat tolerance and heat-avoidance behavior. Then, we tested the survival time of aphids at different temperatures and calculated the slope of survival time declining with temperature to assess their heat sensitivity (HS). Finally, we examined the relationships between CTmax and HAT and between HS and HAT to understand if the heat-avoidance behavior associates with heat tolerance or with heat sensitivity. The results showed that HS and HAT had a strong correlation, with more heat sensitive individuals displayed lower HAT. By contrast, CTmax and HAT had a weak correlation. Our results thus provide evidence that heat sensitivity is a more reliable indicator than thermal tolerance linking with the heat-avoidance behavior in the aphid assemblages. Most existing studies use the indexes related to thermal tolerance to predict warming impacts. Our findings highlight the urgency to incorporate thermal sensitivity when predicting animal responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bai
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xue-Jing Wang
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Chun-Sen Ma
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
| | - Gang Ma
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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14
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Dantzer B. Frank Beach Award Winner: The centrality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dealing with environmental change across temporal scales. Horm Behav 2023; 150:105311. [PMID: 36707334 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding if and how individuals and populations cope with environmental change is an enduring question in evolutionary ecology that has renewed importance given the pace of change in the Anthropocene. Two evolutionary strategies of coping with environmental change may be particularly important in rapidly changing environments: adaptive phenotypic plasticity and/or bet hedging. Adaptive plasticity could enable individuals to match their phenotypes to the expected environment if there is an accurate cue predicting the selective environment. Diversifying bet hedging involves the production of seemingly random phenotypes in an unpredictable environment, some of which may be adaptive. Here, I review the central role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoids (GCs) in enabling vertebrates to cope with environmental change through adaptive plasticity and bet hedging. I first describe how the HPA axis mediates three types of adaptive plasticity to cope with environmental change (evasion, tolerance, recovery) over short timescales (e.g., 1-3 generations) before discussing how the implications of GCs on phenotype integration may depend upon the timescale under consideration. GCs can promote adaptive phenotypic integration, but their effects on phenotypic co-variation could also limit the dimensions of phenotypic space explored by animals over longer timescales. Finally, I discuss how organismal responses to environmental stressors can act as a bet hedging mechanism and therefore enhance evolvability by increasing genetic or phenotypic variability or reducing patterns of genetic and phenotypic co-variance. Together, this emphasizes the crucial role of the HPA axis in understanding fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, MI 48109 Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, MI 48109, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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15
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Noyes NC, Davis RL. Innate and learned odor-guided behaviors utilize distinct molecular signaling pathways in a shared dopaminergic circuit. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112026. [PMID: 36701232 PMCID: PMC10366338 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112026] [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: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Odor-based learning and innate odor-driven behavior have been hypothesized to require separate neuronal circuitry. Contrary to this notion, innate behavior and olfactory learning were recently shown to share circuitry that includes the Drosophila mushroom body (MB). But how a single circuit drives two discrete behaviors remains unknown. Here, we define an MB circuit responsible for both olfactory learning and innate odor avoidance and the distinct dDA1 dopamine receptor-dependent signaling pathways that mediate these behaviors. Associative learning and learning-induced MB plasticity require rutabaga-encoded adenylyl cyclase activity in the MB. In contrast, innate odor preferences driven by naive MB neurotransmission are rutabaga independent, requiring the adenylyl cyclase ACXD. Both learning and innate odor preferences converge on PKA and the downstream MBON-γ2α'1. Importantly, the utilization of this shared circuitry for innate behavior only becomes apparent with hunger, indicating that hardwired innate behavior becomes more flexible during states of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel C Noyes
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, 130 Scripps Way #3C2, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ronald L Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, 130 Scripps Way #3C2, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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16
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Newediuk L, Bath DR. Meta-analysis reveals between-population differences affect the link between glucocorticoids and population health. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad005. [PMID: 36845329 PMCID: PMC9945071 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are a popular tool for monitoring health of animal populations because they can increase with environmental stressors and can indicate chronic stress. However, individual responses to stressors create variation in the glucocorticoid-fitness relationship within populations. The inconsistency in this relationship calls into question the widespread use of glucocorticoids in conservation. We investigated the sources of variation in the glucocorticoid-fitness relationship by conducting a meta-analysis across a diverse set of species exposed to conservation-relevant stressors. We first quantified the extent to which studies inferred population health from glucocorticoids without first validating the glucocorticoid-fitness relationship in their own populations. We also tested whether population-level information like life history stage, sex and species longevity influenced the relationship between glucocorticoids and fitness. Finally, we tested for a universally consistent relationship between glucocorticoids and fitness across studies. We found more than half of peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2022 inferred population health solely based on glucocorticoid levels. While life history stage explained some variation in the relationship between glucocorticoids and fitness, we found no consistent relationship between them. Much of the variation in the relationship could be the result of idiosyncratic characteristics of declining populations, such as unstable demographic structure, that coincided with large amounts of variation in glucocorticoid production. We suggest that conservation biologists capitalize on this variation in glucocorticoid production by declining populations by using the variance in glucocorticoid production as an early warning for declines in population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levi Newediuk
