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5,538 results for “Population data”
Data from: Intraspecific DNA contamination distorts subtle population structure in a marine fish: decontamination of herring samples before restriction-site associated (RAD) sequencing and its effects on population genetic statistics
Wild specimens are often collected in challenging field conditions, where samples may be contaminated with the DNA of conspecific individuals. This contamination can result in false genotype calls, which are difficult to detect, but may also cause inaccurate estimates of heterozygosity, allele frequencies, and genetic differentiation. Marine broadcast spawners are especially problematic, because population genetic differentiation is low and samples are often collected in bulk and sometimes from active spawning aggregations. Here, we used contaminated and clean Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) samples to test (i) the efficacy of bleach decontamination, (ii) the effect of decontamination on RAD genotypes, and (iii) the consequences of contaminated samples on population genetic analyses. We collected fin tissue samples from actively spawning (and thus contaminated) wild herring and non-spawning (uncontaminated) herring. Samples were soaked for 10 minutes in bleach or left untreated, and extracted DNA was used to prepare DNA libraries using a restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) approach. Our results demonstrate that intraspecific DNA contamination affects patterns of individual and population variability, causes an excess of heterozygotes, and biases estimates of population structure. Bleach decontamination was effective at removing intraspecific DNA contamination and compatible with RAD sequencing, producing high-quality sequences, reproducible genotypes, and low levels of missing data. Although sperm contamination may be specific to broadcast spawners, intraspecific contamination of samples may be common and difficult to detect from high-throughput sequencing data, and can impact downstream analyses.
Data from: Evaluating shell variation across different populations of a freshwater snail
The freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum has become a model system for studying invasion ecology, host–parasite coevolution, the maintenance of sexual reproduction and ecotoxicology. One understudied aspect of this snail is the variation in morphology within and among populations, which could provide insights into ecological differences across its native range. In this study of 17 New Zealand lake populations of P. antipodarum we used linear measurements and geometric morphometrics to compare several aspects of shell size and shape. We found that, except for those from Lake Te Anau, most lake populations of P. antipodarum differ slightly in shape, but differ significantly in size and in the presence of spines, where larger and spinier snails are found in deeper regions. These striking distinctions in size and shell armature, but not in shape, suggest that the various components of form are under different selective regimes. Snails from Lake Te Anau are different in both shape and size, implying that this population is diverging from the rest of the species in multiple ways, making it an interesting study population for further research.
Data from: Population genetic structure between Yap and Palau for the coral Acropora hyacinthus
Information on connectivity is becoming increasingly in demand as marine protected areas are being designed as an integral part of a network to protect marine resources at the ecosystem level. Larval dispersal and population structure, however, remain very difficult to assess. Here, we tested the predictions of a detailed oceanographic connectivity model of larval dispersal and coral recruitment within Palau and between Palau and Yap, which was developed to support the review of the existing network of marine protected areas in Palau. We used high throughput microsatellite genotyping of the coral Acropora hyacinthus to characterize population genetic structure. Pairwise F′ST values between Palau and Yap (0.10), Palau and Ngulu (0.09) and Yap and Ngulu (0.09) were all significant and similar to pairwise F′ST values of sites within Palau (0.02–0.12) and within Yap (0.02–0.09) highlighting structure at island scale and indicating that recruitment may be even more localized than previously anticipated. A bottleneck test did not reveal any signs of a founder effect between Yap and Palau. Overall, the data supports the idea that recovery of A. hyacinthus in Palau did not come exclusively from a single source but most likely came from a combination of areas, including sites within Palau. In light of these results there seems to be very little connectivity around the barrier reef and management recommendation would be to increase the number or the size of MPAs within Palau.
