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1,363 results for “phenotypic data”
Data from: Phylogeography of the prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) in north-western North America reveals parallel phenotypic evolution across multiple coastal–inland colonizations
Aim: Glacial cycles during the Pleistocene may have frequently contributed to parallel evolution of phenotypes across independently evolving genetic lineages associated with separate glacial refugia. Previous studies based on morphology suggested that the prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) survived the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in southern coastal and inland refugia, favouring allopatric divergence between coastal and inland prickling phenotypes, which vary in the degree to which spine-like scales cover the body of the fish. Herein, we aimed to test whether parallel evolution across multiple genetic lineages rather than a single-lineage origin of highly prickled inland sculpins could serve as an explanation for the biogeographical distribution of prickling phenotypes. Location: North-western North America, Southeast Alaska and Canada (British Columbia). Methods: We used data from mitochondrial haplotypes and 19 microsatellite loci to identify distinct genetic lineages as a basis to interpret patterns of phenotypic evolution. Results: The occurrence of multiple mtDNA groups suggests that highly prickled inland phenotypes comprise more than one genetic lineage. Both mtDNA and microsatellite data are consistent with post-glacial dispersal along the coast and repeated coastal to inland colonization events, as opposed to inland dispersal of a single lineage from a southern refugium to northern regions. Main conclusions: Our results suggest that highly prickled inland phenotypes evolved repeatedly following multiple inland colonization events, probably via coastal rivers. The prickly sculpin therefore provides an example of recent (post-glacial) parallel evolution, potentially facilitated by standing genetic variation already present in the ancestral coastal populations.
Data from: Phenotype-environment mismatch in metapopulations - implications for the maintenance of maladaptation at the regional scale
Maladaptation is widespread in natural populations. However, maladaptation has most often been associated with absolute population decline in local habitats rather than on a spectrum of relative fitness variation that can assist natural populations in their persistence at larger regional scales. We report results from a field experiment that tested for relative maladaptation between pond habitats with spatial heterogeneity and (a)symmetric selection in pH. In the experiment, we quantified relative maladaptation in a copepod metapopulation as a mismatch between the mean population phenotype and the optimal trait value that would maximize mean population fitness under either stable or fluctuating pH environmental conditions. To complement the field experiment, we constructed a metapopulation model that addressed both relative (distance from the optimum) and absolute (negative population growth) maladaptation, with the aim of forecasting maladaptation to pH at the regional scale in relation to spatial structure (environmental heterogeneity and connectivity) and temporal environmental fluctuations. The results from our experiment indicated that maladaptation to pH at the regional scale depended on the asymmetry of the fitness surface at the local level. The results from our metapopulation model revealed how dispersal and (a)symmetric selection can operate on the fitness surface to maintain maladaptive phenotype-environment mismatch at local and regional scales in a metapopulation. Environmental stochasticity resulted in the maintenance of maladaptation that was robust to dispersal, but also revealed an interaction between the asymmetry in selection and environmental correlation. Our findings emphasize the importance of maladaptation for planning conservation strategies that can support adaptive potential in fragmented and changing landscapes.
Data from: Effects of winter food provisioning on the phenotypes of breeding blue tits
Throughout the Western World huge numbers of people regularly supply food for wild birds. However, evidence of negative impacts of winter feeding on future reproduction has highlighted a need to improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms shaping avian responses to supplementary food. Here, we test the possibility that carry-over effects are mediated via their impact on the phenotypes of breeding birds, either by influencing the phenotypic structure of populations through changes in winter survival and/or by more direct effects on the condition of breeding birds. Using a landscape-scale three-year study of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we demonstrate the importance of nutritional composition of supplementary food in determining carry-over effect outcomes. We show that breeding populations which had access to vitamin E-rich foods during the previous winter were comprised of individuals with reduced feather carotenoid concentrations, indicative of lower pre-feeding phenotypic condition, compared to fat-fed and unfed populations. This suggests that supplementary feeding in winter can result in altered population phenotypic structure at the time of breeding, perhaps by enhancing survival and recruitment of lower quality individuals. However, supplementation of a fat-rich diet during winter was detrimental to the oxidative state of breeding birds, with these phenotypic differences ultimately found to impact upon reproductive success. Our findings demonstrate the complex nature by which supplementary feeding can influence wild bird populations.
