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opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

Contrasting reproductive traits affect the genetic diversity and fine-scale genetic structure of two sympatric and epiphytic tropical bromeliads.

This database contains the coordinates of individuals of Aechmea mariae-reginae and Werauhia ampla in phorophytic trees and the genotypes for 8 microsatellite loci.

Systematic review reveals multiple sexually antagonistic polymorphisms affecting human disease and complex traits

An evolutionary model for sex differences in disease risk posits that alleles conferring higher risk in one sex may be protective in the other. These sexually antagonistic (SA) alleles are predicted to be maintained at frequencies higher than expected under purifying selection against unconditionally deleterious alleles, but there are apparently no examples in humans. Discipline-specific terminology, rather than a genuine lack of such alleles, could explain this disparity. We undertook a two-stage review of evidence for SA polymorphisms in humans using search terms from (i) evolutionary biology and (ii) biomedicine. While the first stage returned no eligible studies, the second revealed 51 genes with sex-opposite effects, 22 increased disease risk or severity in one sex but protected the other. Those with net positive effects occurred at higher frequencies. None were referred to as SA. Our review reveals significant communication barriers to fields as a result of discipline-specific terminology.

Japanese chum salmon reproductive traits

Geographic clines in life-history traits are often recognized as adaptations to the associated transitional environments. As life-history traits evolve in response to anthropogenic processes, these geographic clines can change over time. The geographic and temporal trends of reproductive traits in Japanese chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta were analyzed. Data were collected from 23 rivers located between 36° and 45° north latitude and 136° and 146° east longitude from 1994 to 2010. We confirmed the geographic clines of reproductive traits: relative gonad weight increased in more northeasterly locations, and females had fewer, but larger, eggs in more northeasterly locations after standardization by body size. The geographic clines changed over the years. The northeastward geographic trend of increasing gonad weight became more pronounced over time. Temporal trends toward smaller but more numerous eggs were evident, especially in northeasterly locations. Under natural and sexual selection, gonadal investment should be constrained by the energetic demands of the cost of migration, particularly in southwesterly locations (which are farthest from the feeding grounds), and by breeding competition during natural reproduction. In addition, females should have fewer but larger eggs owing to constraint on growth opportunities for their offspring in more northeasterly regions of Japan, which are colder and have less available food. However, global warming may mitigate this constraint on growth opportunities in northeastern Japan by increasing river water temperatures. Moreover, we consider that relaxation of the effects of natural and sexual selection on intense breeding competition and of early growth conditions has occurred through domestication selection by hatchery programs. These may have caused temporal shifts in geographic clines. We should consider several co-occurring anthropogenic impacts on natural and sexual selection when evaluating the life-history traits of organisms. For the sustainable use of biological resources, maintaining geographically adapted life-history traits during adaptation to climate change is essential. Therefore, the conservation of wild salmon populations formed by natural selection is preferable to the stocking of hatchery-reared fry.

Stoichiometric traits (N:P) of understory plants contribute to reductions in plant diversity following long-term nitrogen addition in subtropical forest

Nitrogen enrichment is pervasive in forest ecosystems, but its influence on understory plant communities and their stoichiometric characteristics is poorly understood. We hypothesize that when forest is enriched with nitrogen (N), the stoichiometric characteristics of plant species explains changes in understory plant diversity. A 13 year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of N addition on foliar carbon (C): N: phosphorus (P) stoichiometry and understory plant species richness in a subtropical Chinese fir forest. Four levels of N addition were applied: 0, 6, 12, and 24 g m-2 yr-1. Individual plant species were categorized into resistant plants, intermediate resistant plants, and sensitive plants based on their response to nitrogen addition. Results showed that N addition significantly decreased the number of species, genera and families of herbaceous plants. Foliar N:P ratios were greater in sensitive plants than resistant or intermediate resistance plants, while intrinsic water use efficiency showed an opposite trend. However, no relationship was detected between soil available N and foliar N, and soil N:P and foliar N:P ratios. Our results indicated that long-term N addition decreased the diversity of understory plants in a subtropical forest. Through regulating water use efficiency with N addition, sensitive plants change their N:P stoichiometry and have a higher risk of mortality, while resistant plants maintain a stable N:P stoichiometry, which contributes to their survival. These findings suggest that plant N:P stoichiometry plays an important role in understory plant performance in response to environmental change of N.

