Skip to main content
Powered by ShareScore

Find research datasets worth reusing

Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.

371

datasets available to search

ShareScore release 0.9.0

Reset

Dataset results

371 results for “Ecology and Evolution”

Learn how ShareScore rates datasets ↗
dryad32/100

Biogeography and ecological niche evolution in Diapensiaceae inferred from phylogenetic analysis

<p>Diapensiaceae (Ericales) are a small family of about 15 species. Within this clade, two species are broadly distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, while the remaining species have a disjunct distribution between eastern North America and eastern Asia. To address patterns and processes of diversification in Diapensiaceae, we conducted biogeographic analyses and inferred shifts in ecological niche across the phylogeny of the clade. Although Diapensiaceae have been the focus of multiple phylogenetic and biogeographic studies, previous studies were taxonomically limited. We greatly improve the phylogenetic underpinning for Diapensiaceae with the most inclusive taxonomic sampling thus far, employing both nuclear and plastid gene sequence data for at least one sample per species in the family. Our estimates indicate that genera of Diapensiaceae variously diverged in the Eocene, Oligocene, and early to mid-Miocene. Biogeographic analysis suggests that the probable ancestor of the Diapensiaceae crown clade originated in the Nearctic, with vicariance events contributing to the current distribution of the disjunct taxa. Ecological niche, when considered in a phylogenetic context, clustered based on biogeographic realm. In general, greater ecological overlap was found at younger nodes and greater niche divergence was found among distantly related species. Diversification in Diapensiaceae appears to have been shaped by both large-scale biogeographic factors, such as vicariance, and divergence in ecological niche among closely related species.</p>

opencc-zeroAug 2020View details →
dryad32/100

Phylogenomics, biogeography, and evolution of morphology and ecological niche of the eastern Asian‐ eastern North American Nyssa (Nyssaceae)

<p><i>Nyssa</i> (Nyssaceae, Cornales) represents a classical example of the well‐known eastern Asian‐eastern North American floristic disjunction. The genus consists of three species in eastern Asia, four species in eastern North America, and one species in Central America. Species of the genus are ecologically important trees in eastern North American and eastern Asian forests. The distribution of living species and a rich fossil record of the genus make it an excellent model for understanding the origin and evolution of the eastern Asian‐eastern North American floristic disjunction. However, despite the small number of species, relationships within the genus have remained unclear and have not been elucidated using a molecular approach. Here we integrate data from 48 nuclear genes, fossils, morphology, and ecological niche to resolve species relationships, elucidate its biogeographic history, and investigate the evolution of morphology and ecological niches, with the goal toward a better understanding of the well‐known EA‐ENA floristic disjunction. Results showed the Central American (CAM) <i>N. talamancana</i> was sister to the remaining species, which were divided among three, rapidly diversified subclades. Estimated divergence times and biogeographic history suggested <i>Nyssa</i> had an ancestral range in Eurasia and western North America in the late Paleocene. The rapid diversification occurred in the early Eocene, followed by multiple dispersals between and within the Erasian and North American continents. The genus experienced two major episodes of extinction in the early Oligocene and end of Neogene, respectively. The Central American <i>N. talamancana</i> represents a relic lineage of the boreotropical flora in the Paleocene/Eocene boundary that once diversified in western North America. The results supported the importance of both the North Atlantic land bridge and the Bering land bridge (BLB) for the Paleogene dispersals of <i>Nyssa</i> and the BLB for the Neogene dispersals and the role of Central America as refugia of the Paleogene flora. The total‐evidence based dated phylogeny suggested that the pattern of macroevolution of <i>Nyssa</i> coincided with paleoclimatic changes. We found a number of evolutionary changes in morphology (including wood anatomy and leaf traits) and ecological niches (precipitation and temperature) between the EA‐ENA disjunct, supporting ecological selection driving trait evolutions following geographic isolation. We also demonstrated challenges in phylogenomic studies of lineages with rapid diversification histories. The concatenation of gene data can lead to inference of strongly supported relationships incongruent with the species tree. However, conflicts in gene genealogies did not seem to impose a strong effect on divergence time dating in our case. Furthermore, we demonstrated that rapid diversification events may not be recovered in divergence time dating analysis using BEAST if critical fossil constraints of the relevant nodes are not available. Our study provides an example of complex bi‐directional exchanges of plants between Eurasia and North America in the Paleogene but "out of Asia" migrations in the Neogene to explain the present disjunct distribution of <i>Nyssa</i> in EA and ENA.<b> </b><b> </b></p>

opencc-zeroMay 2020View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Gender diversity of editorial boards and gender differences in the peer review process at six journals of ecology and evolution.

