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954 results for “survival data”
Data from: Increased survival of experimentally evolved antimicrobial peptide-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an animal host
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as new class of antimicrobial drugs, following the increasing prevalence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Synthetic AMPs are functional analogues of highly evolutionarily conserved immune effectors in animals and plants, produced in response to microbial infection. Therefore, the proposed therapeutic use of AMPs bears the risk of 'arming the enemy': bacteria that evolve resistance to AMPs may be cross-resistant to immune effectors (AMPs) in their hosts. We used a panel of populations of Staphylococcus aureus that were experimentally selected for resistance to a suite of individual AMPs and antibiotics to investigate the 'arming the enemy' hypothesis. We tested whether the selected strains showed higher survival in an insect model (Tenebrio molitor) and cross-resistance against other antimicrobials in vitro. A population selected for resistance to the antimicrobial peptide iseganan showed increased in vivo survival, but was not more virulent. We suggest that increased survival of AMP-resistant bacteria almost certainly poses problems to immune-compromised hosts.
Data from: A high quality pedigree and genetic markers both reveal inbreeding depression for quality but not survival in a cooperative mammal
Inbreeding depression, the reduced fitness of offspring of closely related parents, is commonplace in both captive and wild populations and has important consequences for conservation and mating system evolution. However, because of the difficulty of collecting pedigree and life history data from wild populations, relatively few studies have been able to compare inbreeding depression for traits at different points in the life cycle. Moreover, pedigrees give the expected proportion of the genome that is identical by descent (IBDg) whereas in theory with enough molecular markers realised IBDg can be quantified directly. We therefore investigated inbreeding depression for multiple life-history traits in a wild population of banded mongooses using pedigree-based inbreeding coefficients (fped) and standardised multilocus heterozygosity (sMLH) measured at 35-43 microsatellites. Within an information theoretic framework, we evaluated support for either fped or sMLH as inbreeding terms and used sequential regression to determine whether the residuals of sMLH on fped explain fitness variation above and beyond fped. We found no evidence of inbreeding depression for survival, either before or after nutritional independence. By contrast, inbreeding was negatively associated with two quality related traits, yearling body mass and annual male reproductive success. Yearling body mass was associated with fped but not sMLH, while male annual reproductive success was best explained by both fped and residual sMLH. Thus, our study not only uncovers variation in the extent to which different traits show inbreeding depression, but also reveals trait-specific differences in the ability of pedigrees and molecular markers to explain fitness variation and suggests that for certain traits genetic markers may capture variation in realised IBDg above and beyond the pedigree expectation.
Data from: Sexual conflict and ecology: species composition and male density interact to reduce male mating harassment and increase female survival
Sexual conflict is a pervasive evolutionary force that can reduce female fitness. Experimental evolution studies in the laboratory might overestimate the importance of sexual conflict since the ecological conditions in such settings typically include only a single species. Here, we experimentally manipulated conspecific male density (high or low) and species composition (sympatric or allopatric) to investigate how ecological conditions affect female survival in a sexually dimorphic insect, the banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). Female survival was strongly influenced by an interaction between male density and species composition. Specifically, at low conspecific male density, female survival increased in the presence of heterospecific males (C. virgo). Behavioural mating experiments showed that interspecific interference competition reduced conspecific male mating success with large females. These findings suggest that reproductive interference competition between con- and heterospecific males might indirectly facilitate female survival by reducing mating harassment from conspecific males. Hence, interspecific competitors can show contrasting effects on the two sexes thereby influencing sexual conflict dynamics. Our results call for incorporation of more ecological realism in sexual conflict research, particularly how local community context and reproductive interference competition between heterospecific males can affect female fitness.
