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opennotspecifiedDec 2019View details →

FIGURE 2 in A new genus and two new species of sea stars (Family Asterinidae) from Indonesian marine lakes, with notes on habitat and feeding ecology

FIGURE 2. Internal structures of Limnasterias gen. nov., A–B Limnasterias oinops holotype, MZB.Astr.00040: A. Ray and abactinal surface removed to show absence of superambulacral plates (arrow) B. Appressed superactinal plate at distal edge of interradius (arrow) C. Limnasterias estradivariae paratype, MZB.Astr.00047, abactinal surface and ray removed, showing interradial pillar (arrow) and absence of superambulacral plates D. L. estradivariae paratype, MZB.Astr.00048, superactinal plate (arrow). Note that residual fibers from packaging are present in Fig. 2C.

opennotspecifiedDec 2019View details →

FIGURE 4 in A new genus and two new species of sea stars (Family Asterinidae) from Indonesian marine lakes, with notes on habitat and feeding ecology

FIGURE 4. Live and in situ observations of Limnasterias gen. nov. A. Limnasterias oinops, paratype, MZB.Astr.00042, live animal. B. Regurgitated remains of cannibalized L. oinops with visible furrow spines (arrow). C. Limnasterias estradivariae, paratype, MZB.Astr.00047, live animal. D. L. oinops on macroalgae. E. L. estradivariae on macroalgae.

Figure 6. Feeding variation during ENSO phenomenon. a in Life is uncertainı eat dessert first: feeding ecology and prey-predator interactions of the coffee snake Ninia atrata

Figure 6. Feeding variation during ENSO phenomenon. a) Linear regression models that relate the number of snakes with stomach content and prey abundance at microhabitats per sampling visit (n = 32). b) t-Test comparing the abundance of snakes with stomach content (n = 314) between good and bad climate years. Box represents the interquartile range, the line across the box indicates the median, the minimal and maximal values are provided with the whiskers.

Figure 4 in Life is uncertainı eat dessert first: feeding ecology and prey-predator interactions of the coffee snake Ninia atrata

Figure 4. Patterns of food intake, fat storage, and body size between sexes. a) The density of individuals with stomach contents tends to increase constantly with the increment of the body size in males. In contrast, the number of females with stomach contents start to grow nearly when their reached size of sexual maturity (>270 mm), before it, females maintain almost the same number of individuals with stomach contents despite their increase in body size (n = 264). b) Fat body area increase with the increment of the body size, being higher in females than males (n = 170). Redline depicts sexual maturity size in females.

Figure 3 in Life is uncertainı eat dessert first: feeding ecology and prey-predator interactions of the coffee snake Ninia atrata

Figure 3. Sexual dimorphism of Ninia atrata. a) Linear regression model of weight versus snout-vent length (SVL) depicting no-significative differences between sexes (n = 425). b) ANCOVA analysis depicting that males have longer heads than females in relation to their weight (n = 170).

Figure 1 in Life is uncertainı eat dessert first: feeding ecology and prey-predator interactions of the coffee snake Ninia atrata

Figure 1. Study area. Oil palm plantation (Elaeis guineensis Jacq 1897) of PALMASOL S.A. Red polygons represent the production batches sampled. Snakes collected from batches 8, 9 and 15 were fixed to perform dissections of their digestive tracts. Snakes from the Batch 13 were employed in the mark-recapture experiments.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Dental molds from: Three-dimensional dental topography and feeding ecology in the extinct cave bear