Data from: Adaptive patterns of phenotypic plasticity in laboratory and field environments in Drosophila melanogaster
Identifying mechanisms of adaptation to variable environments is essential in developing a comprehensive understanding of evolutionary dynamics in natural populations. Phenotypic plasticity allows for phenotypic change in response to changes in the environment, and as such may play a major role in adaptation to environmental heterogeneity. Here, the plasticity of stress response in D. melanogaster originating from two distinct geographic regions and ecological habitats was examined. Adults were given a short-term, 5-day exposure to combinations of temperature and photoperiod to elicit a plastic response for three fundamental aspects of stress tolerance that vary adaptively with geography. This was replicated in both the laboratory and in outdoor enclosures in the field. In the laboratory, geographic origin was the primary determinant of the stress response. Temperature and the interaction between temperature and photoperiod also significantly affected stress resistance. In the outdoor enclosures, plasticity was distinct among traits and between geographic regions. These results demonstrate that short-term exposure of adults to ecologically relevant environmental cues results in predictable effects on multiple aspects of fitness. These patterns of plasticity vary among traits and are highly distinct between the two examined geographic regions, consistent with patterns of local adaptation to climate and associated environmental parameters.
Data from: Phenotype-associated inbreeding biases estimates of inbreeding depression in a wild bird population
Inbreeding depression is usually quantified by regressing individual phenotypic values on inbreeding coefficients, implicitly assuming there is no correlation between an individual's phenotype and the kinship coefficient to its mate. If such an association between parental phenotype and parental kinship exists, and if the trait of interest is heritable, estimates of inbreeding depression can be biased. Here we first derive the expected bias as a function of the covariance between mean parental breeding value and parental kinship. Subsequently, we use simulated data to confirm the existence of this bias, and show that it can be accounted for in a quantitative genetic animal model. Finally, we use long-term individual-based data for white-throated dippers (Cinclus cinclus), a bird species in which inbreeding is relatively common, to obtain empirical estimate of this bias. We show that during part of the study period, parents of inbred birds had shorter wings than those of outbred birds, and as wing length is heritable, inbred individuals were smaller, independent of any inbreeding effects. This resulted in the overestimation of inbreeding effects. Similarly, during a period when parents of inbred birds had longer wings, we found that inbreeding effects were underestimated. We discuss how such associations may have arisen in this system, and why they are likely to occur in others, too. Overall, we demonstrate how less biased estimates of inbreeding depression can be obtained within a quantitative genetic framework, and suggest that inbreeding and additive genetic effects should be accounted for simultaneously whenever possible.
Data from: Carry-over effects of conditions at the wintering grounds on breeding plumage signals in a migratory bird: roles of phenotypic plasticity and selection
To understand the consequences of ever-changing environment on the dynamics of phenotypic traits, distinguishing between selection processes and individual plasticity is crucial. We examined individual consistency/plasticity in several male secondary sexual traits expressed during the breeding season (white wing and forehead patch size, UV reflectance of white wing patch and dorsal melanin colouration) in a migratory pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) population over an 11-year period. Furthermore, we studied carry-over effects of three environmental variables (NAO, a climatic index; NDVI, a vegetation index; and rainfall) at the wintering grounds (during pre-breeding moult) on the expression of these breeding plumage traits of pied flycatcher males at individual- and population-levels. While NAO correlates negatively with moisture in West Africa, NDVI correlates positively with primary production. Forehead patch size and melanin colouration were highly consistent within individuals among years, while the consistency of the other two traits was moderate. Wing patch size decreased with higher NAO and increased with higher rainfall and NDVI at the individual-level. Interestingly, small-patched males suffered lower survival during high NAO winters than large-patched males, and vice versa during low NAO winters. These counteracting processes meant that the individual-level change was masked at the population-level where no relationship was found. Our results provide a good example of how variation in the phenotypic composition of a natural population can be a result of both environment-dependent individual plasticity and short-term microevolution. Moreover, when plasticity and viability selection operate simultaneously, their impacts on population composition may not be evident.
Data from: Diversification and convergence of aposematic phenotypes: truncated receptors and cellular arrangements mediate rapid evolution of coloration in harlequin poison frogs
Aposematic signals represent one of the classical systems to study evolution and, as such, they have received considerable empirical and theoretical investigation. Despite the extensive literature on aposematic coloration, much uncertainty remains about genetic changes responsible for the repeated evolution of similar signals in multiple lineages. Here, we study the diversification and convergence of coloration among lineages of aposematic harlequin poison frogs (O. histrionica complex). Our results suggest that different background phenotypes, showing different color and/or luminance contrast, have evolved independently at least twice in this group. We suggest that cellular arrangements are behind the striking diversity of color and patterns in this group and propose that differences in dorsal background color may be related to either or both, the presence/absence of xanthophores and the dispersion of melanosomes. Our genetic analyses support a role for the melanocortin receptor MC1R in melanosome aggregation, and we show evidence that two different mutations (∆433 and C432A) are responsible for the darker phenotypes that may display a more detectable, easier to learn, aposematic signal.
