1
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Evans MJ, MacGregor C, Lindenmayer D. A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305518. [PMID: 38875283 PMCID: PMC11178227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term ecological monitoring is crucial to understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems, communities, and populations. Despite this, monitoring data are lacking or rare for the vast majority of biodiversity. Here we report the results of 19 years (2003-2022) of continuous annual monitoring of reptile species at Booderee National Park (BNP) on the east coast of south-eastern Australia. We tested the effects of time, habitat type, fire, and climate on detections of five reptile species. Our study revealed declines in detections of two skink species over time (Lampropholis delicata and Ctenotus taeniolatus), which we suspect was partly driven by weather conditions influencing activity of these species. We also identified broad vegetation type associations for two congeneric species with L. delicata being associated with forested sites, and Lampropholis guichenoti associated with more shrubby sites. Our results also demonstrated a clear association between Cryptophis nigrescens and L. delicata and fire, with the probabilities of detection of both species decreasing with time since fire in the short term. At about the midway point of our study (in 2011), we were forced to make a change in the way our data were collected. The change heavily influenced our findings, and so breached the integrity of the time series in our dataset. We acknowledge that a simple but crucial step to mitigate this breach would have been to conduct calibration that allowed subsequent analysis to control for a change in field survey methodology. Whilst improvements in the effectiveness of field survey methods might be possible through new technologies, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets as data collection continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maldwyn John Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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2
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Du WG, Li SR, Sun BJ, Shine R. Can nesting behaviour allow reptiles to adapt to climate change? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220153. [PMID: 37427463 PMCID: PMC10331901 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A range of abiotic parameters within a reptile nest influence the viability and attributes (including sex, behaviour and body size) of hatchlings that emerge from that nest. As a result of that sensitivity, a reproducing female can manipulate the phenotypic attributes of her offspring by laying her eggs at times and in places that provide specific conditions. Nesting reptiles shift their behaviour in terms of timing of oviposition, nest location and depth of eggs beneath the soil surface across spatial and temporal gradients. Those maternal manipulations affect mean values and variances of both temperature and soil moisture, and may modify the vulnerability of embryos to threats such as predation and parasitism. By altering thermal and hydric conditions in reptile nests, climate change has the potential to dramatically modify the developmental trajectories and survival rates of embryos, and the phenotypes of hatchlings. Reproducing females buffer such effects by modifying the timing, location and structure of nests in ways that enhance offspring viability. Nonetheless, our understanding of nesting behaviours in response to climate change remains limited in reptiles. Priority topics for future studies include documenting climate-induced changes in the nest environment, the degree to which maternal behavioural shifts can mitigate climate-related deleterious impacts on offspring development, and ecological and evolutionary consequences of maternal nesting responses to climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Ran Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Zhejiang 325035, People's Republic of China
| | - Bao-Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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3
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Wang Z, Nie Y, Yu S, Chen L, Zhang L, Zhu W, Zhou Z, Diao J. Consolidation of temperature-dependent toxicity and thermoregulatory behavior into risk assessments of insecticides under thermal scenarios: A prospective study on Eremias argus. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107742. [PMID: 36669286 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107742] [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: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the temperature-dependent chemical toxicity of three insecticides and the resulting thermoregulatory (TR) behavior of the lizard Eremias argus have been consolidated into the current risk assessment framework. According to acute dermal toxicity assays, an increase of ambient temperature from 15 °C to 35 °C decreased the acute dermal toxicity of beta-cyfluthrin (BC) but increased the toxicity of chlorpyrifos (CPF). The toxicity of avermectin (AVM) did not show significant temperature-dependent responses. Based on thermal preference trials, lizards changed their body temperature via TR behavior to adaptively reduce toxicity under sub-lethal doses, which can be understood as a "self-rescue" behavior attenuating lethal effects. However, the risk quotient indicated that the effectiveness of this "self-rescue" behavior is limited. Metabolomics analysis showed that six different metabolites (i.e., creatine, glutamate, succinate, N-acetylaspartate, acetylcholine, and lactate) contributed to TR behavior changes. Biochemical assays and insecticide residue results demonstrated that the temperature-dependent toxicity of BC, CPF, and AVM affected lizards in the three aspects of biotransformation, oxidative stress, and neurometabolic interference. This work clarifies the ecotoxicological impacts of representative insecticides on reptiles from toxicological understanding to risk relevance. This knowledge may improve ecological predictions of agrochemical applications in the context of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zikang Wang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yufan Nie
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Simin Yu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Li Chen
- Human Nutrition Program, Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Luyao Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Wentao Zhu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhou
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jinling Diao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road 2, Beijing 100193, China.
