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Deme GG, Liang X, Okoro JO, Bhattarai P, Sun B, Malann YD, Martin RA. Female lizards ( Eremias argus) reverse Bergmann's rule across altitude. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10393. [PMID: 37554397 PMCID: PMC10405246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of body size within and among species is predicted to be influenced by multifarious environmental factors. However, the specific drivers of body size variation have remained difficult to understand because of the wide range of proximate factors that covary with ectotherm body sizes across populations with varying local environmental conditions. Here, we used female Eremias argus lizards collected from different populations across their wide range in China, and constructed linear mixed models to assess how climatic conditions and/or available resources at different altitudes shape the geographical patterns of lizard body size across altitude. Lizard populations showed significant differences in body size across altitudes. Furthermore, we found that climatic and seasonal changes along the altitudinal gradient also explained variations in body size among populations. Specifically, body size decreased with colder and drier environmental conditions at high altitudes, reversing Bergmann's rule. Limited resources at high altitudes, measured by the low vegetative index, may also constrain body size. Therefore, our study demonstrates that multifarious environmental factors could strongly influence the intraspecific variation in organisms' body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Gywa Deme
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of BiologyCase Western Reserve UniversityClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Xixi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | - Prakash Bhattarai
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Baojun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yoila David Malann
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Abuja, Federal Capital TerritoryAbujaNigeria
| | - Ryan A. Martin
- Department of BiologyCase Western Reserve UniversityClevelandOhioUSA
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2
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Mariño J, Dufour SC, Hurford A, Récapet C. Resource and seasonality drive interspecific variability in simulations from a dynamic energy budget model. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad013. [PMID: 37006337 PMCID: PMC10064112 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Animals show a vast array of phenotypic traits in time and space. Such variation patterns have traditionally been described as ecogeographical rules; for example, the tendency of size and clutch size to increase with latitude (Bergmann's and Lack's rules, respectively). Despite considerable research into these variation patterns and their consequences for biodiversity and conservation, the processes behind trait variation remain controversial. Here, we show how food variability, largely set by climate and weather, can drive interspecific trait variation by determining individual energy input and allocation trade-offs. Using a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model, we simulated different food environments, as well as interspecific variability in the parameters for energy assimilation, mobilization and allocation to soma. We found that interspecific variability is greater when the resource is non-limiting in both constant and seasonal environments. Our findings further show that individuals can reach larger biomass and greater reproductive output in a seasonal environment than in a constant environment of equal average resource due to the peaks of food surplus. Our results agree with the classical patterns of interspecific trait variation and provide a mechanistic understanding that supports recent hypotheses which explain them: the resource and the eNPP (net primary production during the growing season) rules. Due to the current alterations to ecosystems and communities, disentangling the mechanisms of trait variation is increasingly important to understand and predict biodiversity dynamics under climate change, as well as to improve conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joany Mariño
- Corresponding author: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland. 45 Arctic Ave., St John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5S7. Tel: +49 (0) 3834 7710.
| | - Suzanne C Dufour
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland 45 Arctic Ave., St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5S7
| | - Amy Hurford
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland 45 Arctic Ave., St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5S7
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Elizabeth Avenue, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5S7
| | - Charlotte Récapet
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, INRAE, ECOBIOP. Quartier Ibarron 64210, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, France
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3
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Neuro-immunohistochemical and molecular expression variations during hibernation and activity phases between Rana mascareniensis and Rana ridibunda. J Therm Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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4
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Escobedo-Morales LA, León-Paniagua L, Martínez-Meyer E, Mandujano S. Reevaluation of the status of the Central American brocket deer Mazama temama (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) subspecies based on morphological and environmental evidence. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Central American brocket deer (Mazama temama) is widespread across the Mesoamerican forests, yet it remains largely unknown. Three subspecies are recognized currently within M. temama using pelage coloration as the primary diagnostic character. However, it remains unclear if there is any pattern of morphological variation throughout its distribution. We compared two models of morphological subdivision, namely the traditional subspecies and another based on biogeographic provinces via 2D geometric morphometrics and ecological niche modeling. The second model presented a better fit to the observed variation in cranial shape and size. We found divergence in skull size between individuals from Mexico and Guatemala (northern group) relative to specimens from Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama (southern group), the latter being 8% larger than the northern group. Centroid size showed a significant correlation with geographic distance suggesting an isolation-by-distance pattern. Low geographical overlap between the two clusters suggests niche conservatism. Late Pleistocene dispersal from South to Central America and differences in available resources with subsequent isolation due to climatic barriers therefore may have promoted differentiation in size albeit without extensive changes in shape. In this context, the Motagua-Polochic-Jolotán fault system probably plays a key role in promoting morphological differentiation by climatic isolation. Finally, we suggest that M. t. temama (Kerr, 1792) and M. t. reperticia Goldman, 1913 should remain as valid names for the two morphological and ecologically differentiated groups detected here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Escobedo-Morales
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Edificio D, Primer piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Apartado Postal 70-153, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510 , Mexico
| | - Livia León-Paniagua
- Museo de Zoología “Alfonso L. Herrera,” Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510 , Mexico
| | - Enrique Martínez-Meyer
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510 , Mexico
| | - Salvador Mandujano
- Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología , A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Colonia El Haya, Xalapa 91070 , Mexico
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5
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Sebastianelli M, Lukhele SM, Nwankwo EC, Hadjioannou L, Kirschel ANG. Continent-wide patterns of song variation predicted by classical rules of biogeography. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2448-2462. [PMID: 36124660 PMCID: PMC9826498 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Physiological constraints related to atmospheric temperature pose a limit to body and appendage size in endothermic animals. This relationship has been summarised by two classical principles of biogeography: Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Body size may also constrain other phenotypic traits important in ecology, evolution and behaviour, and such effects have seldom been investigated at a continental scale. Through a multilevel-modelling approach, we demonstrate that continent-wide morphology of related African barbets follows predictions of Bergmann's rule, and that body size mirrors variation in song pitch, an acoustic trait important in species recognition and sexual selection. Specifically, effects on song frequency in accordance with Bergmann's rule dwarf those of acoustic adaptation at a continental scale. Our findings suggest that macroecological patterns of body size can influence phenotypic traits important in ecology and evolution, and provide a baseline for further studies on the effects of environmental change on bird song.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexander N. G. Kirschel
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CyprusNicosiaCyprus,University of California Los AngelesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Edward Grey Institute, Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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6
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Cui J, Lei B, Newman C, Zhou Y, Wang Z. Food resources and competition rather than eco-geographic rules explain trait variations in two contrasting rat species: implications for future climate change. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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7
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Wrozyna C, Mischke S, Hoehle M, Gross M, Piller WE. Large-Scale Geographic Size Variability of Cyprideis torosa (Ostracoda) and Its Taxonomic and Ecologic Implications. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.857499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Body-size variability results from a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic factors (environmental and biological influences) underpinned by phylogeny. In ostracodes it is assumed that body size is predominantly controlled by ecological conditions, but investigations have mostly focused on local or regional study areas. In this study, we investigate the geographical size variability (length, height, and width) of Holocene and Recent valves of the salinity-tolerant ostracode species Cyprideis torosa within a large geographical area (31°–51° latitude, and 12°–96° longitude). It is shown that distant local size clusters of Cyprideis torosa are framed within two large-scale geographical patterns. One pattern describes the separation of two different size classes (i.e., morphotypes) at around ∼42° N. The co-occurrence of both size morphotypes in the same habitats excludes an environmental control on the distribution of the morphotypes but rather could point to the existence of two differentiated lineages. Generally, correlations between valve size and environmental parameters (salinity, geographical positions) strongly depend on the taxonomic resolution. While latitude explains the overall size variability of C. torosa sensu lato (i.e., undifferentiated for morphotypes), salinity-size correlations are restricted to the morphotype scale. Another large-scale pattern represents a continuous increase in valve size of C. torosa with latitude according to the macroecological pattern referred as Bergmann trend. Existing explanations for Bergmann trends insufficiently clarify the size cline of C. torosa which might be because these models are restricted to intraspecific levels. The observed size-latitude relationship of C. torosa may, therefore, result from interspecific divergence (i.e., size ordered spatially may result from interspecific divergence sorting) while environmental influence is of minor importance. Our results imply that geographical body-size patterns of ostracodes are not straightforward and are probably not caused by universal mechanisms. Consideration of phylogenetic relationships of ostracodes is therefore necessary before attempting to identify the role of environmental controls on body size variability.