Data from: Mating preference for novel phenotypes can be explained by general neophilia in female guppies
<p>Understanding how genetic variation is maintained in ecologically-important traits is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Male Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) exhibit extreme genetic diversity in color patterns within populations, which is believed to be promoted by a female mating preference for rare or novel patterns. However, the origins of this preference remain unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that mating preference for novel phenotypes is a by-product of general neophilia that evolved in response to selection in non-mating contexts. We measured among-female variation in preference for eight different, novel stimuli that spanned four ecological contexts: mate choice, exploration, foraging, and social (but non-sexual) interactions. Females exhibited preference for novelty in 6 out of 8 tests. Individual variation in preference for novelty was positively correlated among all 8 types of stimuli. Furthermore, factor analysis revealed a single axis of general neophilia that accounts for 61% of individual variation in preference for novel color patterns. The single-factor structure of neophilia suggests that interest in novelty is governed primarily by shared processes that transcend context. Because neophilia likely has a sizable heritable component, our results provide evidence that mating preference for novel phenotypes may be a non-adaptive by-product of natural selection on neophilia.</p>
Data from: Phenotypic plasticity or evolutionary change? An examination of the phenological response of an arctic seabird to climate change
1. Phenological adjustments are an important aspect of a population's response to climate change. Changes in phenology can occur through either individual plasticity or evolutionary change within populations. Few studies have investigated both these processes in Arctic environments. 2. Using 42 years of individual and pedigree data, we evaluated the contribution of plasticity and evolution to variation in breeding phenology at a colony of a high Arctic sea-ice obligate seabird, Mandt's black guillemot (Cepphus grylle mandtii). Mean clutch initiation (first egg in a clutch) advanced 7.8 days, and both environmental (snowmelt) and demographic (years of breeding experience) factors varied among years. 3. Earlier phenology was associated with earlier snowmelt and experienced mothers. Females advanced phenology at different rates as they aged but at similar rates in response to variation in snowmelt. Heritability of clutch initiation was negligible, and there was no evidence of evolution contributing to phenological changes. 4. Earlier laying was associated with increased annual number of fledglings and annual adult survival at the individual level suggesting that the phenological changes are adaptive and are driven by phenotypic plasticity, but not genetic responses. 5. We propose that species with a constrained breeding season (like many Arctic species) may have a limited ability beyond existing plasticity to respond to changing environmental conditions.
Data from: Crossing phenotype heritability and candidate gene expression in grafted black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera, an animal chimera
Grafting mantle tissue of a donor pearl oyster into the gonad of a recipient oyster results in the formation of a chimera, the pearl sac. The phenotypic variations of this chimera are hypothesized to be the result of interactions between the donor and recipient genomes. In this study, the heritability of phenotypic variation and its association with gene expression were investigated for the first time during P. margaritifera pearl production. Genetic variance was evaluated at different levels, 1) before the graft operation (expression in graft tissue), 2) after grafting (pearl sac tissue expression in chimera) and 3) on the product of the graft (pearl phenotype traits) based on controlled bi-parental crosses and the F1 generation. Donor related genetic parameter estimates clearly demonstrate heritability for nacre weight and thickness, darkness and colour, surface defects and grade, which signifies a genetic basis in the donor oyster. In graft relative gene expression, the value of heritability was superior to 0.20 in for almost all genes, while in pearl sac, heritability estimates were low (h² < 0.10) (except for CALC1 and Aspein). Pearl sac expression seems to be more influenced by residual variance than the graft, which can be explained by environmental effects that influence pearls sac gene expression and act as a recipient additive genetic component. The interactions between donor and recipient are very complex and further research is required to understand the role of the recipient oysters on pearl phenotypic and gene expression variances.