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4
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Sanger TJ, Harding L, Kyrkos J, Turnquist AJ, Epperlein L, Nunez SA, Lachance D, Dhindsa S, Stroud JT, Diaz RE, Czesny B. Environmental Thermal Stress Induces Neuronal Cell Death and Developmental Malformations in Reptiles. Integr Org Biol 2021; 3:obab033. [PMID: 34877473 PMCID: PMC8643577 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Every stage of organismal life history is being challenged by global warming. Many species are already experiencing temperatures approaching their physiological limits; this is particularly true for ectothermic species, such as lizards. Embryos are markedly sensitive to thermal insult. Here, we demonstrate that temperatures currently experienced in natural nesting areas can modify gene expression levels and induce neural and craniofacial malformations in embryos of the lizard Anolis sagrei. Developmental abnormalities ranged from minor changes in facial structure to significant disruption of anterior face and forebrain. The first several days of postoviposition development are particularly sensitive to this thermal insult. These results raise new concern over the viability of ectothermic species under contemporary climate change. Herein, we propose and test a novel developmental hypothesis that describes the cellular and developmental origins of those malformations: cell death in the developing forebrain and abnormal facial induction due to disrupted Hedgehog signaling. Based on similarities in the embryonic response to thermal stress among distantly related species, we propose that this developmental hypothesis represents a common embryonic response to thermal insult among amniote embryos. Our results emphasize the importance of adopting a broad, multidisciplinary approach that includes both lab and field perspectives when trying to understand the future impacts of anthropogenic change on animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Sanger
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Laura Harding
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Judith Kyrkos
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Alexandrea J Turnquist
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Lilian Epperlein
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Sylvia A Nunez
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Dryden Lachance
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Seerat Dhindsa
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - James T Stroud
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1137. One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
| | - Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Beata Czesny
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1050 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660, USA
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5
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Huang SP, Lin YC, Lin TE, Richard R. Thermal physiology explains the elevational range for a lizard, Eutropis longicaudata, in Taiwan. J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102730. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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6
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Espinaze MPA, Hui C, Waller L, Matthee S. Nest-type associated microclimatic conditions as potential drivers of ectoparasite infestations in African penguin nests. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3603-3616. [PMID: 32996052 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06895-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nest design and characteristics can influence the microclimatic conditions in the nest. Nest-dwelling ectoparasites are sensitive to temperature and moisture and as such the conditions in the nest can influence parasite infestations. The endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) breeds in different nest types and as yet little is known with regard to the microclimate and parasite infestation within these nests. This study characterized the microclimatic conditions in natural open, natural covered (with vegetation) and artificial nests, and assessed the relationship between nest characteristics (type, age, distance from the coast, orientation and entrance opening) and in-nest ectoparasite infestations and the health of African penguins in Stony Point, South Africa. Penguins (50 adults and 192 chicks) and their nests (n = 308) were sampled in 2016 and 2017. Soil temperature was higher in artificial than in natural nests, and soil and nest material moisture was lower in artificial and natural covered nests than natural open. Ectoparasite infestations were higher under warmer and drier conditions, in artificial nests and nests near the coastline. Penguin (adult and chick) body mass and chick body condition were lower in warmer nests and total plasma protein (in adults and checks) was lower in drier nests. Given the potential adverse effects of ectoparasites on host species, it is recommended that conservation agencies implement a monitoring programme to assess the ectoparasite infestation in artificial nests across multiple colonies. This information will facilitate a more holistic penguin conservation management plan that may prevent further detrimental effects on this endangered penguin species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela P A Espinaze
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Faculty of AgriScience, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Cang Hui
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.,African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.,International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology, London, UK