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8
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Leung KW, Yang S, Wang X, Tang K, Hu J. Ecogeographical Adaptation Revisited: Morphological Variations in the Plateau Brown Frog along an Elevation Gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10111081. [PMID: 34827074 PMCID: PMC8614741 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary A number of studies have explored how the body size and extremities of frogs vary in response to the changing environmental conditions across different geographical gradients, but the outcomes remain controversial. Here, we studied the morphological variations of the plateau brown frog (Rana kukunoris) along an elevation gradient (~1800–3500 m) on the eastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau to understand how environmental and biological factors affect them, and to assess whether these variations help to improve thermoregulation. Although we found that male and female frogs showed different variations in body size and extremities along the elevational gradient, both of them showed a significant decrease in the ratio of extremities to body size with increasing elevation. The decreasing ratio implies a gain of thermoregulatory benefits based on the ecogeographical rules. Moreover, the morphological variations were found to be strongly related to both environmental and biological factors. These results suggest that ecogeographical adaptation in frogs may be more complicated than other terrestrial vertebrate species. Most importantly, the adaptation should be viewed as a result of both environmental and biological factors, while it may also appear as an interactive change between body size and extremities. Abstract Several anurans have broad elevational and latitudinal distribution ranges; distinct species and populations may face various environmental and selection stresses. Due to their environmental sensitivity, adaptation is critical for the long-term persistence of anurans. Previous studies have tried to identify the ecogeographical pattern and its mechanism in anurans, suggesting different patterns, but the related explanatory mechanisms are yet to be generally supported and are suggested to be complicated. To explore the elusive mechanisms, we studied the morphological variation of the plateau brown frog (Rana kukunoris) along an elevational gradient on the eastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Using body size, extremity length, and the ratio between them (extremities/body size) as testing indicators, we examined potential ecogeographical adaptations and investigated how environmental and biological factors could shape the morphological development in R. kukunoris. We found that males and females showed different variations in body size and extremities along the elevational gradient, whereas both of them showed a decreasing extremities/body size ratio along elevation. Together with the strong correlations between environmental and biological factors and the morphometrics, we identified ecogeographical adaptation and a sexual difference in the selective pressures on the extremities and body size of the plateau brown frog. Our results imply that geographic variations in anuran morphological traits should be understood as an outcome of environmental and biological factors. Furthermore, ecogeographical adaptation in anurans can manifest as an interactive change between body size and extremities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Wah Leung
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (K.W.L.); (S.Y.); (X.W.); (K.T.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shengnan Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (K.W.L.); (S.Y.); (X.W.); (K.T.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (K.W.L.); (S.Y.); (X.W.); (K.T.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ke Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (K.W.L.); (S.Y.); (X.W.); (K.T.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junhua Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (K.W.L.); (S.Y.); (X.W.); (K.T.)
- Correspondence:
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9
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Liang T, Zhang Z, Dai W, Shi L, Lu C. Spatial patterns in the size of Chinese lizards are driven by multiple factors. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9621-9630. [PMID: 34306648 PMCID: PMC8293706 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7784] [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] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For almost two centuries, ecologists have examined geographical patterns in the evolution of body size and the associated determinants. During that time, one of the most common patterns to have emerged is the increase in body size with increasing latitude (referred to as Bergmann's rule). Typically, this pattern is explained in terms of an evolutionary response that serves to minimize heat loss in colder climates, mostly in endotherms. In contrast, however, this rule rarely explains geographical patterns in the evolution of body size among ectotherms (e.g., reptiles). LOCATION China. AIM In this study, we assembled a dataset comprising the maximum sizes of 211 lizard species in China and examined the geographical patterns in body size evolution and its determinants. Specifically, we assessed the relationship between body size and climate among all lizard species and within four major groups at both assemblage and interspecific levels. RESULTS Although we found that the body size of Chinese lizards was larger in warmer regions, we established that at the assemblage level, size was correlated with multiple climatic factors, and that body size-climate correlations differed within the four major groups. Phylogenetic analysis at the species level revealed that no single climatic factor was associated with body size, with the exception of agamids, for which size was found to be positively correlated with temperature. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Geographical patterns in Chinese lizard body size are driven by multiple factors, and overall patterns are probably influenced by those of the major groups. We suggest that our analyses at two different levels may have contributed to the inconsistent results obtained in this study. Further studies investigating the effects of altitude and ecological factors are needed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of ectotherm body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liang
- Wildlife conservation and utilizationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Zi Zhang
- Wildlife conservation and utilizationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Wen‐ya Dai
- Wildlife conservation and utilizationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal ScienceXinjiang Agricultural UniversityUrumqiChina
| | - Chang‐hu Lu
- Wildlife conservation and utilizationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
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10
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Trondrud LM, Pigeon G, Król E, Albon S, Evans AL, Arnold W, Hambly C, Irvine RJ, Ropstad E, Stien A, Veiberg V, Speakman JR, Loe LE. Fat storage influences fasting endurance more than body size in an ungulate. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Monica Trondrud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | - Gabriel Pigeon
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
- Département de Biologie Faculté des Sciences 2500 boul. de l'Université Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Elżbieta Król
- School of Biological Sciences Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Alina L. Evans
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Elverum Norway
| | - Walter Arnold
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - Catherine Hambly
- School of Biological Sciences Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - R. Justin Irvine
- The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen UK
- Frankfurt Zoological Society Addis Ababa Ethiopia
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Science Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | | | - John R. Speakman
- School of Biological Sciences Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen China
- CAS Center of Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Kunming China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
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11
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From biggest to smallest mud dragons: size-latitude trends in a group of meiobenthic animals worldwide. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-020-00471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Bässler C, Brandl R, Müller J, Krah FS, Reinelt A, Halbwachs H. Global analysis reveals an environmentally driven latitudinal pattern in mushroom size across fungal species. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:658-667. [PMID: 33565191 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although macroecology is a well-established field, much remains to be learned about the large-scale variation of fungal traits. We conducted a global analysis of mean fruit body size of 59 geographical regions worldwide, comprising 5340 fungal species exploring the response of fruit body size to latitude, resource availability and temperature. The results showed a hump-shaped relationship between mean fruit body size and distance to the equator. Areas with large fruit bodies were characterised by a high seasonality and an intermediate mean temperature. The responses of mutualistic species and saprotrophs were similar. These findings support the resource availability hypothesis, predicting large fruit bodies due to a seasonal resource surplus, and the thermoregulation hypothesis, according to which small fruit bodies offer a strategy to avoid heat and cold stress and therefore occur at temperature extremes. Fruit body size may thus be an adaptive trait driving the large-scale distribution of fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Bässler