Efficient light‐harvesting of mesophotic corals is facilitated by coral optical traits

Sustained light-dependent coral reef communities can be found at a wide range of light environments, extending from the sea level to as deep as 150 m (i.e., mesophotic). How mesophotic corals thrive despite extremely limited light conditions still requires further investigation. Here, we undertook a comprehensive ecophysiological and bio-optical study on four depth-generalist coral species aiming to delineate the functional role that optical trait-properties have in light-harvesting, at contrasting light regimes. We show that the optical traits of coral skeletons are adjusted to their ambient light conditions and complement the microalgal demands for sufficient light, thus exhibiting a spatially efficient photosymbiotic system. In contrast to shallow corals, mesophotic corals absorbed up to three-fold more light, resulting in excellent photosynthetic response under light conditions of only ~3% of the incident surface irradiance. The enhanced light-harvesting capacity of mesophotic corals was achieved by redistributing light in the coral skeleton through optical scattering, thereby facilitating light transport and absorption by densely pigmented host tissue. Our findings provide fundamental insight into the light-harvesting mechanisms underlying the productivity of mesophotic coral reef ecosystems, yet also raise concerns regarding their ability to withstand prolonged environmental disturbances.

opennotspecifiedOct 2021View details →

Figure 2 in Nesting biology of the plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli): an antbird with exceptional life history traits

Figure 2. Nest attentiveness throughout the incubation period for one nest of the Plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli) located in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, Peru. A Generalised Linear Model for nest attentiveness using sensor data (black) and camera trap data (grey) was fitted to the data. Each dot represents the percentage of time spent in the nest per day. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the nest attentiveness estimated from sensor data (Pearson' r = 0.68, p <0.01).

opennotspecifiedOct 2021View details →

Figure 5 in Nesting biology of the plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli): an antbird with exceptional life history traits

Figure 5. Biparental effort for the Plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli) nest. Generalised Linear Model fitted to the observed values for biparental behaviour. Including the incubation (a-b), brooding (c-d), provisioning for nestling (e) and foraging trips (f). Females are indicated by blue triangles and males are indicated by black circles. Grey shading indicates 95% confidence interval. Observations were made by camera trapping of nests located at 400 m.a.s.l. in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, Peru.

opennotspecifiedOct 2021View details →

Figure 4 in Nesting biology of the plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli): an antbird with exceptional life history traits

Figure 4. Nestling development of the plain-throated Antwren (Isleria hauxwelli). Day 1 nestlings were naked with dusky grey skin, the next day the buds of pin feathers were visible under the skin. Day 3 the first pin feathers erupt and started growing rapidly. Day 4 the buds of pin feathers were visible under the skin; after two days the first pin feathers erupt and started growing rapidly. At day 7 feathers emerged from the pins. At fledging nestlings exhibited a female-like colouration.

Does fluctuating asymmetry of wing traits capture relative environmental stress in a lepidopteran?

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) may be a useful predictor of population canalization, especially for organisms at risk from environmental change. <ol> <li> Identification of traits that meet statistical criteria as FA measures remains a challenge. </li> <li> In the present study, a laboratory experiment subjected immature butterflies (Vanessa cardui) to a range of diet and temperature conditions of varying stress levels. Variation in dietary macronutrient ratio (protein: carbohydrate) and rearing temperature (optimal: 25°C; elevated: 32°C) were introduced as stressors. </li> <li> Individuals subjected to stressful conditions were predicted to show elevated FA of three wing size traits. </li> <li> While FA of all three traits proved measurable, it did not vary across diet and temperature treatments. Instead, treatment levels impacted viability: the combined incidence of death prior to eclosion and expression of significant wing malformations increased in treatment levels predicted to increase FA. Variation in adult dry mass also reflected predicted stress levels. Results suggest that predicted FA variation was not found because individuals predicted to display increased FA either died or displayed gross developmental aberrations. </li> <li> This experiment illustrates important constraints on the investigation of FA, including selection of appropriate traits and identification of appropriate levels of stressors to avoid elevated mortality. The latter concern brings into question the utility of FA as an indicator of stress in vulnerable, natural populations, where stress levels are rarely controlled, and mortality and fitness effects are often not quantifiable. </li> </ol>

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2021View details →

Life history traits in two Drosophila species differently affected by microbiota diversity under lead exposure

We investigated the influence of population origin and heavy metal exposure to the diversity of microbiota in two species, Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila subobscura grown in laboratory on lead (II) acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2) saturated substrate. The composition of microbiota in larvae and adults was determined by sequencing (NGS) of the V3-V4 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene.