The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus s.l.) is an iconic extinct bear that inhabited the Pleistocene of Eurasia whose extinction causes are controversial. To identify the actual causes of the cave bear extinction, it is crucial to understand their feeding preferences. Here, we quantify shape descriptor metrics (DNE, RFI and OPCR) in three dimensional (3D) models of cave bear upper teeth (P4-M2) to make inferences on its controversial feeding behaviour. We use a comparative sample including representatives of all living bear species with known diets as a template. Our topographic analyses evidence that the complexity of upper tooth rows in living bears is more associated with the mechanical properties of the items consumed than with the type of food. Cave bears exhibit intermediate values on topographic metrics between those exhibited by the bamboo-feeder giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and those taken by specialists in hard-mast consumption (Ursus arctos and Ursus thibetanus). The crown topography of cave bear upper teeth suggests a high efficiency to chew on tough vegetal resources of lower-quality, and no living bear is currently exploiting it. Our results align with a climatic-driven hypothesis to explain demise in cave bear populations during the late Pleistocene.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Feeding ecology of Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Norwegian spring-spawning herring and blue whiting in the Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian spring-spawning (NSS) herring (Clupea harengus), blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and Northeast Atlantic (NEA) mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are extremely abundant pelagic planktivores that feed in the Norwegian Sea (NS) during spring and summer. This study investigated the feeding ecology and diet composition of these commercially important fish stocks on the basis of biological data, including an extensive set of stomach samples in combination with hydrographical data, zooplankton samples and acoustic abundance data from 12 stock monitoring surveys carried out in 2005-2010. Mackerel were absent during the spring, but had generally high feeding overlap with herring in the summer, with a diet mainly based on calanoid copepods, especially Calanus finmarchicus, as well as a similar diet width. Stomach fullness in herring diminished from spring to summer and feeding incidence was lower than that of mackerel in summer. However, stomach fullness did not differ between the two species, indicating that herring maintain an equally efficient pattern of feeding as mackerel in summer, but on a diet that is less dominated by copepods and is more reliant on larger prey. Blue whiting tended to have a low dietary overlap with mackerel and herring, with larger prey such as euphausiids and amphipods dominating, and stomach fullness and feeding incidence increasing with length. For all the species feeding incidence increased with decreasing temperature, and for mackerel so did stomach fullness, indicating that feeding activity is highest in areas associated with colder water masses. Significant annual effects on diet composition and feeding-related variables suggested that the three species are able to adapt to different food and environmental conditions. These annual effects are likely to have an important impact on the predation pressure on different plankton groups and the carrying capacity of individual systems, and emphasise the importance of regular monitoring of pelagic fish diets.

opencc-zeroMay 2019View details →

Data from: Comparative feeding behaviour of native and introduced terrestrial snails tracks their ecological impacts

A developing body of theory and empirical evidence suggest that feeding behaviour as measured by the functional response (FR) can assist researchers in assessing the relative potential ecological impacts and competitive abilities of native and introduced species. Here, we explored the FRs of two land snails that occur in SW Ontario, one native (Mesodon thyroidus) and one non-indigenous (Cepaea nemoralis) to Canada. The non-indigenous species appears to have low ecological impact and inferior competitive abilities. Consistent with theory, while both species conformed to Type II functional responses, the native species had a significantly higher attack rate (5.30 vs 0.41, respectively) and slightly lower handling time (0.020 vs. 0.023), and hence a higher maximum feeding rate (50.0 vs 43.5). The non-indigenous species exhibited a significantly longer time to contact for a variety of food types, and appeared less discriminating of paper that was offered as a non-food type. The non-indigenous species also ate significantly less food when in mixed species trials with the native snail. These feeding patterns match the known low ecological impact of the introduced snail and are consistent with the view that it is an inferior competitor relative to the native species. However, field experimentation is required to clarify whether the largely microallopatric distributions of the two species in SW Ontario reflect competitive dominance by the native species or other factors such as habitat preference, feeding preferences or predator avoidance. The relative patterns of feeding behaviour and ecological impact are, however, fully in line with recent functional response theory and application.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Feeding ecology is the primary driver of beak shape diversification in waterfowl

The diversity of beak shapes among birds is often assumed to be largely the result of adaptations to different feeding behaviors and diets. However, this assumption has only been tested for a small subset of avian diversity, primarily within the order Passeriformes. Moreover, given the role of the beak in behaviors other than feeding and given that most previously identified beak-feeding associations concern beak size rather than shape, it remains unclear how much of beak shape diversity is explained by feeding ecology and what functional explanations account for these differences in shape. I quantified the association between beak shape and feeding ecology for 42 species in the bird order Anseriformes (waterfowl) using 3D curvature of the upper beak collected from museum specimens and continuous dietary data compiled from the literature. I also tested whether leverage or stress resistance of the beak explains the association between beak shape and feeding ecology. Diet is strongly and significantly correlated with beak shape in waterfowl. An ancestral beak shape reconstruction and the reconstructed diet of the anseriform fossil Presbyornis both support filter-feeding as ancestral for most waterfowl, followed by multiple, significantly convergent transitions from a duck-like beak toward a more goose-like beak. The evolution of a more goose-like beak is associated with increased consumption of leaves, decreased consumption of invertebrates, and an increase in mechanical advantage of the beak. Moreover, no association was identified between size (measured as either beak size or body mass) and feeding ecology nor between size and beak shape. These results demonstrate that feeding ecology has acted as the primary selective force in the diversification of waterfowl beak shapes, including the convergent originations of geese. Thus, rapid and convergent adaptation of the beak to feeding is not limited to passerines nor is it limited to size-correlated shape changes. The positive evolutionary correlation between mechanical advantage and herbivory shows that lever mechanics can explain the functional evolution of the kinetic upper beak in birds. These results also suggest that functions of the beak other than feeding may play a minor role in explaining overall beak shape diversity.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: A second New World hover fly, Toxomerus floralis (Fabricius) (Diptera: Syrphidae), recorded from the Old World, with description of larval pollen-feeding ecology

