1
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Wang LY, Lin CP, Gorb SN, Rajabi H. Strong attachment as an adaptation of flightless weevils on windy oceanic islands. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230447. [PMID: 37989230 PMCID: PMC10681024 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0447] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhanced attachment ability is common in plants on islands to avoid potential fatal passive dispersal. However, whether island insects also have increased attachment ability remains unclear. Here we measured the attachment of a flightless weevil, Pachyrhynchus sarcitis kotoensis, from tropical islands, and compared it with documented arthropods from the mainland. We examined the morphology and material gradient of its attachment devices to identify the specific adaptive modifications for attachment. We find that the weevil has much stronger attachment force and higher safety factor than previously studied arthropods, regardless of body size and substrate roughness. This probably results from the specific flexible bases of the adhesive setae on the third footpad of the legs. This softer material on the setal base has not been reported hitherto and we suggest that it acts as a flexible hinge to form intimate contact to substrate more effectively. By contrast, no morphological difference in tarsomeres and setae between the weevil and other beetles is observed. Our results show the remarkably strong attachment of an island insect and highlights the potential adaptive benefits of strong attachment in windy island environment. The unique soft bases of the adhesive hairs may inspire the development of strong biomimetic adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yi Wang
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Chung-Ping Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Stanislav N. Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hamed Rajabi
- Mechanical Intelligence (MI) Research Group, South Bank Applied BioEngineering Research (SABER), School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
- Division of Mechanical Engineering and Design, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
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2
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Gawel L, Powell EC, Brock M, Taylor LA. Conspicuous stripes on prey capture attention and reduce attacks by foraging jumping spiders. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230907. [PMID: 38026030 PMCID: PMC10663800 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230907] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Many animals avoid predation using aposematic displays that pair toxic/dangerous defences with conspicuous achromatic warning patterns, such as high-contrast stripes. To understand how these prey defences work, we need to understand the decision-making of visual predators. Here we gave two species of jumping spiders (Phidippus regius and Habronattus trimaculatus) choice tests using live termites that had their back patterns manipulated using paper capes (solid white, solid black, striped). For P. regius, black and striped termites were quicker to capture attention. Yet despite this increased attention, striped termites were attacked at lower rates than either white or black. This suggests that the termite's contrast with the background elicits attention, but the internal striped body patterning reduces attacks. Results from tests with H. trimaculatus were qualitatively similar but did not meet the threshold for statistical significance. Additional exploratory analyses suggest that attention to and aversion to stripes is at least partially innate and provide further insight into how decision-making played out during trials. Because of their rich diversity (over 6500 species) that includes variation in natural history, toxin susceptibility and degree of colour vision, jumping spiders are well suited to test broad generalizations about how and why aposematic displays work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Gawel
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Erin C. Powell
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, 1911 SW 34th St, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Michelle Brock
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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3
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Forthman M, Downie C, Miller CW, Kimball RT. Evolution of stridulatory mechanisms: vibroacoustic communication may be common in leaf-footed bugs and allies (Heteroptera: Coreoidea). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221348. [PMID: 37122949 PMCID: PMC10130729 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221348] [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: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Intra- and interspecific communication is crucial to fitness via its role in facilitating mating, territoriality and defence. Yet, the evolution of animal communication systems is puzzling-how do they originate and change over time? Studying stridulatory morphology provides a tractable opportunity to deduce the origin and diversification of a communication mechanism. Stridulation occurs when two sclerotized structures rub together to produce vibratory and acoustic (vibroacoustic) signals, such as a cricket 'chirp'. We investigated the evolution of stridulatory mechanisms in the superfamily Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), a group of insects known for elaborate male fighting behaviours and enlarged hindlegs. We surveyed a large sampling of taxa and used a phylogenomic dataset to investigate the evolution of stridulatory mechanisms. We identified four mechanisms, with at least five evolutionary gains. One mechanism, occurring only in male Harmostini (Rhopalidae), is described for the first time. Some stridulatory mechanisms appear to be non-homoplastic apomorphies within Rhopalidae, while others are homoplastic or potentially homoplastic within Coreidae and Alydidae, respectively. We detected no losses of these mechanisms once evolved, suggesting they are adaptive. Our work sets the stage for further behavioural, evolutionary and ecological studies to better understand the context in which these traits evolve and change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Forthman
- California State Collection of Arthropods, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food & Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832, USA
- Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Christine W. Miller
- Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rebecca T. Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 876 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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4
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TANAKA M, IMATAKE S, TAKESHITA H, WAKITANI S, YASUDA M. Feeding ecology of Swinhoe's tree lizard (Diploderma swinhonis (Günther, 1864)) in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. J Vet Med Sci 2022; 84:1610-1616. [PMID: 36310044 PMCID: PMC9791226 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.22-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Swinhoe's tree lizard (Diploderma swinhonis: D. swinhonis) is an arboreal agamid that is native to Taiwan. In Taiwan, the lizard is considered to be a generalist that feeds primarily on ants and a diversity of small insect prey by employing an opportunistic sit-and-wait foraging strategy. In Japan, D. swinhonis is considered as an invasive alien species that was discovered in Hyuga city, Miyazaki Prefecture, in 2016. Despite concerns about the impact of D. swinhonis on native fauna, little information about the diet of this alien species has been published to date. This study, therefore, investigated the feeding ecology of D. swinhonis in Hyuga city to evaluate their potential impact on the ecosystem. Specifically, prey preference was investigated by examining the stomach contents of males, females, and juveniles captured from April to December 2020 and in March 2021. The results showed that the lizards in Hyuga preyed upon a wide variety of invertebrates as in Taiwan, while ants accounted for the largest proportion of the prey items consumed regardless of sex, age or changes in season. These findings indicated that D. swinhonis might cause a decrease in the abundance of the native insect fauna of Hyuga city or competition with native lizards for foods in Hyuga city. Since its impact is not currently apparent, it's necessary to monitor its effect in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao TANAKA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Shoichiro IMATAKE
- Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine,
University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Hayato TAKESHITA
- Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History, Miyazaki,
Japan
| | - Shoichi WAKITANI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Masahiro YASUDA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan,Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine,
University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan,Correspondence to: Yasuda M: ,
Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1
Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
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5
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Roberts SM, Stuart‐Fox D, Medina I. The evolution of conspicuousness in frogs: When to signal toxicity? J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1455-1464. [PMID: 36129907 PMCID: PMC9825868 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14092] [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: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms use conspicuous colour patterns to advertise their toxicity or unpalatability, a strategy known as aposematism. Despite the recognized benefits of this anti-predator tactic, not all chemically defended species exhibit warning coloration. Here, we use a comparative approach to investigate which factors predict the evolution of conspicuousness in frogs, a group in which conspicuous coloration and toxicity have evolved multiple times. We extracted colour information from dorsal and ventral photos of 594 frog species for which chemical defence information was available. Our results show that chemically defended and diurnal species have higher internal chromatic contrast, both ventrally and dorsally, than chemically undefended and/or nocturnal species. Among species that are chemically defended, conspicuous coloration is more likely to occur if species are diurnal. Our results also suggest that the evolution of conspicuous colour is more likely to occur in chemically defended prey with smaller body size. We discuss potential explanations for this association and suggest that prey profitability (related to body size) could be an important force driving the macroevolution of warning signals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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6
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Stuckert AMM, Summers K. Investigating signal modalities of aposematism in a poison frog. J Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of Biology East Carolina University Greenville North Carolina USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas USA
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology East Carolina University Greenville North Carolina USA
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7
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Miranda RB, Klaczko J, Tonini JF, Brandão RA. Escaping from predators: a review of Neotropical lizards defence traits. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2022.2082538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rogério B. Miranda
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília (DF), Brazil
| | - Julia Klaczko
- Laboratório de Anatomia Comparada de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília (DF), Brazil
| | - João F.R. Tonini
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge (MA), USA
| | - Reuber Albuquerque Brandão
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília (DF), Brazil
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8
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Cabras A, Medina MN. Four new species of Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini) from Mindanao Island, Philippines. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e72453. [PMID: 36050991 PMCID: PMC9341918 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e72453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The genus Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 is the most speciose and complex amongst the tribe Pachyrhynchini with seven subgenera and more than 200 described species. The genus is endemic to the Philippines and remains largely unknown particularly in the less explored areas or mountains. New information Four new species of Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini), are described from Mindanao Island, Philippines. Brief bionomical notes and mimicry with their sympatric beetles and other insect counterparts are also reported.