Larval and metamorph traits of cane toads

As an invasive organism spreads into a novel environment, it may encounter strong selective pressures to adapt to abiotic challenges. We examined the effect of water temperature during larval life on rates of survival and growth of the early life-history stages of cane toads (Rhinella marina) from two geographic regions (tropical vs. temperate) in the species' invaded range in eastern Australia. If local adaptation at the southern (cool-climate) invasion front has extended the cold-tolerance of early life-stages, we would expect to see higher viability of southern-population toads under cooler conditions. Our comparisons revealed no such divergence: the effects of water temperature on rates of larval survival and growth, time to metamorphosis, size at metamorphosis and locomotor performance of metamorphs were similar in both sets of populations. In two cases where tropical and temperate-zone populations diverged in responses to temperature, the tropical animals performed better at low to medium temperatures than did conspecifics from cooler regions. Adaptation to low temperatures in the south might be constrained by behavioural shifts (e.g., in reproductive seasonality, spawning-site selection) that allow toads to breed in warmer water even in cool climates, by gene flow from warmer-climate populations, or by phylogenetic conservatism in these traits.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2020View details →

Light pollution affects invasive and native plant traits important to plant competition and herbivorous insects

Dataset that goes with our accepted publication in Biological Invasions entitled "Light pollution affects invasive and native plant traits important to plant competition and herbivorous insects"

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Adaptive divergence and the evolution of hybrid trait mismatch in threespine stickleback

Selection against mismatched traits in hybrids is the phenotypic analogue of intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities. Mismatch occurs when hybrids resemble one parent population for some phenotypic traits and the other parent population for other traits, and is caused by dominance in opposing directions or from segregation of alleles in recombinant hybrids. In this study, we used threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) to test the theoretical prediction that trait mismatch in hybrids should increase with the magnitude of phenotypic divergence between parent populations. We measured morphological traits in parents and hybrids in crosses between a marine population representing the ancestral form and twelve freshwater populations that have diverged from this ancestral state to varying degrees according to their environments. We found that trait mismatch was greater in more divergent crosses for both F1 and F2 hybrids. In the F1 the divergence--mismatch relationship was caused by traits having dominance in different directions, whereas it was caused by increasing segregating phenotypic variation in the F2. Our results imply that extrinsic hybrid incompatibilities accumulate as phenotypic divergence proceeds.

Root traits and soil microorganisms as drivers of plant-soil feedbacks within the sub-arctic tundra meadow

Plant-soil feedback (PSF) can influence the composition of various soil microorganisms (antagonistic and mutualistic), which can have reciprocal effects on plants. At the same time, we do not understand the effects of fine root traits in moderating microbial-driven PSF. We therefore conducted a greenhouse study to aid in understanding the relationship between root traits, soil community composition (PLFAs and high-throughput sequencing data) and plant-soil feedback (PSF). These data therefore include datasets with fine root traits, raw sequence reads from high-throughput sequencing for soil fungi, phospholipid fatty acid data and biomass data after the plant-soil feedback study.

Species abundances and functional traits data of frog assemblages in Amazonian forests (Tapajós FLONA and Alter do Chão village, Brazil)

We sampled frogs along an edaphic and vegetation-structure gradient in the Brazilian Amazon. We sampled 33 plots organized in four modules (with 10, 6, 8 and 9 plots). Environmental data are composed of are litter depht(cm), distance to water bodies (m), temperature (ºC), vegetation structure (PCA axis), soil sand and silt content (g-kg), and proportion of the area deforested. Additionally, we measured snout-vent length (SVL) and leg length relative to SVL and evaluated the effects of environmental variables on thirteen binary traits used with presence or absence.

Environmental stress gradients regulate the relative importance of predator density- and trait-mediated indirect effects in oyster reef communities

Predators affect community structure by influencing prey density and traits, but the importance of these effects often is difficult to predict. We measured the strength of blue crab predator effects on mud crab prey consumption of juvenile oysters across a flow gradient that inflicts both physical and sensory stress to determine how the relative importance of top predator density-mediated indirect effects (DMIEs) and trait-mediated indirect effects (TMIEs) change within systems. Overall, TMIEs dominated in relatively benign flow conditions where blue crab predator cues increased oyster survivorship by reducing mud crab oyster consumption. Blue crab DMIEs became more important in high sensory stress conditions, which impaired mud crab perception of blue crab chemical cues. At high physical stress, the environment benefitted oyster survival by physically constraining mud crabs. Thus, factors that structure communities may be predicted based on an understanding of how physical and sensory performances change across environmental stress gradients.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Density-by-diet interactions during larval development shape adult life-history trait expression and fitness in a polyphagous fly

