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opencc-zeroMar 2022View details →

Divergence in life-history traits among three populations of the sea snake Emydocephalus anulatus

Life-history traits such as rates of growth, survival and reproduction can vary though time within a single population, or through space among populations, due to abiotically-driven changes in resource availability. In terrestrial reptiles, parameters such as temperature and rainfall generate variation in life-histories – but other parameters likely are more important in marine systems. We studied three populations of sea snakes (Emydocephalus annulatus) in adjacent bays in the IndoPacific archipelago of New Caledonia. The extreme philopatry of individual snakes allows us to unambiguously allocate each animal to one of the three populations. Although water temperatures and rainfall do not differ over this small scale, one site experiences more intense winds, restricting opportunities for foraging. Our 18-year mark-recapture dataset (>1,200 snakes, >2,400 captures) reveals significant divergence among populations in life-history traits. Survival rates and population densities were similar among sites, but snakes at the most wind-exposed site (Anse Vata) exhibited lower body condition, slower growth, less frequent production of litters, and smaller litters. Weather-driven variation in feeding rates thus may affect life-history traits of marine snakes as well as their terrestrial counterparts, but driven by different parameters (e.g., wind exposure rather than variation in temperatures or rainfall).

opencc-zeroSep 2022View details →

Lifetime reproductive output and life-history traits of lizards

Aim: Latitudinal gradients in life-history traits are apparent in many taxa and are expected to be strong for ectotherms that have temperature-driven constraints on performance and fitness. The strength of these gradients, however, should also be affected by diet. Because diet type (carnivory, omnivory, herbivory) influences accessibility to nutrition and assimilation efficiency, we aim to study how diet affects latitudinal gradients in lifetime reproductive output and the underlying life-history traits in ectotherms. Location: Global. Time period: Recent. Major taxa studied: Lizards (Reptilia, Squamata, Sauria). Methods: We used empirical (352 species) and phylogenetically imputed data (563 species) to analyse the interactive effects of latitude and diet on life-history traits (longevity, age at maturity, reproductive lifespan, hatchling mass, clutch/brood size, clutch/brood frequency, female mass) and lifetime reproductive output of lizards. Results: Lifetime reproductive output does not significantly differ in lizards across diet types, and only carnivores exhibit a small increase at higher latitudes. Diet type, however, influences latitudinal patterns of individual life-history traits. Carnivores exhibit a shift towards "slower-paced" life-histories at higher latitudes for most traits (increased longevity, age at maturity, reproductive lifespan, and decreased clutch frequency). By contrast, herbivores either display "faster-paced" life-histories (reduction in reproductive lifespan, hatchling mass, female mass) or no change (clutch frequency, clutch size, age at maturity) at higher latitudes. Omnivores exhibit intermediate and muted latitudinal patterns. Main conclusions: We suggest that the nutritional challenges of herbivory, compounded by thermal constraints at higher latitudes, may explain differences in life-history characteristics of herbivorous ectotherms. Intermediate patterns exhibited by omnivores highlight how flexibility in diet can buffer environmental challenges at higher latitudes. Our results indicate that lizards with different diet types display various trends in their life-histories across latitudes, which eventually balance out to result in similar reproductive outputs throughout their lifetime, with little benefits to carnivory.

