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2,291 results for “life history”
Data from: Among-species variation in six decades of changing migration timings explained through ecology, life-history and abundance
<p>Species utilising seasonal environments must now alter timings of key life-history events in response to large-scale climatic changes, thereby maintaining trophic synchronies. Yet substantial among-species variation in cross-decadal phenological changes is observed. Transitioning from basic description of such variation towards prediction of future phenological responses now requires standardised studies that rigorously quantify and explain variation in the direction, magnitude and form of changing timings across diverse species in relation to key ecological and life-history variables. Accordingly, we fitted multi-quantile regressions to 59 years of high-quality multi-species data on spring and autumn bird migration timings through northern Scotland. We demonstrate substantial variation in cross-decadal changes in timings among 72 species, and quantify the degree to which variation can be explained through differences in species ecology, life-history and population trajectories. Consistent with predictions, species with seasonal diets, narrower breeding habitat breadths, shorter generation lengths and capability to produce multiple offspring broods per year advanced their migration timing in one or both seasons. In contrast, species with less seasonal diets, and that produce single annual offspring broods, showed no change. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, long-distance migrants advanced their migration timings as much as short-distance migrants. Changes in migration timing also varied with changes in local migratory abundance, such that species with increasing seasonal abundance apparently altered their migration timing, whilst species with decreasing abundance did not. These patterns concur with expectation if changing migration timing is adaptive. However, we demonstrate that similar patterns can be generated through numerical sampling processes given changing abundances, implying that apparent phenology-abundance relationships should be carefully validated and interpreted. Overall, our results show that migrant bird species with differing ecologies and life-histories have shown systematically differing phenological changes over six decades contextualised by large-scale environmental changes, potentially facilitating future predictions and altering temporal dynamics of seasonal species co-occurrences.</p>
Data from: Evolutionary variation in gene conversion at the avian MHC is explained by fluctuating selection, gene copy numbers, and life history
<p>The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) multigene family encodes key pathogen-recognition molecules of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. Hyper-polymorphism of MHC genes is <em>de novo</em> generated by point mutations, but new haplotypes may also arise by re-shuffling of existing variation through intra- and inter-locus gene conversion. Although the occurrence of gene conversion at the MHC has been known for decades, we still have limited understanding of its functional importance. Here, I took advantage of extensive genetic resources (~9000 sequences) to investigate a broad scale macroevolutionary patterns in gene conversion processes at the MHC across nearly 200 avian species. Gene conversion was found to constitute a universal mechanism in birds, as 83% of species showed footprints of gene conversion at either MHC class and 25% of all allelic variants were attributed to gene conversion. Gene conversion processes were stronger at MHC-II than MHC-I, but inter-specific variation at both MHC classes was explained by similar evolutionary scenarios, reflecting fluctuating selection towards different optima and drift. Gene conversion showed uneven phylogenetic distribution across birds and was driven by gene copy number variation, supporting significant role of inter-locus gene conversion processes in the evolution of the avian MHC. Finally, MHC gene conversion was stronger in species with fast life histories (high fecundity) and in long-distance migrants, likely reflecting variation in population sizes and host-pathogen coevolutionary dynamics. The results provide a robust comparative framework for understanding macroevolutionary variation in gene conversion at the avian MHC and reinforce important contribution of this mechanism to functional MHC diversity.</p>
Ontogenetic variation in the marine foraging of Atlantic salmon functionally links genomic diversity with a major life history polymorphism