| | - Lauren Waller
- The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sonja Matthee
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Faculty of AgriScience, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
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7
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Pagano AM, Atwood TC, Durner GM, Williams TM. The seasonal energetic landscape of an apex marine carnivore, the polar bear. Ecology 2020; 101:e02959. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Pagano
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska99508USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz 130 McAllister Way Santa Cruz California95060USA
| | - Todd C. Atwood
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska99508USA
| | - George M. Durner
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska99508USA
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz 130 McAllister Way Santa Cruz California95060USA
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8
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Schwanz LE, Georges A, Holleley CE, Sarre SD. Climate change, sex reversal and lability of sex‐determining systems. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:270-281. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E. Schwanz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Clare E. Holleley
- Australian National Wildlife Collection CSIRO National Research Collections Australia Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Stephen D. Sarre
- Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra Canberra ACT Australia
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9
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Lee CY, Pike DA, Tseng HY, Hsu JY, Huang SL, Shaner PJL, Liao CP, Manica A, Huang WS. When males live longer: Resource-driven territorial behavior drives sex-specific survival in snakes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaar5478. [PMID: 31032398 PMCID: PMC6482014 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic analysis has shown that males' propensity to engage in aggressive encounters is associated with females having greater longevity. Here, we confirm the causal link between aggression and reduced longevity by looking at an egg-eating snake (Oligodon formosanus) in which females defend territories in the presence of sea turtle eggs. We monitored aggressiveness and survival at two sites: a control site with a stable supply of turtle eggs, and a second site where we collected data before and after a storm that eroded the beach on which turtles nested, thus leading to a loss of territoriality. We show that territoriality was the driver behind higher injury rates in females. Territorial females also had lower survival and decreased longevity compared with the nonterritorial males, but these differences disappeared when females were not territorial. Our study demonstrates how resource availability can influence the evolution of sex-specific patterns of survival across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ying Lee
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan
| | - David A. Pike
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Lin Huang
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pei-Jen L. Shaner
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taiwan
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taiwan
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10
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Pike DA, Roznik EA, Webb JK, Shine R. Life history and ecology of the elegant snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus pulcher) in south-eastern Australia. AUST J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/zo19047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Detailed information on life history and ecology is essential for successful conservation and management. However, we have relatively little detailed data on the life history and ecology of most small lizard species, relative to other vertebrates, especially those that have undergone recent taxonomic changes. We studied the ecology of the elegant snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus pulcher), a lizard that occurs on trees, fences, walls, and rock outcroppings in eastern Australia that spans temperate to tropical environments. In our temperate-zone study population living in natural habitat, individuals are active year-round, and gravid females were found during the months of September through December. Sexual maturity is reached in 12 months, lifespan is at least three years, and clutch size is typically two eggs. In laboratory incubation experiments, larger eggs were more likely to hatch. Low incubation temperatures (averaging 23 ± 7.5°C versus high temperatures averaging 26 ± 7.5°C) increased incubation duration significantly (range 56–72 days versus 40–51 days) and reduced the body size of hatchlings significantly (17.8 mm versus 18.7 mm snout–vent length). Skinks sheltered beneath small rocks that were not shared simultaneously with predatory snakes, and that reached average temperatures that were up to 3°C warmer during the day than unused rocks. Preferred microhabitats include substrates of rock or soil, and the largest rocks were occasionally shared by up to four individuals of all body size/sex combinations (5.8% of observations were shared, 30.2% of individual rocks were shared). Our study expands upon knowledge of the widespread genus Cryptoblepharus by providing detailed life history and ecological information on C. pulcher that can serve as a baseline for future studies.