Data from: Snake and bird predation drive the repeated convergent evolution of correlated life history traits and phenotype in the Izu Island scincid lizard (Plestiodon latiscutatus)
Predation may create strong natural selection pressure on the phenotype and life history characteristics of prey species. The Izu scincid lizards (Plestiodon latiscutatus) that inhabit the four Japanese Izu Islands with only bird predators are drab brown, mature later, lay small clutches of large eggs, and hatch large neonates. In contrast, skinks on seven islands with both snake and bird predators are conspicuously colored, mature early, lay large clutches of small eggs, and hatch small neonates. We test the hypothesis that these suites of traits have evolved independently on each island via natural selection pressures from one of two predator regimes – birds-only and birds + snakes. Using two mtDNA genes and a nuclear locus, we infer a time-calibrated phylogeny of P. latiscutatus that reveals a basal split between Mikura and all islands south, and Miyake, all islands north, and the Izu Peninsula. Populations inhabiting Miyake, Niijima, Shikine, and Toshima are not monophyletic, suggesting either multiple colonizations or an artifact of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). We therefore developed novel phylogenetic comparative analyses that assume either a multiple colonization or more restrictive single colonization ILS scenario and found 1) statistically significant support for the of different suites of phenotypic and life history characteristics with the presence of bird-only or bird + snake predator assemblages, and 2) strong phylogenetic support for at least two independent derivations of either the "bird-only" or "snakes + birds" phenotypes regardless of colonization scenario. Finally, our time-calibrated phylogeographic analysis supports the conclusion that the ancestor to modern Izu Island P. latiscutatus dispersed from the mainland to the Izu proto-islands between 3–7.6 million years ago (Ma). These lineages remained present in the area during successive formation of the islands, with one lineage re-colonizing the mainland 0.24-0.7 Ma.
Data from: Are developmental shifts the main driver of phenotypic evolution in Diplodus spp. (Perciformes: Sparidae)?
Background: Sparid fishes of the genus Diplodus show a complex life history. Juveniles have adaptations well suited to life in the water column. When fishes recruit into the adult population individuals develop a radically differentiated shape that reflect their adaptation to the new benthic environment typical of the adult. By using a geometric morphometric approach, we investigated the pattern of shape variation across ontogenetic stages that span from early settlement to the adult stage in four species of the genus Diplodus. Landmarks were collected on the whole body of fishes to quantify the phenotypic variation along two well defined life stages, i.e. juvenile and adult. A comparative analysis of ontogenetic trajectories was performed to assess the presence of divergence in the developmental pattern. Subsequently, we investigated the patterns of integration and modularity as proxy of the alteration of the developmental processes. This allowed to have an insight in morphological developmental patterns across ecologically and ontogenetically differentiated life stages and to investigate the process leading to the adult shape. Results: Our results suggest that the origin of morphological novelties in Diplodus spp. arise from shifts of the ontogenetic trajectories during the development. During the settlement phase, juvenile's morphological shapes converge towards close regions of the morphospace. When the four species approach the transition between settlement and recruitment we observe the lowest level of inter- and intra-specific disparity. After this transition we detect an abrupt shift of ontogenetic trajectories, i.e. the path taken by species during development, that led to highly divergent adult phenotypes. Discussion: We suggest that the evolution of new ecomorphologies, better suited to exploit different niches and reduce inter-specific competition in Diplodus spp., are related to the shift in the ontogenetic trajectory that in turn is associated to changes in modularity and integration pattern.
Data from: Evolved genetic and phenotypic differences due to mitochondrial-nuclear interactions
The oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) pathway is responsible for most aerobic ATP production and is the only pathway with both nuclear and mitochondrial encoded proteins. The importance of the interactions between these two genomes has recently received more attention because of their potential evolutionary effects and how they may affect human health and disease. In many different organisms, healthy nuclear and mitochondrial genome hybrids between species or among distant populations within a species affect fitness and OxPhos functions. However, what is less understood is whether these interactions impact individuals within a single natural population. The significance of this impact depends on the strength of selection for mito-nuclear interactions. We examined whether mito-nuclear interactions alter allele frequencies for ~11,000 nuclear SNPs within a single, natural Fundulus heteroclitus population containing two divergent mitochondrial haplotypes (mt-haplotypes). Between the two mt-haplotypes, there are significant nuclear allele frequency differences for 349 SNPs with a p-value of 1% (236 with 10% FDR). Unlike the rest of the genome, these 349 outlier SNPs form two groups associated with each mt-haplotype, with a minority of individuals having mixed ancestry. We use this mixed ancestry in combination with mt-haplotype as a polygenic factor to explain a significant fraction of the individual OxPhos variation. These data suggest that mito-nuclear interactions affect cardiac OxPhos function. The 349 outlier SNPs occur in genes involved in regulating metabolic processes but are not directly associated with the 79 nuclear OxPhos proteins. Therefore, we postulate that the evolution of mito-nuclear interactions affects OxPhos function by acting upstream of OxPhos.
