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Lewis Najev BS, Neiman M. Invasive freshwater snails are less sensitive to population density than native conspecifics. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11161. [PMID: 38774144 PMCID: PMC11106046 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11161] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how and why some species or lineages become invasive is critically important for effectively predicting and mitigating biological invasions. Here, we address an important unanswered question in invasion biology: do key life-history traits of invasive versus native lineages within a species differ in response to key environmental stressors? We focus on the environmental factor of population density, which is a fundamental characteristic of all populations, and investigate how changes in density affect native versus invasive Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mudsnail). P. antipodarum has invaded 39 countries and detrimentally affects invaded environments. Previous studies of native and invasive populations and from laboratory experiments have demonstrated that growth and reproduction of P. antipodarum is sensitive to population density, though whether and how this sensitivity varies across native versus invasive lineages remains uncharacterized. We quantified individual growth rate and reproduction in P. antipodarum from multiple distinct native and invasive lineages across three different population density treatments. The growth of native but not invasive lineages decreased as density increased. There was no differential effect of density treatment on embryo production of invasive versus native snails, but a significantly higher proportion of snails were reproductive in high density compared to intermediate density for invasive lineages. In native lineages, there were no significant differences in the relative frequency of reproductive snails across density treatments. While the extent to which these results from our laboratory study can be extrapolated to the more complex natural world remain unclear, our findings are consistent with a scenario where differential sensitivity to population density could help explain why some lineages become successful invaders. Our findings also align with previous studies that show that invasive P. antipodarum lineages exhibit a relatively wide range of tolerance to environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurine Neiman
- Department of BiologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
- Department of Gender, Women's and Sexuality StudiesUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
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Megía-Palma R, Palomar G, Martínez J, Antunes B, Dudek K, Žagar A, Serén N, Carretero MA, Babik W, Merino S. Lizard host abundances and climatic factors explain phylogenetic diversity and prevalence of blood parasites on an oceanic island. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17276. [PMID: 38243603 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17276] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Host abundance might favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of some parasites via rapid transmission rates. Blood parasites of insular lizards represent a good model to test this hypothesis because these parasites can be particularly prevalent in islands and host lizards highly abundant. We applied deep amplicon sequencing and analysed environmental predictors of blood parasite prevalence and phylogenetic diversity in the endemic lizard Gallotia galloti across 24 localities on Tenerife, an island in the Canary archipelago that has experienced increasing warming and drought in recent years. Parasite prevalence assessed by microscopy was over 94%, and a higher proportion of infected lizards was found in warmer and drier locations. A total of 33 different 18s rRNA parasite haplotypes were identified, and the phylogenetic analyses indicated that they belong to two genera of Adeleorina (Apicomplexa: Coccidia), with Karyolysus as the dominant genus. The most important predictor of between-locality variation in parasite phylogenetic diversity was the abundance of lizard hosts. We conclude that a combination of climatic and host demographic factors associated with an insular syndrome may be favouring a rapid transmission of blood parasites among lizards on Tenerife, which may favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Parasitology Unit, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Bernardo Antunes
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Dudek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anamarija Žagar
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- NIB, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nina Serén
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel A Carretero
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Wiesław Babik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Molina-Borja M, Bohórquez-Alonso ML. Morphology, Behaviour and Evolution of Gallotia Lizards from the Canary Islands. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2319. [PMID: 37508096 PMCID: PMC10376385 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142319] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We summarize, here, the results from several studies conducted over many years on several endemic species of lizards (genus Gallotia) from the Canary Islands. Quantitative analyses show clear differences both among the species of every island and populations within each species. Sexual dimorphism exists in all analysed species, and a phylogenetic analysis shows that the degree of dimorphism did not change along the evolutionary history of the Canary Islands: species with large and small body sizes have a similar degree of sexual dimorphism, with male body size changes closely following those undergone by females. In G. caesaris (from El Hierro and La Gomera islands) and in G. stehlini (from Gran Canaria), longer hind limb length was correlated with more open habitats. Within most species, males are more conspicuous than females, mainly in terms of body size, behaviour and coloration pattern. Lateral colour spots are blue in