Find research datasets worth reusing

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Isotopic niches support the resource breadth hypothesis

Because a broad spectrum of resource use allows species to persist in a wide range of habitat types, and thus permits them to occupy large geographical areas, and because broadly distributed species have access to more diverse resource bases, the resource breadth hypothesis posits that the diversity of resources used by organisms should be positively related with the extent of their geographic ranges. We investigated isotopic niche width in a small radiation of South American birds in the genus Cinclodes. We analysed feathers of 12 species of Cinclodes to test the isotopic version of the resource breadth hypothesis and to examine the correlation between isotopic niche breadth and morphology. We found a positive correlation between the widths of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic niches (which estimate breadth of elevational range) and widths of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic niches (which estimates the diversity of resources consumed, and hence of habitats used). We also found a positive correlation between broad isotopic niches and wing morphology. Our study not only supports the resource breadth hypothesis but it also highlights the usefulness of stable isotope analyses as tools in the exploration of ecological niches. It is an example of a macroecological application of stable isotopes. It also illustrates the importance of scientific collections in ecological studies.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Experimental evidence does not support the Habitat Amount Hypothesis

For a half century, habitat configuration – the arrangement of habitat patches within a landscape – has been central to theories of landscape ecology, population dynamics, and community assembly, in addition to conservation strategies. A recent hypothesis advanced by Fahrig (2013) would, if supported, greatly diminish the relevance of habitat configuration as a predictor of diversity. The Habitat Amount Hypothesis posits that the sample area effect overrides patch size and patch isolation effects of habitat fragmentation on species richness. It predicts that the amount of habitat in a local landscape, regardless of configuration, is the main landscape-level determinant of species richness. If habitat amount is indeed the major, landscape-level driver of species richness, the slopes of the species–area relationship (SAR) for otherwise similar fragmented and unfragmented landscapes should be indistinguishable. We tested the Habitat Amount Hypothesis with data from two replicated and controlled habitat fragmentation experiments that disentangle the effects of habitat amount and configuration. One experiment provided time-series data on plant species richness and the other on micro-arthropod species richness. We found that, relative to less fragmented habitats, the SARs for fragmented habitats have significantly higher slopes and that the magnitude of the difference in slopes increased over time. Relatively more species were lost in smaller areas when fragments were more isolated. In both experiments, the proportion of species lost due to increased habitat fragmentation was nearly identical to the proportion lost due to reduced habitat amount. Our results provide a direct and experimentally derived refutation of the Habitat Amount Hypothesis, supporting the long-held view that in addition to area, patch isolation and configuration are important determinants of species richness. Differences in species richness between fragmented and non-fragmented habitats increase over time, demonstrating that long-term studies are needed to understand the effects of fragmentation, above and beyond the amount of habitat lost.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Latitudinal patterns of herbivore pressure in a temperate herb support the biotic interactions hypothesis

The longstanding biotic interactions hypothesis predicts that herbivore pressure declines with latitude, but the evidence is mixed. To address gaps in previous studies, we measured herbivory and defense in the same system, quantified defense with bioassays, and considered effects of leaf age. We quantified herbivory and defense of young and mature leaves along a continental gradient in eastern North America in the native herb Phytolacca americana. Herbivory in the field declined with latitude and was strongly correlated with Lepidopteran abundance. Laboratory bioassays revealed that leaf palatability was positively correlated with latitude of origin. Young leaves were more damaged than mature leaves at lower latitudes in the field, but less palatable in bioassays. Both defense and palatability displayed non-linear latitudinal patterns, suggesting potential mechanisms based on biological or climatic thresholds. In sum, observational and experimental studies find patterns consistent with high herbivore pressure and stronger plant defenses at lower latitudes.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Examining the microclimate hypothesis in Amazonian birds: indirect tests of the 'visual constraints' mechanism

