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Fig. 11 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 11. Lacronia ceci Kury & Orrico, 2006, ♂ (MNRJ 6945ꜝ), penis, distal part. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Detail of stylus and ventral process, latero-dorsal view. Scale bars: A–C = 50 μm; D = 20 μm.

Fig. 8 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 8. Lacronia boraceae (B. Soares, 1942) comb. nov., ♂ (MNRJ-HS 122ꜝ), penis, distal part. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Detail of stylus and ventral process apex, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 50 μm; B–C = 100 μm; D = 10 μm.

Fig. 6 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 6. Lacronia boraceae (B. Soares, 1942) comb. nov., ♂ (MNRJ-HS 122ꜝ), specimen in alcohol. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Same, lateral view. D. Armature of mesotergum area III, free tergites I–III and anal operculum, posterior view. E. Right Pa–Ti IV, retro-lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 7 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 7. Lacronia boraceae (B. Soares, 1942) comb. nov., ♂ (MNRJ-HS 122ꜝ). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Ocularium, frontal view. C. Armature of mesotergum area III, posterior view. D. Right Fe III, prodorsal view. E. Habitus, lateral view. F. Left Fe IV, proventral view. G. Right Fe IV, retro-ventral view. H. Right Pa–Ti IV, proventral view. I. Right Pa–Ti IV, ventral view. Scale bars: A, E = 4 mm; B–C = 1 mm; D, H–I = 2 mm; F–G = 3 mm.

Fig. 5 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 5. Southeasten and Southern regions of Brazil, showing the distribution of the Lacronia spp. The area shaded in green represents the Atlantic province, as proposed by Morrone et al. (2022).

Fig. 3 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 3. Lacronia spp., specimens in vivo. A–D. L. nigra (B. Soares, 1942) comb. nov., ♂, from Brazil, São Paulo, Santo André, Alto da Serra. E–H. L. tenuis (Roewer, 1917) comb. nov., ♂, from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Mangaratiba. Source: Adriano Kury.

Fig. 2 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 2. Cladogram depicting phylogenetic relationships of Lacronia Strand, 1942 and the outgroups, with synapomorphies supporting each clade mapped using ACCTRAN optimization. The tree represents the topology with shortest number of steps (k-values = 3.2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15 and 20) recovered by TNT. Blue squares = nonhomoplastic synapomorphies; white circles = homoplastic synapomorphies. Numbers above symbols are the characters numbers. Numbers under symbols are the states numbers.

Fig. 16 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 16. Lacronia serripes (Mello-Leitão, 1923), ♂ (MZSP 14343), specimen in alcohol. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Same, lateral view. C. Same, ventral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 17 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 17. Lacronia serripes(Mello-Leitão, 1923), ♂ (MZSP 14342). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Ocularium, frontal view. C. Armature of mesotergum area III, posterior view. D. Habitus, lateral view. E. Left Fe– Ti III, proventral view. F. Right Fe–Ti IV, dorsal view. G. Same, prolateral view. H. Same, ventral view. I. Same, retro-lateral view. J. Right Mt–Ta IV, retro-lateral view. Scale bars: A, D–E, J = 2 mm; B–C = 1 mm; F–I = 3 mm.

Fig. 12 in Between areolated and band-shaped spots: a revision of Lacronia Strand, 1942 (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Fig. 12. Lacronia nigra (B. Soares, 1942) comb. nov., ♂ (MNRJ 60385). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Ocularium, frontal view. C. Armature of mesotergum area III, posterior view. D. Fe–Ti III, prodorsal view. E. Habitus, lateral view. F. Detail of the Cx IV prodorsal distal apophysis, posterior view. G. Right Fe–Ti IV, dorsal view. H. Same, prolateral view. I. Same, ventral view. J. Same, retro-lateral view. K. Right Mt–Ta IV, retro-lateral view. Scale bars: A, D–E, K = 2 mm; B–C, F = 1 mm; G–J = 3 mm.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2022View details →

Data from: Vegetation management shapes arthropod and bird communities in an African savanna

Habitat heterogeneity is a key driver of the diversity and distribution of species. African savannas are experiencing changes to their vegetation structure causing shifts towards increased woody plant cover, which results in vegetation structure homogenization. Given the impact that increasing woody plant cover has on patterns of animal use, resource managers across Africa are implementing habitat management practices that are intended to reduce woody plant cover. To understand the ecological implications of various habitat management practices on arthropod and bird communities, we leveraged large-scale tree clearing and subsequent mowing in an African savanna to understand how changes to both the herbaceous layer and woody plant cover (i.e., structural heterogeneity) may shape arthropod and bird communities at the local scale. We focused on four replicated treatments: 1) annual summer mow, 2) annual winter mow, 3) >5 years since last mow (rest), and 4) an adjacent unmanipulated savanna to act as a control. We found that the mowing treatments significantly influenced vegetation structure both with respect to tree density and herbaceous layer. Both arthropod and bird community composition varied across treatments. Grass biomass was the best predictor of arthropod richness and abundance, with arthropods selecting for areas with high biomass. Insectivorous bird richness and abundance was driven by tree density (i.e., perching locations) and not arthropod abundance. Our results suggest that vegetation management practices contribute to habitat heterogeneity at the landscape scale and increase bird species richness through species turnover. However, we caution that if a single vegetation management practice dominates the landscape, it is plausible that it could lead to the simplification of the avian community.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2022View details →

