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Fattorini S. An Interspecific Assessment of Bergmann's Rule in Tenebrionid Beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) along an Elevation Gradient. INSECTS 2024; 15:673. [PMID: 39336641 PMCID: PMC11432099 DOI: 10.3390/insects15090673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
In endotherms, body size tends to increase with elevation and latitude (i.e., with decreasing temperatures) (Bergmann's rule). These patterns are explained in terms of heat balance since larger animals need to produce less heat relative to their size to maintain stable body temperatures. In ectotherms like most insects, where this mechanism cannot operate, a reverse pattern is frequently observed, as a higher surface area-to-volume ratio in colder climates may allow for more rapid heating and cooling. However, patterns of increasing body size with decreasing temperatures can also be observed in ectotherms if selection for more stable internal temperatures leads to smaller surface area-to-volume ratios. Data on tenebrionids from Latium (Central Italy) were used to model elevational variations in average values of body size (total length, mass and volume) and surface area-to-volume ratio. Analyses were performed by considering the whole fauna and two ecological groups separately: ground-dwelling species (geophilous) and arboreal (xylophilous) species. The surface area-to-volume ratios declined with increasing elevation in all cases, indicating that the need for heat conservation is more important than rapid heating and cooling. However, in xylophilous species (which typically live under bark), body size increased with increasing elevation, and in geophilous species, an opposite pattern was observed up to about 1000 m, followed by an increasing pattern. This suggests that a reduction in resource availability with elevation limits body size in geophilous species up to a certain elevation but not in xylophilopus species, which benefit from more climatically stable conditions and constant resources and need energy for overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fattorini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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Benítez HA, Muñoz-Ramírez C, Correa M, Acuña-Rodríguez IS, Villalobos-Leiva A, Contador T, Velásquez NA, Suazo MJ. Breaking the Law: Is It Correct to Use the Converse Bergmann Rule in Ceroglossus chilensis? An Overview Using Geometric Morphometrics. INSECTS 2024; 15:97. [PMID: 38392516 PMCID: PMC10889341 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The converse Bergmann's rule is a pattern of body size variation observed in many ectothermic organisms that contradicts the classic Bergmann's rule and suggests that individuals inhabiting warmer climates tend to exhibit larger body sizes compared to those inhabiting colder environments. Due to the thermoregulatory nature of Bergmann's rule, its application among ectotherms might prove to be more complicated, given that these organisms obtain heat by absorbing it from their habitat. The existence of this inverse pattern therefore challenges the prevailing notion that larger body size is universally advantageous in colder climates. Ceroglossus chilensis is a native Chilean beetle that has the largest latitudinal range of any species in the genus, from 34.3° S to 47.8° S. Within Chile, it continuously inhabits regions extending from Maule to Aysen, thriving on both native and non-native forest species. Beyond their remarkable color variation, populations of C. chilensis show minimal morphological disparity, noticeable only through advanced morphological techniques (geometric morphometrics). Based on both (1) the "temperature-size rule", which suggests that body size decreases with increasing temperature, and (2) the reduced resource availability in high-latitude environments that may lead to smaller body sizes, we predict that C. chilensis populations will follow the converse Bergmann's rule. Our results show a clear converse pattern to the normal Bergmann rule, where smaller centroid sizes were found to be measured in the specimens inhabiting the southern areas of Chile. Understanding the prevalence of the converse Bergmann's rule for ectotherm animals and how often this rule is broken is of utmost importance to understand the underlying mechanisms allowing organisms to adapt to different environments and the selective pressures they face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A Benítez
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos (BASE), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3466706, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Avenida Viel 1497, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Carlos Muñoz-Ramírez
- Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago 7760197, Chile
| | - Margarita Correa
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos (BASE), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3466706, Chile
| | - Ian S Acuña-Rodríguez
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa (CEI), Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca 3465548, Chile
| | - Amado Villalobos-Leiva
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos (BASE), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3466706, Chile
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile
| | - Tamara Contador
- Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams 6350000, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), Concepción 4030000, Chile
- Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program, Wankara Laboratory, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas 6200000, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago 8330015, Chile
| | - Nelson A Velásquez