- Corresponding author: Department of Biology, Memorial University, 45 Arctic Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Devon R Bath
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University, 0 Marine Lab Road, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
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17
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Lusseau D, Kindt-Larsen L, van Beest FM. Emergent interactions in the management of multiple threats to the conservation of harbour porpoises. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158936. [PMID: 36152860 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Human activities at sea are intensifying and diversifying. This is leading to more complex interactions of anthropogenic impacts requiring adaptable management interventions to mitigate their cumulative effects on biodiversity conservation and restoration objectives. Bycatch remains the dominant conservation threat for coastal cetaceans. Additionally, the indirect impact of repeated exposure to disturbances, particularly acoustic disturbances, can affect cetacean population growth and therefore conservation objectives. Pingers are used to ensonify nets to provide an effective mitigation of bycatch risk. As those become more prevalent across fisheries at risk to catch for example harbour porpoises, pingers become contributors to the anthropogenic noise landscape which may affect the vital rates of this species as well. Currently, we do not know how to best balance pinger prevalence to minimise both bycatch rate and the population consequences of acoustic disturbance (PCoD). Here we use an agent-based model to determine how pinger prevalence in nets can be adjusted to minimise bycatch rate and noise disturbance propagating to affect population growth for harbour porpoises. We show that counter-intuitively bycatch rate can increase at lower pinger prevalence. When ecological conditions are such that PCOD can emerge, higher prevalence of pingers can lead to indirect effects on population growth. This would result from condition-mediated decreased reproductive potential. Displacing fishing effort, via time-area closure, can be an effective mitigation strategy in these circumstances. These findings have important implications for current management plans which, for practical consideration, may lead to lower overall pinger prevalence at sea. This study also shows that estimating the reproductive potential of the species should be incorporated in bycatch monitoring programmes. We now need to better understand how physiological condition affect reproductive decisions and behavioural responses to noise in cetaceans to better appraise and estimate the cumulative impacts of bycatch and its mitigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lusseau
- National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Lotte Kindt-Larsen
- National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Floris M van Beest
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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18
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Hahn LG, Oswald P, Caspers BA. Behavioural responses to chemical cues of predators differ between fire salamander larvae from two different habitats. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. G. Hahn
- Institute for Zoology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - P. Oswald
- Department of Behavioural Ecology Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
| | - B. A. Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
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19
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Background matching explains repeatable individual variation in the defence strategies of a stick insect. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Burslem A, Isojunno S, Pirotta E, Miller PJO. Modelling the impact of condition-dependent responses and lipid-store availability on the consequences of disturbance in a cetacean. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac069. [PMID: 36415287 PMCID: PMC9672687 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-store body condition is fundamental to how animals cope with environmental fluctuations, including anthropogenic change. As it provides an energetic buffer, body condition is expected to influence risk-taking strategies, with both positive and negative relationships between body condition and risk-taking posited in the literature. Individuals in good condition may take more risks due to state-dependent safety ('ability-based' explanation), or alternatively fewer risks due to asset protection and reduced need to undertake risky foraging ('needs-based' explanation). Such state-dependent responses could drive non-linear impacts of anthropogenic activities through feedback between body condition and behavioural disturbance. Here, we present a simple bioenergetic model that explicitly incorporates hypothetical body condition-dependent response strategies for a cetacean, the sperm whale. The model considered the consequences of state-dependent foraging cessation and availability of wax ester (WE) lipids for calf provisioning and female survival. We found strikingly different consequences of disturbance depending on strategy and WE availability scenarios. Compared with the null strategy, where responses to disturbance were independent of body condition, the needs-based strategy mitigated predicted reductions in provisioning by 10%-13%, while the ability-based strategy exaggerated reductions by 63%-113%. Lower WE availability resulted in more extreme outcomes because energy stores were smaller relative to the daily energy balance. In the 0% availability scenario, while the needs-based strategy reduced deaths by 100%, the ability-based strategy increased them by 335% relative to null and by 56% relative to the same strategy under the 5%-6.7% WE availability scenario. These results highlight that state-dependent disturbance responses and energy store availability could substantially impact the population consequences of disturbance. Our ability to set appropriate precautionary disturbance thresholds therefore requires empirical tests of ability- vs needs-based response modification as a function of body condition and a clearer understanding of energy store availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec Burslem
- Corresponding author: Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 7984318003.