Proposed mechanisms for the decline of terrestrial and understory insectivorous birds in the tropics include a related subset that together has been termed the "microclimate hypothesis." One prediction from this hypothesis is that sensitivity to bright light environments discourages birds of the dimly lit rainforest interior from using edges, gaps, or disturbed forest. Using a hierarchical Bayesian framework and capture data across time and space, we tested this by first determining vulnerability based on differences in within-species capture rates between disturbed and undisturbed forest for 64 bird species at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in central Amazonian Brazil. We found that 35 species (55%) were vulnerable to anthropogenic habitat degradation, whereas only four (6%) were more commonly captured in degraded forest. To infer visual sensitivity, we then examined two different characters: eye size (maximum pupil diameter) relative to body mass and the initiation time of dawn song, which presumably reflects a species' visual capacity under low light intensities. We predicted that species with large relative eye sizes and birds with earlier dawn songs would exhibit increased vulnerability in degraded habitats with bright light. Contrary to our predictions, however, vulnerability was positively correlated with the mean start time of dawn song. This indicates that species that wait to initiate dawn song are also more vulnerable to habitat degradation. After correcting for body size, there was no effect of eye size on vulnerability. Together, our results do not provide quantitative support for the light sensitivity mechanism of the microclimate hypothesis. More sensitive, experimental tests, such as behavioral assays with controlled light environments, especially in a comparative framework, are needed to rigorously evaluate the role of light sensitivity as an aspect of the microclimate hypothesis among Neotropical birds.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Employing hypothesis testing and data from multiple genomic compartments to resolve recalcitrant backbone nodes in Goodenia s.l. (Goodeniaceae)

Goodeniaceae is a primarily Australian flowering plant family with a complex taxonomy and evolutionary history. Previous phylogenetic analyses have successfully resolved the backbone topology of the largest clade in the family, Goodenia s.l., but have failed to clarify relationships within the species-rich and enigmatic Goodenia clade C, a prerequisite for taxonomic revision of the group. We used genome skimming to retrieve sequences for chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear markers for 24 taxa representing Goodenia s.l., with a particular focus on Goodenia clade C. We performed extensive hypothesis tests to explore incongruence in clade C and evaluate statistical support for clades within this group, using datasets from all three genomic compartments. The mitochondrial dataset is comparable to the chloroplast dataset in providing resolution within Goodenia clade C, though backbone support values within this clade remain low. The hypothesis tests provided an additional, complementary means of evaluating support for clades. We propose that the major subclades of Goodenia clade C (C1–C3 + Verreauxia) are the result of a rapid radiation, and each represents a distinct lineage.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2016View details →

Additional materials used in the paper "Towards Continuous Scientific Data Analysis and Hypothesis Evolution" on the Proceedings of the Thirty-First AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-17)

This bundle contains a web page describing the materials used in the evaluation of the paper, along with references to the software and datasets, provenance metadata and workflows used. All the scripts and descriptions are included as well.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

A first complete phylogenomic hypothesis for diploid blueberries (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus)

The premise of the study: The true blueberries, (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus; Ericaceae), endemic to North America, have been intensively studied for over a century. However, with species estimates ranging from 9 to 24 and much confusion regarding species boundaries, this ecologically and economically valuable group remains inadequately understood at a basic evolutionary and taxonomic level. As a first step toward understanding the evolutionary history and taxonomy of this species complex, we present the first phylogenomic hypothesis of the known diploid blueberries. Methods: We used flow cytometry to verify the ploidy of putative diploid taxa and a target-enrichment approach to obtain a genomic dataset for phylogenetic analyses. Results: Despite evidence of gene flow, we found that a primary phylogenetic signal is present. Monophyly for all morphospecies was recovered, with two notable exceptions: one sample of V. boreale was consistently nested in the V. myrtilloides clade, and V. caesariense was nested in the V. fuscatum clade. One diploid taxon, Vaccinium pallidum, is implicated as having a homoploid hybrid origin. Conclusions: This foundational study represents the first attempt to elucidate evolutionary relationships of the true blueberries of North America with a phylogenomic approach and sets the stage for multiple avenues of future study such as a taxonomic revision of the group, the verification of a homoploid hybrid taxon, and the study of polyploid lineages within the context of a diploid phylogeny.