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9
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Medrano M, Kury AB, Mendes AC. Morphology-based cladistics splinters the century-old dichotomy of the pied harvestmen (Arachnida: Gonyleptoidea: Cosmetidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The cosmetids are conspicuous harvestmen, remarkably diverse in size, shape and colour. However, the effectiveness of all these morphological traits for diagnosing groups is scarcely explored in the literature. Since the early 20th century, the family Cosmetidae has been divided into two subfamilies, Cosmetinae and Discosomaticinae, and there has been no further effort to delimit additional or alternative subfamilial groups.
In this analysis, we aim to test the issue of the basal dichotomy of Cosmetinae and Discosomaticinae. Thus, we propose a more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis using both parsimony and Bayesian approach, comprising 103 terminals of Cosmetidae, plus seven outgroup terminals scored for 130 morphological characters. Discosomaticinae is revisited and all its species were included in our matrix. To offer a real challenge to the monophyly of Discosomaticinae, members of 36 genera of Cosmetinae have also been scored. Our results support neither Cosmetinae nor Discosomaticinae sensu Pickard-Cambridge/Roewer as monophyletic groups. We found that Cosmetidae may be organized into a few major clades, which are here diagnosed. Accordingly, taxonomic changes in the arrangement of the family are introduced: description of one new tribe, five new subfamilies and revalidation of a sixth, description of three new genera, and proposition of synonymies, transfers and revalidations at generic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Medrano
- Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20.940-040, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Adriano Brilhante Kury
- Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20.940-040, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Amanda Cruz Mendes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto de Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Maracanã, 20.550-900, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
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10
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Van Dam MH, Cabras AA, Henderson JB, Rominger AJ, Pérez Estrada C, Omer AD, Dudchenko O, Lieberman Aiden E, Lam AW. The Easter Egg Weevil (Pachyrhynchus) genome reveals syntenic patterns in Coleoptera across 200 million years of evolution. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009745. [PMID: 34460814 PMCID: PMC8432895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patterns of genomic architecture across insects remain largely undocumented or decoupled from a broader phylogenetic context. For instance, it is unknown whether translocation rates differ between insect orders. We address broad scale patterns of genome architecture across Insecta by examining synteny in a phylogenetic framework from open-source insect genomes. To accomplish this, we add a chromosome level genome to a crucial lineage, Coleoptera. Our assembly of the Pachyrhynchus sulphureomaculatus genome is the first chromosome scale genome for the hyperdiverse Phytophaga lineage and currently the largest insect genome assembled to this scale. The genome is significantly larger than those of other weevils, and this increase in size is caused by repetitive elements. Our results also indicate that, among beetles, there are instances of long-lasting (>200 Ma) localization of genes to a particular chromosome with few translocation events. While some chromosomes have a paucity of translocations, intra-chromosomal synteny was almost absent, with gene order thoroughly shuffled along a chromosome. This large amount of reshuffling within chromosomes with few inter-chromosomal events contrasts with patterns seen in mammals in which the chromosomes tend to exchange larger blocks of material more readily. To place our findings in an evolutionary context, we compared syntenic patterns across Insecta in a phylogenetic framework. For the first time, we find that synteny decays at an exponential rate relative to phylogenetic distance. Additionally, there are significant differences in decay rates between insect orders, this pattern was not driven by Lepidoptera alone which has a substantially different rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Van Dam
- Entomology Department, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Center for Comparative Genomics, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Science, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Analyn Anzano Cabras
- Coleoptera Research Center, Institute for Biodiversity and Environment, University of Mindanao, Matina, Davao City, Philippines
| | - James B. Henderson
- Center for Comparative Genomics, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Science, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Rominger