- Laboratorio de Comunicación Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, San Miguel 3605, Talca 3466706, Chile
| | - Manuel J Suazo
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7D, Arica 1000000, Chile
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Shelomi M, Meiri S. A practical guide to collections-based research on ecogeographic rules. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10211. [PMID: 37332523 PMCID: PMC10276348 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecogeographic research into how species' forms vary across space, time, and climate has taken on new urgency due to contemporary global climate change. Research using museum specimens and other records to study biological rules like Bergmann's, Allen's, and Gloger's Rules has a long history and continues to generate publications and robust scientific debates. Despite the prevalence and history of the field, however, no simple guide on how to carry out such work has ever been published. To lower the barriers of entry for new researchers, this review was created as a practical guide on how to perform ecogeographic research. The guide consolidates disparately published methodologies into a single, convenient document that reviews the history and present of the field of ecogeographic rule research, and describes how to generate appropriate hypotheses, design experiments, gather, and analyze biotic and geographic data, and interpret the results in an ecologically meaningful manner. The result is a semi-standardized guide that enables scientists at all levels from any institution to carry out an investigation from start to finish on any biological rule, taxon, and location of their choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matan Shelomi
- Department of EntomologyNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology & The Steinhardt Museum of Natural HistoryTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
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Dürr V, Mesanovic A. Behavioural function and development of body-to-limb proportions and active movement ranges in three stick insect species. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:265-284. [PMID: 35986777 PMCID: PMC10006035 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01564-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Overall body proportions and relative limb length are highly characteristic for most insect taxa. In case of the legs, limb length has mostly been discussed with regard to parameters of locomotor performance and, in particular cases, as an adaptation to environmental factors or to the mating system. Here, we compare three species of stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) that differ strongly in the length ratio between antennae and walking legs, with the antennae of Medauroidea extradentata being much shorter than its legs, nearly equal length of antennae and legs in Carausius morosus, and considerably longer antennae than front legs in Aretaon asperrimus. We show that that relative limb length is directly related to the near-range exploration effort, with complementary function of the antennae and front legs irrespective of their length ratio. Assuming that these inter-species differences hold for both sexes and all developmental stages, we further explore how relative limb length differs between sexes and how it changes throughout postembryonic development. We show that the pattern of limb-to-body proportions is species-characteristic despite sexual dimorphism, and find that the change in sexual dimorphism is strongest during the last two moults. Finally, we show that antennal growth rate is consistently higher than that of front legs, but differs categorically between the species investigated. Whereas antennal growth rate is constant in Carausius, the antennae grow exponentially in Medauroidea and with a sudden boost during the last moult in Aretaon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Dürr
- Department of Biological Cybernetics, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
- Center for Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Ago Mesanovic
- Department of Biological Cybernetics, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Lu CW, Huang ST, Cheng SJ, Lin CT, Hsu YC, Yao CT, Dong F, Hung CM, Kuo HC. Genomic architecture underlying morphological and physiological adaptation to high elevation in a songbird. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:2234-2251. [PMID: 36748940 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Organisms often acquire physiological and morphological modifications to conquer ecological challenges when colonizing new environments which lead to their adaptive evolution. However, deciphering the genomic mechanism of ecological adaptation is difficult because ecological environments are often too complex for straightforward interpretation. Thus, we examined the adaptation of a widespread songbird-the rufous-capped babbler (Cyanoderma ruficeps)-to a relatively simple system: distinct environments across elevational gradients on the mountainous island of Taiwan. We focused on the genomic sequences of 43 birds from five populations to show that the Taiwan group split from its sister group in mainland China around 1-2 million years ago (Ma) and colonized the montane habitats of Taiwan at least twice around 0.03-0.22 Ma. The montane and lowland Taiwan populations diverged with gene flow between them, suggesting strong selection associated with different elevations. We found that the montane babblers had smaller beaks than the lowland ones, consistent with Allen's rule, and identified candidate genes-COL9A1 and SOX11-underlying the beak size changes. We also found that altitudinally divergent mutations were mostly located in noncoding regions and tended to accumulate in chromosomal inversions and autosomes. The altitudinally divergent mutations might regulate genes related to haematopoietic, metabolic, immune, auditory and vision functions, as well as cerebrum morphology and plumage development. The results reveal the genomic bases of morphological and physiological adaptation in this species to the low temperature, hypoxia and high UV light environment at high elevation. These findings improve our understanding of how ecological adaptation drives population divergence from the perspective of genomic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Lu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ting Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Jen Cheng