Fig. 5 Drosera burkeana Planch. a. Leaf shape with a in Synopsis of the genus Drosera (Droseraceae) in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Fig. 5 Drosera burkeana Planch. a. Leaf shape with a linear petiole that broadens abruptly into the suborbicular to spathulate lamina; b. general morphology: acaulescent, leaves in a rosette and laterally arising, glandular-pubescent inflorescences; c. distribution (grey) according to the literature; d. province map of Angola and DRC with localities of examined herbarium specimens; e. pollen occurs in tetrads with echinate, narrowly conical sculpture elements in high density. — Scale bars: a = 1 cm; b = 2 cm; e = 10 µm.

Fig. 1 in Nest Entry Shape Change May Cause Nest Abandonment In Urban Cavity-Nesting Species: A Case Study Of The Tree Sparrow Passer Montanus

Fig. 1. Location of the study area (left) and examples of Tree Sparrow nests at the study sites (right). Site 1: Agricultural Practical Training Center, Chonnam National University,

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Using geometric morphometrics to determine the 'fittest' floral shape: a case study in large-flowered buzz-pollinated Melastomataceae

PREMISE Floral shape, i.e. the relative arrangement and position of floral organs, is critical in mediating fit with pollinators and maximizing conspecific pollen transfer. This seems particularly true for functionally specialized systems. To date, however, few studies have attempted to quantify flowers as the inherently three-dimensional structures that they are, and determine the effect of intraspecific shape variation on pollen transfer. We here address this research gap using a functionally specialized system, buzz pollination, where bees extract pollen through vibrations, as a model. Our study species, Meriania hernandoi (Melastomataceae), undergoes a natural floral shape change from pseudo-campanulate corollas with more actinomorphically-arranged stamens (first day) to open corollas with more zygomorphic stamens (second day) over anthesis, providing a natural experiment to test how variation in floral shape affects male and female fitness. METHODS In one population of M. hernandoi, we bagged 51 pre-anthetic flowers and exposed half of them to bee pollinators when they were in either stage of their shape transition. We then collected flowers, obtained 3D flower models through X-ray Computed Tomography for 3D geometric morphometrics, and counted the amount of pollen grains remaining per stamen (male fitness) and stigmatic pollen loads (female fitness). KEY RESULTS We found significantly higher male fitness in open flowers with zygomorphic androecia than in pseudo-campanulate flowers. Female fitness did not differ among floral shapes. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that there is an 'optimal' shape for male fitness, while the movement of bees around the flower when buzzing the spread-out stamens results in sufficient pollen deposition regardless of floral shape.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2022View details →

Gut microbiota inter-species interactions shape the response of Clostridioides difficile to clinically relevant antibiotics

In the human gut, the growth of Clostridioides difficile is impacted by a complex web of inter-species interactions with members of human gut microbiota. We investigate the contribution of inter-species interactions on the antibiotic response of C. difficile to clinically relevant antibiotics using bottom-up assembly of human gut communities. We discover two classes of microbial interactions that alter C. difficile’s antibiotic susceptibility: interactions resulting in increased C. diffiicle tolerance at high antibiotic concentrations (rare) and interactions resulting in C. difficile growth enhancement at low antibiotic concentrations (common). Based on genome-wide transcriptional profiling data, we demonstrate that metal sequestration due to hydrogen sulfide production by the prevalent gut species Desulfovibrio piger increases metronidazole tolerance of C. difficile. Competition with species that display higher sensitivity to the antibiotic than C. difficile leads to enhanced growth of C. difficile at low antibiotic concentrations. A dynamic computational model identifies the ecological design principles driving this effect. Our results provide a deeper understanding of ecological and molecular principles shaping C. difficile’s response to antibiotics, which could inform therapeutic interventions.In the human gut, the growth of Clostridioides difficile is impacted by a complex web of inter-species interactions with members of human gut microbiota. We investigate the contribution of inter-species interactions on the antibiotic response of C. difficile to clinically relevant antibiotics using bottom-up assembly of human gut communities. We discover two classes of microbial interactions that alter C. difficile’s antibiotic susceptibility: interactions resulting in increased C. diffiicle tolerance at high antibiotic concentrations (rare) and interactions resulting in C. difficile growth enhancement at low antibiotic concentrations (common). Based on genome-wide transcriptional profiling data, we demonstrate that metal sequestration due to hydrogen sulfide production by the prevalent gut species Desulfovibrio piger increases metronidazole tolerance of C. difficile. Competition with species that display higher sensitivity to the antibiotic than C. difficile leads to enhanced growth of C. difficile at low antibiotic concentrations. A dynamic computational model identifies the ecological design principles driving this effect. Our results provide a deeper understanding of ecological and molecular principles shaping C. difficile’s response to antibiotics, which could inform therapeutic interventions.