- Department of Conservation Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, D- 60438, Germany.,Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, Grafenau, 94481, Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, 35037, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, Grafenau, 94481, Germany.,Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, 96181, Germany
| | - Franz S Krah
- Department of Conservation Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, D- 60438, Germany
| | - Arthur Reinelt
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, Grafenau, 94481, Germany
| | - Hans Halbwachs
- Department of Conservation Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, D- 60438, Germany
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13
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Pomeroy E, Stock JT, Wells JCK. Population history and ecology, in addition to climate, influence human stature and body proportions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:274. [PMID: 33431970 PMCID: PMC7801440 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79501-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide variation in human stature and limb proportions is widely accepted to reflect thermal adaptation, but the contribution of population history to this variation is unknown. Furthermore, stature and relative lower limb length (LLL) show substantial plastic responses to environmental stressors, e.g., nutrition, pathogen load, which covary with climate. Thus ecogeographic patterns may go beyond temperature-based selection. We analysed global variation in stature, sitting height and absolute and relative LLL using large worldwide samples of published anthropometric data from adult male (n = 571) and female (n = 268) populations in relation to temperature, humidity, and net primary productivity (NPP). Population history was modeled using spatial eigenvector mapping based on geographic distances reflecting the hypothesized pattern for the spread of modern humans out of Africa. Regression models account for ~ 50% of variation in most morphological variables. Population history explains slightly more variation in stature, sitting height and LLL than the environmental/climatic variables. After adjusting for population history, associations between (usually maximum) temperature and LLL are consistent with Allen's "rule" and may drive similar relationships with stature. NPP is a consistent negative predictor of anthropometry, which may reflect the growth-limiting effects of lower environmental resource accessibility (inversely related to NPP) and/or pathogen load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pomeroy
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK.
| | - Jay T Stock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Jonathan C K Wells
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
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14
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Martin JM, Barboza PS. Thermal biology and growth of bison (
Bison bison
) along the Great Plains: examining four theories of endotherm body size. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeff M. Martin
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station Texas77843‐2258USA
| | - Perry S. Barboza
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station Texas77843‐2258USA
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Texas A&M University College Station Texas77843‐2258USA
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15
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Stobo-Wilson AM, Cremona T, Murphy BP, Carthew SM. Geographic variation in body size of five Australian marsupials supports Bergmann’s thermoregulation hypothesis. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Despite a large body of research, little agreement has been reached on the ultimate driver(s) of geographic variation in body size (mass and/or length). Here we use skull length measurements (as a surrogate for body mass) from five Australian marsupial species to test the primary hypotheses of geographic variation in body size (relating to ambient temperature, productivity, and seasonality). We used a revised articulation of Bergmann’s rule, wherein evidence for thermoregulation (heat dissipation or heat conservation) is considered supportive of Bergmann’s rule. We modeled the skull lengths of four Petaurid glider species and the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) as a function of indices of ambient temperature, productivity, and seasonality. The skull length of Petaurus ariel, P. notatus, and the squirrel glider (P. norfolcensis), increased with increasing winter minimum temperature, while that of T. vulpecula decreased with increasing summer maximum temperature. The skull length of P. ariel decreased with indices of productivity, falsifying the productivity hypothesis. Only P. ariel met the hypothesis of seasonality, as skull length increased with increasing seasonality. Thermoregulation was the most consistently supported driver of geographic variation in body size, as we found evidence of either heat conservation or heat dissipation in four of the five species examined. We found the geographic range of the individual species and the climate space in which the species occurred was integral to understanding the species’ responses to climate variables. Future studies should use specimens that are representative of a species’ entire geographic range, encompass a variety of climatic regions, and use consistent methodologies and terminology when testing drivers of geographic variation in body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson M Stobo-Wilson
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Teigan Cremona
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Brett P Murphy
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Susan M Carthew
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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16
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Westover ML, Smith FA. Investigating the role of environment in pika (Ochotona) body size patterns across taxonomic levels, space, and time. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Body size is an important trait in animals because it influences a multitude of additional life history traits. The causal mechanisms underlying body size patterns across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic hierarchies are debated, and of renewed interest in this era of climate change. Here, we tested multiple hypotheses regarding body mass patterns at the intraspecific and interspecific levels. We investigated body size patterns within a climate-sensitive small mammal species, Ochotona princeps (n = 2,873 individuals), across their range with local environmental variables. We also examined body mass of populations over time to determine if body size has evolved in situ in response to environmental change. At the interspecific level we compared the mean mass of 26 pika species (genus Ochotona) to determine if environmental temperatures, food availability, habitat variability, or range area influence body size. We found correlations between temperature, vegetation, and particularly precipitation variables, with body mass within O. princeps, but no linear relationship between body size and any climate or habitat variable for Ochotona species. Body size trends in relation to climate were stronger at the intraspecific than the interspecific level. Our results suggest that body size within O. princeps likely is related to food availability, and that body size evolution is not always a viable response to temperature change. Different mechanisms may be driving body size at the interspecific and intraspecific levels and factors other than environment, such as biotic interactions, may also be influential in determining body size over space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Westover
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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17
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Korablev NP, Korablev MP, Korablev AP, Korablev PN, Zinoviev AV, Zhagarayte VA, Tumanov IL. Factors of Polymorphism of Craniometric Characters in the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes, Carnivora, Canidae) from the Center of European Russia. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359019080053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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18
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Gigliotti LC, Berg ND, Boonstra R, Cleveland SM, Diefenbach DR, Gese EM, Ivan JS, Kielland K, Krebs CJ, Kumar AV, Mills LS, Pauli JN, Underwood HB, Wilson EC, Sheriff MJ. Latitudinal variation in snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) body mass: a test of Bergmann’s rule. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between body size and latitude has been the focus of dozens of studies across many species. However, results of testing Bergmann’s rule — that organisms in colder climates or at higher latitudes possess larger body sizes — have been inconsistent across studies. We investigated whether snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) follow Bergmann’s rule by investigating differences in body mass using data from six published studies and from data of 755 individual hares captured from 10 populations across North America covering 26° of north latitude. We also explored alternative hypotheses related to variation in hare body mass, including winter severity, length of growing season, elevation, and snow depth. We found body mass of hares varied throughout their range, but the drivers of body mass differed based on geographic location. In northern populations, females followed Bergmann’s rule, whereas males did not. In northern populations, male mass was related to mean snow depth. In contrast, in southern populations, body mass of both sexes was related to length of the growing season. These differences likely represent variation in the drivers of selection. Specifically, in the north, a large body size is beneficial to conserve heat because of low winter temperatures, whereas in the south, it is likely due to increased food supply associated with longer growing seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C. Gigliotti