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11
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Diele-Viegas LM, Rocha CFD. Unraveling the influences of climate change in Lepidosauria (Reptilia). J Therm Biol 2018; 78:401-414. [PMID: 30509664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans and many species have shifted their geographic ranges, seasonal activities, migration patterns, abundances and interactions in response to these changes. Projections of future climate change are uncertain, but the Earth's warming is likely to exceed 4.8 °C by the end of 21th century. The vulnerability of a population, species, group or system due to climate change is a function of impact of the changes on the evaluated system (exposure and sensitivity) and adaptive capacity as a response to this impact, and the relationship between these elements will determine the degree of species vulnerability. Predicting the potential future risks to biodiversity caused by climate change has become an extremely active field of research, and several studies in the last two decades had focused on determining possible impacts of climate change on Lepidosaurians, at a global, regional and local level. Here we conducted a systematic review of published studies in order to seek to what extent the accumulated knowledge currently allow us to identify potential trends or patterns regarding climate change effects on lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians and tuatara. We conducted a literature search among online literature databases/catalogues and recorded 255 studies addressing the influence of climate change on a total of 1918 species among 49 Lepidosaurian's families. The first study addressing this subject is dated 1999. Most of the studies focused on species distribution, followed by thermal biology, reproductive biology, behavior and genetics. We concluded that an integrative approach including most of these characteristics and also bioclimatic and environmental variables, may lead to consistent and truly effective strategies for species conservation, aiming to buffer the climate change effects on this group of reptiles.
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12
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Changing Perspectives on Reptile Eggs: One Biologist's Journey from Demography to Development. J HERPETOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1670/17-050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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13
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Grimm-Seyfarth A, Mihoub JB, Gruber B, Henle K. Some like it hot: from individual to population responses of an arboreal arid-zone gecko to local and distant climate. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth
- Department of Conservation Biology; UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation; University of Potsdam; Am Mühlenberg 3 14476 Potsdam Germany
| | - Jean-Baptiste Mihoub
- Department of Conservation Biology; UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Sorbonne Universités; UPMC Univ Paris 06; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CESCO, UMR 7204; 61 rue Buffon 75005 Paris France
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Department of Conservation Biology; UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Faculty of Applied Sciences; Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Klaus Henle
- Department of Conservation Biology; UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
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14
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Li S, Hao X, Wang Y, Sun B, Bi J, Zhang Y, Janzen FJ, Du W. Female lizards choose warm, moist nests that improve embryonic survivorship and offspring fitness. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shu‐Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Life and Environmental ScienceWenzhou University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Bao‐Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Jun‐Huai Bi
- College of Life ScienceInner Mongolia Normal University Hohhot Inner Mongolia China
| | - Yong‐Pu Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental ScienceWenzhou University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal BiologyIowa State University Ames IA USA
| | - Wei‐Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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15
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Grimm-Seyfarth A, Mihoub JB, Henle K. Too hot to die? The effects of vegetation shading on past, present, and future activity budgets of two diurnal skinks from arid Australia. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6803-6813. [PMID: 28904761 PMCID: PMC5587462 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral thermoregulation is an important mechanism allowing ectotherms to respond to thermal variations. Its efficiency might become imperative for securing activity budgets under future climate change. For diurnal lizards, thermal microhabitat variability appears to be of high importance, especially in hot deserts where vegetation is highly scattered and sensitive to climatic fluctuations. We investigated the effects of a shading gradient from vegetation on body temperatures and activity timing for two diurnal, terrestrial desert lizards, Ctenotus regius, and Morethia boulengeri, and analyzed their changes under past, present, and future climatic conditions. Both species’ body temperatures and activity timing strongly depended on the shading gradient provided by vegetation heterogeneity. At high temperatures, shaded locations provided cooling temperatures and increased diurnal activity. Conversely, bushes also buffered cold temperature by saving heat. According to future climate change scenarios, cooler microhabitats might become beneficial