Data from: Early hatching enhances survival despite beneficial phenotypic effects of late-season developmental environments
Seasonal shifts in environmental conditions provide predictable cues to which organisms can respond in adaptive ways. For example, seasonal changes in temperature can induce phenotypes at different times of the year that have season-specific fitness benefits. Here, we tested the hypothesis that embryo responses to seasonal changes in thermal environments are adaptively matched to the timing of reproduction (environmental-matching hypothesis). We collected eggs of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) from early and late seasons and exposed them to early and late thermal regimes that mimic nest temperatures. After measuring offspring morphology and performance, we quantified their survival in the field. Females had higher fecundity, but produced smaller eggs, early in the season compared to late in the season. Late-season eggs exposed to late thermal regimes had relatively high survival, but early-season eggs exposed to early thermal regimes had similar survival rates to those exposed to mismatched conditions. Late-season nest temperatures and late-season eggs produced offspring that were relatively large and fast runners. However, despite phenotypic benefits of late-season conditions, early-season hatchlings had greater survival in the field. Our results do not fully support the environmental-matching hypothesis but suggest that selection favors seasonal shifts in reproductive investment of mothers (high early-season fecundity) over plastic responses of embryos to seasonal environmental changes.
Data from: Black Queen evolution and trophic interactions determine plasmid survival after the disruption of conjugation network
Mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids are responsible for antibiotic resistant phenotypes in many bacterial pathogens. The ability to conjugate, the presence of antibiotics and ecological interactions all have a notable role in the persistence of plasmids in bacterial populations. Here, we set out to investigate the contribution of these factors when the conjugation network was disturbed by a plasmid-dependent bacteriophage. Phage alone effectively caused the population to lose plasmids, thus rendering them susceptible to antibiotics. Leakiness of the antibiotic resistance mechanism allowing Black Queen evolution (i.e. race to the bottom) was a more significant factor over antibiotic concentration (lethal vs sub-lethal) in determining plasmid prevalence. Interestingly, plasmid loss was also prevented by protozoan predation. These results show that the outcome of attempts to re-sensitize bacterial communities by disrupting the conjugation network are highly dependent on ecological factors and resistance mechanisms.
Data from: Seasonal climate effects on the survival of a hibernating mammal
Global climate change and associated regional climate variability is impacting the phenology of many species, ultimately altering individual fitness and population dynamics. Yet, few studies have considered the effects of pertinent seasonal climate variability on phenology and fitness. Hibernators may be particularly susceptible to changes in seasonal climate since they have a relatively short active season in which to reproduce and gain enough mass to survive the following winter. To understand whether and how seasonal climate variability may be affecting hibernator fitness, we estimated survival from historical (1964-1968) and contemporary (2014-2017) mark-recapture data collected from the same population of Uinta ground squirrels (UGS, Urocitellus armatus), a hibernator endemic to the western United States. Despite a locally warming climate, the phenology of UGS did not change over time, yet season-specific climatic variables were important in regulating survival rates. Specifically, older age classes experienced lower survival when winters or the following spring were warm, while juveniles benefited from warmer winter temperatures. Although metabolic costs decrease with decreasing temperature in the hibernacula, arousal costs increase with decreasing temperature. Our results suggest that this trade-off is experienced differently by immature and mature individuals. We also observed an increase in population density during that time period, suggesting resources are less limited today than they used to be. Cheatgrass is now dominating the study site and may provide a better food source to UGS than native plants did historically.
Data from: Competence increases survival during stress in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Horizontal gene transfer mediated by transformation is of central importance in bacterial evolution. However, numerous questions remain about the maintenance of processes that underlie transformation. Most hypotheses for the benefits of transformation focus on what bacteria might do with DNA, but ignore the important fact that transformation is subsumed within the broader process of competence. Accordingly, the apparent benefits of transformation might rely less on recombination than on other potential benefits associated with the broader suite of traits regulated by competence. We examined the importance of this distinction in the naturally competent species Streptococcus pneumoniae, focussing specifically on predictions of the DNA-for-repair hypothesis. We confirm earlier results in other naturally competent species that transformation protects against DNA-damaging stress. In addition, we show that the stress-protection extends to non-DNA-damaging stress. More important, we find that for some forms of stress transformation is not required for cells to benefit from the induction of competence. This rejects the narrowly defined DNA-for-repair hypotheses and provides the first support for Claverys' hypothesis that competence, but not necessarily transformation, may act as a general process to relieve stress. Our results highlight the need to distinguish benefits of transformation from broader benefits of competence that do not rely on DNA uptake and recombination.