Revisiting the burglar-alarm hypothesis: a behavioral cascade mediated by dinoflagellate bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is widespread among marine organisms and has evolved independently multiple times. While its specific adaptive value is diverse, bioluminescence in most cases mediates fundamental interactions between individuals (predator, prey, mates) and thus impacts ecosystem processes. One hypothesized value of bioluminescence in dinoflagellates is through the 'burglar alarm': grazers of phytoplankton will make the ambient water 'glow' as they swim, thereby attracting visual predators of the grazer, thus indirectly protecting the dinoflagellates. However, the most important grazers of dinoflagellates, copepods, are generally too small to elicit dinoflagellates to glow. Only individual cells captured by a copepod will flash, which in turn elicits a powerful escape response in the copepod. Here, we test a variant of this hypothesis that may work for copepods. The behavioral response of the grazer to the flashing of a captured dinoflagellate, rather than the flashing itself, attracts the attention of the grazer's flow-sensing predators. We demonstrate that bioluminescence in three dinoflagellates reduces the clearance- and ingestion rate of nauplii of the copepod Temora longicornis. The presence of bioluminescent cells also elicited an increased frequency of high-speed jumps of the grazers. The increased jump frequency elevated the detectability of the grazers to a flow-sensing predator, the copepod Centropages typicus, consequently leading to increased predation mortality of T. longicornis nauplii. The consequent behavioral cascade mediated by bioluminescence works for small grazers that cause only single cells to flash, unlike the traditional description of the burglar alarm.

Function of juvenile plumage in the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis): Aggressive mimicry hypothesis

Multiple raptors show juvenile plumage that is substantially different from that of their parents. Here, we test the prediction that the colouration of the juvenile northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) resembling the colouration of the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) acts as a form of aggressive mimicry. The goshawk specialises in hunting larger birds and mammals up to the size of geese or hares, while the buzzard preys mostly on small rodents. Potential prey may thus consider juvenile goshawks as less dangerous raptors, and the juvenile goshawk may thus gain an advantage when hunting. We used the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), a common prey of the goshawk, to test this prediction. We compared the behavioural responses of magpie parents defending their freshly fledged young towards stuffed dummies of an adult goshawk, juvenile goshawk, and buzzard. To be able to assess whether this behaviour differs from responses to a nest predator and a harmless bird we also presented a common raven (Corvus corax) and common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) as baseline stimuli. The overall intensity of antipredatory behaviour towards the juvenile and adult goshawks did not differ, but magpies took more risks facing juvenile goshawks. Additionally, the intensity of antipredatory behaviour towards the juvenile goshawk was higher than towards the buzzard, but the willingness to take risks did not differ in relation to the two predators. The overall intensity of antipredator behaviour thus supports the conclusion that magpies do not distinguish between juvenile and adult goshawks, while they do distinguish juvenile goshawks from buzzards. Conversely, the willingness to take risks supports the conclusion that magpies do not distinguish juvenile goshawks from buzzards.

Data from: To hatch and hatch not: Rejecting the hypothesis that heterochrony in vestibular mechanosensing explains poor escape-hatching success of Agalychnis spurrelli in snake attacks compared with its congener A. callidryas

Phyllomedusid treefrogs hatch prematurely to escape egg predation, but escape success varies among species. During spontaneous hatching of Agalychnis spurrelli, snake attacks elicited 55% less escape-hatching than did attacks on less developed A. callidryas. Agalychnis callidryas use their vestibular system and, secondarily, their lateral line to sense physical disturbances that cue hatching. Since A. spurrelli develop faster, we hypothesized that heterochronic shifts in the onset timing of vestibular mechanosensory function, relative to hatching ability, might explain their lower escape response to mechanosensory cues. To test this, we compared the onset timing of hypoxia- and mechanosensory-cued hatching (MCH) and vestibular mechanosensory function in developmental series of A. spurrelli and A. callidryas embryos. Across species, most sibships began responding to each cue at the same developmental stage. MCH onset in A. spurrelli was associated with vestibular function onset, as indicated by measurements of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Indeed, the first A. spurrelli embryos to show MCH had VOR amplitudes similar to those previously found for A. callidryas at the onset of MCH. These results indicate that low escape-hatching success in A. spurrelli is not caused by a relative delay in the onset of vestibular mechanosensory function, rejecting our initial hypothesis; the developmental timing of vestibular mechanosensing and its role in predator-induced hatching appears conserved. Our observations of both higher escape success of larger clutches in snake attacks and hatching complications in flooded A. spurrelli suggest, instead, that differences in egg capsule and clutch structure may contribute to species differences in escape-hatching success.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