Habitat quality early in life determines individual fitness, with possible long-term evolutionary effects on groups and populations. In holometabolous insects, larval ecology plays a major role in determining the expression of traits in adulthood, but how ecological conditions during larval stage interact to shape adult life-history and fitness, particularly in non-model organisms, remains subject to scrutiny. Consequently, our knowledge of the interactive effects of ecological factors on insect development is limited. Here, using the polyphagous fly Bactrocera tryoni, we conducted a fully-factorial design where we manipulated larval density and larval diet (protein-rich, standard, and sugar-rich) to gain insights into how these ecological factors interact to modulate adult fitness. As expected, a protein-rich diet resulted in faster larval development, heavier and leaner adults that were more fecund compared with standard and sugar-rich diets, irrespective of larval density. Females from the protein-rich larval diet had overall higher reproductive rate (i.e., eggs per day) than females from other diets, and reproductive rate decreased linearly with density for females from the protein-rich but non-linearly for females from the standard and sugar-rich diets over time. Surprisingly, adult lipid reserve increased with larval density for adults from the sugar-rich diet (as opposed to decreasing, as in other diets), possibly due to a stress-response to an extremely adverse condition during development (i.e., high intraspecific competition and poor nutrition). Together, our results provide insights into how ecological factors early in life interact and shape the fate of individuals through life-stages in holometabolous insects.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Data from: Intraspecific trait changes have large impacts on community functional composition but do not affect ecosystem function

1. Plant functional traits can provide a mechanistic understanding of community responses to global change and of community effects on ecosystem functions. Nitrogen enrichment typically shifts trait composition by promoting the dominance of acquisitive plants (high specific leaf area [SLA] and low leaf dry matter content [LDMC]), translating into high biomass production. Changes in mean trait values can be due to shifts in species identity, relative abundances and/or intraspecific trait values. However, we do not know the relative importance of these shifts in determining trait responses to environmental changes, or trait effects on ecosystem functioning, such as biomass production. 2. We quantified the relative importance of species composition, abundance and intraspecific shifts in driving variation in SLA and LDMC, and how these shifts affected above- and belowground biomass. We measured traits in a grassland experiment manipulating nitrogen fertilisation, plant species richness, foliar fungal pathogen removal and sown functional composition (slow vs. fast species). We fitted structural equation models to test the importance of abundance and intraspecific shifts in determining 1) responses of functional composition to treatments and 2) effects on above and belowground biomass. 3. We found that species intraspecific shifts were as important as abundance shifts in determining change in functional composition (community weighted mean trait values), and even had large effects compared to substantial initial variation in sown trait composition. Intraspecific trait shifts resulted in convergence towards intermediate SLA in diverse communities; although convergence was reduced by nitrogen addition and enhanced by pathogen removal. In contrast, large intraspecific shifts in LDMC were not influenced by the treatments. However, despite large responses, intraspecific trait shifts had no effect on above or belowground biomass. Only interspecific trait variation affected functioning: belowground biomass was reduced by SLA and increased by LDMC, while aboveground biomass was increased by SLA. 4. Our results add to a growing body of literature showing large species intraspecific trait variation and emphasise the importance of using field sampled data to determine community functional composition. However, they also show that intraspecific variation does not necessarily affect ecosystem functioning and therefore response-effect trait relationships may differ between vs. within species.

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Female reproductive mode shapes allometric scaling of male traits in livebearing fishes (family Poeciliidae)

Reproductive mode is predicted to influence the form of sexual selection. The viviparity driven conflict hypothesis posits that a shift from lecithotrophic (yolk-nourished) to matrotrophic (mother-nourished or placental) viviparity drives a shift from pre-copulatory toward post-copulatory sexual selection. In lecithotrophic species, we predict that pre-copulatory sexual selection will manifest as males exhibiting a broad distribution of sizes, and small and large males exhibiting contrasting phenotypes (morphology and coloration); conversely, in matrotrophic species an emphasis on post-copulatory sexual selection will preclude these patterns. We test these predictions by gathering data on male size, morphology, and coloration for five sympatric Costa Rican poeciliid species that differ in reproductive mode (i.e. lecithotrophy vs matrotrophy). We find tentative support for these predictions of the viviparity driven conflict hypothesis, with some interesting caveats and subtleties. In particular, we find that the three lecithotrophic species tend to show a broader distribution of male sizes than matrotrophic species. Furthermore, large males of such species tend to exhibit proportionately large dorsal and caudal fins and short gonopodia relative to small males, while these patterns are expressed to a lesser extent in the two matrotrophic species. Finally, large males in some of the lecithotrophic species exhibit darker fins relative to small males, a pattern not evident in either matrotrophic species. One unexpected finding was that even in the matrotrophic species Poeciliopsis retropinna and Poeciliopsis paucimaculata, which lack courtship and dichromatic coloration, some morphological traits exhibit significant allometric relationships, suggesting that even in these species pre-copulatory sexual selection may be present and shaping size-specific male phenotypes in subtle ways.