<p>Despite substantial progress for women in science, women remain underrepresented in many aspects of the scholarly publication process. We examined how the gender diversity of editors and reviewers changed over time for six journals in ecology and evolution (2003-2015 for four journals, 2007-2015 or 2009-2015 for the other two), and how several aspects of the peer review process differed between female and male editors and reviewers. We found that, for five of the six journals, women were either absent or very poorly represented as handling editors at the beginning of our dataset. The representation of women among handling editors increased gradually and consistently, with women making up 29% of the handling editors (averaged across journals) in 2015, similar to the representation of women as last authors on ecology papers (23% in 2015) but lower than the proportion of women among all authors (31%) and among members of the societies that own the journals (37-40%). The proportion of women among reviewers has also gradually but consistently increased over time, reaching 27% by 2015. Female editors invited more female reviewers than did male editors, and this difference increased with age of the editor. Men and women who were invited to review did not differ in whether they responded to the review invitation, but, of those that responded, women were slightly more likely to agree to review. In contrast, women were less likely than men to accept invitations to serve on journal editorial boards. Our analyses indicate that there has been progress in the representation of women as reviewers and editors in ecology and evolutionary biology, but women are still underrepresented among the gatekeepers of scholarly publishing relative to their representation among researchers.</p>

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →
zenodo32/100

Figure 3. A–C in Evolution of litter size in bats and its influence on longevity and roosting ecology

Figure 3. A–C, phylogenetically informed univariate regressions of the logarithm of litter size on the logarithm of forearm length (in millimetres; A), the logarithm of litter size on the logarithm of longevity (B) and the logarithm of litter size on the logarithm of group size (C). D, violin plot of the logarithm of litter size according to roost type (binary character).

opennotspecifiedJan 2021View details →
zenodo32/100

Figure 2. A in Evolution of litter size in bats and its influence on longevity and roosting ecology

Figure 2. A, reconstructed pattern of the evolution of polytocy across Chiroptera (using make.simmap of phytools). B, detail showing families Miniopteridae, Cistugidae and Vespertilionidae. Coloured circles at the nodes indicate the posterior probabilities of the states. The tree shown includes 551 species and is based on the mammal tree presented at

opennotspecifiedJan 2021View details →
zenodo32/100

Figure 1 in Evolution of litter size in bats and its influence on longevity and roosting ecology

Figure 1. Polytocous bat species richness map obtained by overlapping the International Union for Conservation of Nature species geographical ranges. Warmer colours represent higher diversity. The plot on the right represents the species richness as function of latitude. Thin lines represent the maximum and minimum species richness values recorded at each latitude, and the thick line represents the mean species richness per latitude.

opennotspecifiedJan 2021View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Variable helper effects, ecological conditions, and the evolution of cooperative breeding in the acorn woodpecker

The ecological conditions leading to delayed dispersal and helping behavior are generally thought to follow one of two contrasting scenarios: that conditions are stable and predictable resulting in young being ecologically forced to remain as helpers (extrinsic constraints and the "habitat saturation" hypothesis), or that conditions are highly variable and unpredictable leading to the need for helpers to raise young, at least when conditions are poor (intrinsic constraints and the "hard life" hypothesis). We investigated how variability in ecological conditions influences the degree to which helpers augment breeder fitness in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), a species in which the acorn crop, territory quality, and prior breeding experience all vary in ways that have important effects on fitness. We found that the relationship between ecological conditions and the probability that birds would remain as helpers was variable, but that helpers generally yielded greater fitness benefits when ecological conditions were favorable, rather than unfavorable, for breeding. These results affirm the importance of extrinsic constraints to delayed dispersal and cooperative breeding in this species, despite this species' dependence on a highly variable and unpredictable acorn crop. Our findings also confirm that helpers can have very different fitness effects depending on conditions, but that those effects are not necessarily greater when breeding conditions are unfavorable.

opencc-zeroDec 2010View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Linking life-history traits, ecology and niche breadth evolution in North American eriogonoids (Polygonaceae)