Data from: Reticulate evolution within a spruce (Picea) species complex revealed by population genomic analysis
The role of reticulation in the rapid diversification of organisms is attracting greater attention in evolutionary biology. Here, we report a population genomics approach to test the role of hybridization and introgression in the evolution of the Picea likiangensis species complex. Based on 84,793 SNPs detected in transcriptomes of 82 trees collected from 35 localities, we identified 18 hybrids (including backcrosses) distributed within the range boundaries of the four taxa. Coalescent simulations, for each pair of taxa and for all taxa taken together, rejected several tree-like divergence models and supported instead a reticulate evolution model with secondary contacts occurring during Pleistocene glacial cycles after initial divergence in the late Pliocene. Significant gene flow occurred among some taxa after secondary contact according to an analysis based on modified ABBA-BABA statistics that accommodated a rapid diversification scenario. A novel finding was that introgression between certain taxa can contribute to increasing divergence (and possibly reproductive isolation) between those taxa and other taxa within a complex at some loci. These results illuminate the reticulate nature of evolution within the P. likiangensis complex and highlight the value of population genomic data in detecting the effects of introgression in the rapid diversification of related taxa.
Data from: Expression of additive genetic variance for fitness in a population of partridge pea in two field sites
Despite the importance of adaptation in shaping biological diversity over many generations, little is known about populations' capacities to adapt at any particular time. Theory predicts that a population's rate of ongoing adaptation is the ratio of its additive genetic variance for fitness, VA (W), to its mean absolute fitness, W̅. We conducted a transplant study to quantify W̅ and standing VA (W) for a population of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata in one field site from which we initially sampled it and another site where it does not currently occur naturally. We also examined genotype‐by‐environment interactions, G x E, as well as its components, differences between sites in VA (W) and in rank of breeding values for fitness. The mean fitness indicated population persistence in both sites, and there was substantial VA (W) for ongoing adaptation at both sites. Statistically significant G x E indicated that the adaptive process would differ between sites. We found a positive correlation between fitness of genotypes in the "home" and "away" environments, and G x E was more pronounced as the life cycle proceeds. This study exemplifies an approach to assessing whether there is sufficient VA (W) to support evolutionary rescue in populations that are declining.
Data from: Endosymbiont diversity in natural populations of Tetranychus mites is rapidly lost under laboratory conditions
<p>Although the diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in arthropods is well documented, whether and how such diversity is maintained remains an open question. We investigated the temporal changes occurring in the prevalence and composition of endosymbionts after transferring natural populations of <i>Tetranychus </i>spider-mites from the field to the laboratory. These populations, belonging to three different <i>Tetranychus </i>species (<i>T. urticae</i>, <i>T. ludeni </i>and <i>T. evansi</i>) carried variable infection frequencies of <i>Wolbachia</i>, <i>Cardinium</i>, and <i>Rickettsia</i>. We report a rapid change of the infection status of these populations after only 6 months of laboratory rearing, with an apparent loss of <i>Rickettsia </i>and <i>Cardinium</i>, while <i>Wolbachia </i>apparently either reached fixation or was lost. We show that <i>Wolbachia </i>had variable effects on host longevity and fecundity, and induced variable levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in each fully infected population, despite no sequence divergence in the markers used and full CI rescue between all populations. This suggests that such effects are largely dependent upon the host genotype. Subsequently, we used these data to parameterize a theoretical model for the invasion of CI-inducing symbionts in haplodiploids, which shows that symbiont effects are sufficient to explain their dynamics in the laboratory. This further suggests that symbiont diversity and prevalence in the field are likely maintained by environmental heterogeneity, which is reduced in the laboratory. Overall, this study highlights the lability of endosymbiont infections and draws attention to the limitations of laboratory studies to understand host-symbiont interactions in natural populations.</p>
Data from: Early snowmelt projected to cause population decline in a subalpine plant
How climate change influences the dynamics of plant populations is not well understood, as few plant studies have measured responses of vital rates to climatic variables and modeled the impact on population growth. I used 25 years of demographic data to analyze how survival, growth, and fecundity respond to date of spring snow melt for a subalpine plant. Fecundity was estimated by seed production (over 15 years) and also divided into flower number, fruit set, seeds per fruit, and escape from seed predation. Despite no apparent effects on flower number, plants produced more seeds in years with later snowmelt. Survival and probability of flowering were reduced by early snow melt in the previous year. Based on demographic models, earlier snowmelt with warming is expected to lead to negative population growth, driven especially by changes in seedling establishment and seed production. These results provide a rare example of how climate change is expected to influence the dynamics of a plant population. They furthermore illustrate the potential for strong population impacts even in the absence of more commonly reported visual signs, such as earlier blooming or reduced floral display in early melting years.