Data from: Regulation of HBEGF by micro-RNA for survival of developing human trophoblast cells
Introduction: The growth factor HBEGF is upregulated post-transcriptionally in the low O2 environment of the human placenta during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. We have examined the possible roles of HBEGF turnover and micro-RNA (miRNA) in its regulation by O2 in human first trimester trophoblast. Methods: HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells were cultured at 2% or 20% O2. The cells were transfected with a dual luciferase reporter construct (psiCHECK-2) containing no insert (control), the HBEGF 3' untranslated region (3'UTR), or sub-regions of the 3'UTR, as well as with siRNA for DGCR8. RNA was extracted from trophoblast cells cultured at 2% O2 for 0–4 h for next-generation sequencing. HBEGF was quantified by ELISA. HBEGF, DGCR8, and β–actin were examined by western blotting. Results: Protein turnover studies, using 10 μg/ml cyclohexamide, 1 μg/ml lactocystin, or 100 μg/ml MG132, demonstrated faster HBEGF degradation at 20% O2 than 2% O2, mediated by the proteasome. However, proteasome inhibition failed to initiate HBEGF accumulation at 20% O2. Reporter assays, comparing to empty vector, demonstrated that the intact HBEGF 3' UTR inhibited expression (0.26), while fragments containing only its flanking regions increased reporter activity (3.15; 3.43). No differential expression of miRNAs was found in trophoblast cells cultured at 2% and 20% O2. Nevertheless, HBEGF upregulation at 2% O2 was blocked when the miRNA-processing protein DGCR8 was silenced, suggesting a role for miRNA. Conclusion: Our findings suggest involvement of flanking regions of the 3'UTR in activating HBEGF protein synthesis in response to 2% O2, possibly through a miRNA-mediated mechanism.
Data from: Different effects of paternal trans-generational immune priming on survival and immunity in step and genetic offspring
Paternal trans-generational immune priming, whereby fathers provide immune protection to offspring, has been demonstrated in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum exposed to the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis. It is currently unclear how such protection is transferred, as in contrast to mothers, fathers do not directly provide offspring with a large amount of substances. In addition to sperm, male flour beetles transfer seminal fluids in a spermatophore to females during copulation. Depending on whether paternal trans-generational immune priming is mediated by sperm or seminal fluids, it is expected to either affect only the genetic offspring of a male, or also their step offspring that are sired by another male. We therefore conducted a double-mating experiment and found that only the genetic offspring of an immune primed male show enhanced survival upon bacterial challenge, while phenoloxidase activity, an important insect immune trait, and the expression of the immune receptor PGRP were increased in all offspring. This indicates that information leading to enhanced survival upon pathogen exposure is transferred via sperm, and thus potentially constitutes an epigenetic effect, whereas substances transferred with the seminal fluid could have an additional influence on offspring immune traits and immunological alertness.
Data from: Diet complexity in early life affects survival in released pheasants by altering foraging efficiency, food choice, handling skills and gut morphology
1. Behavioural and physiological deficiencies are major reasons why reintroduction programmes suffer from high mortality when captive animals are used. Mitigation of these deficiencies is essential for successful reintroduction programmes. 2. Our study manipulated early developmental diet to better replicate foraging behaviour in the wild. Over 2 years, we hand-reared 1800 pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), from 1 day old, for 7 weeks under different dietary conditions. In year one, 900 pheasants were divided into three groups and reared with (i) commercial chick crumb, (ii) crumb plus 1% live mealworm or (iii) crumb plus 5% mixed seed and fruit. In year two, a further 900 pheasants were divided into two groups and reared with (i) commercial chick crumb or (ii) crumb plus a combination of 1% mealworm and 5% mixed seed and fruit. In both years, the commercial chick crumb acted as a control treatment, whilst those with live prey and mixed seeds and fruits mimicking a more naturalistic diet. After 7 weeks reared on these diets, pheasants were released into the wild. 3. Postrelease survival was improved with exposure to more naturalistic diets prior to release. We identified four mechanisms to explain this. Pheasants reared with more naturalistic diets (i) foraged for less time and had a higher likelihood of performing vigilance behaviours, (ii) were quicker at handling live prey items, (iii) were less reliant on supplementary feed which could be withdrawn and (iv) developed different gut morphologies. 4. These mechanisms allowed the pheasants to (i) reduce the risk of predation by reducing exposure time whilst foraging and allowing more time to be vigilant; (ii) be better at handling and discriminating natural food items and not be solely reliant on supplementary feed; and (iii) have a better gut system to cope with the natural forage after the cessation of supplementary feeding in the spring. 5. Learning food discrimination, preference and handling skills by the provision of a more naturalistic diet is essential prior to the release of pheasants in a reintroduction programme. Subsequent diet, foraging behaviour, gut morphology and digestive capabilities all work together as one nutritional complex. Simple manipulations during early development can influence these characteristics to better prepare an individual for survival upon release.
Data from: Altered leaf elemental composition with climate change is linked to reductions in photosynthesis, growth and survival in a semiarid shrubland
Climate change will increase heat and drought stress in many dryland areas, which could reduce soil nutrient availability for plants and aggravate nutrient limitation of primary productivity. Any negative impacts of climate change on foliar nutrient contents would be expected to negatively affect the photosynthetic capacity, water use efficiency and overall fitness of dryland vegetation. We conducted a four-year manipulative experiment using open top chambers and rainout shelters to assess the impacts of warming (~2ºC, W), rainfall reduction (~30%, RR) and their combination (W+RR) on the nutrient status and ecophysiological performance of six native shrub species of contrasting phylogeny in a semiarid ecosystem. Leaf nutrient status and gas exchange were assessed yearly, whereas biomass production and survival were measured at the end of the study. Warming (W and W+RR) advanced shoot growth phenology and reduced foliar macro- (N, P, K) and micronutrient (Cu, Fe, Zn) concentrations (by 8-18% and 14-56%, respectively), net photosynthetic rate (32%), aboveground biomass production (28-39%) and survival (23-46%). Decreased photosynthesis and growth in W and W+RR plants was primarily linked to enhanced nutritional constraints on carbon fixation. Poor leaf nutrient status in W and W+RR plants partly decoupled carbon assimilation from water flux and led to drastic reductions in water use efficiency (WUEi; ~41%) across species. The RR treatment moderately decreased foliar macro- and micronutrients (6-17%, except for Zn) and biomass production (22%). The interactive impacts of warming and rainfall reduction (W+RR treatment) on plant performance were generally smaller than expected from additive single‐factor effects. Synthesis: Large decreases in plant nutrient pool size and productivity combined with increased mortality during hotter droughts will reduce vegetation cover and nutrient retention capacity, thereby disrupting biogeochemical processes and accelerating dryland degradation with impending climate change. Increased macro- and micronutrient co-limitation of photosynthesis with forecasted climate change conditions may offset any gains in WUEi and productivity derived from anthropogenic CO2 elevation, thereby increasing dryland vegetation vulnerability to drought stress in a warmer and drier climate. The generalized reduction in leaf nutrient contents with warming compromises plant nutritional quality for herbivores, with potential cascading negative effects across trophic levels.
Data from: Competition, seed dispersal, and hunting: what drives germination and seedling survival in an Afrotropical forest?
Disentangling the contributions of different processes that influence plant recruitment, such as competition and seed dispersal, is important given the increased human-mediated changes in tropical forest ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that seedling communities in an Afro-tropical rainforest in Southeastern Nigeria are strongly affected by the loss of important seed dispersing primates, including Cross River gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes elioti), and drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus). Here we study how germination and survival of tree seedlings are affected by competition and reduced seed-dispersal in three contiguous forest reserves, in Southeastern Nigeria, with similar mature tree species composition and structure. We use an experimental design aimed at manipulating the effect of competition among seedlings in three protected and three hunted sites within the reserves. We use a total of sixty 5×5 m plots of three types: plots cleared of all seedlings, plots selectively cleared of all primate-dispersed seedlings and control plots. All seedlings were identified, measured, assigned to dispersal mode, and tagged, and after one year we evaluated survival, mortality and new recruits. We found that in hunted sites germination of abiotically dispersed species was over four times higher in cleared plots compared to control plots, whereas germination of primate dispersed species was the same, which indicated that dispersal limitation was the dominant force in seedling recruitment in hunted sites. This was supported by the fact that the germination of all dispersal modes in the selectively cleared plots in protected sites was similar to the control plots in the same sites, but germination of abiotically dispersed species was significantly lower than in cleared plots in hunted sites. Competition among seedlings was mostly evident from the fact that 75% more seedlings of primate dispersed species germinated in cleared compared to control plots in protected sites. We conclude that inter-seedling competition may be irrelevant to seedling recruitment in hunted sites, where dispersal limitation appears to be a much stronger force shaping the seedling plant community, and thus hunting indirectly reverses the importance of competition and dispersal limitation in structuring seedling communities.
Data from: Maternal sexual interactions affect offspring survival and ageing
In many species, females exposed to increased sexual activity experience reductions in longevity. Here, in Drosophila melanogaster, we report an additional effect on females brought about by sexual interactions, an effect that spans generations. We subjected females to a sexual treatment consisting of different levels of sexual activity and then investigated patterns of mortality in their offspring. We found reduced probabilities of survival, increases in the rate of senescence and a pattern of reduced mean longevities, for offspring produced by mothers that experienced higher levels of sexual interaction. We contend that these effects constitute trans-generational costs of sexual conflict – the existence or implications of which have rarely been considered previously. Our results indicate that ongoing exposure by mothers to male precopulatory interactions is itself sufficient to drive trans-generational effects on offspring mortality. Thus, we show that increases in maternal sexual activity can produce trans-generational effects that permeate through to latter life stages in the offspring. This helps to elucidate the complex interplay between sex and ageing and provides new insights into the dynamics of adaptation under sexual selection.
Data from: Socially selected ornaments and fitness: signals of fighting ability in paper wasps are positively associated with survival, reproductive success, and rank
Many animals have ornaments that mediate choice and competition in social and sexual contexts. Individuals with elaborate sexual ornaments typically have higher fitness than those with less elaborate ornaments, but less is known about whether socially selected ornaments are associated with fitness. Here, we test the relationship between fitness and facial patterns that are a socially-selected signal of fighting ability in Polistes dominula wasps. We found wasps that signal higher fighting ability have larger nests, are more likely to survive harsh winters, and obtain higher dominance rank than wasps that signal lower fighting ability. In comparison, body weight was not associated with fitness. Larger wasps were dominant over smaller wasps, but showed no difference nest size or survival. Overall, the positive relationship between wasp facial patterns and fitness indicates that receivers can obtain diverse information about a signaler's phenotypic quality by paying attention to socially selected ornaments. Therefore, there are surprisingly strong parallels between the information conveyed by socially and sexually selected signals. Similar fitness relationships in social and sexually selected signals may be one reason it can be difficult to distinguish the role of social versus sexual selection in ornament evolution.
Data from: Deciphering a survival strategy during the interspecific competition between Bacillus cereus MSM-S1 and Pseudomonas sp. MSM-M1
Interspecific competition in bacteria governs colony growth dynamics and pattern formation. Here, we demonstrate an interesting phenomenon of interspecific competition between Bacillus cereus MSM-S1 and Pseudomonas sp. MSM-M1, where secretion of an inhibitor by Pseudomonas sp. is used as a strategy for survival. Although B. cereus grows faster than Pseudomonas sp., in the presence of Pseudomonas sp. the population of B. cereus reduces significantly, whereas Pseudomonas sp. do not show any marked alteration in their population growth. Appearance of a zone of inhibition between growing colonies of two species on nutrient agar prevents the expanding front of the MSM-S1 colony from accessing and depleting nutrients in the region occupied by MSM-M1, thereby aiding the survival of the slower growing MSM-M1 colonies. To support our experimental results, we present simulations, based on a chemotactic model of colony growth dynamics. We demonstrate that the chemical(s) secreted by Pseudomonas sp. is responsible for the observed inhibition of growth and spatial pattern of the B. cereus MSM-S1 colony. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with the numerical results and confirm that secreted inhibitors enable Pseudomonas sp. to survive and coexist in the presence of faster growing B. cereus, in a common niche.
Data from: Heterozygosity and survival in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): contrasting effects of presumably functional and neutral loci
The relationship between genetic diversity and fitness has important implications in evolutionary and conservation biology. This relationship has been widely investigated at the individual level in studies of heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFC). General effects due to inbreeding and/or local effects at single loci have been used as explanations of HFC, but the debate about the causes of HFC in open, natural populations is still ongoing. Study designs that control for variation in the inbreeding level of the individuals, and knowledge on the function and location of the markers used to measure heterozygosity, are fundamental to understand the causes of HFC. Here we investigated correlations between individual heterozygosity and estimates of survival at different life-history stages in an open population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). For survival at the embryo, nestling and fledgling stage we used a full-sibling approach, i.e. we controlled for the level of inbreeding. We genotyped 1496 individuals with 79 microsatellites distributed across 25 chromosomes in another passerine and classified either as potentially functional (58 loci) or neutral (21 loci). We found different effects of standardized multilocus heterozygosity (SH): SHfunctional had a negative effect on the probability of hatching and local recruitment of females, whereas SHneutral had a positive effect on adult survival. The negative effects of functional loci are better explained by local effects, whereas the positive effects of neutral markers could reflect inbreeding effects in the population. Our results highlight the importance of considering the characteristics of the markers used in HFC studies and confirm the mixed effects of heterozygosity in different contexts (e.g. sex and life-history stage).
Data from: The importance of mammalian torpor for survival in a post-fire landscape
Wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity worldwide with climate change as a main driving factor. While a number of studies have focused on population changes in regard to fires, there are essentially no quantitative data on behavioural and physiological adjustments that are vital for the persistence of individuals during and after fires. Here we show that brown antechinus, a small insectivorous marsupial mammal, (i) endured a prescribed fire in situ, (ii) remained in their scorched home range despite unburned areas nearby, and (iii) substantially increased post-fire torpor use and thus reduced foraging requirements and exposure to predators. Hence, torpor is a physiological adaptation that, although not quantified in this context previously, appears to play a key role in post-fire survival for this and other heterothermic species.
Data from: Climate effects on growth, body condition and survival depend on the genetic characteristics of the population
Climatic change is expected to affect individual life-histories and population dynamics, potentially increasing vulnerability to extinction. The importance of genetic diversity has been highlighted for adaptation and population persistence. However, whether responses of life-history traits to a given environmental condition depend on the genetic characteristics of a population remains elusive. Here we tested this hypothesis in the lizard Zootoca vivipara, by simultaneously manipulating habitat humidity, a major climatic predictor of Zootoca's distribution, and adult male colour morph frequency, a trait with genome-wide linkage. Interactive effects of humidity and morph frequency had immediate effects on growth and body condition of juveniles and yearlings, and on adult survival, and delayed effects on offspring size. In yearlings, higher humidity led to larger female body size, and lower humidity led to higher male compared to female survival. In juveniles and yearlings, some treatment effects were compensated over time. The results show that individual responses to environmental conditions depend on the population's colour morph frequency, age class and sex, and that these affect intra- and inter-age class competition. Moreover, humidity affected the competitive environment, rather than imposing trait-based selection on specific colour morphs. This indicates that species' responses to changing environments, e.g. to climate change, are highly complex, and difficult to accurately reconstruct and predict without information on the genetic characteristics and demographic structure of populations.
Data from: Mandible-powered escape jumps in trap-jaw ants increase survival rates during predator-prey encounters
Animals use a variety of escape mechanisms to increase the probability of surviving predatory attacks. Antipredator defenses can be elaborate, making their evolutionary origin unclear. Trap-jaw ants are known for their rapid and powerful predatory mandible strikes, and some species have been observed to direct those strikes at the substrate, thereby launching themselves into the air away from a potential threat. This potential escape mechanism has never been examined in a natural context. We studied the use of mandible-powered jumping in Odontomachus brunneus during their interactions with a common ant predator: pit-building antlions. We observed that while trap-jaw ant workers escaped from antlion pits by running in about half of interactions, in 15% of interactions they escaped by mandible-powered jumping. To test whether escape jumps improved individual survival, we experimentally prevented workers from jumping and measured their escape rate. Workers with unrestrained mandibles escaped from antlion pits significantly more frequently than workers with restrained mandibles. Our results indicate that some trap-jaw ant species can use mandible-powered jumps to escape from common predators. These results also provide a charismatic example of evolutionary co-option, where a trait that evolved for one function (predation) has been co-opted for another (defense).
Data from: Pre- and post-natal effects of experimentally manipulated maternal corticosterone on growth, stress reactivity, and survival of nestling house wrens
1. Corticosterone plays a central role in maintaining homeostasis, promoting energy acquisition, and regulating the stress response in birds. Exposure to elevated levels of corticosterone during development can profoundly alter offspring behaviour and physiology, but the effects of elevated maternal corticosterone on offspring development remain poorly understood. 2. We tested two competing hypotheses concerning the effect of maternally derived corticosterone on growth and development of free-living house wrens: i) elevated maternal corticosterone causes damaging effects on nestling phenotype and fitness (collateral damage hypothesis) and (ii) increased maternal corticosterone enhances offspring fitness by preparing nestlings for the environment experienced by their mother (environmental/maternal-matching hypothesis). 3. We used a non-invasive means to increase maternal corticosterone by providing females with corticosterone-injected mealworms prior to and during egg production in the absence of any overt pre-natal maternal stress. To disentangle pre- and post-natal effects of this elevation in maternal corticosterone, we cross-fostered young in two experiments: i) nestlings of control and experimental females were reared by unmanipulated, natural females in a uniform maternal environment; ii) a split-brood design that enabled us to assess the interaction between the mother's corticosterone treatment and that of the nestlings. 4. There were significant pre-natal effects of increased maternal corticosterone on nestling growth and survival. Offspring of females experiencing experimentally increased corticosterone were heavier and larger than offspring of control females. There also was a significant interaction between maternal corticosterone treatment and the corticosterone treatment to which young were exposed within the egg in their effect on nestling survival while in the nest; experimental young exhibited greater survival than control young, but only when reared by control mothers. There was also a significant effect of maternal corticosterone treatment on nestling stress reactivity and, in both experiments, on the eventual recruitment of offspring as breeding adults in the local population. 5. These patterns are broadly consistent with the environmental/maternal-matching hypothesis, and highlight the importance of disentangling pre- and post-natal effects of manipulations of maternal hormone levels on offspring phenotype.
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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.