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Nathan D. Berg
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Shawn M. Cleveland
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Duane R. Diefenbach
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Eric M. Gese
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Jacob S. Ivan
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Knut Kielland
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Charles J. Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alexander V. Kumar
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - L. Scott Mills
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Jonathan N. Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - H. Brian Underwood
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, Cortland, NY 13043, USA
| | - Evan C. Wilson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael J. Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
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19
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Martin JM, Barboza PS. Decadal heat and drought drive body size of North American bison ( Bison bison) along the Great Plains. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:336-349. [PMID: 31988731 PMCID: PMC6972834 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large grazers are visible and valuable indicators of the effects of projected changes in temperature and drought on grasslands. The grasslands of the Great Plains have supported the greatest number of bison (Bison bison; Linnaeus, 1758) since prehistoric times. We tested the hypothesis that body mass (BM, kg) and asymptotic body mass (ABM, kg) of Bison decline with rising temperature and increasing drought over both temporal and spatial scales along the Great Plains. Temporally, we modeled the relationship of annual measures of BM and height (H, m) of 5,781 Bison at Wind Cave National Park (WICA) from 1966 to 2015. We used Gompertz equations of BM against age to estimate ABM in decadal cohorts; both females and males decreased from the 1960s to the 2010s. Male ABM was variable but consistently larger (699 vs. 441 kg) than female ABM. We used local mean decadal temperature (MDT) and local mean decadal Palmer Drought Severity Index (dPDSI) to model the effects of climate on ABM. Drought decreased ABM temporally (-16 kg/local dPDSI) at WICA. Spatially, we used photogrammetry to measure body height (HE ) of 773 Bison to estimate BME in 19 herds from Saskatchewan to Texas, including WICA. Drought also decreased ABM spatially (-16 kg/local dPDSI) along the Great Plains. Temperature decreased ABM both temporally at WICA (-115 kg/°C local MDT) and spatially (-1 kg/°C local MDT) along the Great Plains. Our data indicate that temperature and drought drive Bison ABM presumably by affecting seasonal mass gain. Bison body size is likely to decline over the next five decades throughout the Great Plains due to projected increases in temperatures and both the frequency and intensity of drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff M. Martin
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - Perry S. Barboza
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
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20
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Size of the lower carnassial in the arctic and the red fox from Late Pleistocene in Belgium compared to other ancient and extant populations. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00459-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLengths, widths, and size proportions (length to width) of the lower carnassial were measured in 45 teeth of the arctic fox and 35 teeth of the red fox from Belgium radiocarbon dated to 46 640–14 120 ka BP. Data the Late Pleistocene foxes from Belgium were compared to 20 ancient and extant populations form Europe, Asia, and North America. The Pleistocene arctic fox from Belgium showed larger carnassial than in all recent samples of this species, whereas the Belgian fossil red foxes were characterized by the carnassial size comparable to that of the recent Siberian red foxes. Both fox species from the Pleistocene of Belgium showed the highest index of the carnassials length to width, which means increase in carnivorous adaptation. We conclude that the higher level of carnivorous specialization reached by the Belgian arctic and red foxes at the end of the Late Pleistocene reflected their scavenging on kills of large carnivores and human hunters (remains of megafauna). Harsh environmental conditions of that period and specific composition of ecosystems led to adapting to a more carnivorous food niche in both foxes.
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21
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Johnson DS, Crowley C, Longmire K, Nelson J, Williams B, Wittyngham S. The fiddler crab, Minuca pugnax, follows Bergmann's rule. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14489-14497. [PMID: 31938535 PMCID: PMC6953695 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bergmann's rule predicts that organisms at higher latitudes are larger than ones at lower latitudes. Here, we examine the body size pattern of the Atlantic marsh fiddler crab, Minuca pugnax (formerly Uca pugnax), from salt marshes on the east coast of the United States across 12 degrees of latitude. We found that M. pugnax followed Bergmann's rule and that, on average, crab carapace width increased by 0.5 mm per degree of latitude. Minuca pugnax body size also followed the temperature-size rule with body size inversely related to mean water temperature. Because an organism's size influences its impact on an ecosystem, and M. pugnax is an ecosystem engineer that affects marsh functioning, the larger crabs at higher latitudes may have greater per-capita impacts on salt marshes than the smaller crabs at lower latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Serina Wittyngham
- Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceWilliam & MaryGloucester PointVAUSA
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22
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Bartels PJ, Fontaneto D, Roszkowska M, Nelson DR, Kaczmarek Ł. Latitudinal gradients in body size in marine tardigrades. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Homeotherms and many poikilotherms display a positive relationship between body size and latitude, but this has rarely been investigated in microscopic animals. We analysed all published records of marine Tardigrada to address whether microscopic marine invertebrates have similar ecogeographical patterns to macroscopic animals. The data were analysed using spatially explicit generalized least squares models and linear models. We looked for latitudinal patterns in body size and species richness, testing for sampling bias and phylogenetic constraints. No latitudinal pattern was detected for species richness, and sampling bias was the strongest correlate of species richness. A hump-shaped increase in median body size with latitude was found, and the effect remained significant for the Northern Hemisphere but not for the Southern. The most significant effect supporting the latitudinal gradient was on minimum body size, with smaller species disappearing at higher latitudes. Our results suggest that biogeographical signals were observed for body size, albeit difficult to detect in poorly studied groups because of swamping from biased sampling effort and from low sample size. We did not find a significant correlation with the latitudinal pattern of body size and ecologically relevant net primary productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Bartels
- Department of Biology, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC, USA
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, di Ricerca Sulle Acque CNR-IRSA, Verbania Pallanza, Italy
| | - Milena Roszkowska
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Bioenergetics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poznań, Poland
| | - Diane R Nelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Łukasz Kaczmarek
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poznań, Poland
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23
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Roycroft EJ, Nations JA, Rowe KC. Environment predicts repeated body size shifts in a recent radiation of Australian mammals. Evolution 2019; 74:671-680. [PMID: 31595503 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Closely related species that occur across steep environmental gradients often display clear body size differences, and examining this pattern is crucial to understanding how environmental variation shapes diversity. Australian endemic rodents in the Pseudomys Division (Muridae: Murinae) have repeatedly colonized the arid, monsoon, and mesic biomes over the last 5 million years. Using occurrence records, body mass data, and Bayesian phylogenetic models, we test whether body mass of 31 species in the Pseudomys Division can be predicted by their biome association. We also model the effect of eight environmental variables on body mass. Despite high phylogenetic signal in body mass evolution across the phylogeny, we find that mass predictably increases in the mesic biome and decreases in arid and monsoon biomes. As per Bergmann's rule, temperature is strongly correlated with body mass, as well as several other variables. Our results highlight two important findings. First, body size in Australian rodents has tracked with climate through the Pleistocene, likely due to several environmental variables rather than a single factor. Second, support for both Brownian motion and predictable change at different taxonomic levels in the Pseudomys Division phylogeny demonstrates how the level at which we test hypotheses can alter interpretation of evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Roycroft
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Jonathan A Nations
- Museum of Natural Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
| | - Kevin C Rowe
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