to warm‐adapted species, such as C. regius, by increasing the duration of daily activity. Contrarily, warmer microhabitats might become unsuitable for less warm‐adapted species such as M. boulengeri for which midsummers might result in a complete restriction of activity irrespective of vegetation. However, total annual activity would still increase provided that individuals would be able to shift their seasonal timing towards spring and autumn. Overall, we highlight the critical importance of thermoregulatory behavior to buffer temperatures and its dependence on vegetation heterogeneity. Whereas studies often neglect ecological processes when anticipating species’ responses to future climate change the strongest impact of a changing climate on terrestrial ectotherms in hot deserts is likely to be the loss of shaded microhabitats rather than the rise in temperature itself. We argue that conservation strategies aiming at addressing future climate changes should focus more on the cascading effects of vegetation rather than on shifts of species distributions predicted solely by climatic envelopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth
- Department of Conservation Biology UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig Germany.,University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Potsdam Germany
| | - Jean-Baptiste Mihoub
- Department of Conservation Biology UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig Germany.,UPMC Université Paris 06, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CESCO, UMR 7204 Sorbonne Universités Paris France
| | - Klaus Henle
- Department of Conservation Biology UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig Germany
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16
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Monasterio C, Verdú-Ricoy J, Salvador A, Díaz JA. Living at the edge: lower success of eggs and hatchlings at lower elevation may shape range limits in an alpine lizard. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Monasterio
- Cátedra Rui Nabeiro; Universidade de Évora (CIBIO/InBio); Casa Cordovil Rua Dr. Joaquim Henrique da Fonseca 7000-890 Évora Portugal
| | - Joaquín Verdú-Ricoy
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Alfredo Salvador
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - José A. Díaz
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; E-28040 Madrid Spain
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17
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Pike DA, Clark RW, Manica A, Tseng HY, Hsu JY, Huang WS. Surf and turf: predation by egg-eating snakes has led to the evolution of parental care in a terrestrial lizard. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22207. [PMID: 26915464 PMCID: PMC4768160 DOI: 10.1038/srep22207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals display a great diversity of parental care tactics that ultimately enhance offspring survival, but how such behaviors evolve remains unknown for most systems. Here, we studied the evolution of maternal care, in the form of nest guarding, in a single population of long-tailed sun skink (Eutropis longicaudata) living on Orchid Island (Taiwan). This species typically does not provide protection to its offspring. Using a common garden experiment, we show that maternal care is genetically determined in this population. Through field manipulations, we demonstrate that care provides a significant increase in egg survival on Orchid Island by reducing predation from egg-eating snakes (Oligodon formosanus); this predator is not abundant in other populations of the lizard, which do not display parental care. Finally, using extensive field surveys, we show that the seasonal availability of green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests is the cause for the high abundance of snake predators on Orchid Island, with the snakes consuming lizard eggs when green turtle eggs are not available. Together, these lines of evidence provide the first full demonstration of how predation can trigger the evolution of parental care in a species derived from a non-caring ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Pike
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Australia
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, USA
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
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18
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Carroll JM, Davis CA, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD. A Ground-Nesting Galliform's Response to Thermal Heterogeneity: Implications for Ground-Dwelling Birds. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143676. [PMID: 26618845 PMCID: PMC4664423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The habitat selection choices that individuals make in response to thermal environments influence both survival and reproduction. Importantly, the way that organisms behaviorally respond to thermal environments depends on the availability and juxtaposition of sites affording tolerable or preferred microclimates. Although, ground nesting birds are especially susceptible to heat extremes across many reproductive stages (i.e., breeding, nesting, brood rearing), the mechanistic drivers of nest site selection for these species are not well established from a thermal perspective. Our goal was to assess nest site selection relative to the configuration of the thermal landscape by quantifying thermal environments available to a ground-nesting bird species inhabiting a climatically stressful environment. Using northern bobwhite (Colinus virginanus) as a model species, we measured black bulb temperature (Tbb) and vegetation parameters at 87 nests, 87 paired sites and 205 random landscape sites in Western Oklahoma during spring and summer 2013 and 2014. We found that thermal space within the study area exhibited differences