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Tau Lin
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Hsu
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Te Yao
- Division of Zoology, Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Feng Dong
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chih-Ming Hung
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Chih Kuo
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Vispute S, Mandlik R, Khadilkar A, Gondhalekar K, Patwardhan V, Khadilkar V. Influence of ecoregional and lifestyle factors on growth and body composition of
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ndian children and adolescents aged 9–18 years—A multicenter study. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 35:e23850. [PMID: 36541922 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ecoregion comprises all the environmental factors such as climate, vegetation, geomorphology, and soil taken together. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess differences in growth and body composition (BC) in 9-18-year-old children and adolescents (CA), across six ecoregions of India, (2) evaluate and compare the magnitude of the effect of ecoregional and lifestyle factors (LSF) on growth and BC in urban (U) and rural (R) children and adolescents, and (3) reassess the applicability of Bergmann's Rule and Allen's Rule to humans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Data on 1845 CA (925 boys; 920 girls) were collected (2016-2017) from urban and rural areas of six ecoregions of India. Anthropometric and BC parameters were measured; Z-scores were computed. Lifestyle Index score (LIS) based on LSF-(socioeconomic status [SES], diet, physical activity) was computed (categorized as low, medium, high-indicates better LSF). Univariate analysis was performed to estimate effect size. RESULTS Significant differences were observed in growth and BC across urban and rural ecoregions. CA with high LIS were taller and heavier than those with low LIS (p < .05). Ecoregion had greater effect on growth (Partial eta square (η2 ) for R = 0.136 vs. U = 0.057) and BC (η2 for R = 0.094 vs. U = 0.058) of rural CA than urban (p < .01). LSF had more effect on the BC of urban CA (η2 = 0.017) than rural (η2 = 0.002, p < .01). CONCLUSION Disparities among the six ecoregions were not large enough to fully support Bergmann's Rule and Allen's Rule. Ecoregion had greater effect on growth and BC of rural CA than urban, while lifestyle factors had more effect on the BC of urban CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smruti Vispute
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune Maharashtra India
| | - Rubina Mandlik
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
| | - Anuradha Khadilkar
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune Maharashtra India
| | - Ketan Gondhalekar
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
| | - Vivek Patwardhan
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
| | - Vaman Khadilkar
- Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Department, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital Pune Maharashtra India
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune Maharashtra India
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Doan DNT, Kim K, Kim SG, Lee S, Lee KH, Kim J. Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis for Korean older population with cold pattern. Front Nutr 2022; 9:975464. [PMID: 36532528 PMCID: PMC9751898 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.975464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the association of whole-body composition and segmental bioimpedance variables with cold pattern (CP) in different sexes. METHODS We assigned 667 older individuals to a CP group (n = 488) and a non-CP group (n = 179) by using an eight-item self-administered questionnaire. Seven body composition variables and three pairs of segmental bioimpedance variables for the upper and lower extremities, which were obtained from a segmental multifrequency bioimpedance analyzer, were employed to investigate their association with CP. Participants' characteristics were first described. Then we compared the selected body composition and bioimpedance variables between the CP and non-CP groups. Finally, their association with CP was investigated using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. All analyses were performed separately for women and men. RESULTS Both women and men exhibited a comparable mean age in the CP and non-CP groups; however, women with CP had significantly lower blood pressures, whereas men with CP showed a higher proportion of osteoarthritis than those without CP. Compared with the non-CP group, individuals with CP exhibited significantly smaller body sizes indicated by shorter height and smaller weight, lower body mass index, and smaller volume-to-body surface area ratio in both sexes. After controlling for age, height, weight, and other covariates, we found significant reductions in body lean mass such as fat-free mass and body cell