| | - Saana Isojunno
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Patrick J O Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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21
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Kreuzinger‐Janik B, Gansfort B, Traunspurger W, Ptatscheck C. It's all about food: Environmental factors cause species‐specific dispersal. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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22
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Mathot KJ, Arteaga-Torres JD, Wijmenga JJ. Individual risk-taking behaviour in black-capped chickadees ( Poecile atricapillus) does not predict annual survival. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220299. [PMID: 35911194 PMCID: PMC9326292 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Within species, individuals often show repeatable differences in behaviours, called 'animal personality'. One behaviour that has been widely studied is how quickly an individual resumes feeding after a disturbance, referred to as boldness or risk-taking. Depending on the mechanism(s) shaping risk-taking behaviour, risk-taking could be positively, negatively, or not associated with differences in overall survival. We studied risk-taking and survival in a population of free-living black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in which we previously showed repeatable among-individual differences in risk-taking over the course of several months. We found no evidence that variation in risk-taking is associated with differences in annual survival. We suggest that variation in risk-taking is likely shaped by multiple mechanisms simultaneously, such that the net effect on survival is small or null. For example, among-individual differences in energy demand may favour greater risk-taking without imposing an overall mortality cost if higher energy demand covaries with escape flight performance. We propose directions for future work, including using a multi-trait, multi-year approach to study risk-taking, to allow for stronger inferences regarding the mechanisms shaping these behavioural decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley J. Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
- Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | | | - Jan J. Wijmenga
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
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23
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Wong BBM, Jennions MD. In the shadows: wildlife behaviour in tree plantations. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:838-850. [PMID: 35710479 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.008] [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: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Destruction of natural habitats for tree plantations is a major threat to wildlife. These novel environments elicit behavioural changes that can either be detrimental or beneficial to survival and reproduction, with population - and community - level consequences. However, compared with well-documented changes following other forms of habitat modification, we know little about wildlife behavioural responses to tree plantations, and even less about their associated fitness costs. Here, we highlight critical knowledge gaps in understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of behavioural shifts caused by tree plantations and discuss how wildlife responses to plantations could be critical in determining which species persist in these highly modified environments.