<p>The ecological role of heritable phenotypic variation in free-living populations remains largely unknown. Knowledge of the genetic basis of functional ecological processes can link genomic and phenotypic diversity, providing insight into polymorphism evolution and how populations respond to environmental change. By quantifying the marine diet, of sub-adult Atlantic salmon, we assessed how foraging behavior changes along the ontogeny, and in relation to genetic variation in two loci with major effect on age-at-maturity (<em>six6</em> and <em>vgll3</em>). We used a two-component, zero-inflated negative binomial model to simultaneously quantify foraging frequency (zero-inflation components) and foraging outcome (count component), separately for fish and crustaceans in the diet. We found that older salmon forage for both prey types more actively (as evidenced by increased foraging frequency), but with a decreased efficiency (as evidenced by fewer prey items in the diet), suggesting an age-dependent shift in foraging dynamics. The <em>vgll3</em> locus was linked to age-dependent changes in foraging behavior: younger salmon with <em>vgll3<sup>LL</sup></em> (the genotype associated with late maturation) tend to forage crustaceans more often than those with <em>vgll3<sup>EE</sup></em> (the<em> </em>genotype associated with early maturation), while the pattern was reversed in older salmon. <em>Vgll3<sup> LL</sup></em> genotype was also linked to marginal increase in fish acquisition especially in younger salmon, while <em>six6</em> was not a factor explaining the diet variation. Our results suggest a functional role for variation in marine feeding behavior linking genomic diversity at <em>vgll3</em> with age-at-maturity among salmon, with potential age-dependent trade-offs maintaining the genetic variation. A shared genetic basis between dietary ecology and age-at-maturity likely subjects Atlantic salmon populations to evolution induced by bottom-up changes in marine productivity.</p>
Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps to assess the link between African mammal life history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes
<p>Understanding what influences species and trait composition is critical for predicting changes in communities driven by landscape transformation. </p> <p>We explored how life history traits are associated with the persistence of mammal species in human-dominated habitats within the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. We combined data from a camera trap and a local ecological knowledge-based survey in an integrated occupancy model to analyze species occurrence along a gradient of anthropogenic landscape transformation. </p> <p>Results confirmed that mammal occurrence in human-modified habitats was related to specific life history traits. Species with more specialist diets, as well as larger body mass species were more likely to stay in protected areas. Species with slow reproductive strategies occupied more natural areas. </p> <p>Our study also showed that combining different monitoring methods enabled us to increase spatial coverage and mammal sighting numbers. This approach fostered research participation by various stakeholders, an important step for co-designing wildlife-friendly anthropogenic spaces. </p> <p><strong>Synthesis and applications: </strong>Integrating data from a standard ecological protocol and structured participatory citizen knowledge allowed us to identify the species functional traits associated with mammal species occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes at a local scale. These results advocate for wisely combining methods, and will guide conservation orientated land-use planning towards the protection of natural habitats in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve. This methodological approach will enable managers and conservationists to use data obtain from diverse protocols. This should catalyze the involvement of citizens in biodiversity monitoring and conservation.</p>
Fig. 3 in New and revised life history of the Florida hairstreak Eumaeus atala (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) with notes on its current conservation status
Fig. 3. Frequency and mean size of Atala egg distribution (n = 600).
Fig. 1 in The Newly Recorded Fern-spore Feeding Moths in the Genus , Meyrick 1889 (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae) from Taiwan, with Notes on Life History of Three Species.
Fig. 1. Collecting sites of Calicotis used in the present studies.
Fig. 12 in Figs. 23-34 in The Newly Recorded Fern-spore Feeding Moths in the Genus , Meyrick 1889 (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae) from Taiwan, with Notes on Life History of Three Species.
Fig. 12. Total body mass as a function of post-settlement age in C. venezuelae.
Data from: Juvenile concentrations of IGF-1 predict life-history trade-offs in a wild mammal
Early postnatal development can have profound effects on life-history traits later in life. One mechanism hypothesized to mediate this relationship is the anabolic hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 contributes importantly to postnatal growth, and thus offers a means by which environmental and genetic variation might direct organismal development, reproduction and survival. We tested whether juvenile concentrations of IGF-1 can predict intraspecific variation in life-history traits later in life using longitudinal data from free-living female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). We found that juvenile concentrations of IGF-1 predicted heavier juvenile mass, which in turn predicted greater survival to reproductive maturity. However, independent of mass, higher juvenile concentrations of IGF-1 predicted earlier age at first parturition and reduced longevity in adulthood. Our results highlight the importance of early postnatal development as a determination period in mammals and suggest that concentrations of IGF-1 during this sensitive period can be used to predict important later-life trade-offs between growth, reproductive fitness and life span in wild, long-lived animals.