Data from: Trait responses to AM fungi are stronger and more consistent than fixed differences among populations of Asclepias speciosa
Premise of the study: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can promote plant growth and reproduction, but other plant physiological traits or traits that provide defense against herbivores can also be affected by AM fungi. However, whether responses of different traits to AM fungi are correlated, and whether these relationships vary among plants from different populations is unresolved. Methods: We assessed whether different populations of the perennial forb, Asclepias speciosa, grown from seed collected from different environmental conditions across its distributional range respond differently to AM fungi, and if the responses of six growth and defense traits are correlated. Key Results: Although there was strong genetic differentiation in mean trait values among populations, AM fungi consistently increased expression of most growth and defense traits across all populations. Responses of biomass and root:shoot ratio to AM fungi were positively correlated, suggesting that plants that are more responsive to AM fungi allocated more biomass belowground. Responses of biomass and trichome density to AM fungi were negatively correlated, indicating a trade-off in responsiveness between a growth and defensive trait. Conclusions: Our results suggest that while there is substantial population differentiation in many traits of A. speciosa, populations respond similarly to AM fungi, and both positive and negative correlations among trait responses occur.
Data from: Variation in population structure and dynamics of montane forest tree species in Ethiopia guide priorities for conservation and research
The greatest extent of Afromontane environments in the world is found in Ethiopia. These areas support exceptional biodiversity, but forest cover and ecological integrity have declined sharply in recent decades. Conservation and management efforts are hampered in part by an inadequate understanding of the basic ecology of major tree species. We investigated population structure and inferred population dynamics from size frequency distributions of 22 forest tree species encountered in montane forests of Ethiopia. We collected new empirical data from four sites in the Bale Mountains, where some of the country's most extensive and least disturbed forests remain, and conducted a systematic review and analysis of all such studies that reported population structure for one or more of these species in Ethiopia. Thirteen widespread montane tree species showed a reverse-J size distribution, indicating a relatively stable population structure. Six other species had size-frequency distributions that indicate episodic recruitment and/or removal of certain size classes. Specific causes of these patterns are uncertain: they may involve timber harvesting, herbivory, fire, or natural disturbances, but patterns were inconsistent and locality dependent. For three other tree species, existing data are inadequate for any interpretation of population structure and dynamics. A species of particular conservation concern that emerged from this analysis was Hagenia abyssinica, which was found in all areas to consist only of larger individuals with no recent recruitment. For management and conservation purposes, the species in most urgent need of new research are those with inadequate or inconsistent data, and H. abyssinica..
Data from: Inferring continuous and discrete population genetic structure across space
A classic problem in population genetics is the characterization of discrete population structure in the presence of continuous patterns of genetic differentiation. Especially when sampling is discontinuous, the use of clustering or assignment methods may incorrectly ascribe differentiation due to continuous processes (e.g., geographic isolation by distance) to discrete processes, such as geographic, ecological, or reproductive barriers between populations. This reflects a shortcoming of current methods for inferring and visualizing population structure when applied to genetic data deriving from geographically distributed populations. Here, we present a statistical framework for the simultaneous inference of continuous and discrete patterns of population structure. The method estimates ancestry proportions for each sample from a set of two-dimensional population layers, and, within each layer, estimates a rate at which relatedness decays with distance. This thereby explicitly addresses the "clines versus clusters" problem in modeling population genetic variation, and remedies some of the overfitting to which nonspatial models are prone. The method produces useful descriptions of structure in genetic relatedness in situations where separated, geographically distributed populations interact, as after a range expansion or secondary contact. We demonstrate the utility of this approach using simulations and by applying it to empirical datasets of poplars and black bears in North America.