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, United States of America
| | - Cynthia Pérez Estrada
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Arina D. Omer
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Erez Lieberman Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Athena W. Lam
- Center for Comparative Genomics, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Science, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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11
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Appearance matters: multiple functional signals of body colours in a weevil. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Cabras AA, Medina MN, Bollino M. Two new species of the genus Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini), subgenus Orthocyrtus Heller, 1912, from Mindanao Island, Philippines. Zookeys 2021; 1029:139-154. [PMID: 33935553 PMCID: PMC8050020 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1029.63023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Two new species of Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912, subgenus Orthocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini) are described and illustrated from Mindanao Island, Philippines. The species are Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) davaoensissp. nov. and Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) hirakuisp. nov. from Davao City and Bukidnon, respectively. Brief bionomical notes and phenotypic characters compared to their sympatric Entiminae counterparts are also reported. The discovery of M. (O.) davaoensissp. nov. in Davao City confirms how understudied Coleoptera are in Mindanao and underlines the potential for the discovery of new species even in highly urbanized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analyn A Cabras
- Coleoptera Research Center, Institute of Biodiversity and Environment, University of Mindanao, Davao City, 8000, Philippines University of Mindanao Davao City Philippines
| | - Milton Norman Medina
- Coleoptera Research Center, Institute of Biodiversity and Environment, University of Mindanao, Davao City, 8000, Philippines University of Mindanao Davao City Philippines
| | - Maurizio Bollino
- Museo di Storia naturale del Salento, 73021 Calimera, Lecce, Italy Museo di Storia naturale del Salento Calimera Italy
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14
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Fukuda S, Konuma J. Using three-dimensional printed models to test for aposematism in a carabid beetle. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMany studies have demonstrated that bright colours sometimes evolve as warning coloration on the bodies of distasteful prey. However, few studies have demonstrated that the bright structural colours of beetles function as such aposematic signals for predators in the wild. To determine whether body colour might act as an aposematic signal in the carabid beetle Damaster blaptoides, we generated beetle models and conducted camera-trap and field experiments. Elaborate beetle models produced using a three-dimensional printer were used to determine which animals attack them in the wild. Red and black models were placed in forests to test which of the two types was attacked the least frequently. The camera-trap experiments indicated that mammals and birds were the potential predators of D. blaptoides. The field experiments revealed that predators attacked the red models significantly less frequently than the black models in each of three sites where red Damaster subspecies were distributed. In three sites where black Damaster subspecies were distributed, predators attacked both red and black models at similar rates. These results might imply that the predators learned more easily to avoid distasteful red beetles rather than black ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinpei Fukuda
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junji Konuma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
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15
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Briolat ES, Burdfield‐Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency-dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator-prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once-paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S. Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
| | - Emily R. Burdfield‐Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
| | - Sarah C. Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
- Department of Chemical EcologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25, 33615, BielefeldGermany
| | - Katja H. Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki, 00014Finland
| | - Brett M. Seymoure
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCA 90840U.S.A.
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of BiologyEast Carolina University1000 E Fifth St, GreenvilleNC 27858U.S.A.