Macroevolutionary and microevolutionary studies provide complementary explanations of the processes shaping the evolution of niche breadth. Macroevolutionary approaches scrutinize factors such as the temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneities that drive differentiation among species. Microevolutionary studies, in contrast, focus on the processes that affect intraspecific variability. We combine these perspectives by using macroevolutionary models in a comparative study of intraspecific variability. We address potential differences in rates of evolution of niche breadth and position in annual and perennial plants of the Eriogonoideae subfamily of the Polygonaceae. We anticipated higher rates of evolution in annuals than in perennials owing to differences in generation time that are paralleled by rates of molecular evolution. Instead, we find that perennial eriogonoid species present greater environmental tolerance (wider climate niche) than annual species. Niche breadth of perennial species has evolved two to four times faster than in annuals, while niche optimum has diversified more rapidly among annual species than among perennials. Niche breadth and average elevation of species are correlated. Moreover, niche breadth increases more rapidly with mean species elevation in perennials than in annuals. Our results suggest that both environmental gradients and life history strategy influence rates and patterns of niche breadth evolution.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →
dryad32/100

Elevational niche-shift migration: Why the degree of elevational change matters for the ecology, evolution, and physiology of migratory birds to ornithology

<p>Elevational migration can be defined as roundtrip seasonal movement that involves upward and downward shifts in elevation. These shifts incur physiological challenges that are proportional to the degree of elevational change. Larger shifts in elevation correspond to larger shifts in partial pressure of oxygen, air density, temperature, and UV exposure. Although most avian examples of elevational migration involve subtle shifts that would have minimal impacts on physiology, shifts of <i>any magnitude</i> have previously been considered under the broad umbrella of 'elevational migration'. Here, we consider extreme seasonal elevational movements (≥2000 m), sufficient to shift the elevational dimension of the eco-climatic niche. Migratory bird populations typically maintain inter-seasonal stability in the temperature, precipitation, and elevational aspects of their climatic niches, a tendency that likely reflects genetic physiological specialization on environmental conditions such as atmospheric pressure. A shift of ≥2000 m involves a ≥20% change in air density and oxygen partial pressure, sufficient to incur functionally impactful declines in arterial blood-oxygen saturation and require compensatory shifts in respiratory physiology. We refer to this phenomenon as elevational niche-shift migration (ENSM). In this review, we analyzed &gt;4 million occurrence records to identify 105 populations, representing 92 bird species, that undergo complete or partial ENSM. We identified key ecological and evolutionary questions regarding causes and consequences of ENSM. Our synthesis reveals that ENSM has evolved independently in at least 29 avian families spanning 10 orders. Nonetheless, ENSM is rare relative to other forms of seasonal migration, consistent with the general tendency of seasonal niche conservatism by migratory species and evolutionarily conserved elevational range limits. For many migratory species and populations, within-species patterns of migratory connectivity are not sufficiently understood to determine ENSM status. ENSM is distinguished by its scale within the broader phenomenon of elevational migration. Critical examination of ENSM illustrates fundamental constraints on the ecology and evolution of migration systems, topographical influences on geographic patterns of migratory connectivity, and the remarkable metabolic flexibility of certain bird species that allows them to occupy disparate elevations across different seasons.</p>

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Keeping an eye on coloration: ecological correlates of the evolution of pitcher traits in the genus Nepenthes (Caryophyllales)

Nepenthes is a genus of carnivorous pitcher plants with high intra- and interspecific morphological diversity. Many species produce dimorphic pitchers, and the relative production rate of the two morphs varies interspecifically. Despite their likely ecological importance to the plants, little is known about the selective context under which various pitcher traits have evolved. This is especially true of color-related traits, which have not been examined in a phylogenetic context. Using field observations of one polymorphic species (N. gracilis) and phylogenetic comparative analysis of 85 species across the genus, we investigate correlations between color polymorphism and ecological factors including altitude, light environment, and herbivory. In N. gracilis, color does not correlate to amount of prey-capture, but red pitchers experience less herbivory. Throughout the genus, color polymorphism with redder lower pitchers appears to be evolutionarily favored. We found a lack of phylogenetic signal for most traits, either suggesting that most traits are labile or reflecting the uncertainty regarding the underlying tree topology. This work highlights ecological correlates of the vast phenotypic diversity of this group of tropical plants. We point to a need for future work examining herbivores of Nepenthes and experimental investigations on color polymorphism.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Adaptive landscape and functional diversity of Neotropical cichlids: implications for the ecology and evolution of Cichlinae (Cichlidae; Cichliformes)