Data from: Genetic structure of the Painted Bunting and its implications for conservation of migratory populations
The Painted Bunting Passerina ciris is a Neotropical songbird which breeds primarily in the United States during the summer and migrates to Mexico, Central America, southern Florida, and the Caribbean over the winter. Male Painted Buntings are brightly coloured, which makes them highly sought after as pets, particularly in Mexico, Central America and Europe. We used short sequence repeats (microsatellite DNA) to investigate the population genetic structure of the Painted Bunting and its implications in conservation management of migratory populations. We found a detectable level of population differentiation as revealed by pairwise FST and RST comparisons and Bayesian clustering analyses, with strong support for differentiation between eastern and western Painted Buntings (e.g. Oklahoma and Georgia FST = 0.1; P = 0.005; RST = 0.18; P = 0.04) in accordance with previous mitochondrial DNA analysis. We recovered additional support for two sub‐groups within the western clade. While linking migrant songbirds captured outside of the United States to their breeding populations remains a challenge, we show that natural levels of population genetic differentiation can be detected via microsatellite DNA markers and exploited in migratory connectivity studies. We also demonstrate the potential utility of our low‐cost markers for population identification of birds recovered from the pet trade by screening a small subset of samples (n = 5) collected as part of wildlife tracking. We discuss the implications of our results for future efforts to understand patterns of population decline in Painted Buntings more generally, as well as how we might expand this methodology to combat illegal pet‐trade activity in this and other songbird species.
Data from: Population genomics and morphometric assignment of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Republic of South Africa
Backgrounds: Apis mellifera scutellata and A.m. capensis (the Cape honey bee) are western honey bee subspecies indigenous to the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Both bees are important for biological and economic reasons. First, A.m. scutellata is the invasive "African honey bee" of the Americas and exhibits a number of traits that beekeepers consider undesirable. They swarm excessively, are prone to absconding (vacating the nest entirely), usurp other honey bee colonies, and exhibit heightened defensiveness. Second, Cape honey bees are socially parasitic bees; the workers can reproduce thelytokously. Both bees are indistinguishable visually. Therefore, we employed Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS), wing geometry and standard morphometric approaches to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of these bees to search for diagnostic markers that can be employed to distinguish between the two subspecies. Results: Apis mellifera scutellata possessed the highest mean number of polymorphic SNPs (among 2,449 informative SNPs) with minor allele frequencies >0.05 (Np = 88%). The RSA honey bees generated a high level of expected heterozygosity (Hexp = 0.24). The mean genetic differentiation (FST; 6.5%) among the RSA honey bees revealed that approximately 93% of the genetic variation was accounted for within individuals of these subspecies. Two genetically distinct clusters (K = 2) corresponding to both subspecies were detected by Model-based Bayesian clustering and supported by Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) inferences. Selected highly divergent loci (n = 83) further reinforced a distinctive clustering of two subspecies across geographical origins, accounting for approximately 83% of the total variation in the PCoA plot. The significant correlation of allele frequencies at divergent loci with environmental variables suggested that these populations are adapted to local conditions. Only 17 of 48 wing geometry and standard morphometric parameters were useful for clustering A.m. capensis, A.m. scutellata, and hybrid individuals. Conclusions: We produced a minimal set of 83 SNP loci and 17 wing geometry and standard morphometric parameters useful for identifying the two RSA honey bee subspecies by genotype and phenotype. We found that genes involved in neurology/behavior and development/growth are the most prominent heritable traits evolved in the functional evolution of honey bee populations in RSA.
An improved understanding of ungulate population dynamics using count data: insights from western Montana
<p class="FirstParagraph">Understanding the dynamics of ungulate populations is critical given their ecological and economic importance. In particular, the ability to evaluate the evidence for potential drivers of variation in population trajectories is important for informed management. However, the use of age ratio data (e.g., juveniles:adult females) as an index of variation in population dynamics is hindered by a lack of statistical power and difficult interpretation. Here, we show that the use of a population model based on count, classification and harvest data can dramatically improve the understanding of ungulate population dynamics by: 1) providing estimates of vital rates (e.g., per capita recruitment and population growth) that are easier to interpret and more useful to managers than age ratios and 2) increasing the power to assess potential sources of variation in key vital rates. We used a time series of elk (<i>Cervus canadensis</i>) spring count and classification data (2004 to 2016) and fall harvest data from hunting districts in western Montana to construct a population model to estimate vital rates and assess evidence for an association between a series of environmental covariates and indices of predator abundance on per capita recruitment rates of elk calves. Our results suggest that per capita recruitment rates were negatively associated with cold and wet springs, and severe winters, and positively associated with summer precipitation. In contrast, an analysis of the raw age ratio data failed to detect these relationships. Our approach based on a population model provided estimates of the region-wide mean per capita recruitment rate (mean = 0.25, 90% CI = 0.21, 0.29), temporal variation in hunting-district-specific recruitment rates (minimum = 0.09; 90% CI = [0.07, 0.11], maximum = 0.43; 90% CI = [0.38, 0.48]), and annual population growth rates (minimum = 0.83; 90% CI = [0.78, 0.87], maximum = 1.20; 90% CI = [1.11, 1.29]). We recommend using routinely collected population count and classification data and a population modeling approach rather than interpreting estimated age ratios as a substantial improvement in understanding population dynamics.</p>