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24
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Davis SJM. Rabbits and Bergmann’s rule: how cold was Portugal during the last glaciation? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Osteometric data from > 450 modern wild rabbits, mostly from Portugal, Spain and France, show an inverse correlation between their size and the temperature of the environment, in accordance with Bergmann’s rule. Similar measurements made on some 1660 rabbit bones from 14 Portuguese late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites indicate that rabbits became considerably smaller at the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary. Thus, rabbit size varies or varied with temperature both today and in the past. A direct temperature–size relationship was assumed, and the regression of modern rabbit bone size on temperature was then used to calibrate the temperature equivalent for the change of size of rabbit bones in the past. The result indicates a Last Glacial Maximum to present-day difference, Δt°, of 7 or 8 °C. An alternative interpretation that does not assume a direct temperature–size relationship would indicate that the environment in Portugal 15 000–30 000 years ago was similar to that in northern France today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J M Davis
- Laboratório de Arqueociências, Direcção Geral do Património Cultural (DGPC), Calçada do Mirante à Ajuda 10ª, Lisbon, Portugal
- UNIARQ – Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
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25
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Green DM. Rarity of Size-Assortative Mating in Animals: Assessing the Evidence with Anuran Amphibians. Am Nat 2019; 193:279-295. [DOI: 10.1086/701124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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26
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Stoner DC, Sexton JO, Choate DM, Nagol J, Bernales HH, Sims SA, Ironside KE, Longshore KM, Edwards TC. Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:4453-4463. [PMID: 30088318 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use change are the major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Their effects are particularly acute for wide-ranging consumers, but little is known about how these factors interact to affect the abundance of large carnivores and their herbivore prey. We analyzed population densities of a primary and secondary consumer (mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, and mountain lion, Puma concolor) across a climatic gradient in western North America by combining satellite-based maps of plant productivity with estimates of animal abundance and foraging area derived from Global Positioning Systems telemetry data (GPS). Mule deer density exhibited a positive, linear relationship with plant productivity (r2 = 0.58), varying by a factor of 18 across the climate-vegetation gradient (range: 38-697 individuals/100 km2 ). Mountain lion home range size decreased in response to increasing primary productivity and consequent changes in the abundance of their herbivore prey (range: 20-450 km2 ). This pattern resulted in a strong, positive association between plant productivity and mountain lion density (r2 = 0.67). Despite varying densities, the ratio of prey to predator remained constant across the climatic gradient (mean ± SE = 363 ± 29 mule deer/mountain lion), suggesting that the determinacy of the effect of primary productivity on consumer density was conserved across trophic levels. As droughts and longer term climate changes reduce the suitability of marginal habitats, consumer home ranges will expand in order for individuals to meet basic nutritional requirements. These changes portend decreases in the abundance of large-bodied, wide-ranging wildlife through climatically driven reductions in carrying capacity, as well as increased human-wildlife interactions stemming from anthropogenic land use and habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Stoner
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Joseph O Sexton
- Global Land Cover Facility, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
- terraPulse, Inc., North Potomac, Maryland
| | - David M Choate
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Jyothy Nagol
- Global Land Cover Facility, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Steven A Sims
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Kirsten E Ironside
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona
| | - Kathleen M Longshore
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Las Vegas Field Station, Henderson, Nevada
| | - Thomas C Edwards
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
- U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
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27
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Tiede Y, Hemp C, Schmidt A, Nauss T, Farwig N, Brandl R. Beyond body size: consistent decrease of traits within orthopteran assemblages with elevation. Ecology 2018; 99:2090-2102. [PMID: 29944730 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Morphological traits provide the interface between species and their environment. For example, body size affects the fitness of individuals in various ways. Yet especially for ectotherms, the applicability of general rules of interspecific clines of body size and even more so of other morphological traits is still under debate. Here we tested relationships between elevation (as a proxy for temperature) and productivity with four ecologically relevant morphological traits of orthopteran assemblages that are related to fecundity (body size), dispersal (wing length), jumping ability (hind femur length), and predator detection (eye size). We measured traits of 160 orthopteran species that were sampled along an extensive environmental gradient at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), spanning elevations from 790 to 4,410 m above sea level (a.s.l.) with different levels of plant productivity. For traits other than body size, we calculated the residuals from a regression on body length to estimate the variation of traits irrespective of body size. Bayesian analyses revealed that mean body size of assemblages, as well as the means of relative wing length, hind femur length, and eye size, decreased with increasing elevation. Body size and relative eye size also decreased with increasing productivity. Both phylogenetic relationships, as well as species-specific adaptations, contributed to these patterns. Our results suggest that orthopteran assemblages had higher fecundity and better dispersal and escape abilities, as well as better predator detection at higher temperatures (low elevations) than at low temperatures (high elevations). Large body sizes might be advantageous in habitats with low productivity because of a reduced risk of starvation. Likewise, large eye size might be advantageous because of the ability to detect predators in habitats with low vegetation cover, where hiding possibilities are scarce. Our study highlights that changes in temperature and productivity not only lead to interspecific changes in body size but are also related to independent changes of other morphological traits that influence the ecological fit of organisms in their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Tiede
- Faculty of Biology, Conservation Ecology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Claudia Hemp
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt (Main), 60325, Germany
| | - Antje Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Thomas Nauss
- Faculty of Geography, Department of Geoinformatics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 10, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Faculty of Biology, Conservation Ecology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
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28
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Uchida K, Fujimoto H, Ushimaru A. Urbanization promotes the loss of seasonal dynamics in the semi-natural grasslands of an East Asian megacity. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Martin JM, Mead JI, Barboza PS. Bison body size and climate change. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4564-4574. [PMID: 29760897 PMCID: PMC5938452 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between body size and temperature of mammals is poorly resolved, especially for large keystone species such as bison (Bison bison). Bison are well represented in the fossil record across North America, which provides an opportunity to relate body size to climate within a species. We measured the length of a leg bone (calcaneal tuber, DstL) in 849 specimens from 60 localities that were dated by stratigraphy and 14C decay. We estimated body mass (M) as M = (DstL/11.49)3. Average annual temperature was estimated from δ18O values in the ice cores from Greenland. Calcaneal tuber length of Bison declined over the last 40,000 years, that is, average body mass was 37% larger (910 ± 50 kg) than today (665 ± 21 kg). Average annual temperature has warmed by 6°C since the Last Glacial Maximum (~24-18 kya) and is predicted to further increase by 4°C by the end of the 21st century. If body size continues to linearly respond to global temperature, Bison body mass will likely decline by an additional 46%, to 357 ± 54 kg, with an increase of 4°C globally. The rate of mass loss is 41 ± 10 kg per°C increase in global temperature. Changes in body size of Bison may be a result of migration, disease, or human harvest but those effects are likely to be local and short-term and not likely to persist over the long time scale of the fossil record. The strong correspondence between body size of bison and air temperature is more likely the result of persistent effects on the ability to grow and the consequences of sustaining a large body mass in a warming environment. Continuing rises in global temperature will likely depress body sizes of bison, and perhaps other large grazers, without human intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff M Martin
