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954 results for “survival data”
Data from: The costs of parasite infection: effects of removing lungworms on performance, growth and survival of free-ranging cane toads
1.Most research on the effects of parasites on their hosts has focused on the parasites of mammals or birds (especially, domesticated taxa) rather than systems in which the hosts are ectothermic wildlife species. 2.We used experimental methods (antihelminthic drugs) to quantify the effects of lungworms (Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) on their anuran hosts, the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina). 3.In captivity, eradicating lungworms enhanced toad activity (measures of boldness and level of spontaneous activity), performance (locomotor speed, climbing ability), and foraging success (feeding rate). 4.In free-ranging toads (n = 123) at a site in tropical Australia, eradicating lungworm infection increased rates of host survival by 8%, movement by 20%, growth by 28% and elaboration of male secondary sexual characteristics by 30%. The presence of the lungworm thus has a substantial negative effect on fitness-related traits of the host. 5.Given their long shared evolutionary history and the mild inflammatory and immune response elicited by the parasite in the host, the magnitude of the effects of parasite removal were surprising. Parasites may impose hidden costs, related to modification of host behaviour or metabolism. Experimental removal of parasites can be a useful means of quantifying costs of infection.
Data from: Survival and reproductive costs of repeated acute glucocorticoid elevations in a captive, wild animal
Organisms are continuously encountering both predictable and unpredictable ecological stressors within their environment. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (stress) axis is a fundamental process allowing animals to cope with and respond to such encounters. A main consequence of HPA axis activation is the release of glucocorticoid hormones. Although short-term glucocorticoid elevations lead to changes in physiological and behavioral processes that are often adaptive, our understanding of fitness consequences of repeated acute elevations in glucocorticoid hormones over a longer time period is largely lacking. This is of particular current importance as animals are facing a significant increase in exposure to stressors including those associated with human-induced rapid environmental change. Here, we test fitness-relevant consequences of repeated exposure to glucocorticoids in the absence of natural challenges, by treating wild-caught gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) with a daily transdermal dose of a glucocorticoid hormone until laying. This treatment causes an increase in plasma glucocorticoids that mimics the natural response lizards have when they encounter a stressor in the wild, without confounding effects associated with the encounter itself. This treatment reduced females' reproductive success (hatching success) and survival. Further, glucocorticoid-induced reductions in reproductive success were greater when females had experienced higher temperatures the previous winter. This demonstrates the potential significant consequences of repeated exposure to acute elevations in glucocorticoid hormones. Additionally, the costs of repeated glucocorticoid elevation may be further exaggerated by an individual's previous experience, such as the potential compounding effects of winter warming increasing animals' vulnerability to increased glucocorticoid levels during spring breeding.
Data from: Plant quantity affects development and survival of a gregarious insect herbivore and its endoparasitoid wasp
Virtually all studies of plant-herbivore-natural enemy interactions focus on plant quality as the major constraint on development and survival. However, for many gregarious feeding insect herbivores that feed on small or ephemeral plants, the quantity of resources is much more limiting, yet this area has received virtually no attention. Here, in both lab and semi-field experiments using tents containing variably sized clusters of food plants, we studied the effects of periodic food deprivation in a tri-trophic system where quantitative constraints are profoundly important on insect performance. The large cabbage white Pieris brassicae, is a specialist herbivore of relatively small wild brassicaceous plants that grow in variable densities, with black mustard (Brassica nigra) being one of the most important. Larvae of P. brassicae are in turn attacked by a specialist endoparasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata. Increasing the length of food deprivation of newly molted final instar caterpillars significantly decreased herbivore and parasitoid survival and biomass, but shortened their development time. Moreover, the ability of caterpillars to recover when provided with food again was correlated with the length of the food deprivation period. In outdoor tents with natural vegetation, we created conditions similar to those faced by P. brassicae in nature by manipulating plant density. Low densities of B. nigra lead to potential starvation of P. brassicae broods and their parasitoids, replicating nutritional conditions of the lab experiments. The ability of both unparasitized and parasitized caterpillars to find corner plants was similar but decreased with central plant density. Survival of both the herbivore and parasitoid increased with plant density and was higher for unparasitized than for parasitized caterpillars. Our results, in comparison with previous studies, reveal that quantitative constraints are far more important that qualitative constraints on the performance of gregarious insect herbivores and their gregarious parasitoids in nature.
Data from: Multiple anthropogenic interventions drive puma survival following wolf recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Humans are primary drivers of declining abundances and extirpation of large carnivores worldwide. Management interventions to restore biodiversity patterns, however, include carnivore reintroductions, despite the many unresolved ecological consequences associated with such efforts. Using multistate capture-mark-recapture models, we explored age-specific survival and cause-specific mortality rates for 134 pumas (Puma concolor) monitored in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem during gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery. We identified two top models explaining differences in puma survivorship, and our results suggested three management interventions (unsustainable puma hunting, reduction of a primary prey, reintroduction of a dominant competitor) have unintentionally impacted puma survival. Specifically, puma survival across age classes was lower in the 6-month hunting season than the 6-month non-hunting season; human-caused mortality rates for juveniles and adults, and predation rates on puma kittens, were higher in the hunting season. Predation on puma kittens, and starvation rates for all pumas, also increased as managers reduced elk (Cervus elaphus) abundance in the system, highlighting direct and indirect effects of competition between recovering wolves and pumas over prey. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding the synergistic effects of existing management strategies and the recovery of large, dominant carnivores to effectively conserve subordinate, hunted carnivores in human-dominated landscapes.
Data from: Immune response genes and pathogen presence predict migration survival in wild salmon smolts
We present the first data to link physiological responses and pathogen presence with subsequent fate during migration of wild salmonid smolts. We tagged and non-lethally sampled gill tissue from sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) smolts as they left their nursery lake (Chilko Lake, BC, Canada) to compare gene expression profiles and freshwater pathogen loads with migration success over the first ~1150 km of their migration to the North Pacific Ocean using acoustic telemetry. Fifteen percent of smolts were never detected again after release and these fish had gene expression profiles consistent with an immune response to one or more viral pathogens compared with fish that survived their freshwater migration. Among the significantly up-regulated genes of the fish that were never detected post-release were MX (Interferon-induced GTP-binding Protein Mx) and STAT1 (Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1-alpha/beta), which are characteristic of a type I interferon response to viral pathogens. The most commonly detected pathogen in the smolts leaving the nursery lake was infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Collectively, these data show that some of the fish assumed to have died after leaving the nursery lake appeared to be responding to one or more viral pathogens and had elevated stress levels that could have contributed to some of the mortality shortly after release. We present the first evidence that changes in gene expression may be predictive of some of the fresh water migration mortality in wild salmonid smolts.
Data from: Vegetation phenology and nest survival: diagnosing heterogeneous effects through time
Birds should select nest sites that minimize predation risk, but understanding the influence of vegetation on nest survival has proven problematic. Specifically, the common practice of measuring vegetation on nest fate date can overestimate its effect on survival, simply because vegetation at hatched nests grows for a longer period of time than vegetation at nests that were depredated. Here, we sampled the literature to determine the prevalence of this bias in studies of duck breeding ecology. We then used survival data collected from ~2,800 duck nests to empirically evaluate evidence of bias in four different vegetation metrics: vegetation density measured when the nest was found, density when the nest was fated, and date-corrected regression residuals of these two. We also diagnosed the magnitude of vegetation effects on nest survival by restricting analysis to only nests which were fated contemporaneously (thereby removing potential bias in the timing of measurement). Finally, we examined whether systematic phenological differences exist between vegetation at hatched and depredated nests that have the potential to further obfuscate the relationship between vegetation and nest survival. We found evidence for a true positive effect of vegetation density on nest survival that appeared to be inflated when using raw vegetation measurements collected at fate date. However, taken in combination with the literature review, our results suggest that the majority of duck nesting studies have evaluated the role of vegetation on nest survival using a relatively less biased metric—vegetation density when the nest was found. Finally, we found that over the course of a nesting attempt, vegetation increased in density at successful nests, but decreased in density at depredated nests. This seasonal change potentially points to an important new metric for understanding predation risk, but further experimental research is required to fully eliminate potential biases in the timing of vegetation measurements.
Data from: Additive negative effects of anthropogenic sedimentation and warming on the survival of coral recruits
Corals worldwide are facing population declines due to global climate change and local anthropogenic impacts. Global climate change effects are hard to tackle but recent studies show that some coral species can better handle climate change stress when provided with additional energy resources. The local stressor that most undermines energy acquisition is sedimentation because it impedes coral heterotrophic feeding and their ability to photosynthesize. To investigate if reducing local sedimentation will enable corals to better endure ocean warming, we quantitatively assessed the combined effects of increased temperature and sedimentation (concentration and turbidity) on the survival of coral recruits of the species, Porites astreoides. We used sediment from a reef and a boat basin to mimic natural sediment (coarse) and anthropogenic (fine) sediment (common in dredging), respectively. Natural sediment did not negatively impact coral survival, but anthropogenic sediment did. We found that the capacity of coral recruits to survive under warmer temperatures is less compromised when anthropogenic sedimentation is maintained at the lowest level (30 mg.cm−2). Our study suggests that a reduction of US-EPA allowable turbidity from 29 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) above background to less than 7 NTU near coral reefs would facilitate coral recruit survival under current and higher temperatures.
Data from: Divergent estimates of herd-wide caribou calf survival: ecological factors and methodological biases
Population monitoring is a critical part of effective wildlife management, but methods are prone to biases that can hinder our ability to accurately track changes in populations through time. Calf survival plays an important role in ungulate population dynamics and can be monitored using telemetry and herd composition surveys. These methods, however, are susceptible to unrepresentative sampling and violations of the assumption of equal detectability, respectively. Here we capitalized on 55 herd-wide estimates of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) calf survival in Newfoundland, Canada using telemetry (n = 1,175 calves) and 252 herd-wide estimates of calf:cow ratios (C:C) using herd composition surveys to investigate these potential biases. These data included 17 herd-wide estimates replicated from both methods concurrently (n = 448 calves and n =17 surveys) which we used to understand which processes and sampling biases contributed to disagreement between estimates of herd-wide calf survival. We used Cox proportional hazards models to determine if estimates of calf mortality risk were biased by the date a calf was collared. We also used linear mixed effects models to determine if estimates of C:C ratios were biased by survey date and herd size. We found that calves collared later in the calving season had a higher mortality risk and that C:C tended to be higher for surveys conducted later in the autumn. When we used these relationships to modify estimates of herd-wide calf survival derived from telemetry and herd composition surveys concurrently, we found that formerly disparate estimates of woodland caribou calf survival now overlapped (within a 95% confidence interval) in a majority of cases. Our case study highlights the potential of under-appreciated biases to impact our understanding of population dynamics and suggests ways that managers can limit the influence of these biases in the two widely applied methods for estimating herd-wide survival.
Data from: Survival strategy of the endangered tree Acer catalpifolium Rehd., based on 13C fractionation
<p>We conducted a field investigation and evaluation of 13C natural abundance to determine the growth habit and propagation strategy of Acer catalpifolium Rehd., a tree species native to China that is highly endangered. The results showed that A. catalpifolium is a K-selected strategist and pioneer species. Its narrow ecological range limits its geographical distribution, and poor fecundity limits its population size. The analysis of 13C natural abundance showed that A. catalpifolium does not use organic matter for reproduction when its stand volume is less than 1.08×106 cm3 or it is less than 18.6 m tall, but it does use this strategy when it has a sufficient 1.08×106 cm3 stand volume or more or is taller than 18.6 m. If environmental conditions are not conducive (e.g., severe human disturbance, cliff edges, or fierce interspecific competition) to the continued growth of the tree, A. catalpifolium may allocate organic matter for reproduction. Human disturbance seems to promote the population expansion of A. catalpifolium. We provide our suggestions for the promotion and protection of A. catalpifolium as a species.</p>
Data from: Long-term and interactive effects of different mammalian consumers on growth, survival and recruitment of dominant tree species
<p>Throughout the world, numerous tree species are reported to be in decline, either due to increased mortality of established trees or reduced recruitment. The situation appears especially acute for oaks, which are dominant features of many landscapes in the northern hemisphere. Although numerous factors have been hypothesized to explain reductions in tree performance, vertebrate herbivores and granivores may serve as important drivers of these changes. Here, using data from 8- and 14-year-old exclosure experiments, we evaluated the individual and interactive effects of large and small mammalian herbivores on the performance of three widespread oak species in California – coast live oak (<i>Quercus agrifolia</i>), California black oak (<i>Q. kelloggii</i>) and Oregon white oak (<i>Q. garryana</i>). Although impacts varied somewhat by species and experiment, herbivory by black-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</i>) reduced the height and survival of juvenile coast live oaks and altered their architecture, as well as reduced the abundance of black oak seedlings, the richness of woody species and the cover of non-oak woody species. Small mammals (<i>Microtus californicus</i> and <i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>) had even more widespread effects, reducing the abundance of black oak seedlings and the height and cover of all three oak species. We also detected numerous interactions between small mammals and deer, with one herbivore having positive or negative effects on oak abundance and cover when the other herbivore was either present or absent. For example, deer often had negative effects on seedling abundance only when, or even more so when, small mammals were present. In summary, mammalian consumers play crucial roles in limiting oak recruitment by reducing seedling abundance, maintaining trees in stunted states and preventing them from reaching sapling stages and becoming reproductive. Interactions between large and small mammals can also alter the intensity and direction of their effects on trees.</p>
Supplementary data: What drives grassland-forest boundaries? Assessing fire and frost effects on tree seedling survival and architecture
<ol> <li>Fire and frost represent two major hurdles for the persistence of trees in open grassy biomes and have both been proposed as drivers of grassland-forest boundaries in Africa.</li> <li>We assess the response of young tree seedlings, which represent a vulnerable stage in tree recruitment, to traumatic fire and frost disturbances.</li> <li>In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated how seedling traits predicted survival and resprouting ability in response to fire <i>vs</i> frost; we characterised survival strategies of seedlings in response to the two disturbances, and we documented how the architecture of surviving seedlings is affected by fire <i>vs</i> frost injury.</li> <li>Survival rates were similar under both treatments. However, different species displayed different levels of sensitivity to fire and frost. Seedling survival was higher for older seedlings and seedlings with more basal leaves. Survivors of a fire event lost more biomass than the survivors of a frost event. However, the architecture of recovered fire and frost treated seedlings were mostly similar. Seedlings that recovered from fire and frost treatments were often shorter than those that had not been exposed to any disturbance, with multiple thin branches, which may increase vulnerability to the next frost or fire event.</li> <li> <i>Synthesis</i>. Fire caused more severe aboveground damage compared to a single frost event, suggesting that fire is an important driver of tree distribution in these open grassland systems. However, the impact of repeated frost events may be equally severe, and needs to be investigated. Also, woody species composition may be influenced by phenomena that affect the timing and frequency of seedling exposure to damage, as mortality was found to be dependent on seedling age. Therefore, changes in fire regime and climate (esp. changes that bring about less frost and reduced fire intensity and frequency) are likely to result in changes in the composition and the structure of the woody components of these systems.</li> </ol>
Data from: Integrating fitness components reveals that survival costs outweigh other benefits and costs of group living in two closely related species
Group living can be beneficial when individuals reproduce or survive better in the presence of others, but simultaneously there might be costs due to competition for resources. Positive and negative effects on various fitness components might thus counteract each other, so integration is essential to determine their overall effect. Here, we investigated how an integrated fitness measure (reproductive values; RV) based on six fitness components varied with group size among group members in cooperatively-breeding red-winged and superb fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans and M. cyaneus). Despite life historie differences between the species, patterns of RVs were similar, suggesting that the same behavioural mechanisms are important. Group living reduced RVs for dominant males, but for other group members this was only true in large groups. Decomposition analyses showed that our integrated fitness proxy was most strongly affected by group size effects on survival, which was amplified through carry-over effects between years. Our study shows that integrative consideration of fitness components and subsequent decomposition analysis provide much needed insights into the key behavioural mechanisms shaping the costs and benefits of group living. Such attribution is crucial if we are to synthesize the relative importance of the myriad group size costs and benefits currently reported in the literature.
Capture history data for: Sub-seasonal correlation between growth and survival in three sympatric aquatic ectotherms
<p><span>Animals experience seasonally changing conditions in temperate regions, thus population vital rates change seasonally. However, knowledge is lacking on patterns of seasonal correlation between growth and survival in sympatric ectotherms, and this knowledge gap limits our understanding of environmental change impacts on animal populations and communities. Here, we investigated sub-seasonal (2-month intervals) correlation between growth and survival in three stream fishes (bluehead chub <em>Nocomis leptocephalus</em>, creek chub <em>Semotilus atromaculatus</em>, and mottled sculpin <em>Cottus bairdii</em>) in South Carolina, USA, via a mark-recapture survey over 28 months. </span></p> <p><span><span>We found that </span></span><span><span><span>the patterns of temporal correlation between growth and survival differed among the sympatric species. G</span></span></span><span><span>rowth increased and survival decreased with water temperature in two eurythermal species (bluehead chub and creek chub), resulting in a negative correlation between growth and survival. Growth peaked in sub-seasons with an intermediate water temperature range in a third stenothermal species (mottled sculpin), while survival decreased with water temperature for this species too. Consequently, there was no significant negative or positive correlation between sub-seasonal growth and survival in the stenothermal species. </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Negative correlation among population vital rates stabilizes population size over time and buffers animal populations from environmental change because the vital rates are not affected simultaneously in the same direction, indicating some degree of resiliency in the face of climate changes in the two eurythermal species. However, such a demographic mechanism of resiliency could be maintained so long as climate warming does not exceed optimal growth temperature, above which a negative correlation between growth and survival may no longer be maintained.</span></span></span></p>
Survival and mass data of King penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus chicks throughout the winter
<p>From 2002 to 2022, yearly King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus chick mortality and mass data was collected in April, just before the winter fast. The same chicks were relocated after the winter to assess mortality. The data was collected on Kerguelen Island, located in the Southern Ocean. </p>
Data for: Warming and hypoxia reduce performance and survival of northern bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians, amid a fishery collapse
<p>Populations of the northern bay scallop, <em>Argopecten</em> <em>irradians</em> <em>irradians</em>, across the northeast US have recently experienced severe declines. Here we used high-resolution satellite-based temperature records, long-term temperature and dissolved oxygen records, field and laboratory experiments, and high-frequency measures of scallop cardiac activity in an ecosystem setting to quantify decadal summer warming and assess the vulnerability of northern bay scallops to thermal- and hypoxic-stress across their geographic distribution. This set of files contains the raw data analyzed for this study. The data are grouped into relevant subfolders: Commercial Landings Data; Field Deployment Data; Gonad Index Data; Laboratory Data; Optical Infrared Sensor Data; Remote Sensing Data.</p>
Hourly locations and survival data of Nilgai Antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in South Texas
<p>Wildlife play an important role in the emergence of livestock diseases and their movements can complicate disease management efforts. One of the most significant vector-borne diseases of livestock worldwide is bovine babesiosis, spread by cattle fever ticks, <em>Rhipicephalus</em> (=<em>Boophilus</em>) <em>microplus</em> and <em>R</em>. (<em>B</em>.) <em>annulatus</em>. Although cattle fever ticks were eradicated from the U.S. by 1943, bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks are prevalent in México. Recently, management of cattle fever ticks in the Texas-México region has been complicated by the presence of free-ranging, exotic nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus). Nilgai are abundant, are competent hosts for cattle fever ticks, and make long-distance movements. The goal of this study was to better understand nilgai movements and space use to inform cattle fever tick treatment strategies. We analyzed hourly locations from 40 GPS-collared nilgai in Cameron County, TX, USA, from April 2019–September 2020. We assigned each nilgai a movement behavior using the net squared displacement metric. We estimated nilgai home range sizes at different temporal scales (monthly, seasonally, and overall) using Brownian bridge movement models. We calculated average movement metrics, activity patterns, and space use of nilgai using the Euclidean distance between locations. We observed movement patterns consistent with residency (52.5%), seasonal movers (17.5%), dispersal (5%), and unclassified (25%). Two young females made separate dispersal movements of about 40 km from their initial capture location. Overall, nilgai had large and highly variable home ranges: annual median home range estimate for females was 563 ha (range = 105–1,545) and for males was 937 ha (range = 221–1,602). Peak nilgai movements occurred during crepuscular hours, and median hourly movement for females was 57 m/hr and for males was 66 m/hr. Nilgai home ranges and long-distance movements have the potential to overlap multiple ranches, as the typical ranch size in South Texas ranges from 250–6,000 ha. Female dispersal can increase the rate at which viable nilgai populations can be established in new areas with implications for disease spread and management. Understanding these behaviors will help the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program develop more efficacious treatment strategies to treat infestations in nilgai.</p>
Survival data from: Canopy buffering effects
<p><span>Forest ecosystems can buffer understorey microhabitats and provide refuge for understorey species in a warming world. These effects are dependent on forest complexity and management. However, the roles of soils and bedrock types are less known although they also may affect forest complexity.</span><span> We assessed differences in buffering effects of deciduous broad-leaved forests from calcareous and siliceous soils in the temperate climate of south-west France predicted to become dryer with climate change.</span> <span>We </span><span>transplanted during dry and wet years, </span><span>without and with neighbours (herbaceous and shrubs from forest understories and gaps), </span><span>six species in gaps and dense forests of the two soil types.</span><span> Target species </span><span>originated from contrasting light availabilities and the two soil types.</span><span> We</span><span> measured transplant survival, light transmission, air temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in all treatments.</span><span> Forest</span> <span>structure and soil parameters were also quantified on both bedrocks. Forest structure complexity was higher and light transmission lower on calcareous than siliceous soils. Relative air humidity was higher and maximum air temperature and VPD lower in the understorey of calcareous than siliceous forests, while soil nutrients and moisture were lower in siliceous soils. We found strong direct facilitation of transplants from shaded habitats by calcareous forest canopies during dry years. Facilitation of forest canopies was much weaker on siliceous bedrocks, during wet years and for species from sunny habitats. Facilitative responses were less obvious but still observed in the presence of understorey neighbours. Calcareous forests showed a stronger buffering ability than siliceous ones due to both higher facilitative effects of calcareous woody dominants and lower survival in calcareous gaps during dry years. Considering that the two forest types were old forests with similar management histories, differences in buffering ability between them were likely due to differences in forest complexity and composition induced by differences in soil types.</span></p>
Data for: When does early-life telomere length predict survival? A case study and meta-analysis
<p>Suboptimal conditions during development can shorten telomeres, the protective DNA caps on the end of chromosomes. Shorter early-life telomere length (TL) can indicate reduced somatic maintenance, leading to lower survival and shorter lifespan. However, despite some clear evidence, not all studies show a relationship between early-life TL and survival or lifespan, which may be due to differences in biology or study design (e.g., survival period measured). In superb fairy-wrens (<em>Malurus cyaneus</em>), we assessed whether early-life TL predicts mortality across different life-history stages (fledgling, juvenile, adult). However, in contrast to a similar study on a congener, early-life TL did not predict mortality across any life stage in this species. We then performed a meta-analysis including 32 effect sizes from 23 studies (15 birds and 3 mammals) to quantify the effect of early-life TL on mortality whilst taking into consideration potential sources of biological and methodological variation. Overall, the effect of early-life TL on mortality was significant, corresponding to a 15% reduction in mortality risk with each standard deviation increase in TL. However, the effect became weaker when correcting for publication bias. Contrary to our predictions, there was no evidence that effects of early-life TL on mortality varied with species lifespan or the period over which survival was measured. However, negative effects of early-life TL on mortality risk were pervasive throughout life. These results imply that effects of early-life TL on mortality are more likely context-dependent rather than age-dependent, although substantial power and publication bias issues highlight the need for more research.</p>
Data for: Immune genotypes, immune responses, and survival in a wild bird population
<p>Individuals vary in their immune genotype, inbreeding coefficient <em>f</em>, immune responses, survival to adulthood, and adult longevity. However, whether immune genes predict survival or longevity, whether such relationships are mediated through immune responses, and how f affects immune genotype remain unclear. We use a wild song sparrow (<em>Melospiza</em> <em>melodia</em>) population in which survival to adulthood, adult longevity, and <em>f</em> were measured precisely, and in which immune responses have previously been assessed. We investigate four toll-like receptors (TLR) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIB exon 2 genes. We test: a) whether immune genes predict fitness (survival to adulthood or adult longevity); b) whether immune genes predict immune response; c) whether immune response predicts fitness; and d) whether fitness, immune responses, or immune genotypes are correlated with <em>f</em>. We find that survival to adulthood is not associated with immune gene variation, but adult longevity is decreased by high MHC allele diversity (especially in birds that were relatively outbred), and by the presence of a specific MHC supertype. Immune responses were affected by specific immune genotypes. Survival to adulthood and adult longevity were not predicted by immune response, implying caution in the use of immune response as a predictor for fitness. We also found no relationship between <em>f</em> and immune genotype. This finding indicates that immune gene associations with longevity and immune response are not artefacts of <em>f</em>, and suggests that pathogen-mediated selection at functional loci can slow the loss of genetic variation arising from genetic drift and small population size.</p>
Data from: Habitat use, survival and migration of a little-known East Asian endemic, the Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Basic information on the ecology of species is key for their conservation. Here we study the ecology of the little-known Yellow-throated Bunting <em>Emberiza elegans</em> based on a multi-year study on its breeding grounds in the Russian Far East. For the first time in this species, we quantified breeding habitat parameters, calculated sex-specific apparent survival, and determined individual non-breeding locations using light-level geolocation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>We found that the habitat around song posts of male Yellow-throated Buntings is characterized by tree and shrub layers on richly littered moist ground. Habitat use overlaps with co-occurring Tristram´s Buntings <em>Emberiza tristrami</em> and Black-faced Buntings <em>E. spodocephala</em>, but territories differ especially in tree cover and litter cover. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Based on four years of colour-ringing data of 72 individuals, we calculated an apparent survival rate of 36 %, with higher survival estimates for male than for female Yellow-throated Buntings. We found no effect of carrying a geolocator on survival. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>We retrieved six geolocators from males. All birds migrated south-westward during autumn and spent the non-breeding season at locations in China 700-1700 km away from their breeding sites. At least two individuals spent the boreal winter outside of the known range in northern or central China. Birds left the breeding area between early October and early November and returned between mid-March and mid-April.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Our data on habitat use, survival rate, and migratory connectivity will help to assess threats to the populations of this enigmatic species, which might include habitat loss due to forest fires on the breeding grounds, and unsustainable harvest for consumption during the non-breeding season.</span></p>
ScienceDex guides
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.