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24
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Allan BJM, Browman HI, Shema S, Skiftesvik AB, Folkvord A, Durif CMF, Kjesbu OS. Increasing temperature and prey availability affect the growth and swimming kinematics of Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus) larvae. JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH 2022; 44:401-413. [PMID: 35664086 PMCID: PMC9155230 DOI: 10.1093/plankt/fbac014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will increase the magnitude and duration of warming events and the variability in the phenology and abundance of available prey to the early life stages of fish. These factors influence physiological, behavioral and ecological processes, impacting growth, development and survival. Using a fully factorial design with two prey-availability treatments (1200 prey items L-1 (high prey abundance) or 40 prey items L-1 (low prey abundance)) under three temperature regimes (8, 10 and 12°C), the swimming kinematics of 6-week old spring-spawning Atlantic herring larvae were examined using silhouette video photography. Higher temperatures combined with food limitation significantly decreased the growth and swimming kinematics of larval herring, with the most negative effect observed in larvae reared at 12°C and exposed to low food abundances. Specifically, larvae displayed reduced locomotory behaviors and reduced vertical movements. By contrast, larvae reared at high prey abundance and at 12°C displayed more active swimming and exploratory behavior, as evidenced by an increase in both locomotory behavior and vertical and horizontal turn angles, suggesting increased motivation to search for food. This research highlights the importance of determining to what degree fish larvae are sensitive to changes in temperature and how these changes might be further influenced by food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Howard I Browman
- Institute for Marine Research (IMR), Ecosystem Acoustics Research Group, Austevoll Research Station, Sauganeset 16, Storebø 5392, Norway
| | - Steven Shema
- Grótti ehf., Gundarstíg 4, Reykjavík 101, Iceland
| | - Anne-Berit Skiftesvik
- Institute for Marine Research (IMR), Ecosystem Acoustics Research Group, Austevoll Research Station, Sauganeset 16, Storebø 5392, Norway
| | - Arild Folkvord
- Institute for Marine Research (IMR), Pelagic Fish Research Group, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, Bergen 5817, Norway
- University of Bergen (UiB), PO Box 7803, Bergen 5020, Norway
| | - Caroline M F Durif
- Institute for Marine Research (IMR), Ecosystem Acoustics Research Group, Austevoll Research Station, Sauganeset 16, Storebø 5392, Norway
| | - Olav Sigurd Kjesbu
- Institute of Marine Research, Department of Marine Ecosystems and Resources, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, Bergen 5817, Norway
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25
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Dammhahn M, Lange P, Eccard JA. The landscape of fear has individual layers: an experimental test of among‐individual differences in perceived predation risk during foraging. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dammhahn
- Animal Ecology, Inst. for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Pauline Lange
- Animal Ecology, Inst. for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Jana A. Eccard
- Animal Ecology, Inst. for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
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26
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Kreuzinger-Janik B, Gansfort B, Ptatscheck C. Population density, bottom-up and top-down control as an interactive triplet to trigger dispersal. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5578. [PMID: 35368038 PMCID: PMC8976845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09631-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDispersal reflects the trade-offs between the cost of a change in habitat and the fitness benefits conferred by that change. Many factors trigger the dispersal of animals, but in field studies they are typically not controllable; consequently, they are mostly studied in the laboratory, where their single and interactive effects on dispersal can be investigated. We tested whether three fundamental factors, population density as well as bottom-up and top-down control, influence the emigration of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Nematode movement was observed in experiments conducted in two-chamber arenas in which these factors were manipulated. The results showed that both decreasing food availability and increasing population density had a positive influence on nematode dispersal. The presence of the predatory flatworm Polycelis tenuis did not consistently affect dispersal but worked as an amplifier when linked with population density with respect to certain food-supply levels. Our study indicates that nematode dispersal on small scales is non-random; rather, the worms’ ability to perceive environmental information leads to a context-dependent decision by individuals to leave or stay in a patch. The further use of nematodes to gain insights into both the triggers that initiate dispersal, and the traits of dispersing individuals will improve the modeling of animal behavior in changing and spatial heterogenous landscapes.
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27
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Behavioral responses to predatory sounds predict sensitivity of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise within a soundscape of fear. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2114932119. [PMID: 35312354 PMCID: PMC9060435 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114932119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic signals travel efficiently in the marine environment, allowing soniferous predators and prey to eavesdrop on each other. Our results with four cetacean species indicate that they use acoustic information to assess predation risk and have evolved mechanisms to reduce predation risk by ceasing foraging. Species that more readily gave up foraging in response to predatory sounds of killer whales also decreased foraging more during 1- to 4-kHz sonar exposures, indicating that species exhibiting costly antipredator responses also have stronger behavioral reactions to anthropogenic noise. This advance in our understanding of the drivers of disturbance helps us to predict what species and habitats are likely to be most severely impacted by underwater noise pollution in oceans undergoing increasing anthropogenic activities. As human activities impact virtually every animal habitat on the planet, identifying species at-risk from disturbance is a priority. Cetaceans are an example taxon where responsiveness to anthropogenic noise can be severe but highly species and context specific, with source–receiver characteristics such as hearing sensitivity only partially explaining this variability. Here, we predicted that ecoevolutionary factors that increase species responsiveness to predation risk also increase responsiveness to anthropogenic noise. We found that reductions in intense-foraging time during exposure to 1- to 4-kHz naval sonar and predatory killer whale sounds were highly correlated (r = 0.92) across four cetacean species. Northern bottlenose whales ceased foraging completely during killer whale and sonar exposures, followed by humpback, long-finned pilot, and sperm whales, which reduced intense foraging by 48 to 97%. Individual responses to sonar were partly predicted by species-level responses to killer whale playbacks, implying a similar level of perceived risk. The correlation cannot be solely explained by hearing sensitivity, indicating that species- and context-specific antipredator adaptations also shape cetacean responses to human-made noise. Species that are more responsive to predator presence are predicted to be more disturbance sensitive, implying a looming double whammy for Arctic cetaceans facing increased anthropogenic and predator activity with reduced ice cover.