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Wang LY, Rajabi H, Ghoroubi N, Lin CP, Gorb SN. Biomechanical Strategies Underlying the Robust Body Armour of an Aposematic Weevil. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1410. [PMID: 30356766 PMCID: PMC6189447 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Robust body armor is one of many anti-predator strategies used among animal taxa. The exoskeleton of insects can serve as the secondary defense mechanism in combination with the primary defense such as warning color. Aposematic Pachyrhynchus weevils advertise their unprofitability and use their robust exoskeleton for effective defense against lizard predators. While the mature weevils survive after the predatory attack, the soft teneral ones can easily be consumed. To reveal how the mature weevils achieve such effective protection, we investigated the ontogenetic changes in the microstructure and material properties of the exoskeleton of the adult weevils. We also tested the functional role of a weevil-specific structure, the fibrous ridge, in the robustness of the elytral cuticle of the mature weevils. The results showed that the mature weevils have thicker, stiffer and more sclerotized cuticle than the teneral ones. The fibrous ridges in the endocuticle considerably increase the overall stiffness of their cuticle. Together these biomechanical strategies enable Pachyrhynchus weevils to achieve robust body armor that efficiently protects them from lizard predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yi Wang
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.,Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hamed Rajabi
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nima Ghoroubi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
| | - Chung-Ping Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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17
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Lee C, Yo S, Clark RW, Hsu J, Liao C, Tseng H, Huang W. The role of different visual characters of weevils signalling aposematism to sympatric lizard predators. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C.‐Y. Lee
- Department of Life Sciences National Chung Hsing University Taichung Taiwan
| | - S.‐P. Yo
- Department of Life Sciences National Chung Hsing University Taichung Taiwan
| | - R. W. Clark
- Department of Biology San Diego State University San Diego CA USA
| | - J.‐Y. Hsu
- Department of Biology National Museum of Natural Science Taichung Taiwan
| | - C.‐P. Liao
- Department of Biology National Museum of Natural Science Taichung Taiwan
| | - H.‐Y. Tseng
- Department of Biology National Museum of Natural Science Taichung Taiwan
| | - W.‐S. Huang
- Department of Life Sciences National Chung Hsing University Taichung Taiwan
- Department of Biology National Museum of Natural Science Taichung Taiwan
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18
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Wang LY, Huang WS, Tang HC, Huang LC, Lin CP. Too hard to swallow: a secret secondary defence of an aposematic insect. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.172486. [PMID: 29180599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.172486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Anti-predator strategies are significant components of adaptation in prey species. Aposematic prey are expected to possess effective defences that have evolved simultaneously with their warning colours. This study tested the hypothesis of the defensive function and ecological significance of the hard body in aposematic Pachyrhynchus weevils pioneered by Alfred Russel Wallace nearly 150 years ago. We used predation trials with Japalura tree lizards to assess the survivorship of 'hard' (mature) versus 'soft' (teneral) and 'clawed' (intact) versus 'clawless' (surgically removed) weevils. The ecological significance of the weevil's hard body was evaluated by assessing the hardness of the weevils, the local prey insects, and the bite forces of the lizard populations. The existence of toxins or deterrents in the weevil was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All 'hard' weevils were instantly spat out after being bitten once and survived attacks by the lizards. In contrast, the 'soft' weevils were chewed and subsequently swallowed. The results were the same regardless of the presence or absence of the weevil's tarsal claws. The hardness of 'hard' Pachyrhynchus weevils was significantly higher than the average hardness of other prey insects in the same habitat and the mean bite forces of the local lizards. The four candidate compounds of the weevil identified by GC-MS had no known toxic or repellent functions against vertebrates. These results reveal that the hardness of aposematic prey functions as an effective secondary defence, and they provide a framework for understanding the spatio-temporal interactions between vertebrate predators and aposematic insect prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yi Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung 40453, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chieh Tang
- Department of Conservation and Research Center, Taipei Zoo, Taipei 11656, Taiwan
| | - Lung-Chun Huang
- Department of Conservation and Research Center, Taipei Zoo, Taipei 11656, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ping Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan .,Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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19