Fungal Divergent Actin: Trait mapping and function hypothesis

This projects investigates the potential new function of a divergent actin form mainly found in fungal species (Fungal Divergent Actin (FDA)) using trait mapping and association analysis as a novel strategy to generate hypotheses about protein function. We use the ProteinCartography pipeline (https://doi.org/10.57844/arcadia-a5a6-1068), combined with trait mapping and trait association analysis to generate hypotheses about the function of FDA.  The overall idea is to identify a working set of fungal species for which we are able to confidently determine the presence or absence of fungal divergent actin, gather fungal trait information for these species (ecological traits, structural traits, genetic traits etc...) and determine whether there is any correlation between the presence/absence of FDA and one of the fungal trait. Any correlation between FDA presence/absence and fungal trait can then be used to infer hypothesis about the function of FDA. Our approach is divided into four main steps: - Step 1: Expanding the initial set of fungal species that possess FDA - Step 2: Defining the 'working set of species' (set of fungal species for which we can determine their FDA status (presence or absence)) - Step 3: Curating fungal trait information - Step 4: Statistical modeling of the association of FDA and chosen fungal traits   In this upload, we provide files that are parts of Steps 1 & 2:     - ProteinCartography folder of the ProteinCartography run for the FDA proteins: fungal_divergent_actins_PC.zip     - .csv table of all fungal proteins and associated species  in Uniprot that have available structure in AlphaFold: Fungi_prot_uniprot.csv   ProteinCartography run: fungal_divergent_actins_PC.zip (Step 1 - Expanding the initial set of fungal species that possess FDA) The aim of the first step, is to detect as many fungal species as possible that possess FDA. For this, we used ProteinCartography (https://doi.org/10.57844/arcadia-a5a6-1068), to screen for protein that have similar structures than the previously identified Fungal Divergent Actin (REF actin pub) and expand the original cluster of FDA. After identifying 6 representative sequences of Fungal Divergent Actins, we used each of the six proteins as input proteins for "Search Mode'' of the pipeline ProteinCartography. Full details on the ProteinCartography pipeline can be found in the GitHub repository and accompanying pub (https://doi.org/10.57844/arcadia-a5a6-1068). The fungal_divergent_actins_PC.zip contains all the inputs and outputs of the ProteinCartography run: <ul> <li>fasta and pdb files for all 6 input proteins</li> <li>configuration file for the ProteinCatography run</li> <li>all output files (including main files presented in the Pub: similarity matrix, semantic analysis and aggregated_features_pca_umap in the subfolder output/clusteringresults</li> </ul>   Uniprot list of fungal protein with available structure: Fungi_prot_uniprot.csv (Step 2 - Defining the 'working set of species') The aim of Step 2 is to identify the list of fungal species for which we can confidently determine the FDA presence/absence status. While ProteinCartography allows us to identify species that possess FDA, we also need to be able to confidently tell when a species doesn't possess FDA. Thus, the working set is defined as the set of species for which the presence or absence of FDA was putatively established. Because ProteinCartography relies on protein structures available in UniProt and AlphaFold, we decided to define our working set as any fungal species that has a minimum of 6000 protein structures in AlphaFold. Then we consider that any species of this set that is not part of the extended cluster does not possess FDA. Fungi_prot_uniprot.csv is the list of fungal proteins and associated species that have structure avaialable in AlphaFold from UniProt. This serves as the initial file to eventually count the number of proteins with available structures per species and identify the working set of fungal species  - To obtain this list we conducted an 'Advanced search' in UniProt using the following query:  <ul> <li>'Fungi' in Taxonomy field </li> <li>' * ' for the field AlphaFoldDB cross-reference (found within the Cross reference /3D structure field)</li> </ul>

Data from: A test of the seasonal availability of water hypothesis in a C3/C4 mixed grassland