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28
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Bednarz PA, Zwolak R. Body mass and sex, but not breeding condition and season, influence open-field exploration in the yellow-necked mouse. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8771. [PMID: 35356564 PMCID: PMC8958246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that risk taking should be influenced by external (e.g., season) and internal (e.g., breeding condition, sex, and body mass) conditions. We investigated whether these factors are associated with a potentially risky behavior: exploration of a novel environment. We conducted repeated open-field tests of exploration in a common forest rodent, the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis. Contrary to expectations, the exploration did not vary with the season (spring vs. fall) or the reproductive status of the tested animals. Also unexpectedly, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between body mass and exploration: animals with intermediate body mass tended to have the highest exploration tendencies. Males were more exploratory than females. Finally, even after adjusting for the effects of body mass and sex, individuals exhibited consistent, repeatable differences in exploration tendencies ("behavioral types" or "personalities"). The discrepancies between certain broad generalizations and our results suggest that risk taking depends on details of species-specific biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A. Bednarz
- Department of Systematic ZoologyAdam Mickiewicz University in PoznańPoznańPoland
| | - Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic ZoologyAdam Mickiewicz University in PoznańPoznańPoland
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Dougherty LR, Skirrow MJA, Jennions MD, Simmons LW. Male alternative reproductive tactics and sperm competition: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1365-1388. [PMID: 35229450 PMCID: PMC9541908 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In many animal species, males may exhibit one of several discrete, alternative ways of obtaining fertilisations, known as alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Males exhibiting ARTs typically differ in the extent to which they invest in traits that improve their mating success, or the extent to which they face sperm competition. This has led to the widespread prediction that males exhibiting ARTs associated with a high sperm competition risk, or lower investment into traits that improve their competitiveness before mating, should invest more heavily into traits that improve their competitiveness after mating, such as large ejaculates and high-quality sperm. However, despite many studies investigating this question since the 1990s, evidence for differences in sperm and ejaculate investment between male ARTs is mixed, and there has been no quantitative summary of this field. Following a systematic review of the literature, we performed a meta-analysis examining how testes size, sperm number and sperm traits differ between males exhibiting ARTs that face either a high or low sperm competition risk, or high or low investment in traits that increase mating success. We obtained data from 92 studies and 67 species from across the animal kingdom. Our analyses showed that male fish exhibiting ARTs facing a high sperm competition risk had significantly larger testes (after controlling for body size) than those exhibiting tactics facing a low sperm competition risk. However, this effect appears to be due to the inappropriate use of the gonadosomatic index as a body-size corrected measure of testes investment, which overestimates the difference in testes investment between male tactics in most cases. We found no significant difference in sperm number between males exhibiting different ARTs, regardless of whether sperm were measured from the male sperm stores or following ejaculation. We also found no significant difference in sperm traits between males exhibiting different ARTs, with the exception of sperm adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in fish. Finally, the difference in post-mating investment between male ARTs was not influenced by the extent to which tactics were flexible, or by the frequency of sneakers in the population. Overall, our results suggest that, despite clear theoretical predictions, there is little evidence that male ARTs differ substantially in investment into sperm and ejaculates across species. The incongruence between theoretical and empirical results could be explained if (i) theoretical models fail to account for differences in overall resource levels between males exhibiting different ARTs or fundamental trade-offs between investment into different ejaculate and sperm traits, and (ii) studies often use sperm or ejaculate traits that do not reflect overall post-mating investment accurately or affect fertilisation success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, U.K
| | - Michael J A Skirrow
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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Siegal E, Hooker SK, Isojunno S, Miller PJO. Beaked whales and state-dependent decision-making: how does body condition affect the trade-off between foraging and predator avoidance? Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212539. [PMID: 35078370 PMCID: PMC8790365 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Body condition is central to how animals balance foraging with predator avoidance-a trade-off that fundamentally affects animal fitness. Animals in poor condition may accept greater predation risk to satisfy current foraging 'needs', while those in good condition may be more risk averse to protect future 'assets'. These state-dependent behavioural predictions can help interpret responses to human activities, but are little explored in marine animals. This study investigates the influence of body condition on how beaked whales trade-off foraging and predator avoidance. Body density (indicating lipid-energy stores) was estimated for 15 foraging northern bottlenose whales tagged near Jan Mayen, Norway. Composite indices of foraging (diving and echolocation clicks) and anti-predation (long ascents, non-foraging dives and silent periods reducing predator eavesdropping) were negatively related. Experimental sonar exposures led to decreased foraging and increased risk aversion, confirming a foraging/perceived safety trade-off. However, lower lipid stores were not related to a decrease in predator avoidance versus foraging, i.e. worse condition animals did not prioritize foraging. Individual differences (personalities) or reproductive context could offer alternative explanations for the observed state-behaviour relationships. This study provides evidence of foraging/predator-avoidance trade-offs in a marine top predator and demonstrates that animals in worse condition might not always take more risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eilidh Siegal
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Sascha K. Hooker
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Saana Isojunno
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Patrick J. O. Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
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31
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Navas CA, Agudelo-Cantero GA, Loeschcke V. Thermal boldness: Volunteer exploration of extreme temperatures in fruit flies. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 136:104330. [PMID: 34848182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A dominant perception is that small and motile ectothermic animals must use behavior to avoid exposure to critical or sub-critical temperatures impairing physiological performance. Concomitantly, volunteer exploration of extreme environments by some individuals may promote physiological adjustments and enhance ecological opportunity. Here we introduce to the literature a Thermal Decision System (TDS) which is fully modular, thermally stable, versatile, and adaptable to study navigation through thermal landscapes in insects and other small motile animals. We used a specific setting of the TDS to investigate volunteer navigation through critical cold and hot temperatures in Drosophila melanogaster. We demonstrate that a thermally bold behavior (volunteer crossings through a Critical Temperature Zone, CTZ) characterized a fraction of flies in a sample, and that such a fraction was higher in an outbred population relative to isofemale lines. As set, the TDS generated a thermal gradient within the cold and hot CTZs, and the exploration of this gradient by flies did not relate simply with a tendency to be thermally bold. Mild fasting affected thermal exploration and boldness in complex manners, but thermal boldness was evident in both fasted and fed flies. Also, thermal boldness was not associated with individual critical temperatures. Finally, some flies showed consistent thermal boldness, as flies that performed an extreme thermal cross were more likely to perform a second cross compared with untested flies. We hypothesize that a simple "avoidance principle" is not the only behavioral drive for D. melanogaster facing extreme temperatures over space, and that this pattern may characterize other small motile ectothermic animals with analogous natural history. The physiological correlates, genetic architecture, and interspecific variation of thermal boldness deserve further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Navas
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 101, Tv 14, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Biology - Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University. Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Gustavo A Agudelo-Cantero
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 101, Tv 14, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Biology - Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University. Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Volker Loeschcke
- Department of Biology - Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University. Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Ortega J, López P, Salvador A, Martín J. Improved nutritional status may promote an “asset protection” reproductive strategy in male rock lizards. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Investing in the current reproduction requires diverting energy resources from other metabolic functions, which may compromise future reproduction and lifespan. To solve this trade-off, an individual may consider its labile state to decide how much to invest in current reproduction. We tested experimentally whether the “state quality” of male rock lizards influences their reproductive strategies. To improve the nutritional status of males before the mating season, we captured and supplemented experimental males (N = 20) with dietary vitamin D3 (an essential nutrient for lizards) and had a control group of males (N = 20). Then, we released all these males and females (N = 31) in a large semi-natural outdoor enclosure where lizards could interact and mate freely during the mating period. Activity levels of males did not vary between treatments, but supplemented males started fewer intrasexual agonistic interactions and made fewer mating advances to females. When the mating season ended, we incubated eggs laid by females to obtain the offspring and estimated the paternity of males using DNA microsatellites. Supplemented males sired fewer offspring than control males. These results suggest that vitamin D3 supplemented males used a low risk/less costly mating strategy to protect their assets (i.e., vitamin D reserves), but that still resulted in “some” current reproductive success, while likely increasing longevity and the expected future total reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo Salvador