opencc-zeroSep 2022View details →

Idiosyncratic shifts in life-history traits at species' geographic range edges

Anthropogenic changes drive shifts in species' geographic distributions and increase the occurrence of leading or trailing-edge marginal populations. Theoretical predictions and empirical observations indicate substantial changes in life-history traits in marginal populations, often involving dispersal and reproductive abilities. Using a common garden experiment, we studied the variation of life-history traits of populations sampled on spatial gradients extending from range-core to range-edge habitats for three expanding (miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata, Danish scurvygrass Cochlearia danica, and rock samphire Crithmum maritimum) and one receding plant species (dune pansy Viola tricolor subs. curtisii). We monitored life-history traits related to dispersal, phenology, survival, reproductive output, and selfing ability. Significant shifts in life-history traits between central and marginal populations strongly differed among species. Marginal populations of the three expanding species displayed modified seed weight in natura, suggesting increased dispersal abilities in leading-edge populations. Discarding unassessed maternal effects, this trait modification can be due to phenotypic plasticity or to genetic differentiation. In miner's lettuce, marginal expanding populations show advanced phenology and higher reproductive output, which may potentially influence their colonization ability. In rock samphire, life-history traits showed large intra- and inter-population variability that did not follow a core-to-edge geographic trend, except for seed size. Finally, the receding populations of the dune pansy displayed a shift towards a plant architecture maximizing survival but reducing individual reproductive success. Altogether, our results indicated a common trend for increased dispersal abilities in marginal populations of expanding species. However, shifts in species' distributions may drive idiosyncratic changes in other life-history traits, for which we observed no general evolutionary syndrome at range edges. These findings go along a stochastic view of trait evolution during range expansion and question how to draw predictive projections of species' distribution shifts under current global change.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2014View details →

Supplementary material 2 from: Grimm A, Ramírez AMP, Moulherat S, Reynaud J, Henle K (2014) Life-history trait database of European reptile species. Nature Conservation 9: 45-67. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.9.8908

Comments on taxonomy and species coverage: Explanation note: The supplementary material consists of several tables that explain differences between our updated list of species names to the lists used by Sillero et al. (2014) in their new SEH list of species and the list of Speybroeck et al. (2010).

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2014View details →

Supplementary material 1 from: Grimm A, Ramírez AMP, Moulherat S, Reynaud J, Henle K (2014) Life-history trait database of European reptile species. Nature Conservation 9: 45-67. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.9.8908

Species names used in our database and used in the Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH) atlas: Explanation note: The table matches the species names in the SEH atlas with the updated speceis names used in our database. It thus provides the two species list that can be used to search the database.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2019View details →

Data from: A novel experimental approach for studying life-history traits of phytophagous arthropods utilizing an artificial culture medium

Filename: Developmental.xlsx Variables: 1. id_spec - specimen ID 2. temp - temperature of incubation 3. larv - number of days needed to reach larva stage  4. i_larv - number of days needed to reach immobile larva stage  5. nymph - number of days needed to reach nymph stage  6. i_nymph - number of days needed to reach immobile nymph stage  7. adult - number of days needed to reach adult stage  8. egg - number of days needed to oviposit egg of next generation  Filename: Methods_comparison.xlsx Variables: 1. species (E - Aceria tosichella; T - Tetranychus urticae) 2. variant - applied method: S - standard method (rearing cages for Aceria tosichella; cotton for Tetranychus urticae) N - new method (MIVM rearing for both species) 3. t.trans - time needed to transfer 10 specimens to arena [min] 4. n.24 aa - number of specimens alive within arena after 24 hours 5. n.24 ad - number of specimens dead within arena after 24 hours 6. n.24 oa - number of specimens alive out of the arena after 24 hours 7. n.24 od - number of specimens dead out of the arena after 24 hours 8. t.24 - time needed to check the arena after 24 hours [min] Filename: Survival.xlsx Variables: 1. id_spec - specimen ID 2. temp - temperature of incubation 3. time - numbers of days when individual was observed alive 4. stage - developmental stage which individual reached before death 5. status - 0 - censored observation; 1 - observed event of death

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Convergent and correlated evolution of major life-history traits in the angiosperm genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae)

Natural selection is expected to cause convergence of life histories among taxa as well as correlated evolution of different life-history traits. Here, we quantify the extent of convergence of five key life-history traits (adult fire survival, seed storage, degree of sexual dimorphism, pollination mode, and seed-dispersal mode) and test hypotheses about their correlated evolution in the genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae) from the fire-prone South African fynbos. We reconstructed a new molecular phylogeny of this highly diverse genus that involves more taxa and molecular markers than previously. This reconstruction identifies new clades that were not detected by previous molecular study and morphological classifications. Using this new phylogeny and robust methods that account for phylogenetic uncertainty, we show that the five life-history traits studied were labile during the evolutionary history of the genus. This diversity allowed us to tackle major questions about the correlated evolution of life-history strategies. We found that species with longer seed-dispersal distances tended to evolve lower pollen-dispersal distance, that insect-pollinated species evolved decreased sexual dimorphism, and that species with a persistent soil seed-bank evolved toward reduced fire-survival ability of adults.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: The genetic variance but not the genetic covariance of life-history traits changes towards the north in a time-constrained insect