mass, basal metabolic rate per unit mass, total body water, and intra-to-extracellular water ratio in the CP group. With regard to segmental bioimpedance analysis, the resistance ratios and phase angles in the upper and lower extremities yield significant associations with CP incidence, as demonstrated by the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.72 (1.16-2.57), 1.69 (1.18-2.48), 0.60 (0.40-0.89), and 0.57 (0.39-0.82), respectively. However, these results did not emerge in men. CONCLUSION Abnormal cellular water distribution and deterioration in body cell mass and/or cell strength are associated with CP prevalence, regardless of age, height, weight. These findings are similar in the upper and lower extremities and are more pronounced in women. The abovementioned patterns may be considered effective indicators for identifying CP in the older adult population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieu Ni Thi Doan
- Digital Health Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
- School of Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Kahye Kim
- School of Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seul Gee Kim
- School of Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Siwoo Lee
- School of Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Kun Ho Lee
- Gwangju Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (GARD) Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jaeuk Kim
- Digital Health Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
- School of Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
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Merwin AC, Hilliard J, Larsen A, Lasken AG, Johnson I. Oh, the places you will grow: Intraspecific latitudinal clines in butterfly size suggest a phylogenetic signal. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8913. [PMID: 35600686 PMCID: PMC9120895 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Within an animal species, the body sizes of individuals at higher latitudes are often different from individuals at lower latitudes. For homeothermic species that maintain a relatively constant body temperature, such as mammals and birds, individuals at higher latitudes tend to be larger. For ectothermic species, such as insects, that do not retain their own body heat and which often do not maintain a relatively constant body temperature, patterns of body size with latitude are highly variable. This has led some authors to contend that patterns in even closely related species cannot be expected to be similar. Indeed, to our knowledge, no studies of invertebrates have found that more closely related species have more similar relationships between body size and latitude. Further, no studies have investigated the potential influence of diet quality on interspecific differences in these clines. We measured wing lengths of specimens (N = 1753) in eight lycaenid butterfly species and one species of the sister family, Riodinidae to determine if more closely related species have similar latitudinal trends. We also estimated the mean nitrogen content of caterpillars’ hosts to investigate whether this often‐limiting nutrient influences the strength and direction of latitudinal clines in body size. We found that four species are significantly smaller at higher latitudes, an additional species is marginally smaller at higher latitudes (p < .06), and four species had no significant relationship with latitude. We also found a strong phylogenetic signal for latitudinal clines in body size among our species, which indicates that some closely related species may have similar clines. However, the strength and direction of these clines did not depend on the estimated nitrogen content of caterpillars’ hosts. Our results indicate that mean nitrogen content of hosts may not be an important driver in latitudinal clines but that phylogenetic relationships among species should be accounted for when exploring other potential drivers of body‐size clines in invertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Merwin
- Department of Biology and Geology Baldwin Wallace University Berea Ohio USA
| | - Justin Hilliard
- Department of Biology and Geology Baldwin Wallace University Berea Ohio USA
| | - Ashley Larsen
- Department of Biology and Geology Baldwin Wallace University Berea Ohio USA
| | | | - Icesstrená Johnson
- Department of Biology and Geology Baldwin Wallace University Berea Ohio USA
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Martínez-Gil H, Martínez-Freiría F, Perera A, Enriquez-Urzelai U, Martínez-Solano Í, Velo-Antón G, Kaliontzopoulou A. Morphological diversification of Mediterranean anurans: the roles of evolutionary history and climate. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Investigation of the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms governing the origin and diversification of species requires integrative approaches that often have to accommodate strong discordance among datasets. A common source of conflict is the combination of morphological and molecular characters with different evolutionary rates. Resolution of these discordances is crucial to assess the relative roles of different processes in generating and maintaining biodiversity. Anuran amphibians provide many examples of morphologically similar, genetically divergent lineages, posing questions about the relative roles of phylogeny and ecological factors in phenotypic evolution. We focused on three circum-Mediterranean anuran genera (Hyla, Alytes and Discoglossus), characterizing morphological and environmental disparity and comparing diversity patterns across biological levels of organization. Using a comparative phylogenetic framework, we tested how shared ancestry and climatic factors come together to shape phenotypic diversity. We found higher morphological differentiation within Hyla and Alytes than in Discoglossus. Body size and limb morphology contributed most to inter- and intraspecific morphological variation in Hyla and Alytes, but there was no strong phylogenetic signal, indicating that shared ancestry does not predict patterns of phenotypic divergence. In contrast, we uncovered a significant association between morphology and climatic descriptors, supporting the hypothesis that morphological disparity between species results from adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Martínez-Gil