in Tbb of up to 40°C during peak diurnal heating, resulting in a diverse thermal landscape available to ground-nesting birds. Within this thermally heterogeneous landscape, nest sites moderated Tbb by more than 12°C compared to random landscape sites. Furthermore, successful nests remained on average 6°C cooler than unsuccessful nests on days experiencing ambient temperatures ≥ 39°C. Models of future Tbb associated with 2080 climate change projections indicate that nesting bobwhites will face substantially greater Tbb throughout the landscape for longer durations, placing an even greater importance on thermal choices for nest sites in the future. These results highlight the capacity of landscape features to act as moderators of thermal extremes and demonstrate how thermal complexity at organism-specific scales can dictate habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Matthew Carroll
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Craig A. Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - R. Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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19
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Do gravid female Anolis nebulosus thermoregulate differently than males and non-gravid females? J Therm Biol 2015; 52:84-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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20
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Telemeco RS. Immobile and mobile life-history stages have different thermal physiologies in a lizard. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 87:203-15. [PMID: 24642538 DOI: 10.1086/674959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Temperature affects multiple aspects of an organism's biology and thus defines a major axis of the fundamental niche. For ectotherms, variation in the thermal environment is particularly important because most of these taxa have a limited capacity to thermoregulate via metabolic heat production. While temperature affects all life-history stages, stages can differ in their ability to respond to the thermal environment. For example, in oviparous organisms, free-living adults can behaviorally thermoregulate, whereas developing embryos are at the mercy of the nest environment. These differences in the realized thermal environment should select for life-history stages to have different thermal tolerances, although this has been rarely examined. I tested the hypothesis that stage-specific thermal reaction norms can evolve independently by using southern alligator lizards (Elgaria multicarinata, Anguidae). Using incubation experiments (five temperatures: 24°, 26°, 28°, 30°, and 32°C), I described the thermal reaction norm for embryonic development and compared these results to previous studies on the thermal ecology of adults. Offspring survivorship and morphology were similarly affected by incubation temperature. While developing embryos had the same optimum temperature as adults (approximately 28°C), the breadth of their thermal reaction norms differed. My results suggest that developing embryos of E. multicarinata are more sensitive to variation in the average thermal environment than are adults. Variation in the thermal sensitivity of life-history stages might be common and has implications for how organisms respond to variation in the thermal environment. Identifying those life-history stages that are most sensitive/limiting will be important for developing models that best predict species' responses to impending environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory S Telemeco
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
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21
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Pike DA. Forecasting the viability of sea turtle eggs in a warming world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:7-15. [PMID: 24106042 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Animals living in tropical regions may be at increased risk from climate change because current temperatures at these locations already approach critical physiological thresholds. Relatively small temperature increases could cause animals to exceed these thresholds more often, resulting in substantial fitness costs or even death. Oviparous species could be especially vulnerable because the maximum thermal tolerances of incubating embryos is often lower than adult counterparts, and in many species mothers abandon the eggs after oviposition, rendering them immobile and thus unable to avoid extreme temperatures. As a consequence, the effects of climate change might become evident earlier and be more devastating for hatchling production in the tropics. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) have the widest nesting range of any living reptile, spanning temperate to tropical latitudes in both hemispheres. Currently, loggerhead sea turtle populations in the tropics produce nearly 30% fewer hatchlings per nest than temperate populations. Strong correlations between empirical hatching success and habitat quality allowed global predictions of the spatiotemporal impacts of climate change on this fitness trait. Under climate change, many sea turtle populations nesting in tropical environments are predicted to experience severe reductions in hatchling production, whereas hatching success in many temperate populations could remain unchanged or even increase with rising temperatures. Some populations could show very complex responses to climate change, with higher relative hatchling production as temperatures begin to increase, followed by declines as critical physiological thresholds are exceeded more frequently. Predicting when, where, and how climate change could impact the reproductive output of local populations is crucial for anticipating how a warming world will influence population size, growth, and stability.