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Gudowska A, Drobniak SM. Diet modulates behaviour in house sparrows: insights into possible hormone-mediated mechanisms. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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34
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Näslund J. Unreplicable state‐dependent effects on start‐box emergence latency in wild‐origin sticklebacks. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joacim Näslund
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Resources Institute of Freshwater Research Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Drottningholm Sweden
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35
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Kim B, Moran NP, Reinhold K, Sánchez-Tójar A. Male size and reproductive performance in three species of livebearing fishes (Gambusia spp.): A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2431-2445. [PMID: 34231219 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The genus Gambusia represents approximately 45 species of polyandrous livebearing fishes with reversed sexual size dimorphism (i.e. males smaller than females) and with copulation predominantly via male coercion. Male body size has been suggested as an important sexually selected trait, but despite abundant research, evidence for sexual selection on male body size in this genus is mixed. Studies have found that large males have an advantage in both male-male competition and female choice, but that small males perform sneaky copulations better and at higher frequency and thus may sire more offspring in this coercive mating system. Here, we synthesized this inconsistent body of evidence using pre-registered methods and hypotheses. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of summary and primary (raw) data combining both published (n = 19 studies, k = 106 effect sizes) and unpublished effect sizes (n = 17, k = 242) to test whether there is overall selection on male body size across studies in Gambusia. We also tested several specific hypotheses to understand the sources of heterogeneity across effects. Meta-analysis revealed an overall positive correlation between male size and reproductive performance (r = 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.10-0.35, n = 36, k = 348, 4,514 males, three Gambusia species). Despite high heterogeneity, the large-male advantage appeared robust across all measures studied (i.e. female choice, mating success, paternity, sperm quantity and quality), and was considerably larger for female choice (r = 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.28-0.59, n = 14, k = 43). Meta-regressions found several important factors explaining heterogeneity across effects, including type of sperm characteristic, male-to-female ratio, female reproductive status and environmental conditions. We found evidence of publication bias; however, its influence on our estimates was attenuated by including a substantial amount of unpublished effects, highlighting the importance of open primary data for more accurate meta-analytic estimates. In addition to positive selection on male size, our study suggests that we need to rethink the role and form of sexual selection in Gambusia and, more broadly, to consider the ecological factors that affect reproductive behaviour in livebearing fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bora Kim
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nicholas Patrick Moran
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Centre for Ocean Life DTU-Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Klaus Reinhold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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36
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No trans-generational maternal effects of early-life corticosterone exposure on neophobia and antipredator behaviour in the house sparrow. J ETHOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00712-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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37
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Dougherty LR. Meta-analysis reveals that animal sexual signalling behaviour is honest and resource based. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:688-699. [PMID: 33723423 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Animals often need to signal to attract mates and behavioural signalling may impose substantial energetic and fitness costs to signallers. Consequently, individuals often strategically adjust signalling effort to maximize the fitness payoffs of signalling. An important determinant of these payoffs is individual state, which can influence the resources available to signallers, their likelihood of mating and their motivation to mate. However, empirical studies often find contradictory patterns of state-based signalling behaviour. For example, individuals in poor condition may signal less than those in good condition to conserve resources (ability-based signalling) or signal more to maximize short-term reproductive success (needs-based signalling). To clarify this relationship, I systematically searched for published studies examining animal sexual signalling behaviour in relation to six aspects of individual state: age, mated status, attractiveness, body size, condition and parasite load. Across 228 studies and 147 species, individuals (who were predominantly male) invested more into behavioural signalling when in good condition. Overall, this suggests that animal sexual signalling behaviour is generally honest and ability-based. However, the magnitude of state-dependent plasticity was small and there was a large amount of between-study heterogeneity that remains unexplained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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