Data from: Resistance in persisting bat populations after white-nose syndrome invasion
Increases in anthropogenic movement have led to a rise in pathogen introductions and the emergence of infectious diseases in naive host communities worldwide. We combined empirical data and mathematical models to examine changes in disease dynamics in little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) populations following the introduction of the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes the disease white-nose syndrome. We found that infection intensity was much lower in persisting populations than in declining populations where the fungus has recently invaded. Fitted models indicate that this is most consistent with a reduction in the growth rate of the pathogen when fungal loads become high. The data are inconsistent with the evolution of tolerance or an overall reduced pathogen growth rate that might be caused by environmental factors. The existence of resistance in some persisting populations of little brown bats offers a glimmer of hope that a precipitously declining species will persist in the face of this deadly pathogen. This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'.
Data from: Population genomics of rapid evolution in natural populations: polygenic selection in response to power station thermal effluents
Background: Examples of rapid evolution are common in nature but difficult to account for with the standard population genetic model of adaptation. Instead, selection from the standing genetic variation permits rapid adaptation via soft sweeps or polygenic adaptation. Empirical evidence of this process in nature is currently limited but accumulating. Results: We provide genome-wide analyses of rapid evolution in two Fundulus heteroclitus populations subjected to recently elevated temperatures due to coastal power station thermal effluents. Bayesian and multivariate analyses of population genomic structure reveal a substantial portion of genetic variation that is most parsimoniously explained by selection at the site of thermal effluents. An FST outlier approach in conjunction with additional conservative requirements identify significant allele frequency differentiation that exceeds neutral expectations among exposed and closely related reference populations. Genomic variation patterns near these candidate loci reveal that individuals living near thermal effluents have rapidly evolved from the standing genetic variation through small allele frequency changes at many loci in a pattern consistent with polygenic selection on the standing genetic variation. Conclusions: While the ultimate trajectory of selection in these populations is unknown, our findings suggest that polygenic models of adaptation may play important roles in large, natural populations experiencing recent selection due to environmental changes that cause broad physiological impacts.
Data from: Evidence of stress imprinting with population-level differences in two moss species
Plants are often repeatedly exposed to stresses during their lives and have a mechanism called stress imprinting that provides 'memories' of stresses they experience and increases their ability to cope with later stresses. To test hypotheses that primed bryophytes can preserve their stress imprinting after 6 days of recovery and induce higher levels of osmolytes and ROS-scavenging activities upon later stress exposure, and there exist population-level differentiation in their desiccation defenses, we transplanted samples of two populations of each of two moss species, Hypnum plumaeforme and Pogonatum cirratum, in a nature reserve in southern China. After 16 months of acclimation, sets of each population were subjected to control, one-time desiccation stress, duplicated desiccation stress and cross-stress (low temperature stress followed by desiccation stress) treatments. Levels of oxidant enzymes, osmolytes and phytohormones in the samples were then determined. The desiccation stress generally led to increases in activities or contents of superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, proline, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and stress hormones including abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonates (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), with differences between both species and populations. After a 6-day recovery period, contents of phytohormones (including ABA, JA, SA and cytokinins) in stressed H. plumaeforme had substantially fallen towards control levels. The duplicated and cross-stress treatments generally led to further accumulation of proline, soluble sugars and soluble proteins, with further increases in activities of antioxidant enzymes in some cases. Furthermore, significant differences between allochthonous and native populations were found in contents of malondialdehyde and osmolytes, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities. Our results confirm the hypotheses, and highlight the importance of osmolytes in mosses' stress responses.