Data from: Density-dependent disease, life history tradeoffs, and the effect of leaf pathogens on a suite of co-occurring close relatives
1. Plant pathogens reduce the performance of their hosts and therefore may contribute to ecological mechanisms of coexistence. In Chesson's framework, pathogens contribute to stabilizing mechanisms when they intensify negative intraspecific interactions, such as density-dependent disease. Additionally, pathogens contribute to equalizing mechanisms when they reduce differences in performance among species. Life history tradeoffs predict higher susceptibility to pathogens in rapidly growing species, which could equalize performance among fast- and slow-growing species in the presence of pathogens. 2. In a coastal prairie in California, we studied the impact of leaf diseases on the performance of seventeen coexisting species of Trifolium and Medicago ("clovers"). We transplanted clovers in randomized arrays into the natural prairie community in three years of common garden experiments. We quantified infection rates by isolating fungi from leaves, and we measured disease severity as percent leaf area damaged. In a fungicide experiment, we measured the impact of infection on biomass and survival. We assessed whether disease on transplants was positively related to natural abundance of that species in the surrounding community, which we monitored over 5 years. We assessed life history tradeoffs by testing whether more rapidly growing species were more susceptible to pathogens. 3. Rank abundance of clover species was stable over five years despite marked environmental fluctuations. Across hosts, fungal infection was not linearly related to density, although transplants of species that were locally absent showed lower and more variable infection. Disease severity was greater for more abundant species in only one of three years, and response to fungicide was not stronger in more abundant species. Faster-growing species experienced greater fungal infection. Consistent with predictions of the leaf economic spectrum, the impact of infection on faster-growing species was less negative than for slower-growing species. 4. Our results suggest that life history tradeoffs in plant-pathogen interactions may contribute to equalizing mechanisms among species in this guild, but that the combined effects of greater infection with greater tolerance may limit rather than promote coexistence. We also found modest evidence that density-dependent disease may contribute to stabilizing mechanisms. Lack of host specificity, rapid evolution of host use, and temporal variation in climatic conditions may all influence the role that pathogens play in coexistence of these closely related plants.
Data from: Selection for life-history traits to maximize population growth in an invasive marine species
Species establishing outside their natural range, negatively impacting local ecosystems, are of increasing global concern. They often display life-history features characteristic for r-selected populations with fast growth and high reproduction rates to achieve positive population growth rates (r) in invaded habitats. Here, we demonstrate substantially earlier maturation at a 2 orders of magnitude lower body mass at first reproduction in invasive compared to native populations of the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi. Empirical results are corroborated by a theoretical model for competing life-history traits that predicts maturation at the smallest possible size to optimize r, while individual lifetime reproductive success (R0), optimized in native populations, is near constant over a large range of intermediate maturation sizes. We suggest that high variability in reproductive tactics in native populations is an underappreciated determinant of invasiveness, acting as substrate upon which selection can act during the invasion process.
Fast life-histories are associated with larger brain size in killifishes
<p class="MsoCommentText">The high energetic demands associated with the vertebrate brain are proposed to result in a trade-off between the pace of life-history and relative brain size. However, because both life-history and brain size also have a strong relationship with body size, any associations between the pace of life-history and relative brain size may be confounded by coevolution with body size. Studies on systems where contrasts in the pace of life-history occur without concordant contrasts in body size could therefore add to our understanding of the potential coevolution between relative brain size and life-history. Using one such system - 21 species of killifish - we employed a common garden design across two ontogenetic stages to investigate the association between relative brain size and the pace of life-history. Contrary to predictions, we found that relative brain size was larger in adult fast-living killifishes, compared to slow-living species. Although we found no differences in relative brain size between juvenile killifishes. Our results suggest that fast- and slow-living killifishes do not exhibit the predicted trade-off between brain size and life-history. Instead, fast and slow-living killifishes could differ in the ontogenetic timing of somatic vs. neural growth or inhabit environments that differ considerably in cognitive demands.</p>
Data from: Genomic differentiation during speciation-with-gene-flow: comparing geographic and host-related variation in divergent life history adaptation in Rhagoletis pomonella
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how variation within populations gets partitioned into differences between reproductively isolated species. Here, we examine the degree to which diapause life history timing, a critical adaptation promoting population divergence, explains geographic and host-related genetic variation in ancestral hawthorn and recently derived apple-infesting races of Rhagoletis pomonella. Our strategy involved combining experiments on two different aspects of diapause (initial diapause intensity and adult eclosion time) with a geographic survey of genomic variation across four sites where apple and hawthorn flies co-occur from north to south in the Midwestern USA. The results demonstrated that the majority of the genome showing significant geographic and host-related variation can be accounted for by initial diapause intensity and eclosion time. Local genomic differences between sympatric apple and hawthorn flies were subsumed within broader geographic clines; allele frequency differences within the races across the Midwest were 2 to 3-fold greater than those between the races in sympatry. As a result, sympatric apple and hawthorn populations displayed more limited genomic clustering compared to geographic populations within the races. The findings suggest that with reduced gene flow and increased selection on diapause equivalent to that seen between geographic sites, the host races may be recognized as different genotypic entities in sympatry, and perhaps species, a hypothesis requiring future genomic analysis of related sibling species to R. pomonella to test. Our findings concerning the way selection and geography interplay could be of broad significance for many cases of earlier stages of divergence-with-gene flow, including (1) where only modest increases in geographic isolation and the strength of selection may greatly impact genetic coupling and (2) the dynamics of how spatial and temporal standing variation is extracted by selection to generate differences between new and discrete units of biodiversity.