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Hirota B, Okude G, Anbutsu H, Futahashi R, Moriyama M, Meng XY, Nikoh N, Koga R, Fukatsu T. A Novel, Extremely Elongated, and Endocellular Bacterial Symbiont Supports Cuticle Formation of a Grain Pest Beetle. mBio 2017; 8:e01482-17. [PMID: 28951480 PMCID: PMC5615201 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01482-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Silvanidae), is a cosmopolitan stored-product pest. Early studies on O. surinamensis in the 1930s described the presence of peculiar bacteriomes harboring endosymbiotic bacteria in the abdomen. Since then, however, the microbiological nature of the symbiont has been elusive. Here we investigated the endosymbiotic system of O. surinamensis in detail. In the abdomen of adults, pupae, and larvae, four oval bacteriomes were consistently identified, whose cytoplasm was full of extremely elongated tubular bacterial cells several micrometers wide and several hundred micrometers long. Molecular phylogenetic analysis identified the symbiont as a member of the Bacteroidetes, in which the symbiont was the most closely related to the endosymbiont of a grain pest beetle, Rhyzopertha dominica (Bostrichidae). The symbiont was detected in developing embryos, corroborating vertical symbiont transmission through host generations. The symbiont gene showed AT-biased nucleotide composition and accelerated molecular evolution, plausibly reflecting degenerative evolution of the symbiont genome. When the symbiont infection was experimentally removed, the aposymbiotic insects grew and reproduced normally, but exhibited a slightly but significantly more reddish cuticle and lighter body mass. These results indicate that the symbiont of O. surinamensis is not essential for the host's growth and reproduction but contributes to the host's cuticle formation. Symbiont genome sequencing and detailed comparison of fitness parameters between symbiotic and aposymbiotic insects under various environmental conditions will provide further insights into the symbiont's biological roles for the stored-product pest.IMPORTANCE Some beetles notorious as stored-product pests possess well-developed symbiotic organs called bacteriomes for harboring specific symbiotic bacteria, although their biological roles have been poorly understood. Here we report a peculiar endosymbiotic system of a grain pest beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, in which four oval bacteriomes in the abdomen are full of extremely elongated tubular bacterial cells. Experimental symbiont elimination did not hinder the host's growth and reproduction, but resulted in emergence of reddish beetles, uncovering the symbiont's involvement in host's cuticle formation. We speculate that the extremely elongated symbiont cell morphology might be due to the degenerative symbiont genome deficient in bacterial cell division and/or cell wall formation, which highlights an evolutionary consequence of intimate host-symbiont coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hirota
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genta Okude
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Anbutsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Minoru Moriyama
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Xian-Ying Meng
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naruo Nikoh
- Department of Liberal Arts, the Open University of Japan, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Koga
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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20
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Abstract
Beetles, representing the majority of the insect species diversity, are characterized by thick and hard cuticle, which plays important roles for their environmental adaptation and underpins their inordinate diversity and prosperity. Here, we report a bacterial endosymbiont extremely specialized for sustaining beetle's cuticle formation. Many weevils are associated with a γ-proteobacterial endosymbiont lineage Nardonella, whose evolutionary origin is estimated as older than 100 million years, but its functional aspect has been elusive. Sequencing of Nardonella genomes from diverse weevils unveiled drastic size reduction to 0.2 Mb, in which minimal complete gene sets for bacterial replication, transcription, and translation were present but almost all of the other metabolic pathway genes were missing. Notably, the only metabolic pathway retained in the Nardonella genomes was the tyrosine synthesis pathway, identifying tyrosine provisioning as Nardonella's sole biological role. Weevils are armored with hard cuticle, tyrosine is the principal precursor for cuticle formation, and experimental suppression of Nardonella resulted in emergence of reddish and soft weevils with low tyrosine titer, confirming the importance of Nardonella-mediated tyrosine production for host's cuticle formation and hardening. Notably, Nardonella's tyrosine synthesis pathway was incomplete, lacking the final step transaminase gene. RNA sequencing identified host's aminotransferase genes up-regulated in the bacteriome. RNA interference targeting the aminotransferase genes induced reddish and soft weevils with low tyrosine titer, verifying host's final step regulation of the tyrosine synthesis pathway. Our finding highlights an impressively intimate and focused aspect of the host-symbiont metabolic integrity via streamlined evolution for a single biological function of ecological relevance.
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21
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Beneš J, Veselý P. The ability of lizards to identify an artificial Batesian mimic. ZOOLOGY 2017; 123:46-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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22
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Ground Anoles (Anolis humilis) Discriminate between Aposematic and Cryptic Model Insects. J HERPETOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1670/15-007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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23
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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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24
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Willink B, García-Rodríguez A, Bolaños F, Pröhl H. The interplay between multiple predators and prey colour divergence. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
- Department of Biology; Lund University; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Adrián García-Rodríguez
- Museo de Zoología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
- Departamento de Botanica, Ecologia e Zoologia; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; Natal Rio Grande do Norte Brazil
| | - Federico Bolaños
- Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio 2060 San José Costa Rica
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology; University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover; Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany
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