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Perera
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Urtzi Enriquez-Urzelai
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Íñigo Martínez-Solano
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Torre Cacti (Lab 97), E-36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Armella MA. Tooth Size Variation in Assemblages of Tremacyllus (Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata): Insights into Geographical Gradients, Systematics, and Sexual Dimorphism. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09575-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Pinkert S, Friess N, Zeuss D, Gossner MM, Brandl R, Brunzel S. Mobility costs and energy uptake mediate the effects of morphological traits on species' distribution and abundance. Ecology 2020; 101:e03121. [PMID: 33460060 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Individuals of large or dark-colored ectothermic species often have a higher reproduction and activity than small or light-colored ones. However, investments into body size or darker colors should negatively affect the fitness of individuals as they increase their growth and maintenance costs. Thus, it is unlikely that morphological traits directly affect species' distribution and abundance. Yet, this simplification is frequently made in trait-based ecological analyses. Here, we integrated the energy allocation strategies of species into an ecophysiological framework to explore the mechanisms that link species' morphological traits and population dynamics. We hypothesized that the effects of morphological traits on species' distribution and abundance are not direct but mediated by components of the energy budget and that species can allocate more energy towards dispersal and reproduction if they compensate their energetic costs by reducing mobility costs or increasing energy uptake. To classify species' energy allocation strategies, we used easily measured proxies for the mobility costs and energy uptake of butterflies that can be also applied to other taxa. We demonstrated that contrasting effects of morphological traits on distribution and abundance of butterfly species offset each other when species' energy allocation strategies are not taken into account. Larger and darker butterfly species had wider distributions and were more abundant if they compensated the investment into body size and color darkness (i.e., melanin) by reducing their mobility costs or increasing energy uptake. Adults of darker species were more mobile and foraged less compared to lighter colored ones, if an investment into melanin was indirectly compensated via a size-dependent reduction of mobility costs or increase of energy uptake. Our results indicate that differences in the energy allocations strategies of species account for a considerable part of the variation in species' distribution and abundance that is left unexplained by morphological traits alone and ignoring these differences can lead to false mechanistic conclusions. Therefore, our findings highlight the potential of integrating proxies for species' energy allocation strategies into trait-based models not only for understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying variation in species' distribution and abundance, but also for improving predictions of the population dynamics of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Pinkert
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Ecology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Germany.,Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Biodiversity and Conservation, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Erfurt, 99085, Germany
| | - Nicolas Friess
- Faculty of Geography, Environmental Informatics, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Dirk Zeuss
- Faculty of Geography, Environmental Informatics, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Roland Brandl
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Ecology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Stefan Brunzel
- Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Biodiversity and Conservation, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Erfurt, 99085, Germany
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12
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Alhajeri BH, Porto LMV, Maestri R. Habitat productivity is a poor predictor of body size in rodents. Curr Zool 2020; 66:135-143. [PMID: 32440273 PMCID: PMC7233619 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The “resource availability hypothesis” predicts occurrence of larger rodents in more productive habitats. This prediction was tested in a dataset of 1,301 rodent species. We used adult body mass as a measure of body size and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of habitat productivity. We utilized a cross-species approach to investigate the association between these variables. This was done at both the order level (Rodentia) and at narrower taxonomic scales. We applied phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) to correct for phylogenetic relationships. The relationship between body mas and NDVI was also investigated across rodent assemblages. We controlled for spatial autocorrelation using generalized least squares (GLS) analysis. The cross-species approach found extremely low support for the resource availability hypothesis. This was reflected by a weak positive association between body mass and NDVI at the order level. We find a positive association in only a minority of rodent subtaxa. The best fit GLS model detected no significant association between body mass and NDVI across assemblages. Thus, our results do not support the view that resource availability plays a major role in explaining geographic variation in rodent body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bader H Alhajeri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat, 13060, Kuwait