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station TX USA.,Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology Johnson City TN USA
| | - Jim I Mead
- Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology Johnson City TN USA.,The Mammoth Site Hot Springs SD USA.,Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
| | - Perry S Barboza
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station TX USA
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30
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Wei X, Yan L, Zhao C, Zhang Y, Xu Y, Cai B, Jiang N, Huang Y. Geographic variation in body size and its relationship with environmental gradients in the Oriental Garden Lizard, Calotes versicolor. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4443-4454. [PMID: 29760886 PMCID: PMC5938448 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of geographic variation in body size are predicted to evolve as adaptations to local environmental gradients. However, many of these clinal patterns in body size, such as Bergmann's rule, are controversial and require further investigation into ectotherms such as reptiles on a regional scale. To examine the environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, topography and primary productivity) that shaped patterns of geographic variation in body size in the reptile Calotes versicolor, we sampled 180 adult specimens (91 males and 89 females) at 40 locations across the species range in China. The MANOVA results suggest significant sexual size dimorphism in C. versicolor (F23,124 = 11.32, p < .001). Our results showed that C. versicolor failed to fit the Bergmann's rule. We found that the most important predictors of variation in body size of C. versicolor differed for males and females, but mechanisms related to heat balance and water availability hypotheses were involved in both sexes. Temperature seasonality, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the driest quarter were the most important predictors of variation in body size in males, whereas mean precipitation of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the wettest month were most important for body size variation in females. The discrepancy between patterns of association between the sexes suggested that different selection pressures may be acting in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wei
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Linmiao Yan
- Guangxi Dongli Mechanic School Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Chengjian Zhao
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yueyun Zhang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yongli Xu
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Bo Cai
- Department of Herpetology Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Ni Jiang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
| | - Yong Huang
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants Nanning Guangxi China
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31
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Riemer K, Guralnick RP, White EP. No general relationship between mass and temperature in endothermic species. eLife 2018; 7:27166. [PMID: 29313491 PMCID: PMC5760208 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bergmann's rule is a widely-accepted biogeographic rule stating that individuals within a species are smaller in warmer environments. While there are many single-species studies and integrative reviews documenting this pattern, a data-intensive approach has not been used yet to determine the generality of this pattern. We assessed the strength and direction of the intraspecific relationship between temperature and individual mass for 952 bird and mammal species. For eighty-seven percent of species, temperature explained less than 10% of variation in mass, and for 79% of species the correlation was not statistically significant. These results suggest that Bergmann's rule is not general and temperature is not a dominant driver of biogeographic variation in mass. Further understanding of size variation will require integrating multiple processes that influence size. The lack of dominant temperature forcing weakens the justification for the hypothesis that global warming could result in widespread decreases in body size. Scientists have found that individual animals of the same species tend to be smaller in hotter environments and larger in cooler ones. They named this pattern “Bergmann’s Rule” to describe how temperature can influence the size of an animal. However, most studies of Bergmann’s Rule have only looked at one or a few species at a time. Knowing how many species follow this rule is important because globally rising temperatures could cause lots of species to become smaller. Since the size of organisms affects how much food and space they need, this could disrupt natural systems around the world. To test if Bergmann’s rule can be extended to many species, Riemer, Guralnick, and White assessed the relationship between temperature and body mass for 952 bird and mammal species. Contrary to Bergmann’s Rule, the results showed that most of the species had similar sizes regardless of the temperature of their environment. Only about 140 species were smaller in hotter environments, and about 70 species were larger in hotter environments. This suggest that Bergmann’s Rule does not apply to most species as expected. While most birds and mammals may not get bigger or smaller due to warming global temperatures, the few species that do change in size – and the species that interact with them – may be more likely to become endangered or extinct. If we can determine which animals are at risk, we can prioritize their conservation and design better plans for doing so. Losing even a single species disrupts our ecosystems, on which we rely for critical resources like food, building materials, and clean air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Riemer
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Department of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Ethan P White
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States.,Informatics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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32
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Sheridan JA, Caruso NM, Apodaca JJ, Rissler LJ. Shifts in frog size and phenology: Testing predictions of climate change on a widespread anuran using data from prior to rapid climate warming. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:1316-1327. [PMID: 29375800 PMCID: PMC5773303 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in body size and breeding phenology have been identified as two major ecological consequences of climate change, yet it remains unclear whether climate acts directly or indirectly on these variables. To better understand the relationship between climate and ecological changes, it is necessary to determine environmental predictors of both size and phenology using data from prior to the onset of rapid climate warming, and then to examine spatially explicit changes in climate, size, and phenology, not just general spatial and temporal trends. We used 100 years of natural history collection data for the wood frog, Lithobates sylvaticus with a range >9 million km2, and spatially explicit environmental data to determine the best predictors of size and phenology prior to rapid climate warming (1901–1960). We then tested how closely size and phenology changes predicted by those environmental variables reflected actual changes from 1961 to 2000. Size, phenology, and climate all changed as expected (smaller, earlier, and warmer, respectively) at broad spatial scales across the entire study range. However, while spatially explicit changes in climate variables accurately predicted changes in phenology, they did not accurately predict size changes during recent climate change (1961–2000), contrary to expectations from numerous recent studies. Our results suggest that changes in climate are directly linked to observed phenological shifts. However, the mechanisms driving observed body size changes are yet to be determined, given the less straightforward relationship between size and climate factors examined in this study. We recommend that caution be used in “space‐for‐time” studies where measures of a species’ traits at lower latitudes or elevations are considered representative of those under future projected climate conditions. Future studies should aim to determine mechanisms driving trends in phenology and body size, as well as the impact of climate on population density, which may influence body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Sheridan
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USA.,Division of Science Yale-N US College Singapore
| | - Nicholas M Caruso
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USA
| | | | - Leslie J Rissler
- Division of Environmental Biology National Science Foundation Arlington VA USA
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33
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Correll RA, Prowse TAA, Prideaux GJ. Environmentally‐ and human‐induced body‐size responses in
Macropus robustus
and
Macropus rufus
, two widespread kangaroo species with largely overlapping distributions. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Correll
- College of Science & Engineering Flinders University Bedford Park South Australia 5042 Australia
| | - Thomas A. A. Prowse
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Gavin J. Prideaux
- College of Science & Engineering Flinders University Bedford Park South Australia 5042 Australia
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34
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Humphries MM, Studd EK, Menzies AK, Boutin S. To Everything There Is a Season: Summer-to-Winter Food Webs and the Functional Traits of Keystone Species. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:961-976. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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35
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Hendricks SA, Koblmüller S, Harrigan RJ, Leonard JA, Schweizer RM, Vonholdt BM, Kays R, Wayne RK. Defense of an expanded historical range for the Mexican wolf: A comment on Heffelfinger et al. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies; University of Idaho; Moscow ID USA