Recently (2013–2014), several hoverfly specimens from two localities in Benin and Cameroon (West and Central Africa) were caught from a species that we could not identify using existing identification keys for Afrotropical Syrphidae. Specific identification as Toxomerus floralis (Fabricius) was accomplished using morphology and various Neotropical identification keys. Corroboration of this identification was made by sequencing of the standard COI barcode region and a subsequent BLAST-IDS in BOLD that revealed a 100% sequence similarity with Toxomerus floralis from Suriname (South America). Species identification was further supported by sequencing parts of the nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA genes. The species is widespread in Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, and eggs, larvae and adults are abundant at several localities. Yet, the full extent of its geographic distribution within tropical Africa remains to be determined. This is only the second known established introduction of a non-African hoverfly species in the Afrotropics. Interestingly, the larvae of the species have been reported as predators of Aphididae and Delphacidae but we found them to be pollenivorous, which is a rare feeding mode within the subfamily Syrphinae. Moreover, it is the only known Syrphinae species of which the larvae feed on pollen from two plant species from different families (Cyperaceae and Orobranchaceae). This example illustrates how DNA barcoding may allow a fast and accurate identification of introduced species.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Feed or fight: testing the impact of food availability and intraspecific aggression on the functional ecology of an island lizard

Body size often varies among insular populations relative to continental conspecifics – the 'island rule' – and functional, context-dependent morphological differences tend to track this body size variation on islands. Two hypotheses are often proposed as potential drivers of insular population differences in morphology: one relating to diet and the other involving intraspecific competition and aggression. We directly tested whether differences in morphology and maximum bite capacity were explained by interisland changes in hardness of both available and consumed prey, and levels of lizard-to-lizard aggression among small-island populations. Our study included 11 islands in the Greek Cyclades and made use of a gradient in island area spanning five orders of magnitude. We focused on the widespread lizard Podarcis erhardii. We found that on smaller islands, P. erhardii body size was larger, head height was larger relative to body size, and maximum bite capacity became proportionally stronger. This pattern in morphology and performance was not related to differences in diet, but was highly correlated with proxies of intraspecific aggression – bite scars and missing toes. Our findings suggest that critical functional traits such as body size and bite force in P. erhardii follow the predictions of the island rule and are changing in response to changes in the competitive landscape across islands of different sizes.

opennotspecifiedJun 2012View details →

Figs. 1–5. 1 in Ecological Description of Two Seed-Feeding Weevils of the GenusMononychusGermar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) onIris ibericaHoffmann andIris spuriaL. in Northeastern Turkey

Figs. 1–5. 1) Iris iberica; 2) An example of I. iberica habitat under agricultural pressure; 3) Infested seed capsule of I. iberica with oviposition and feeding holes; 4) Larvae of Mononychus schoenherrii feeding in a seed capsule; 5) Young adult of M. schoenherrii newly emergent from a seed capsule.

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2023View details →

Trends in elasmobranchs' feeding ecology studies - Data S1

A listed of 599 papers used and fitted the criteria (i.e. feeding studies about elasmobranchs) were reviewed.

opennotspecifiedMay 2024View details →

Figure 3 in Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena (Linnaeus 1758): feeding ecology based on den prey remains in a pastoralist landscape, southern Kenya

Figure 3: General and detail view of the (a) Lenkobei basal block of rugged rock outcrops containing (b) many cavities and hideouts, with dispersed bones and scats (credit J.-Ph. Brugal).

opennotspecifiedMay 2024View details →

Figure 2 in Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena (Linnaeus 1758): feeding ecology based on den prey remains in a pastoralist landscape, southern Kenya

Figure 2: Location of the Hill Den and panorama of the Shompole plains (white car: red arrow). Photo taken from the hilltop where den was located (credit J.-Ph. Brugal).