most species and green in others. In G. galloti from Tenerife, male lateral spots have larger spot areas and percentage of reflectance in the ultraviolet/blue part of the spectrum than females. This trait shows a monthly variation along April to July, both in males and females, its magnitude being larger in May-June. Behaviour analysis, especially in the last species, shows a great diversity in behaviour patterns, and analysis of intrasexual male competition revealed that contest outcome depends on several morphological and colouration characteristics but mainly on the individual's behaviour. Detailed behavioural analyses were useful for managing a few captive individuals of the highly endangered G. bravoana from La Gomera island. Experimental analyses of some behaviours in the endemic Hierro island lizard (G. simonyi, in danger of extinction) show that individuals may learn to recognize predator models and increase their running speeds with training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Molina-Borja
- Department Animal Biology, Facultad Ciencias, Biología, Universidad La Laguna, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Martha L Bohórquez-Alonso
- Department Animal Biology, Facultad Ciencias, Biología, Universidad La Laguna, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Donihue CM, Herrel A, Taverne M, Foufopoulos J, Pafilis P. The Evolution of Diet and Morphology in Insular Lizards: Insights from a Replicated Island Introduction Experiment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1788. [PMID: 37889735 PMCID: PMC10251849 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource-limited environments may drive the rapid evolution of phenotypic traits and ecological preferences optimizing the exploitation of resources. Very small islands are often characterized by reduced food availability, seasonal fluctuations in resources and strong unpredictability. These features may drive the evolution of phenotypic traits such as high bite forces, allowing animals to exploit a wider variety of the available resources. They may also lead to more generalist dietary patterns in response to food scarcity. However, the lack of predators and competitors on such small islands often also leads to high densities and the evolution of strong sexual dimorphism, which may also drive the evolution of bite force. Here, we take advantage of a unique replicated introduction experiment to test whether lizards introduced into very small islands alter their feeding ecology and use different resources, resulting in the evolution of a large body size, large head size and large bite forces. Our results show that three years after their introduction, the island lizards were larger and had greater bite forces and more pronounced sexual dimorphism. However, the diets were only marginally different between animals from the source population on a very large nearby island and those on the islets. Moreover, distinct differences in diet between animals on the different islets were observed, suggesting that the local environment is a strong driver of resource use. Overall, lizards with absolutely and relatively (adjusted for body size) large bite forces did eat larger and harder prey. Taken together, our data suggest that intraspecific competition is an important driver of the rapid evolution of bite force, which may allow these lizards to exploit the scarce and fluctuating resources on the islets. Whether or not lizards will evolve to include other types of food such as plants in their diet, facilitated by their large bite forces, remains to be explored in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M. Donihue
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Bâtiment d’Anatomie Comparée, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; (A.H.); (M.T.)
- Department of Biology, Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maxime Taverne
- UMR 7179 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Bâtiment d’Anatomie Comparée, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; (A.H.); (M.T.)
| | - Johannes Foufopoulos
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece;
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece
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Thompson A, Kapsanaki V, Liwanag HEM, Pafilis P, Wang IJ, Brock KM. Some like it hotter: Differential thermal preferences among lizard color morphs. J Therm Biol 2023; 113:103532. [PMID: 37055135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103532] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Temperature rules the lives of ectotherms. To perform basic biological functions, ectotherms must make behavioral adjustments to keep their body temperatures near a preferred temperature (Tpref). Many color polymorphic lizards are active thermoregulators and exhibit morph differences in traits related to thermoregulation, such as color, body size, and microhabitat use. The Aegean wall lizard, Podarcis erhardii, is a heliothermic lizard with orange, white, and yellow color morphs that differ in size, behavior, and microhabitat use. Here, we tested whether P. erhardii color morphs from the same population from Naxos island, Greece, differ in Tpref. We hypothesized that orange morphs would prefer lower temperatures than white and yellow morphs because orange morphs are often found on cooler substrates and in microhabitats with more vegetation cover. We obtained Tpref for 95 individuals using laboratory thermal gradient experiments of wild-caught lizards and found that orange morphs do, indeed, prefer cooler temperatures. Average orange morph Tpref was 2.85 °C lower than average white and yellow morph Tpref. Our results add support to the idea that P. erhardii color morphs have multivariate alternative phenotypes and present the possibility that thermally heterogeneous environments play a role in the maintenance of color polymorphism in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Thompson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vassiliki Kapsanaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Heather E M Liwanag
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ian J Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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