Data from: Holocene population decline and conservation implication for the Western Hercules Beetle, Dynastes grantii (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)
The Western Hercules beetle (Dynastes grantii) is endemic to the highland forest habitats of southwestern USA and northern Mexico. The habitats harbor many endemic species, but are being threatened by rapid climate change and urban development. In this study, the genetic structure of D. grantii populations from southwestern USA was investigated. Specifically, genomic data from double-digest RADseq (ddRADseq) libraries were utilized to test whether geographically distant populations from the Mogollon Rim (Arizona [N = 12 individuals] and New Mexico [N = 10 individuals]) are genetically structured. The study also estimated the effective population size of the Mogollon Rim populations based on genetic diversity. The results indicated that the two geographic populations from the Mogollon Rim were not genetically structured. A population size reduction was detected since the end of the last glacial period, which coincided with a reduction of forest habitat in the study area. The results implied that the connectivity and the size of highland forest habitats in the Mogollon Rim could have been the major factors shaping the population genetic structure and demographic history of D. grantii. The Western Hercules beetle could be a useful flagship species for local natural history education and to promote the conservation of highland forest habitats.
Data from: Unhatched eggs represent the invisible fraction in two wild bird populations
<p>Prenatal mortality is typically overlooked in population studies, which biases evolutionary inference by confounding selection and inheritance. Birds represent an opportunity to include this 'invisible fraction' if each egg contains a zygote but whether hatching failure is caused by fertilisation failure versus prenatal mortality is largely unknown. We quantified fertilisation failure rates in two bird species that are popular systems for studying evolutionary dynamics in the wild. over three years, finding that overwhelming majorities (99.9%) of laid eggs were fertilised. These systems thus present opportunities to eliminate the invisible fraction from life-history data.</p>
Data from: Time of emergence of novel climates for North American migratory bird populations
To better understand the ecological implications of global climate change for species that display geographically and seasonally dynamic life-history strategies, we need to determine where and when novel climates are projected to first emerge. Here, we use a multivariate approach to estimate time of emergence (ToE) of novel climates based on three climate variables (precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature) at a weekly temporal resolution within the Western Hemisphere over a 280-year period (2021-2300) under a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5). We intersect ToE estimates with weekly estimates of relative abundance for 77 passerine bird species that migrate between temperate breeding grounds in North America and southern tropical and subtropical wintering grounds using observations from the eBird citizen-science database. During the non-breeding season, migrants that winter within the tropics are projected to encounter novel climates during the second half of this century. Migrants that winter in the subtropics are projected to encounter novel climates during the first half of the next century. During the beginning of the breeding season, migrants on their temperate breeding grounds are projected to encounter novel climates during the first half of the next century. During the end of the breeding season, migrants are projected to encounter novel climates during the second half of this century. Thus, novel climates will first emerge ca. 40-50 years earlier during the second half of the breeding season. These results emphasize the large seasonal and spatial variation in the formation of novel climates, and the pronounced challenges migratory birds are likely to encounter during this century, especially on their tropical wintering grounds and during the transition from breeding to migration. When assessing the ecological implications of climate change, our findings emphasize the value of applying a full annual cycle perspective using standardized metrics that promote comparisons across space and time.
Data from: Specialists and generalists coexist within a population of spider-hunting mud dauber wasps
Individual foraging specialization describes the phenomenon where conspecifics within a population of generalists exhibit differences in foraging behavior, each specializing on different prey types. Individual specialization is widespread in animals, yet is understudied in invertebrates, despite potential impacts to food web and population dynamics. Sceliphron caementarium (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) is an excellent system to examine individual specialization. Females of these mud-dauber wasps capture and paralyze spiders which they store in mud nests to provision their offspring. Individuals may make hundreds of prey choices in their short lifespan and fully intact prey items can be easily excavated from their mud nests, where each distinct nest cell represents a discrete foraging bout. Using data collected from a single population of S. caementarium (where all individuals had access to the same resources), we found evidence of strong individual specialization; individuals utilized different resources (with respect to prey taxa, prey ecological guild, and prey size) to provision their nests. The extent of individual specialization differed widely within the population with some females displaying extreme specialization (taking only prey from a single species) while others were generalists (taking prey from up to six spider families). We also found evidence of temporal consistency in individual specialization over multiple foraging events. We discuss these findings broadly in the context of search images, responses to changing prey availability, and intraspecific competition pressure.
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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
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.