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

High latitude ocean habitats are a crucible of fish body shape diversification

A strong decline in species richness from the equator to the poles is a common feature of Earth's biodiversity. However, little is known about how phenotypic diversity varies across the same latitudinal gradient. Here, we examine body shape diversity in marine fishes across latitudes and explore the role of time and evolutionary rate in explaining the diversity gradient. Marine fishes' occupation of upper latitude environments has increased substantially over the last 55 million years. Latitude strongly affects the rate of body shape evolution and its disparity. Fishes in the highest latitudes exhibit nine times the rate of body shape evolution and one and a half times the disparity compared to equatorial latitudes. The more dynamic evolution of body shape may be due to increased ecological opportunity in polar and subpolar oceans due to (1) the evolution of anti-freeze proteins in certain temperate clades that allowed them to invade regions of cold water, and (2) periodic environmental disturbances driven by cyclical warming and cooling in upper latitudes. Our results suggest that decreasing water temperature, through its effects on the activity levels of fishes, may have elevated the relative frequency of body shapes associated with less-active lifestyles.

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

Temperature adaptation and its impact on the shape of performance curves in Drosophila populations

Understanding how species adapt to different temperatures is crucial to predict their response to global warming, and thermal performance curves (TPCs) have been employed recurrently to study this topic. Nevertheless, fundamental questions regarding how thermodynamic constraints and evolution interact to shape TPCs in lineages inhabiting different environments remain unanswered. Here, we study Drosophila simulans along a latitudinal gradient spanning 3,000 km to test opposing hypotheses based on thermodynamic constraints ('hotter-is-better') versus biochemical adaptation ('jack-of-all-temperatures') as primary determinants of TPCs variation across populations. We compare thermal responses in metabolic rate and the egg-to-adult survival as descriptors of organismal performance and fitness, respectively, and show that different descriptors of TPCs vary in tandem with mean environmental temperatures, providing strong support to hotter-is-better. Thermodynamic constraints also resulted in a strong negative association between maximum performance and thermal breadth. Lastly, we show that descriptors of TPCs for metabolism and egg-to-adult survival are highly correlated, providing evidence of coadaptation and that curves for egg-to-adult survival are systematically narrower and displaced towards lower temperatures. Taken together, results support the pervasive role of thermodynamics constraining thermal responses in Drosophila populations along a latitudinal gradient, that are only partly compensated by evolutionary adaptation.

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

Data from: Behavior shapes retinal motion statistics during natural locomotion

Walking through an environment generates retinal motion, which humans rely on to perform a variety of visual tasks. Retinal motion patterns are determined by an interconnected set of factors, including gaze location, gaze stabilization, the structure of the environment, and the walker's goals. The characteristics of these motion signals have important consequences for neural organization and behavior. However, to date, there are no empirical in situ measurements of how combined eye and body movements interact with real 3D environments to shape the statistics of retinal motion signals. Here, we collect measurements of the eyes, the body, and the 3D environment during locomotion. We describe properties of the resulting retinal motion patterns. We explain how these patterns are shaped by gaze location in the world, as well as by behavior, and how they may provide a template for the way motion sensitivity and receptive field properties vary across the visual field.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Multispecies coinfections and presence of antibiotics shape resistance and fitness costs in a pathogenic bacterium

Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a challenge for treatment of bacterial diseases. In real life, bacterial infections are typically embedded within complex multispecies communities and influenced by the environment, which can shape costs and benefits of AMR. However, knowledge of such interactions and their implications for AMR in vivo is limited. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated fitness-related traits of a pathogenic bacterium (Flavobacterium columnare) in its fish host, capturing the effects of bacterial antibiotic resistance, multispecies coinfections (metazoan fluke Diplostomum pseudospathaceum), and antibiotic exposure. We quantified real-time replication and virulence of sensitive and resistant bacteria and demonstrate that both bacteria can benefit from coinfection in terms of persistence and replication, depending on the coinfecting partner and antibiotic presence. We also show that antibiotics can benefit resistant bacteria by increasing bacterial replication under coinfection with flukes. These results emphasize the importance of diverse, inter-kingdom coinfection interactions and antibiotic exposure in shaping costs and benefits of AMR, supporting their role as significant contributors to the spread and long-term persistence of resistance.