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22
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Pike DA. Forecasting range expansion into ecological traps: climate-mediated shifts in sea turtle nesting beaches and human development. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:3082-3092. [PMID: 23744698 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Some species are adapting to changing environments by expanding their geographic ranges. Understanding whether range shifts will be accompanied by increased exposure to other threats is crucial to predicting when and where new populations could successfully establish. If species overlap to a greater extent with human development under climate change, this could form ecological traps which are attractive to dispersing individuals, but the use of which substantially reduces fitness. Until recently, the core nesting range for the Critically Endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) was ca. 1000 km of sparsely populated coastline in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Over the past twenty-five years, this species has expanded its range into populated areas of coastal Florida (>1500 km outside the historical range), where nesting now occurs annually. Suitable Kemp's ridley nesting habitat has persisted for at least 140 000 years in the western Gulf of Mexico, and climate change models predict further nesting range expansion into the eastern Gulf of Mexico and northern Atlantic Ocean. Range expansion is 6-12% more likely to occur along uninhabited stretches of coastline than are current nesting beaches, suggesting that novel nesting areas will not be associated with high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Although the high breeding-site fidelity of some migratory species could limit adaptation to climate change, rapid population recovery following effective conservation measures may enhance opportunities for range expansion. Anticipating the interactive effects of past or contemporary conservation measures, climate change, and future human activities will help focus long-term conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Pike
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology and Centre for Tropical Environmental & Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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23
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Monasterio C, Shoo LP, Salvador A, Iraeta P, Díaz JA. High temperature constrains reproductive success in a temperate lizard: implications for distribution range limits and the impacts of climate change. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Monasterio
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
| | - L. P. Shoo
- Wilson Conservation Ecology Lab; School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St. Lucia Qld Australia
| | - A. Salvador
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - P. Iraeta
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
| | - J. A. Díaz
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
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24
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Huang WS, Pike DA. Testing cost-benefit models of parental care evolution using lizard populations differing in the expression of maternal care. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54065. [PMID: 23408934 PMCID: PMC3567115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parents are expected to evolve tactics to care for eggs or offspring when providing such care increases fitness above the costs incurred by this behavior. Costs to the parent include the energetic demands of protecting offspring, delaying future fecundity, and increased risk of predation. We used cost-benefit models to test the ecological conditions favoring the evolution of parental care, using lizard populations that differ in whether or not they express maternal care. We found that predators play an important role in the evolution of maternal care because: (1) evolving maternal care is unlikely when care increases predation pressure on the parents; (2) maternal care cannot evolve under low levels of predation pressure on both parents and offspring; and (3) maternal care evolves only when parents are able to successfully defend offspring from predators without increasing predation risk to themselves. Our studies of one of the only known vertebrate species to exhibit interpopulation differences in the expression of maternal care provide clear support for some of the hypothesized circumstances under which maternal care should evolve (e.g., when nests are in exposed locations, parents are able to defend the eggs from predators, and egg incubation periods are brief), but do not support others (e.g., when nest-sites are scarce, life history strategies are “risky”, reproductive frequency is low, and environmental conditions are harsh). We conclude that multiple pathways can lead to the evolution of parental care from a non-caring state, even in a single population of a widespread species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-San Huang
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.
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25
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Huang WS, Lin SM, Dubey S, Pike DA. Predation drives interpopulation differences in parental care expression. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:429-37. [PMID: 23237108 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Expressing parental care after oviposition or parturition is usually an obligate (evolved) trait within a species, despite evolutionary theory predicting that widespread species should vary in whether or not they express parental care according to local selection pressures. The lizard Eutropis longicaudata expresses maternal care only in a single population throughout its large geographical range, but why this pattern occurs is unknown. We used reciprocal translocation and predator exclusion experiments to test whether this intraspecific variation is a fixed trait within populations and whether predator abundance explains this perplexing pattern. Wild-caught female lizards that were reciprocally translocated consistently guarded or abandoned eggs in line with their population of origin. By contrast, most lizards raised in a common garden environment and subsequently released as adults adopted the maternal care strategy of the recipient population, even when the parents originated from a population lacking maternal care. Egg predation represents a significant fitness cost in the populations where females display egg-guarding behaviour, but guarding eggs outweighs this potential cost by increasing hatching success. These results imply that predators can be a driving force in the expression of parental care in instances where it is normally absent and that local selection pressure is sufficient to cause behavioural divergence in whether or not parental care is expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-San Huang