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Zoology; University of Graz; Universitätsplatz 2 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Ryan J. Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; University of California; Los Angeles, 300 LaKretz Hall Los Angeles CA 90095 USA
| | - Jennifer A. Leonard
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC); 41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - Rena M. Schweizer
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Montana; 32 Campus Dr. Missoula MT 59812 USA
| | - Bridgett M. Vonholdt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; M151 Guyot Hall Princeton NJ 08544 USA
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; Biodiversity Lab; Raleigh NC 27601 USA
- Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Robert K. Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California, Los Angeles; 610 Charles E. Young Drive East Los Angeles CA 90095 USA
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36
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37
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Little R, Gardner JL, Amano T, Delhey K, Peters A. Are long-term widespread avian body size changes related to food availability? A test using contemporaneous changes in carotenoid-based color. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3157-3166. [PMID: 28480015 PMCID: PMC5415506 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent changes in global climate have been linked with changes in animal body size. While declines in body size are commonly explained as an adaptive thermoregulatory response to climate warming, many species do not decline in size, and alternative explanations for size change exist. One possibility is that temporal changes in animal body size are driven by changes in environmental productivity and food availability. This hypothesis is difficult to test due to the lack of suitable estimates that go back in time. Here, we use an alternative, indirect, approach and assess whether continent-wide changes over the previous 100 years in body size in 15 species of Australian birds are associated with changes in their yellow carotenoid-based plumage coloration. This type of coloration is strongly affected by food availability because birds cannot synthesize carotenoids and need to ingest them, and because color expression depends on general body condition. We found significant continent-wide intraspecific temporal changes in body size (wing length) and yellow carotenoid-based color (plumage reflectance) for half the species. Direction and magnitude of changes were highly variable among species. Meta-analysis indicated that neither body size nor yellow plumage color showed a consistent temporal trend and that changes in color were not correlated with changes in size over the past 100 years. We conclude that our data provide no evidence that broad-scale variation in food availability is a general explanation for continent-wide changes in body size in this group of species. The interspecific variability in temporal changes in size as well as color suggests that it might be unlikely that a single factor drives these changes, and more detailed studies of museum specimens and long-term field studies are required to disentangle the processes involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roellen Little
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
| | - Janet L. Gardner
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and GeneticsThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Tatsuya Amano
- Conservation Science GroupDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
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38
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Schellenberger Costa D, Classen A, Ferger S, Helbig-Bonitz M, Peters M, Böhning-Gaese K, Steffan-Dewenter I, Kleyer M. Relationships between abiotic environment, plant functional traits, and animal body size at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174157. [PMID: 28319155 PMCID: PMC5358856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect-response framework states that plant functional traits link the abiotic environment to ecosystem functioning. One ecosystem property is the body size of the animals living in the system, which is assumed to depend on temperature or resource availability, among others. For primary consumers, resource availability may directly be related to plant traits, while for secondary consumers the relationship is indirect. We used plant traits to describe resource availability along an elevational gradient on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Using structural equation models, we determined the response of plant traits to changes in precipitation, temperature and disturbance with and assessed whether abiotic conditions or community-weighted means of plant traits are stronger predictors of the mean size of bees, moths, frugivorous birds, and insectivorous birds. Traits indicating tissue density and nutrient content strongly responded to variations in precipitation, temperature and disturbance. They had direct effects on pollination and fruit traits. However, the average body sizes of the animal groups considered could only be explained by temperature and habitat structure, not by plant traits. Our results demonstrate a strong link between traits and the abiotic environment, but suggest that temperature is the most relevant predictor of mean animal body size. Community-weighted means of plant traits and body sizes appear unsuitable to capture the complexity of plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Classen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Ferger
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Marcell Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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39
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Zazula GD, Macphee RDE, Hall E, Hewitson S. Osteological Assessment of PleistoceneCamelops hesternus(Camelidae: Camelinae: Camelini) from Alaska and Yukon. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2016. [DOI: 10.1206/3866.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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40
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Brun P, Payne MR, Kiørboe T. Trait biogeography of marine copepods - an analysis across scales. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:1403-1413. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brun
- Centre for Ocean Life; National Institute of Aquatic Resources; Technical University of Denmark; Kavalergarden 6 DK-2920 Charlottenlund Denmark
| | - Mark R. Payne
- Centre for Ocean Life; National Institute of Aquatic Resources; Technical University of Denmark; Kavalergarden 6 DK-2920 Charlottenlund Denmark
| | - Thomas Kiørboe
- Centre for Ocean Life; National Institute of Aquatic Resources; Technical University of Denmark; Kavalergarden 6 DK-2920 Charlottenlund Denmark
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Salewski
- Michael-Otto-Inst. im NABU; Goosstroot 1 DE-24861 Bergenhusen Germany
| | - Cortney Watt
- Dept of Zoology; Univ. of British Columbia; Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
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42
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Brown JS, Kotler BP, Porter WP. How foraging allometries and resource dynamics could explain Bergmann's rule and the body-size diet relationship in mammals. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joel S. Brown
- Dept of Biological Sciences; Univ. of Illinois at Chicago; 845 W. Taylor St. Chicago IL 60304 USA
| | - Burt P. Kotler
- Mitrani Dept of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Inst. for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Midreshet Ben-Gurion Israel
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43
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McNamara JM, Higginson AD, Verhulst S. The influence of the starvation-predation trade-off on the relationship between ambient temperature and body size among endotherms. JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY 2016; 43:809-819. [PMID: 27478296 PMCID: PMC4950040 DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM The tendency for animals at higher latitudes to be larger (Bergmann's rule) is generally explained by recourse to latitudinal effects on ambient temperature and the food supply, but these receive only mixed support and do not explain observations of the inverse to Bergmann's rule. Our aim was to better understand how ecological variables might influence body size and thereby explain this mixed support. LOCATION World-wide. METHODS Previous explanations do not allow for the selective pressure exerted by the trade-off between predation and starvation, which we incorporate in a model of optimal body size and energy storage of a generalized homeotherm. In contrast to existing arguments, we concentrate on survival over winter when the food supply is poor and can be interrupted for short periods. RESULTS We use our model to assess the logical validity of the heat conservation hypothesis and show that it must allow for the roles of both food availability and predation risk. We find that whether the effect of temperature on body size is positive or negative depends on temperature range, predator density, and the likelihood of long interruptions to foraging. Furthermore, changing day length explains differing effects of altitude and latitude on body size, leading to opposite predictions for nocturnal and diurnal endotherms. Food availability and ambient temperature can have counteracting selective pressures on body mass, and can lead to a non-monotonic relationship between latitude and size, as observed in several studies. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our work provides a theoretical framework for understanding the relationships between the costs and benefits of large body size and eco-geographical patterns among endotherms world-wide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew D. Higginson