Data from: Physical and physiological impacts of ocean warming alter phenotypic selection on sperm morphology
<ol> <li>Global warming may threaten fertility, which is a key component of individual fitness and vital for population persistence. For males, fertility relies on the ability of sperm to collide and fuse with eggs; consequently, sperm morphology is predicted to be a prime target of selection owing to its effects on male function.</li> <li>In aquatic environments, warming will expose gametes of external fertilisers to the physiological effects of higher temperature and the physical effects of lower viscosity. However, the consequences of either effect for fertility, and for selection acting on sperm traits to maintain fertility, are poorly understood.</li> <li>Here, we test how independent changes in water temperature and viscosity alter male fertility and selection on sperm morphology in an externally-fertilising marine tubeworm. To create five fertilisation environments, we manipulate temperature to reflect current-day conditions (16.5°C), projected near-term warming (21°C), and projected long-term warming (25°C), then adjust two more environments at 21°C and 25°C to the viscosity of environments at 16.5°C and 21°C, respectively. We then use a split-ejaculate design to measure the fertility of focal males, and selection on their sperm, in each environment.</li> <li>Projected changes in temperature and viscosity act independently to reduce male fertility, but act jointly to alter selection on sperm morphology. Specifically, environments resulting from projected warming alter selection on the sperm midpiece in ways that suggest shifts in the energetic challenges of functioning under stressful conditions. Selection also targets sperm head dimensions and tail length, irrespective of environment.</li> <li>We provide the first evidence that projected changes in ocean temperature and viscosity will not only impact the fertility of marine external fertilisers, but expose their gametes to novel selection pressures that may drive them to adapt in response if gamete phenotypes are sufficiently heritable.</li> </ol> <p> </p>
Data from: The quantitative genetic basis of clinal divergence in phenotypic plasticity
Phenotypic plasticity is thought to be an important mechanism for adapting to environmental heterogeneity. Nonetheless, the genetic basis of plasticity is still not well understood. In Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans, body size and thermal stress resistance show clinal patterns along the east coast of Australia, and exhibit plastic responses to different developmental temperatures. The genetic basis of thermal plasticity, and whether the genetic effects underlying clinal variation in traits and their plasticity are similar, remains unknown. Here we use line-cross analyses between a tropical and temperate population of D. melanogaster and D. simulans developed at three constant temperatures (18, 25 and 29°C) to investigate the quantitative genetic basis of clinal divergence in mean thermal response (elevation) and plasticity (slope and curvature) for thermal stress and body size traits. Generally, the genetic effects underlying divergence in mean response and plasticity differed, suggesting that different genetic models may be required to understand the evolution of trait means and plasticity. Furthermore, our results suggest that non-additive genetic effects, in particular epistasis, may commonly underlie plastic responses, indicating that current models that ignore epistasis may be insufficient to understand and predict evolutionary responses to environmental change.
Data from: Implementing an evolutionary framework for understanding genetic relationships of phenotypically defined insect biotypes in the invasive soybean aphid (Aphis glycines)
Adaptive evolution of pest insects in response to the introduction of resistant cultivars is well documented and commonly results in virulent (i.e. capable of feeding upon resistant cultivars) insect populations being labeled as distinct biotypes. Phenotypically defined, biotypes frequently remain evolutionarily indistinct, resulting in ineffective application of virulence control measures and shorter durability of resistant cultivars. Here we utilize an evolutionary framework to discern the genetic relationship between biotypes of the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines, Matsumura). The soybean aphid is invasive in North America, and is among the most destructive pests of commercial soybean on the continent. Attempts to breed host-plant resistant soybean have been hampered by the emergence of virulent aphid biotypes that are unaffected by the plant's resistance mechanism(s). Comparative population genetic analysis of virulent and avirulent (i.e. unable to feed on resistant cultivars) biotypes found populations to be genetically indistinguishable across biotype and geographic distance, with high rates of inter-population immigration and admixture. The lack of genetic distinction between biotypes coupled with elevated genotypic diversity within all populations suggested virulence has a non-genetic based or includes a gene complex that is widely distributed throughout soybean aphid populations, which undergo regular dispersal and unimpeded sexual recombination.