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung 404, Taiwan
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26
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Peet-Paré C, Blouin-Demers G. Female Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos) choose nest sites that produce offspring with phenotypes likely to improve fitness. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Nest-site selection is an important behaviour in oviparous reptiles because incubation conditions affect offspring phenotype, with favourable conditions leading to higher offspring fitness. We aimed to identify the habitat characteristics involved in nest-site selection in Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes ( Heterodon platirhinos Latreille, 1801) and to determine whether females select nest sites that result in offspring with phenotypes likely to improve fitness. We compared the habitat characteristics and temperature profiles of 21 nests with 21 randomly selected sites. Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes selected open, grassy sites with less herbs and shrubs than random sites, and nests were significantly warmer than random sites during the 2 years of the study. In the second year of the study, we incubated 215 eggs from eight nests in a split-clutch design at mean nest (24 °C) and random site (22 °C) temperatures approximating those of the first year of the study. Eggs incubated at 24 °C resulted in neonates that hatched earlier, had fewer scale anomalies, were larger, and swam faster than neonates from eggs incubated at 22 °C. Our results indicate that Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes select nest sites that lead to offspring with phenotypes likely to improve fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.A. Peet-Paré
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - G. Blouin-Demers
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
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27
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Reedy AM, Zaragoza D, Warner DA. Maternally chosen nest sites positively affect multiple components of offspring fitness in a lizard. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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28
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Qi Y, Noble DWA, Fu J, Whiting MJ. Spatial and social organization in a burrow-dwelling lizard (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) from China. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41130. [PMID: 22844434 PMCID: PMC3402523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Shared ecological resources such as burrow complexes can set the stage for social groupings and the evolution of more complex social behavior such as parental care. Paternity testing is increasingly revealing cases of kin-based groupings, and lizards may be a good system to inform on the early evolution of sociality. We examined spatial and social organization in the lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii from China and tested genetic relatedness (based on eight microsatellite DNA loci) between offspring and parents that shared burrow complexes. Adult males and females had similar spatial patterns: they overlapped most with members of the opposite sex and least with their own sex. Males in better body condition overlapped with more females, and both sexes showed high site fidelity. Most lizards used a single burrow, but some individuals used two or three burrows. While high site fidelity is consistent with sociality in lizards, juveniles did not preferentially share burrows with parents, and we documented only a few cases of parent–offspring associations through burrow sharing. We suggest that P. vlangalii conforms to a classical polygynous mating system in which the burrow forms the core of the male's territory and may be offered as an important resource for females, but this remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Qi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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29
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Determinants of homing in nest-guarding females: balancing risks while travelling through unfamiliar landscapes. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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30
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Effects of intraguild predators on nest-site selection by prey. Oecologia 2011; 168:35-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2060-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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31
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Huang WS, Pike DA. Does maternal care evolve through egg recognition or directed territoriality? J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1984-91. [PMID: 21649766 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02332.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism that facilitates the evolution of maternal care is ambiguous in egg-laying terrestrial vertebrates: does the ability of mothers to recognize their own eggs lead them under some circumstances to begin providing care or can maternal care evolve from simply being in close proximity to the eggs (e.g. through territorial behaviour)? This question is difficult to answer because in most species, parental care is either absent altogether or present; in only a few species we have the opportunity to observe intraspecific variation in the expression of parental care. We studied a population of long-tailed skinks (Eutropis longicaudata) in which females have recently evolved maternal care from a noncaring state. Females on Orchid Island, Taiwan, remain with their eggs during incubation and when doing so, actively deter egg predation by egg-eating snakes (Oligodon formosanus); in all other populations, females lack post-ovipositional maternal care. Nest-guarding females on Orchid Island (i) showed antipredator behaviours only in the original nest site in which they laid eggs, even after we removed all of the eggs or substituted them with those of a conspecific; (ii) protect any eggs present inside the original nest site (even when the eggs belong to a conspecific); and (iii) develop this behaviour while gravid (i.e. prior to laying eggs). This supports the hypothesis that long-tailed skinks cannot recognize their own eggs, suggesting that maternal care is a directed form of territoriality only expressed towards egg-eating snakes and only during reproduction. Nest guarding is among the most primitive forms of parental care, and the recent evolution of this behaviour in a single population provides insight into one of the mechanisms by which parental care can originate in terrestrial vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- W-S Huang
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan.
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