Understanding how cool-season C3 and warm-season C4 grasses will respond to climate change is critical for predicting future grassland functioning. With warming, C4 grasses are expected to increase relative to C3 grasses. But, alterations in the seasonal availability of water may also influence C3/C4 dynamics because of their distinct seasons of growth. To better understand how shifts in the seasonal availability of water can affect ecosystem function in a northern mixed grass prairie in southeastern Wyoming, we reduced early season rainfall (April – June 2021) using rainout shelters and added the amount of excluded precipitation during the latter half of the growing season (July-September), effectively shifting spring rainfall to summer rainfall. As expected, this shift in precipitation seasonality influenced patterns of soil water availability, leading to increased soil respiration in the summer months and sustained canopy greenness throughout the growing season. Despite these responses, there were no significant differences in C3 aboveground net primary production (ANPP) between the seasonally shifted treatment (SEAS) and the plots that received ambient (AMB) precipitation. This was likely due to the high levels of spring soil moisture present before rainout shelters were deployed that sustained C3 grass growth. However, in plots with high C4 grass cover, C4 ANPP increased significantly in response to increased summer rainfall. Overall, we provide the first experimental evidence that shifts in the seasonality of precipitation, with no change in temperature, will differentially impact C3 vs. C4 species, altering the dynamics of carbon cycling and canopy albedo in this extensive semi-arid grassland.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: Heterogeneity promotes resilience in restored prairie: implications for the 'environmental heterogeneity hypothesis'

Enhancing resilience in formerly degraded ecosystems is an important goal of restoration ecology. However, evidence for the recovery of resilience and its underlying mechanisms requires long-term experiments and comparison to reference ecosystems. We used data from an experimental prairie restoration that featured long-term soil heterogeneity manipulations and data from comparable remnant (reference) prairie to (1) quantify the recovery of ecosystem functioning (i.e., productivity) relative to remnant prairie, (2) compare resilience of restored and remnant prairies to a natural drought, and (3) test whether soil heterogeneity enhances resilience of restored prairie. We compared sensitivity and legacy effects between prairie types (remnant and restored) and among four prairie sites that included two remnant prairie sites and prairie restored under homogeneous and heterogeneous soil conditions. We measured sensitivity and resilience as the proportional change in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) during and following drought (sensitivity and legacy effects, respectively) relative to average ANPP based on four pre-drought years (2014-2017). In non-drought years, total ANPP was similar between remnant and restored prairie, but remnant prairie had higher grass productivity and lower forb productivity compared to restored prairie. These ANPP patterns generally persisted during drought. Sensitivity of total ANPP to drought was similar between restored and remnant prairie, but grasses in restored prairie were more sensitive to drought. Post-drought legacy effects were more positive in restored prairie, and we attributed this to the more positive and less variable legacy response of forb ANPP in restored prairie, especially in the heterogeneous soil treatment. Our results suggest that productivity recovers in restored prairie and exhibits similar sensitivity to drought as remnant prairie. Furthermore, imparting heterogeneity promotes forb productivity and enhances prairie resilience to drought.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: revisiting niche divergence hypothesis in dimorphic birds: is diet overlap correlated with sexual size dimorphism?

The evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a long-standing topic in evolutionary biology, but there is little agreement on the extent to which SSD is driven by the different selective forces. While sexual selection and fecundity selection have traditionally been proposed as the two leading hypotheses, SSD may also result from natural selection through mechanisms such as sexual niche divergence, which might have reduced resource competition between sexes. Here, we revisited the niche divergence hypothesis by testing the relationship between the sexual overlap in diet and SSD of 56 bird species using phylogenetic comparative analyses. We then assessed how SSD variation relates to the three main hypotheses: sexual selection, fecundity selection, and sexual niche divergence using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS). Then, we compared sexual selection, fecundity selection, and niche divergence selection as SSD drivers through phylogenetic confirmatory path analyses to disentangle the possible causal evolutionary relationships between SSD and the three hypotheses. Phylogenetic generalized least squares showed that SSD was negatively correlated with diet overlap, i. e., the greater the difference in body size between males and females, the less diet overlap. As predicted by sexual selection theory, the difference in body size between sexes was higher in polygynous species. Confirmatory phylogenetic path analyses suggested that the most likely evolutionary path might include mating system as a main driver in SSD and niche divergence as a result of SSD. We found no evidence of a role of fecundity selection in the evolution of female-biased SSD. Our study provides evidence that sexual selection has likely been the main cause of SSD and that dietary divergence is likely an indirect effect of SSD.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2024View details →

Datasets for Insights into prismatic loop formation in irradiated Fe-Cr alloys from hypothesis-driven active learning and causal analysis