Data from: Variable effects on growth and defence traits for plant ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity along elevation gradients
Along ecological gradients, phenotypic differentiation can arise through natural selection on trait diversity and magnitude, and environment-driven plastic changes. The magnitude of ecotypic differentiation versus phenotypic plasticity can vary depending on the traits under study. Using reciprocal transplant-common gardens along steep elevation gradients, we evaluated patterns of ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity of several growth and defence-related traits for two coexisting but unrelated plant species, Cardamine pratensis and Plantago major. For both species, we observed ecotypic differentiation accompanied by plasticity in growth related traits. Plants grew faster and produced more biomass when placed at low elevation. In contrast, we observed fixed ecotypic differentiation for defence and resistance traits. Generally, low elevation ecotypes produced higher chemical defences regardless of the growing elevation. Yet, some plasticity was observed for specific compounds, such as indole glucosinolates. The results of this study may suggest that ecotypic differentiation in defence traits is maintained by costs of chemical defence production, while plasticity in growth traits is regulated by temperature driven growth response maximization.
Data from: Convergence of life history phenotypes in a Trinidadian killifish (Rivulus hartii)
Convergent evolution is characterized by the independent evolution of similar phenotypes within similar selective environments. Previous work on Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii, demonstrated repeatable life history differences across communities that differ in predation intensity. These studies were performed in rivers located on the south slope of Trinidad's Northern Range Mountains. There exists a parallel series of rivers on the north slope of these mountains. As on the south slope, Rivulus is found across a gradient of fish predation. However, the predatory fish species in north-slope rivers are derived from marine families, whereas south-slope rivers contain a predatory fish fauna characteristic of the South American mainland. If predator-induced mortality and the associated indirect effects are the causal factors selecting for life history patterns in Rivulus, and these are similar in north and south-slope rivers, then the specific predatory species should be interchangeable and we would expect convergence of life history phenotypes across slopes. Here, we characterize the life history phenotypes of Rivulus from north-slope communities. We find similar patterns of life history divergence across analogous predator communities. Between slopes, minor differences in Rivulus life history traits exist and one potential cause of these differences is the abundance of Macrobrachium prawns in north-slope rivers.
Data from: Maternal exposure to predator scents: offspring phenotypic adjustment and dispersal
Predation is a strong selective pressure generating morphological, physiological and behavioural responses in organisms. As predation risk is often higher during juvenile stages, antipredator defences expressed early in life are paramount to survival. Maternal effects are an efficient pathway to produce such defences. We investigated whether maternal exposure to predator cues during gestation affected juvenile morphology, behaviour and dispersal in common lizards (Zootoca vivipara). We exposed 21 gravid females to saurophagous snake cues for one month while 21 females remained unexposed (i.e. control). We measured body size, preferred temperature and activity level for each neonate, and released them into semi-natural enclosures connected to corridors in order to measure dispersal. Offspring from exposed mothers grew longer tails, selected lower temperatures and dispersed thrice more than offspring from unexposed mothers. Because both tail autotomy and altered thermoregulatory behaviour are common antipredator tactics in lizards, these results suggest that mothers adjusted offspring phenotype to risky natal environments (tail length) or increased risk avoidance (dispersal). Although maternal effects can be passive consequences of maternal stress, our results strongly militate for them to be an adaptive antipredator response that may increase offspring survival prospects.
Data from: No phenotypic plasticity in nest-site selection in response to extreme flooding events
Phenotypic plasticity is a crucial mechanism for responding to changes in climatic means, yet we know little about its role in responding to extreme climatic events (ECEs). ECEs may lack the reliable cues necessary for phenotypic plasticity to evolve; however, this has not been empirically tested. We investigated whether behavioural plasticity in nest-site selection allows a long-lived shorebird (Haematopus ostralegus) to respond to flooding. We collected longitudinal nest elevation data on individuals over two decades, during which time flooding events have become increasingly frequent. We found no evidence that individuals learn from flooding experiences, showing nest elevation change consistent with random nest-site selection. There was also no evidence of phenotypic plasticity in response to potential environmental cues (lunar nodal cycle and water height). A small number of individuals, those nesting near an artificial sea wall, did show an increase in nest elevation over time; however, there is no conclusive evidence this occurred in response to ECEs. Our study population showed no behavioural plasticity in response to changing ECE patterns. More research is needed to determine whether this pattern is consistent across species and types of ECEs. If so, ECEs may pose a major challenge to the resilience of wild populations.
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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
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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
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