- Centre for Research in Animal BehaviourCollege of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterEX4 4QGUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolBS8 1TQUK
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of Groningen9747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
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44
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Karagkouni M, Sfenthourakis S, Feldman A, Meiri S. Biogeography of body size in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Oniscidea). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karagkouni
- Faculty of Zoology; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Thessaloniki Greece
- Department of Ichthyology & Aquatic Environment; University of Thessaly; Karditsa Greece
- University of Aegean; Mytilini Island Greece
| | | | - Anat Feldman
- Department of Zoology; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Shai Meiri
- Department of Zoology; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
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45
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Gao X, Jin C, Camargo A, Li Y. Allocation trade-off under climate warming in experimental amphibian populations. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1326. [PMID: 26500832 PMCID: PMC4614843 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change could either directly or indirectly cause population declines via altered temperature, rainfall regimes, food availability or phenological responses. However few studies have focused on allocation trade-offs between growth and reproduction under marginal resources, such as food scarce that may be caused by climate warming. Such critical changes may have an unpredicted impact on amphibian life-history parameters and even population dynamics. Here, we report an allocation strategy of adult anuran individuals involving a reproductive stage under experimental warming. Using outdoor mesocosm experiments we simulated a warming scenario likely to occur at the end of this century. We examined the effects of temperature (ambient vs. pre-/post-hibernation warming) and food availability (normal vs. low) on reproduction and growth parameters of pond frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus). We found that temperature was the major factor influencing reproductive time of female pond frogs, which showed a significant advancing under post-hibernation warming treatment. While feeding rate was the major factor influencing reproductive status of females, clutch size, and variation of body size for females, showed significant positive correlations between feeding rate and reproductive status, clutch size, or variation of body size. Our results suggested that reproduction and body size of amphibians might be modulated by climate warming or food availability variation. We believe this study provides some new evidence on allocation strategies suggesting that amphibians could adjust their reproductive output to cope with climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Changnan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China ; Chinese National Geography Magazine , Beijing , China
| | - Arley Camargo
- Centro Universitario de Rivera, Universidad de la República , Rivera , Uruguay
| | - Yiming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
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46
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Wolverton S, Otaola C, Neme G, Giardina M, Gil A. Patch Choice, Landscape Ecology, and Foraging Efficiency: the Zooarchaeology of Late Holocene Foragers in Western Argentina. J ETHNOBIOL 2015. [DOI: 10.2993/etbi-35-03-499-518.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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47
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Kim SI, Oshida T, Lee H, Min MS, Kimura J. Evolutionary and biogeographical implications of variation in skull morphology of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides, Mammalia: Carnivora). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sang-In Kim
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB) and Research Institute for Veterinary Science; College of Veterinary Medicine; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-742 Korea
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology; College of Veterinary Medicine; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-742 Korea
| | - Tatsuo Oshida
- Laboratory of Wildlife Biology; Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine; Obihiro 080-8555 Japan
| | - Hang Lee
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB) and Research Institute for Veterinary Science; College of Veterinary Medicine; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-742 Korea
| | - Mi-Sook Min
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB) and Research Institute for Veterinary Science; College of Veterinary Medicine; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-742 Korea
| | - Junpei Kimura
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology; College of Veterinary Medicine; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-742 Korea
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48
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Are non-native species larger in their invaded range? A test with tropical floodplain fish assemblages following inundation of a biogeographic barrier. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-0951-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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49
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Segev U, Kigel J, Lubin Y, Tielbörger K. Ant Abundance along a Productivity Gradient: Addressing Two Conflicting Hypotheses. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131314. [PMID: 26176853 PMCID: PMC4503676 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of individuals within a population or community and their body size can be associated with changes in resource supply. While these relationships may provide a key to better understand the role of abiotic vs. biotic constraints in animal communities, little is known about the way size and abundance of organisms change along resource gradients. Here, we studied this interplay in ants, addressing two hypotheses with opposite predictions regarding variation in population densities along resource gradients- the 'productivity hypothesis' and the 'productivity-based thinning hypothesis'. The hypotheses were tested in two functional groups of ground-dwelling ants that are directly primary consumers feeding on seeds: specialized seed-eaters and generalist species. We examined variations in colony density and foraging activity (a size measurement of the forager caste) in six ant assemblages along a steep productivity gradient in a semi-arid region, where precipitation and plant biomass vary 6-fold over a distance of 250km. An increase in the density or foraging activity of ant colonies along productivity gradients is also likely to affect competitive interactions among colonies, and consequently clinal changes in competition intensity were also examined. Ant foraging activity increased with productivity for both functional groups. However, colony density revealed opposing patterns: it increased with productivity for the specialized seed-eaters, but decreased for the generalist species. Competition intensity, evaluated by spatial partitioning of species at food baits and distribution of colonies, was uncorrelated with productivity in the specialized seed-eaters, but decreased with increasing productivity in the generalists. Our results provide support for two contrasting hypotheses regarding the effect of resource availability on the abundance of colonial organisms- the 'productivity hypothesis' for specialized seed-eaters and the 'productivity-based thinning hypothesis' for generalist species. These results also stress the importance of considering the role of functional groups in studies of community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udi Segev
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jaime Kigel
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Lubin
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Katja Tielbörger
- Plant Ecology Department, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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50
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Temperature-induced shifts in hibernation behavior in experimental amphibian populations. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11580. [PMID: 26100247 PMCID: PMC4477341 DOI: 10.1038/srep11580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenological shifts are primary responses of species to recent climate change. Such changes might lead to temporal mismatches in food webs and exacerbate species vulnerability. Yet insights into this phenomenon through experimental approaches are still scarce, especially in amphibians, which are particularly sensitive to changing thermal environments. Here, under controlled warming conditions, we report a critical, but poorly studied, life-cycle stage (i.e., hibernation) in frogs inhabiting subtropical latitudes. Using outdoor mesocosm experiments, we examined the effects of temperature (ambient vs. + ~2.2/2.4 °C of pre-/post-hibernation warming) and food availability (normal vs. 1/3 food) on the date of entrance into/emergence from hibernation in Pelophylax nigromaculatus. We found temperature was the major factor determining the hibernation period, which showed a significant shortening under experimental warming (6–8 days), with delays in autumn and advances in spring. Moreover, the timing of hibernation was not affected by food availability, whereas sex and, particularly, age were key factors in the species’ phenological responses. Specifically, male individuals emerged from hibernation earlier, while older individuals also entered and emerged from hibernation earlier. We believe that this study provides some of the first experimental evidence for the effect of climate warming on the timing of amphibian hibernation.
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