| | - Lucas M V Porto
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Renan Maestri
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
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13
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Balčiauskas L, Amshokova A, Balčiauskienė L, Benedek AM, Cichocki J, Csanády A, DE Mendonça PG, Nistreanu V. Geographical clines in the size of the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis). Integr Zool 2019; 15:55-68. [PMID: 31149780 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of body size variation along geographical gradients have long been searched for and generalized into eco-geographical rules. However, no rodent species has yet been analyzed in relation to the 3 dimensions of latitude, longitude and altitude. We analyzed geographical clines and dimorphism of body and skull size in the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis) across the species range, based on field data and on data from the literature. Sexual dimorphism in adult A. uralensis was not expressed at a large scale, while local patterns were inconsistent. Age-dependent size changes were most expressed in adult individuals: most characters of adults exceeded in size those of subadults, while subadult-juvenile size differences were only significant in body weight and length, zygomatic skull width, length of cranial diastema and breadth of braincase. Despite central morphological niches along the clines being separated, A. uralensis populations showed a high degree of size overlap in morphological space. We found the species to be characterized by high size variability, with the largest individuals inhabiting the eastern and southern edges of the distribution range. Tail, hind foot and ear lengths were largest in the southern part of the range, in agreement with Allen's rule. The main measurements that we analyzed, namely body mass, zygomatic skull width and condylobasal skull length, show the presence of 3 clines in the size of adult A. uralensis: (i) a decreasing south-north cline, opposing Bergmann's rule; (ii) an increasing west-east cline, in accordance with Murphy's rule; and (iii) an increasing altitudinal cline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Albina Amshokova
- Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS, Nalchik, Russia
| | | | | | - Jan Cichocki
- University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Alexander Csanády
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia
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14
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Ouyang X, Gao J, Xie M, Liu B, Zhou L, Chen B, Jourdan J, Riesch R, Plath M. Natural and sexual selection drive multivariate phenotypic divergence along climatic gradients in an invasive fish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11164. [PMID: 30042477 PMCID: PMC6057953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29254-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species that rapidly spread throughout novel distribution ranges are prime models to investigate climate-driven phenotypic diversification on a contemporary scale. Previous studies on adaptive diversification along latitudinal gradients in fish have mainly considered body size and reported either increased or decreased body size towards higher latitudes (i.e. Bergmann's rule). Our study is the first to investigate phenotypic divergence in multiple traits, including sexually selected traits (size and shape of the male copulatory organ, the gonopodium) of invasive Gambusia affinis in China. We studied body size, life history traits and morphological variation across populations spanning 17 degrees of latitude and 16 degrees of longitude. Even though we found phenotypic variation along climatic gradients to be strongest in naturally selected traits, some sexually selected traits also showed systematic gradual divergence. For example, males from southern populations possessed wider gonopodia with increased armament. Generally, males and females diverged in response to different components of climatic gradients (latitudinal or longitudinal variation) and in different trait suites. We discuss that not only temperature regimes, but also indirect effects of increased resource and mate competition (as a function of different extrinsic overwinter mortality rates) alter the selective landscape along climatic gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Ouyang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Jiancao Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Meifeng Xie
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Binghua Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Linjun Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Bojian Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China
| | - Jonas Jourdan
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Riesch
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Martin Plath
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China.
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