Quantitative trait locus mapping reveals an independent genetic basis for joint divergence in leaf function, life-history, and floral traits between scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis) populations
<p><b>PREMISE </b></p> <p>Across taxa, vegetative and floral traits that vary along a fast-slow life-history axis are often correlated with leaf functional traits arrayed along the leaf economics spectrum, suggesting a constrained set of adaptive trait combinations. Such broad-scale convergence may arise from genetic constraints imposed by pleiotropy (or tight linkage) within species, or from natural selection alone. Understanding the genetic basis of trait syndromes and their components is key to distinguishing these alternatives and predicting evolution in novel environments.</p> <p><b>METHODS </b></p> <p>We used a line-cross approach and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to characterize the genetic basis of twenty leaf functional/physiological, life history, and floral traits in hybrids between annualized and perennial populations of scarlet monkeyflower (<i>Mimulus cardinalis</i>).</p> <p><b>RESULTS </b></p> <p>We mapped both single and multi-trait QTLs for life history, leaf function and reproductive traits, but found no evidence of genetic co-ordination across categories. A major QTL for three leaf functional traits (thickness, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal resistance) suggests that a simple shift in leaf anatomy may be key to adaptation to seasonally dry habitats.</p> <p><b>CONCLUSIONS </b></p> <p>Our results suggest that the co-ordination of resource-acquisitive leaf physiological traits with a fast life history and more selfing mating system results from environmental selection rather than functional or genetic constraint. Independent assortment of distinct trait modules, as well as a simple genetic basis to leaf physiological traits associated with drought escape, may facilitate adaptation to changing climates. </p>
An organizing feature of bumble bee life history: worker emergence promotes queen reproduction and survival in young nests
<p>Bumble bee queens initiate nests solitarily and transition to living socially once they successfully rear their first cohort of offspring. Bumble bees are disproportionately important for early season pollination, and many populations are experiencing dramatic declines. In this system, the onset of the social stage is critical for nest survival, yet the mechanisms that facilitate this transition remain understudied. Further, the majority of conservation efforts targets the social stage of the bumble bee life cycle and do not address the solitary founding stage. We experimentally manipulated the timing of worker emergence in young nests of bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) queens to determine whether and how queen fecundity and survival are impacted by the emergence of workers in the nest. We found that queens with workers added to the nest exhibit increased ovary activation, accelerated egg laying, elevated juvenile hormone (JH) titres and also lower mortality relative to solitary queens. We also show that JH is more strongly impacted by the social environment than associated with queen reproductive state, suggesting that this key regulator of insect reproduction has expanded its function in bumble bees to also influence social organization. We further demonstrate that these effects are independent of queen social history, suggesting that this underlying mechanism promoting queen fecundity is reversible and short lived. Synchronization between queen reproductive status and emergence of workers in the nest may ultimately increase the likelihood of early nesting success in social systems with solitary nest founding. Given that bumble bee workers regulate queen physiology as we have demonstrated, the timing of worker emergence in the nest likely impacts queen fitness, colony developmental trajectories and ultimately nesting success. Collectively, our findings underline the importance of conservation interventions for bumble bees that support the early nesting period and facilitate the production and maintenance of workers in young nests.</p>
Data from: A test of genomic modularity among life-history adaptations promoting speciation with gene flow
Speciation with gene flow may require adaptive divergence of multiple traits to generate strong ecologically based reproductive isolation. Extensive negative pleiotropy or physical linkage of genes in the wrong phase affecting these diverging traits may therefore hinder speciation, while genetic independence or "modularity" among phenotypic traits may reduce constraints and facilitate divergence. Here, we test whether the genetics underlying two components of diapause life history, initial diapause intensity and diapause termination timing, constrain differentiation between sympatric hawthorn and apple-infesting host races of the fly Rhagoletis pomonella through analysis of 10,256 SNPs measured via genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Loci genetically associated with diapause termination timing were mainly observed for SNPs mapping to chromosomes 1–3 in the genome, most notably for SNPs displaying higher levels of linkage disequilibrium (LD), likely due to inversions. In contrast, selection on initial diapause intensity affected loci on all five major chromosomes of the genome, specifically those showing low levels of LD. This lack of overlap in genetically associated loci suggests that the two diapause phenotypes are largely modular. On chromosome 2, however, intermediate level LD loci and a subgroup of high LD loci displayed significant negative relationships between initial diapause intensity and diapause termination time. These gene regions on chromosome 2 therefore affected both traits, while most regions were largely independent. Moreover, loci associated with both measured traits also tended to exhibit highly divergent allele frequencies between the host races. Thus, the presence of nonoverlapping genetic modules likely facilitates simultaneous, adaptive divergence for the measured life-history components.