Seasonal time constraints are usually stronger at higher than lower latitudes and can exert strong selection on life history traits and the correlations among these traits. To predict the response of life history traits to environmental change along a latitudinal gradient, information must be obtained about genetic variance in traits and also genetic correlation between traits, i.e., the genetic variance-covariance matrix, G. Here, we estimated G for key life history traits in an obligate univoltine damselfly that faces seasonal time constraints. We exposed populations to simulated native temperatures and photoperiods and common garden environmental conditions in a laboratory setup. Despite differences in genetic variance in these traits between populations (lower variance at northern latitudes), there was no evidence for latitude-specific covariance of the life history traits. At simulated native conditions, all populations showed strong genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits that shaped growth and development. The variance-covariance matrix changed considerably when populations were exposed to common garden conditions compared with the simulated natural conditions, showing the importance of environmentally induced changes in multivariate genetic structure. Our results highlight the importance of estimating variance-covariance matrixes in environments that mimic selection pressures and not only trait variances or mean trait values in common garden conditions for understanding the trait evolution across populations and environments.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

Host life-history traits influence the distribution of prophages and the genes they carry

Bacterial strains with a short minimal doubling time – "fast-growing" hosts – are more likely to contain prophages than their slow-growing counterparts. Pathogenic bacterial species are likewise more likely to carry prophages. We develop a bioinformatics pipeline to examine the distribution of prophages in fast- and slow-growing lysogens, and pathogenic and non-pathogenic lysogens, analysing both prophage length and gene content for each class. By fitting these results to a mathematical model of the evolutionary forces acting on prophages, we predict whether the observed differences can be attributed to different rates of lysogeny among the host classes, or other evolutionary pressures. We also test for significant differences in gene content among prophages, identifying genes that are preferentially lost or maintained in each class. We find that fast-growing hosts and pathogens have a greater fraction of full-length prophages, and our analysis predicts that prophages confer a greater benefit, on average, to hosts in these two classes. Rates of lysogeny, however, are predicted to be higher in fast-growing hosts but lower in pathogens.

Figure A1 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure A1. Daily growth rate (linear extension) of Cliona tenuis during the three observational periods described in this manuscript and under constant competition with Lobophora variegata, Dictyota pulchella, coral, and short and long turf algae (more details of the methodology are explained in the methods section of this manuscript and in González-Rivero et al. 2012). Error bars depict standard error.

Figure 8 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 8. Size structure of Cliona tenuis populations at: (A) Long Caye Wall and (B) Middle Caye Wall.

Figure 7 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 7. Temporal variation in recruitment (individuals.plot−1) among periods of evaluation and between study sites. Vertical bars depict standard error.

Figure 5 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 5. Linear growth of Cliona tenuis measured during the studied period. The timeline is represented as ordinal dates in days of the year. Data points out of the 5th and 95th confidence intervals (bars) are represented by dots, and box indicates the interquartile range. The solid line inside the box represents the median, whereas the dotted line represents the mean.

Figure 3 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 3. Female reproductive elements in Cliona tenuis. (A) Immature oocyte in April 2009; (B) sparse distribution of immature oocytes in the tissue; (C) mature oocyte showing a distinctive nucleolus and nucleus, and the absence of nurse cells; (D) oocyte distribution and abundance in February 2009.

Figure 1 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 1. Temporal variation of attributes describing the reproductive cycle in Cliona tenuis. (A) Proportion of reproductive sponges (bars) and the total number of individuals sampled (circles); (B) mean propagule size over time; the circles show the number of propagules measured; (C) density of propagules over time. Error bars depict standard error.