Datasets for irradiated Fe-Cr alloys are collected from the experimental reports on dislocation loop type and dislocation density. We have constructed a data set from experimental literature containing 182 data points. To address such challenges to predict dislocation density, we have implemented a three-step ML approach as listed in the following: <div> <div> <div> <ul> <li> impute dataset to fill in the missing data to construct a predictive model using the RF regression algorithm.  </li> <li> generate functionalized features and evaluate feature importance using the predictive model </li> <li> use the physics-based important functionalized features as hypotheses (physics-augmented GP models) in a hypothesis-driven active learning scheme to learn and predict dislocation density for all alloys.  </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2024View details →

Theoretical analysis of reliability of the "Hypothesis of the atomic (quantum) motion"

This article is based on the "Hypothesis of the atomic (quantum) motion",  registered on the site of intellectual protection:  http://www.a-priority.ru/Priority/1estestv/1estestv_catalog.html?SHOWALL_1=1  registration number: A1B031 (project of the European Academy of Natural  Sciences).  The content of the article is the theoretical test of the reliability of the hypothesis,  that based on - the famous discovery of the wave properties of the material bodies by Louis de  Broglie; - centripetal acceleration of the planets of the solar system.  The theoretical test of the reliability of the hypothesis is indicate the need for  further research to confirm the hypothesis, which is the goal of this article.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2024View details →

Constant - quantum of speed or continuation of theoretical analysis of the reliability of the "Hypothesis of atomic (quantum) motion"

В основу статьи легла моя «Гипотеза атомного (квантового) движения», зарегистрированная на  сайте по защите интеллектуальной собственности:  http://www.a-priority.ru/Priority/1estestv/1estestv_catalog.html?SHOWALL_1=1  регистрационный номер: A1B031 (проект Европейской академии естественных наук).    Содержание статьи является продолжением теоретического анализа достоверности гипотезы  , основанной на: -центростремительных ускорениях Луны относительно Земли, спутников планет  Солнечной системы, Солнца относительно центра Млечного Пути, планет  Проксимы Центавра, галактики Большое Магелланово Облако относительно  галактики Млечный Путь, -графической программе Graph.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Function of a multimodal signal: a multiple hypothesis test using a robot frog

1. Multimodal communication may evolve because different signals may convey information about the signaller (content-based selection), increase efficacy of signal processing or transmission through the environment (efficacy-based selection), or modify the production of a signal or the receiver's response to it (inter-signal interaction selection). 2. To understand the function of a multimodal signal (aggressive calls + toe flags) emitted by males of the frog Crossodactylus schmidti during territorial contests, we tested two hypotheses related to content-based selection (quality and redundant signal), one related to efficacy-based selection (efficacy backup), and one related to inter-signal interaction selection (context). For each hypothesis we derived unique predictions based on the biology of the study species. 3. In a natural setting, we exposed resident males to a robot frog simulating aggressive calls (acoustic stimulus) and toe flags (visual stimulus), combined and in isolation, and measured quality-related traits from males and local levels of background noise and light intensity. 4. Our results provide support to the context hypothesis, as toe flags (the context signal) are insufficient to elicit a receiver's response on their own. However, when toe flags are emitted together with aggressive calls, they evoke in the receiver qualitatively and quantitatively different responses from that evoked by aggressive calls alone. In contrast, we found no evidence that toe flags and aggressive calls provide complementary or redundant information about male quality, which are key predictions of the quality and redundant signal hypotheses, respectively. Finally, the multimodal signal did not increase the receiver's response across natural gradients of light and background noise, a key prediction of the efficacy backup hypothesis. 5. Toe flags accompanying aggressive calls seem to provide contextual information that modify the receiver's response in territorial contests. We suggest this contextual information is increased motivation to escalate the contest, and discuss the benefits to the signallers and receivers of adding a contextual signal to the aggressive display. Examples of context-dependent multimodal signals are rare in the literature, probably because most studies focus on single hypotheses assuming content- or efficacy-based selection. Our study highlights the importance of considering multiple selective pressures when testing multimodal signal function.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2021View details →

Dataset for reformulation of Trivers-Willard hypothesis.

The dataset represents fitness functions and corresponding optimization results used for the reformulation of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis.