Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
518
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.7.1
Dataset results
518 results for “life history traits”
Figure 6. Spheniopsis brasiliensis. A in The organs of prey capture and digestion in the miniature predatory bivalve Spheniopsis brasiliensis (Anomalodesmata: Cuspidarioidea: Spheniopsidae) expose a novel life-history trait
Figure 6. Spheniopsis brasiliensis. A transverse section through the visceral mass, towards the posterior end of the stomach and illustrating the disposition of the paired gonads. APRM, Anterior septal retractor muscles; DT, digestive tubule; EO, encapsulated oocyte; FIPI, fragment of ingested prey item; GF, gonadial follicle; IPI, ingested prey item; SC, secretory cells.
Figure 2 in The organs of prey capture and digestion in the miniature predatory bivalve Spheniopsis brasiliensis (Anomalodesmata: Cuspidarioidea: Spheniopsidae) expose a novel life-history trait
Figure 2. Spheniopsis brasiliensis. The organs of the mantle cavity and visceral mass, as seen from the right side after removal of the right shell valve and mantle lobe. AAM, anterior adductor muscle; AN, anus; APRM, anterior pedal retractor muscle; ASRM, anterior septal retractor muscle; AU, auricle; CS, crystalline style; CSS, crystalline style sac; DD, digestive diverticulae; EO, encapsulated oocyte; F, foot; G, gonad; HG, hind gut; M, mouth; MG, mid gut; PAM, posterior adductor muscle; PE, pericardium; PEG, pericardial gland; PL, pallial line; PPRM, posterior pedal retractor muscle; PR, prodissoconch; PS, pallial sinus; PSRM, posterior septal retractor muscle; SE, Septum; ST, stomach.
Figure 13 in The organs of prey capture and digestion in the miniature predatory bivalve Spheniopsis brasiliensis (Anomalodesmata: Cuspidarioidea: Spheniopsidae) expose a novel life-history trait
Figure 13. Illustrations of prey capture by (A) Grippina coronata; (B) Spheniopsis brasiliensis; and (C) Cuspidaria rostrata, all drawn to approximately the same scale. (A redrawn partly after Morton et al. (2015, fig. 24 C) and C redrawn partly after Reid and Reid (1974, fig. 1). Possible prey items are also identified. The arrows show how evolution of the rostrum has allowed deeper residence of the sediments presumably for enhanced protection.
A three year trans-generational plasticity in life history traits
<p>1. Environmental conditions of maternal plants influence adaptive strategies of their progeny via the seed phenotype. Although traditionally, studies have explained patterns of reproduction traits in response to stresses, such as the changes in seed mass and seed germinability under different maternal conditions. However, it is still unclear how maternal effects affect progeny dispersal and germination strategy or how many generations plasticity persists.</p> <p><span>2. Plants from diaspore types A and C of the diaspore-heteromorphic annual halophyte <i>Atriplex centralasiatica</i> were grown in low (favorable) vs. high (stressful) salinities over three generations in a fully factorial design. We measured life history traits and reproductive characteristics of progeny plants for a three-year transgenerational plasticity (TGP) experiment covering F0, F1, and F</span></p> <p><span>3. TGP of plants grown in favorable vs. stressful salinities decreased from F2 → F1 → F0. Compared to the favorable condition, the stressful condition decreased the length of the vegetative period, extended length of reproductive time and increased reproductive allocation and size of progeny diaspores. Salinity tolerance and phenotypic plasticity were higher in plants from diaspore A than in those from diaspore C. In the stressful condition, plants produced less plant biomass, larger diaspores, a higher proportion of type C diaspores with dormancy and higher dispersal potential, but lower proportion of type A diaspores with nondormancy and lower dispersal potential. In addition, production of the proportion of type C diaspores increased with increase in number of previous generations that experienced stress. </span></p> <p>4. Synthesis: The trade-off of reproductive allocation between diaspores A versus C enables plants to develop divergent strategies via both high diaspore C allocation to disperse progeny spatiotemporally across wide areas in stress conditions and high diaspore A allocation to limit progeny near maternal plants in favorable habitats. These findings provide evidence for the "escape strategy" by which the progeny of <i>A. centralasiatica</i> diffused spatially (dispersal) and temporally (dormancy) by TGP, thus allowing them to survive environmental heterogeneity in their cold desert habitats.</p>
Life history and morphological traits of Lestes sponsa
<p class="Body">Phenotypic plasticity can either hinder or promote adaptation to novel environments. Recent studies that have quantified alignments between plasticity, genetic variation and divergence propose that such alignments may reflect constraints that bias future evolutionary trajectories. Here, we emphasize that such alignments may themselves be a result of natural selection and do not necessarily indicate constraints on adaptation. We estimated developmental plasticity and broad sense genetic covariance matrices (<b>G</b>) among damselfly populations situated along a latitudinal gradient in Europe. Damselflies were reared at photoperiod treatments that simulated the seasonal time constraints experienced at northern (strong constraints) and southern (relaxed constraints) latitudes. This allowed us to partition the effects of (1) latitude, (2) photoperiod and (3) environmental novelty on <b>G</b> and its putative alignment with adaptive plasticity and divergence. Environmental novelty and latitude did not affect <b>G,</b> but photoperiod did. Photoperiod increased evolvability in the direction of observed adaptive divergence and developmental plasticity when <b>G</b> was assessed under strong seasonal time constraints at northern (relative to southern) photoperiod. Since selection and adaptation under time constraints is well understood in <i>Lestes</i> damselflies, our results suggest that natural selection can shape the alignment between divergence, plasticity and evolvability.</p>
Data from: Sex-specific associations between life history traits and a novel reproductive polymorphism in the Pacific field cricket
<p>Associations between heritable polymorphisms and life-history traits, such as development time or reproductive investment, may play an underappreciated role in maintaining polymorphic systems. This is because selection acting on a particular morph could be bolstered or disrupted by correlated changes in life-history or vice versa. In a Hawaiian population of the Pacific field cricket (<em>Teleogryllus oceanicus</em>), a novel mutation (flatwing) on the X-chromosome is responsible for a heritable polymorphism in male wing structure. We used laboratory cricket colonies fixed for male wing morph to investigate whether males and females bearing the flatwing or normal-wing (wild-type) allele differed in their life-history traits. We found that flatwing males developed faster and had heavier testes than normal-wings, whereas flatwing homozygous females developed slower and had lighter reproductive tissues than normal-wing homozygous females. Our results advance our understanding of the evolution of polymorphisms by demonstrating that the genetic change responsible for a reproductive polymorphism can also have consequences for fundamental life-history traits in both males and females.</p>
Data from: Temporal genetic stability and high effective population size despite fisheries-induced life-history trait evolution in the North Sea sole.
Heavy fishing and other anthropogenic influences can have profound impact on a species' resilience to harvesting. Besides the decrease of the census and effective population size, strong declines in mature adults and recruiting individuals may lead to almost irreversible genetic changes in life-history traits. Here, we investigated the evolution of genetic diversity and effective population size in the heavily exploited sole (Solea solea), through the analysis of historical DNA from a collection of 1379 sole (Solea solea) otoliths dating back from 1957. Despite documented shifts in life-history traits, neutral genetic diversity inferred from 11 microsatellite markers showed a remarkable stability over a period of 50 years of heavy fishing. Using simulations and corrections for fisheries induced demographic variation, both point and temporal estimates of effective population size (Ne) were always higher than 1000, suggesting that despite the severe census size decrease over a 50 year period of harvesting, genetic drift is probably not strong enough to significantly decrease the neutral diversity of this species in the North Sea. However the ratio of effective population size to the census size (Ne/Nc) was very small (10-5), suggesting that overall only few adults contribute to the next generation. The high Ne level together with the low Ne/Nc ratio is most likely caused by a combination of an equalized reproductive output of younger cohorts, a decrease in generation time and a large variance in reproductive success typical for marine species. Because strong evolutionary changes in age and size at first maturation have been observed for sole, changes in adaptive genetic variation should be further monitored to detect the evolutionary consequences of human-induced selection.
Data from: The extent and genetic basis of phenotypic divergence in life history traits in Mimulus guttatus
Differential natural selection acting on populations in contrasting environments often results in adaptive divergence in multivariate phenotypes. Multivariate trait divergence across populations could be caused by selection on pleiotropic alleles or through many independent loci with trait-specific effects. Here, we assess patterns of association between a suite of traits contributing to life history divergence in the common monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, and examine the genetic architecture underlying these correlations. A common garden survey of 74 populations representing annual and perennial strategies from across the native range revealed strong correlations between vegetative and reproductive traits. To determine whether these multitrait patterns arise from pleiotropic or independent loci, we mapped QTLs using an approach combining high-throughput sequencing with bulk segregant analysis on a cross between populations with divergent life histories. We find extensive pleiotropy for QTLs related to flowering time and stolon production, a key feature of the perennial strategy. Candidate genes related to axillary meristem development co-localize with the QTLs in a manner consistent with either pleiotropic or independent QTL effects. Further, these results are analogous to previous work showing pleiotropy-mediated genetic correlations within a single population of M. guttatus experiencing heterogeneous selection. Our findings of strong multivariate trait associations and pleiotropic QTLs suggest that patterns of genetic variation may determine the trajectory of adaptive divergence.
Data from: Functional traits explain variation in plant life history strategies
Ecologists seek general explanations for the dramatic variation in species abundances in space and time. An increasingly popular solution is to predict species distributions, dynamics and responses to environmental change based on easily measured anatomical and morphological traits. Trait-based approaches assume that simple functional traits influence fitness and life history evolution, but rigorous tests of this assumption are lacking because they require quantitative information about the full life-cycles of many species representing different life histories. Here we link a global traits database with empirical matrix population models for 222 species and report strong relationships between functional traits and plant life histories. Species with large seeds, long-lived leaves, or dense wood have slow life histories, with mean fitness (i.e. population growth rates) more strongly influenced by survival than by growth or fecundity, compared to fast life history species with small seeds, short-lived leaves, or soft wood. In contrast to measures of demographic contributions to fitness based on whole life-cycles, analyses focused on raw demographic rates may underestimate the strength of association between traits and mean fitness. Our results help establish the physiological basis for plant life history evolution and show the potential for trait-based approaches in population dynamics.
Data from: Effects of variation in resource acquisition during different stages of the life cycle on life-history traits and trade-offs in a burying beetle
Individual variation in resource acquisition should have consequences for life-history traits and trade-offs between them because such variation determines how many resources can be allocated to different life-history functions, such as growth, survival and reproduction. Since resource acquisition can vary across an individual's life cycle, the consequences for life-history traits and trade-offs may depend on when during the life cycle resources are limited. We tested for differential and/or interactive effects of variation in resource acquisition in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. We designed an experiment in which individuals acquired high or low amounts of resources across three stages of the life cycle: larval development, prior to breeding and the onset of breeding in a fully crossed design. Resource acquisition during larval development and prior to breeding affected egg size and offspring survival, respectively. Meanwhile, resource acquisition at the onset of breeding affected size and number of both eggs and offspring. In addition, there were interactive effects between resource acquisition at different stages on egg size and offspring survival. However, only when females acquired few resources at the onset of breeding was there evidence for a trade-off between offspring size and number. Our results demonstrate that individual variation in resource acquisition during different stages of the life cycle has important consequences for life-history traits but limited effects on trade-offs. This suggests that, in species that acquire a fixed-sized resource at the onset of breeding, the size of this resource has larger effects on life-history trade-offs than resources acquired at earlier stages.
Data from: Plastic responses of some life history traits and cellular components of body size in Aphidius ervi as related to the age of its host Acyrthosiphon pisum
Phenotypic plasticity of wing size and shape has been evaluated in Aphidius ervi developing in its host, Acyrthosiphon pisum, parasitized at seven different ages. The parasitoid wing size was used as an estimator of both whole body size and its cellular composition. No size difference was observed in A. ervi adults emerged from aphids 1, 2 or 3 days old at parasitization. Body size then increased in A. ervi emerged from hosts older at parasitization. Body size values as related to host age at parasitization were achieved by adjusting developmental time, developmental rate or both. Parasitoids of similar size, but developed in hosts parasitized at different ages, had different wing cellular composition, while the increase of parasitoid body size was related to a general increase in both cell area and cell number. These results seem to suggest a trade-off between adult size and developmental time, at least for parasitoids developed at the two extremes of host ages at parasitization, and that A. ervi can reach the same adult size via different trajectories, adapting its ontogenetic processes. Wing shape was typical for all the different parasitoid classes considered and differed strongly between males and females, independent of their size. Parasitoid males (haploids) and females (diploids) did not differ in either cell area or cell number, suggesting a possible sex-determined dosage compensation in somatic tissue endoreplication.
Data from: Testing the role of ecology and life history in structuring genetic variation across a landscape: a trait-based phylogeographic approach
Hypotheses to explain phylogeographic structure traditionally invoke geographic features, but often fail to provide a general explanation for spatial patterns of genetic variation. Organisms' intrinsic characteristics might play more important roles than landscape features in determining phylogeographic structure. We developed a novel comparative approach to explore the role of ecological and life-history variables in determining spatial genetic variation and tested it on frog communities in Panama. We quantified spatial genetic variation within 31 anuran species based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, for which hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation analyses rejected simultaneous divergence over a common landscape. Regressing ecological variables, on genetic divergence allowed us to test the importance of individual variables revealing that body size, current landscape resistance, geographic range, biogeographic origin and reproductive mode were significant predictors of spatial genetic variation. Our results support the idea that phylogeographic structure represents the outcome of an interaction between organisms and their environment, and suggest a conceptual integration we refer to as trait-based phylogeography.
Data from: The demographic and life history costs of fear: trait-mediated effects of threat of predation on Aedes triseriatus
1. Predators alter prey populations via direct lethality (density-mediated effects), but in many taxa the indirect nonlethal threat of predation may be almost as strong an effect, altering phenotypically plastic traits such as prey morphology, behaviour, and life history (trait-mediated effects). There are costs to anti-predator defences and the strength of prey responses to cues of predation likely depends on both the perceived level of risk and food availability. 2. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the costs of nonlethal trait-mediated interactions impacting larvae can have carryover effects that alter life history traits, adult characteristics, and ultimately population dynamics. 3. The effects of Toxorhynchites rutilus kairomones and chemical alarm cues on Aedes triseriatus were assessed in a two-level factorial design manipulating nutrient level (low or high) and chemical cues of predation (present or absent). 4. Nonlethal chemical cues of predation significantly decreased female survivorship, and significantly decreased female size. Females emerged as adults significantly earlier when exposed to predation cues when there was high nutrient availability. When raised in the low nutrient treatment and exposed to predator cues adult females had 2.1 times the hazard of death compared to high nutrient-no predator cues. Females raised in the high nutrient and predator cue treatment blood fed sooner than did females from other combinations. 5. Fear of predation can substantially alter prey life history traits and behaviour, which can cascade into dramatic population, community, and ecosystem effects. Exposure to predator cues significantly decreased estimated cohort rate of increase, potentially altering the expected population density of the next generation.
Data from: Hormonal, behavioral, and life-history traits exhibit correlated shifts in relation to population establishment in a novel environment
Climate change, habitat alteration, range expansions, and biological invasions are all predicted to require rapid shifts in multiple traits including behavior and life history, both for initial population establishment and subsequent adaptation. Hormonal mechanisms likely play a key role in facilitating or constraining plastic and genetic responses for suites of traits, but few studies have evaluated their role in shaping contemporary adaptation or diversification. We examined multiple phenotypic adjustments and associated hormonal changes following a recent (early 1980s) colonization event, in which a temperate-breeding songbird, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), became established in the Mediterranean climate of San Diego, California. The milder climate has led to an extended breeding season and year-round residency, and we document shifts in multiple sexually selected behaviors and plumage traits. Testosterone titers in San Diego were elevated for longer but with a lower peak value compared to a nearby native-range population, and correlations between testosterone and related traits were similar within and among populations. A common garden study indicated that changes in testosterone likely represent plastic responses to the less seasonal environment of the city, providing the context against which subsequent genetic changes in morphology likely occurred. We argue that correlated shifts in multiple traits, organized by underlying physiology, may be a generally important element of many successful adjustments to changing environments.
Data from: Developmental and genetic effects on behavioral and life-history traits in a field cricket
A fundamental goal of evolutionary ecology is to identify the sources underlying trait variation on which selection can act. Phenotypic variation will be determined by both genetic and environmental factors, and adaptive phenotypic plasticity is expected when organisms can adjust their phenotypes to match environmental cues. Much recent research interest has focused on the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors on the expression of behavioral traits, in particular, and how they compare with morphological and life-history traits. Little research to date examines the effect of development on the expression of heritable variation in behavioral traits, such as boldness and activity. We tested for genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment differences in body mass, development time, boldness, and activity, using developmental density treatments combined with a quantitative genetic design in the sand field cricket (Gryllus firmus). Similar to results from previous work, animals reared at high densities were generally smaller and took longer to mature, and body mass and development time were moderately heritable. In contrast, neither boldness nor activity responded to density treatments, and they were not heritable. The only trait that showed significant genotype-by-environment differences was development time. It is possible that adaptive behavioral plasticity is not evident in this species because of the highly variable social environments it naturally experiences. Our results illustrate the importance of validating the assumption that behavioral phenotype reflects genetic patterns and suggest questions about the role of environmental instability in trait variation and heritability.
Data from: Genomic variation underlying complex life history traits revealed by genome sequencing in Chinook salmon
A broad portfolio of phenotypic diversity in natural organisms can buffer against exploitation and increase species persistence in disturbed ecosystems. The study of genomic variation that accounts for ecological and evolutionary adaptation can represent a powerful approach to extend understanding of phenotypic variation in nature. Here we present a chromosome-level reference genome assembly for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; 2.36 Gb) that enabled association mapping of life history variation and phenotypic traits for this species. Whole genome resequencing of populations with distinct life history traits provided evidence that divergent selection was extensive throughout the genome within and among phylogenetic lineages, indicating a broad portfolio of phenotypic diversity exists in this species that is related to local adaptation and life history variation. Association mapping with millions of genome-wide SNPs revealed that a genomic region of major effect on chromosome 28 was associated with phenotypes for premature and mature arrival to spawning grounds and was consistent across three distinct phylogenetic lineages. Our results demonstrate how genomic resources can enlighten the genetic basis of known phenotypes in exploited species and assist in clarifying phenotypic variation that may be difficult to observe in naturally occurring organisms.
Data from: Evolutionary divergence in life history traits among populations of the Lake Malawi cichlid fish Astatotilapia calliptera
During the early stages of adaptive radiation, populations diverge in life history traits such as egg size and growth rates, in addition to eco-morphological and behavioral characteristics. However, there are few studies of life history divergence within ongoing adaptive radiations. Here, we studied Astatotilapia calliptera, a maternal mouthbrooding cichlid fish within the Lake Malawi haplochromine radiation. This species occupies a rich diversity of habitats, including the main body of Lake Malawi, as well as peripheral rivers and shallow lakes. We used common garden experiments to test for life history divergence among populations, focussing on clutch size, duration of incubation, egg mass, offspring size, and growth rates. In a first experiment, we found significant differences among populations in average clutch size and egg mass, and larger clutches were associated with smaller eggs. In a second experiment, we found significant differences among populations in brood size, duration of incubation, juvenile length when released, and growth rates. Larger broods were associated with smaller juveniles when released and shorter incubation times. Although juvenile growth rates differed between populations, these were not strongly related to initial size on release. Overall, differences in life history characters among populations were not predicted by major habitat classifications (Lake Malawi or peripheral habitats) or population genetic divergence (microsatellite-based FST). We suggest that the observed patterns are consistent with local selective forces driving the observed patterns of trait divergence. The results provide strong evidence of evolutionary divergence and covariance of life history traits among populations within a radiating cichlid species, highlighting opportunities for further work to identify the processes driving the observed divergence.
Data from: Seasonal time constraints reduce genetic variation in life history traits along a latitudinal gradient
1. Time constraints cause strong selection on life history traits, because populations need to complete their life cycles within a shorter time. We therefore expect lower genetic variation in these traits in high- than in low-latitude populations, since the former are more time constrained. 2. The aim was to estimate life history traits and their genetic variation in an obligately univoltine damselfly along a latitudinal gradient of 2,730 km. 3. Populations were grown in the laboratory at temperatures and photoperiods simulating those at their place of origin. In a complementary experiment individuals from the same families were grown in constant temperature and photoperiod that mimicked average conditions across the latitude. 4. Development time and size was faster and smaller, respectively, and growth rate was higher at northern latitudes. Additive genetic variance was very low for life history traits and estimates for egg development time and larval growth rate showed significant decreases towards northern latitudes. The expression of genetic effects in life history traits differed considerably when individuals were grown in constant rather than simulated and naturally variable conditions. 5. Our results support strong selection by time constraints. They also highlight the importance of growing organisms in their native environment for correct estimates of genetic variance at their place of origin. Our results also suggest that the evolutionary potential of life history traits is very low at northern compared to southern latitudes, but that changes in climate could alter this pattern.
Data from: Antagonistic pleiotropy in species with separate sexes, and the maintenance of genetic variation in life-history traits and fitness
Antagonistic pleiotropy (AP) – where alleles of a gene increase some components of fitness at a cost to others – can generate balancing selection, and contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation in fitness traits, such as survival, fecundity, fertility, and mate competition. Previous theory suggests that AP is unlikely to maintain variation unless antagonistic selection is strong, or AP alleles exhibit pronounced differences in genetic dominance between the affected traits. We show that conditions for balancing selection under AP expand under the likely scenario that the strength of selection on each fitness component differs between the sexes. Our model also predicts that the vast majority of balanced polymorphisms have sexually antagonistic effects on total fitness, despite the absence of sexual antagonism for individual fitness components. We conclude that AP polymorphisms are less difficult to maintain than predicted by prior theory, even under our conservative assumption that selection on components of fitness is universally sexually concordant. We discuss implications for the maintenance of genetic variation, and for inferences of sexual antagonism that are based on sex-specific phenotypic selection estimates – many of which are based on single fitness components.
Data from: The plastic fly: the effect of sustained fluctuations in adult food supply on life history traits
Many adult traits in Drosophila melanogaster show phenotypic plasticity, and the effects of diet on traits such as lifespan and reproduction are well explored. Although plasticity in response to food is still present in older flies, it is unknown how sustained environmental variation affects life-history traits. Here, we explore how such life-long fluctuations of food supply affect weight and survival in groups of flies and affect weight, survival and reproduction in individual flies. In both experiments, we kept adults on constant high or low food and compared these to flies that experienced fluctuations of food either once or twice a week. For these 'yoyo' groups, the initial food level and the duration of the dietary variation differed during adulthood, creating four 'yoyo' fly groups. In groups of flies, survival and weight were affected by adult food. However, for individuals, survival and reproduction, but not weight, were affected by adult food, indicating that single and group housing of female flies affects life-history trajectories. Remarkably, both the manner and extent to which life-history traits varied in relation to food depended on whether flies initially experienced high or low food after eclosion. We therefore conclude that the expression of life-history traits in adult life is affected not only by adult plasticity, but also by early adult life experiences. This is an important but often overlooked factor in studies of life-history evolution and may explain variation in life-history experiments.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
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.