Figure 9 in Life-history traits of a common Caribbean coral-excavating sponge, Cliona tenuis (Porifera: Hadromerida)

Figure 9. Seasonal change in sea surface temperature (SST) at the study site over time (ordinal date in days of the year): average temperature over 24 years (grey band) and during the 2009 study year (filled dots). Source: AVHRR pathfinder, NOAA.

opennotspecifiedAug 2021View details →

Figure 1 in Life-history traits of the Brazilian litter-dwelling scorpion: post-embryonic development and reproductive behaviour in Ananteris mauryi Lourenço, 1982 (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

Figure 1. The courtship and mating sequences in Ananteris mauryi Lourenço (1982). (a) Initiation; (b) promenade à deux; (c) insemination and separation. M, male; F, female.

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Predictors of individual performance and evolutionary potential of life-history traits in a hematophagous ectoparasite

Little is known about the intraspecific variation of parasite life-history traits and on how this variation may affect parasite fitness and evolution. We investigated how life-history traits predict success of individual tree-hole ticks Ixodes arboricola and estimated their evolutionary potential, as well as genetic correlations within stages and phenotypic correlations within and across stages. Ticks were followed individually over two generations while allowed to feed on great tits Parus major. After accounting for host and tick maternal effects, we found that short feeding times and high engorgement weights strongly increased moulting success. Also, moulting time was positively correlated with feeding success in adults. In larvae and nymphs we found negative phenotypic correlations between engorgement weight and both feeding and moulting time, the latter supported by a negative genetic correlation. We found sex-related differences in feeding time (longer in male nymphs) and moulting time (longer in male larvae but shorter in male nymphs). Also, time since the last feeding event (set experimentally) reduced larval and nymphal fitness while it increased adult female fitness. Furthermore, we found significant heritability and evolvability, i.e. the potential to respond to selection, for engorgement weight and moulting time across all stages but no significant heritability for feeding time. Our findings suggest that variation in tick fitness is shaped by consistent individual differences in tick quality, for which engorgement weight is a good proxy, rather than by life-history trade-offs.

opencc-zeroFeb 2023View details →

Repeated elevational clines of early life-history traits and their proximate mechanisms in brown trout

1. Climate warming imposes a severe threat to freshwater ecosystems, which are dominated by ectotherms such as fish and aquatic insects. To better predict the effects of climate warming on thermally sensitive ecosystems, information on how temperature affects individual traits within populations is fundamental. 2. Patterns of intraspecific variation in thermal reaction norms along geographic thermal gradients provide valuable information. Immediate temperature effects on individual traits can be inferred from the shape of the thermal reaction norm. The way that temperature and associated environmental conditions (to which populations have been exposed over generations) affect individual traits through transgenerational plasticity in, and/or natural selection on, these traits can also be inferred from patterns of trait variation along a geographic thermal gradient. 3. Many studies have documented patterns of intraspecific variation in thermal reaction norms along geographic thermal gradients. However, most previous studies cannot exclude the possibility that the observed geographic patterns are solely explained by random processes, such as isolation by distance, due to the lack of replication of geographic gradients. Here, we show consistent patterns in intraspecific trait variation along geographic thermal gradients using Salmo trutta (brown trout), which is an ecologically and economically important fish in alpine streams. 4. We kept trout embryos collected from 52 families from 14 populations along wide and replicated elevational gradients from three Alpine drainages (Danube, Po, and Rhine) in two temperature treatments (3.2 and 6.2 °C). Timing and body size at emergence from the nest, which are key early life-history traits of trout affecting their early growth and survival, were measured. 5. Besides faster embryonic development at warmer temperatures, we found that offspring from low-elevation parents took very slightly more days to reach emergence from fertilisation and were larger than offspring from high-elevation parents. Importantly, this was evident for all three drainages. Further analyses found that the higher number of days until- and larger body length at- emergence of low-elevation trout were mainly due to the larger eggs laid by low-elevation females, which had larger body size than high-elevation females. 6. Trout female body size, which is positively correlated with egg size, is susceptible to temperatures and associated environmental conditions. Consequently, climate warming may not only immediately accelerate development rate but also shift timing and size at emergence through egg-size-mediated maternal effects within a relatively short time scale.