Data from: Life history variation in an invasive plant is associated with climate and recent colonization of a specialist herbivore
<p><b>Premise:</b> Spatial variation in selective pressures can lead to intraspecific variation in life history, favoring some life histories and constraining others depending on the vulnerability of life stages. We examined how spatial variation in herbivory and climate influences flowering size and the occurrence of semelparity (reproducing once) versus iteroparity (reproducing multiple times) in the introduced range of an invasive plant, houndstongue (<i>Cynoglossum officinale</i>). Houndstongue is a short-lived semelparous perennial in its native range. In its introduced range, we previously documented increased rates of iteroparity and a higher median threshold flowering size compared to the native range. We hypothesized that the recent introduction of a specialist biocontrol insect (a root-boring weevil, <i>Mogulones crucifer</i>) would decrease threshold flowering size, and reduce the proportion of iteroparous plants, because <i>M. crucifer</i> preferentially attacks large individuals and may reduce overwinter survival.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> We surveyed 24 sites across the northwestern United States to quantify the frequency of semelparity versus iteroparity and to estimate weevil abundance, and used demographic data collected from six sites to estimate median threshold flowering size.</p> <p><b>Key Results</b>: We found that sites with greater winter precipitation and no weevils had a greater proportion of iteroparous plants. Sites with higher weevil attack had a lower median threshold flowering size.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> The variation in frequency of flowering and threshold flowering size that we documented in North American houndstongue populations and the relationships between this variation and herbivory and climate provide evidence for how selective pressures covary with the life histories of invasive plants.</p>
Many roads to success: Different combinations of life-history traits provide accurate germination timing in seasonally dry environments
Germination timing is determined by several plant life-history traits. Seed dormancy regulates the time and place of early plant development and spreads recruitment risks over time. Dispersal phenology and syndrome can influence germination timing and buffer spatial heterogeneity. The ecological requirements for germination (the germination niche) can also influence when and where germination takes place. To date, the relative importance of each of these four traits to ensure the phenological adaptation of individual species in diverse communities remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the functional interactions among them and their relevance in heterogenous, seasonally dry environments. We collected seed dispersal phenology and syndrome for 82 species of the Brazilian savanna (cerrado) and evaluated the dormancy and germination behavior of the seeds of every taxon. Based on these data, we developed two new ecological indexes to estimate the likelihood of a non-dormant seed to germinate upon dispersal (∆G) and the overall variability of germination through time (σT). We then evaluated the influence of each trait on germination timing within a phylogenetically controlled framework. Our results show that even though germination is concentrated at the beginning of the rainy season, seed dispersal takes place year-round. Non-dormant seeds released during the dry season were characterized by high ∆G values that delayed their germination until the onset of the favorable season. Simultaneously, seed dormancy and spatial dispersal (i.e., the two risk-reduction mechanisms) were negatively correlated as dormancy and high σT values were only prevalent in seeds with reduced spatial dispersal ability. We conclude that the timing of seed germination is ultimately the net outcome of adaptive interactions among life-history traits, which can result in multiple functionally equivalent phenotypes. It is possible that this might contribute to community diversity by providing opportunities for the coexistence of different species.
Figure 5 in Mosquitofish life history in a Mediterranean wetland
Figure 5. Frequency of reproductive females (Fr) per 1 mm SL interval.
Figure 4 in Mosquitofish life history in a Mediterranean wetland
Figure 4. Growth lines of females and males obtained using the ELEFAN I method.
Figure 6 in Mosquitofish life history in a Mediterranean wetland
Figure 6. Correlation between embryo number per observed stage (N) and female size (mean ¡SD).
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