Morphological, lineage and ecological diversity can vary substantially even among closely related lineages. Factors that influence morphological diversification, especially in functionally relevant traits, can help to explain the modern distribution of disparity across phylogenies and communities. Multivariate axes of feeding functional morphology from 75 species of Neotropical cichlid and a stepwise-AIC algorithm were used to estimate the adaptive landscape of functional morphospace in Cichlinae. Adaptive landscape complexity and convergence, as well as the functional diversity of Cichlinae, were compared with expectations under null evolutionary models. Neotropical cichlid feeding function varied primarily between traits associated with ram feeding vs. suction feeding/biting and secondarily with oral jaw muscle size and pharyngeal crushing capacity. The number of changes in selective regimes and the amount of convergence between lineages was higher than expected under a null model of evolution, but convergence was not higher than expected under a similarly complex adaptive landscape. Functional disparity was compatible with an adaptive landscape model, whereas the distribution of evolutionary change through morphospace corresponded with a process of evolution towards a single adaptive peak. The continentally distributed Neotropical cichlids have evolved relatively rapidly towards a number of adaptive peaks in functional trait space. Selection in Cichlinae functional morphospace is more complex than expected under null evolutionary models. The complexity of selective constraints in feeding morphology has likely been a significant contributor to the diversity of feeding ecology in this clade.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Crocodylomorph cranial shape evolution and its relationship with body size and ecology

Crocodylomorpha, which includes living crocodylians and their extinct relatives, has a rich fossil record, extending back for more than 200 million years. Unlike modern semi-aquatic crocodylians, extinct crocodylomorphs exhibited more varied lifestyles, ranging from marine to fully terrestrial forms. This ecological diversity was mirrored by a remarkable morphological disparity, particularly in terms of cranial morphology, which seems to be closely associated with ecological roles in the group. Here, I use geometric morphometrics to comprehensively investigate cranial shape variation and disparity in Crocodylomorpha. I quantitatively assess the relationship between cranial shape and ecology (i.e. terrestrial, aquatic, and semi-aquatic lifestyles), as well as possible allometric shape changes. I also characterise patterns of cranial shape evolution and identify regime shifts. I found a strong link between shape and size, and a significant influence of ecology on the observed shape variation. Terrestrial taxa, particularly notosuchians, have significantly higher disparity, and shifts to more longirostrine regimes are associated with large-bodied aquatic or semi-aquatic species. This demonstrates an intricate relationship between cranial shape, body size and lifestyle in crocodylomorph evolutionary history. Additionally, disparity-through-time analyses were highly sensitive to different phylogenetic hypotheses, suggesting the description of overall patterns among distinct trees. For crocodylomorphs, most results agree in an early peak during the Early Jurassic and another in the middle of the Cretaceous, followed by nearly continuous decline until today. Since only crown-group members survived through the Cenozoic, this decrease in disparity was likely the result of habitat loss, which narrowed down the range of crocodylomorph lifestyles.

opencc-zeroSep 2019View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Rates of dinosaur body mass evolution indicate 170 million years of sustained ecological innovation on the avian stem lineage

Large-scale adaptive radiations might explain the runaway success of a minority of extant vertebrate clades. This hypothesis predicts, among other things, rapid rates of morphological evolution during the early history of major groups, as lineages invade disparate ecological niches. However, few studies of adaptive radiation have included deep time data, so the links between extant diversity and major extinct radiations are unclear. The intensively studied Mesozoic dinosaur record provides a model system for such investigation, representing an ecologically diverse group that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for 170 million years. Furthermore, with 10,000 species, extant dinosaurs (birds) are the most speciose living tetrapod clade. We assembled composite trees of 614–622 Mesozoic dinosaurs/birds, and a comprehensive body mass dataset using the scaling relationship of limb bone robustness. Maximum-likelihood modelling and the node height test reveal rapid evolutionary rates and a predominance of rapid shifts among size classes in early (Triassic) dinosaurs. This indicates an early burst niche-filling pattern and contrasts with previous studies that favoured gradualistic rates. Subsequently, rates declined in most lineages, which rarely exploited new ecological niches. However, feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs (including Mesozoic birds) sustained rapid evolution from at least the Middle Jurassic, suggesting that these taxa evaded the effects of niche saturation. This indicates that a long evolutionary history of continuing ecological innovation paved the way for a second great radiation of dinosaurs, in birds. We therefore demonstrate links between the predominantly extinct deep time adaptive radiation of non-avian dinosaurs and the phenomenal diversification of birds, via continuing rapid rates of evolution along the phylogenetic stem lineage. This raises the possibility that the uneven distribution of biodiversity results not just from large-scale extrapolation of the process of adaptive radiation in a few extant clades, but also from the maintenance of evolvability on vast time scales across the history of life, in key lineages.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Contemporary ecological interactions improve models of past trait evolution

Despite the fact that natural selection underlies both traits and interactions, evolutionary models often neglect that ecological interactions may, and in many cases do, influence the evolution of traits. Here, we explore the interdependence of ecological interactions and functional traits in the pollination associations of hawkmoths and flowering plants. Specifically, we develop an adaptation of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model of trait evolution that allows us to study the influence of plant corolla depth and observed hawkmoth-plant interactions on the evolution of hawkmoth proboscis length. Across diverse modelling scenarios, we find that the inclusion of contemporary interactions can provide a better description of trait evolution than the null expectation. Moreover, we show that the pollination interactions provide more-likely models of hawkmoth trait evolution when interactions are considered at increasingly fine-scale groups of hawkmoths. Finally, we demonstrate how the results of best-fit modelling approaches can implicitly support the association between interactions and trait evolution that our method explicitly examines. In showing that contemporary interactions can provide insight into the historical evolution of hawkmoth proboscis length, we demonstrate the clear utility of incorporating additional ecological information to models designed to study past trait evolution.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Ecology and signal structure drive the evolution of synchronous displays

Animal synchrony is found in phylogenetically distant animal groups, indicating behavioural adaptations to different selective pressures and in different signaling modalities. A notable example of synchronous display is found in fiddler crabs in that males wave their single enlarged claw during courtship. They present species-specific signals, which are composed of distinctive movement signatures. Given that synchronous waving has been reported for several fiddler crab species, the display pattern could influence the ability of a given species to sufficiently adjust wave timing to allow for synchrony. In this study we quantified the wave displays of fiddler crabs to predict their synchronous behaviour. We combined this information with the group's phylogenetic relationships to trace the evolution of display synchrony in an animal taxon. We found no phylogenetic signal in interspecific variation in predicted wave synchrony, which mirrors the general non-phylogenetic pattern of synchrony across animal taxa. Interestingly, our analyses show that the phenomenon of synchronization stems from the peculiarities of display pattern, mating systems and the complexity of microhabitats. This is the first study to combine mathematical simulations and phylogenetic comparative methods to reveal how ecological factors and the mechanics of animal signals affect the evolution of the synchronous phenomena.

opencc-zeroSep 2019View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Ecological opportunity and the evolution of habitat preferences in an arid-zone bird: implications for speciation in a climate-modified landscape

Bioclimatic models are widely used to investigate the impacts of climate change on species distributions. Range shifts are expected to occur as species track their current climate niche yet the potential for exploitation of new ecological opportunities that may arise as ecosystems and communities remodel is rarely considered. Here we show that grasswrens of the Amytornis textilis-modestus complex responded to new ecological opportunities in Australia's arid biome through shifts in habitat preference following the development of chenopod shrublands during the late Plio-Pleistocene. We find evidence of spatially explicit responses to climatically driven landscape changes including changes in niche width and patterns of population growth. Conservation of structural and functional aspects of the ancestral niche appear to have facilitated recent habitat shifts, while demographic responses to late Pleistocene climate change provide evidence for the greater resilience of populations inhabiting the recently evolved chenopod shrubland communities. Similar responses could occur under future climate change in species exposed to novel ecological conditions, or those already occupying spatially heterogeneous landscapes. Mechanistic models that consider structural and functional aspects of the niche along with regional hydro-dynamics may be better predictors of future climate responses in Australia's arid biome than bioclimatic models alone.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: How are the phenologies of ripening and seed release affected by species' ecology and evolution?

The phenology of seed ripening and release are important for dispersal, reproductive success and survival of plants. Most phenological studies, however, consider early phenological phases. Here, we examined the ecological and evolutionary basis of ripening and seed release phenology. We monitored single flower phenology for 104 plant species from 30 families and three life forms from central Europe. Further, we undertook an associate monitoring study along an elevational gradient over two years. We calculated temperature demands (as growing degree days) for ripening and seed release and examined them with respect to the species' seed mass, life form, dispersal mode and phylogeny. We found a strong correlation between species' seed mass and temperature demands for ripening. For both variables seed mass and temperature demands for seed ripening, we found a strong effect of the species phylogeny. These phylogenetic signals strongly indicate that the evolutionary history of the species' lineage affects its seed mass and the temperature demands for seed ripening. Among the studied life forms, shrub species showed the most efficient ripening process. Anemochorous species showed lower relative humidity during seed release than epizoochorous species. For anemochorous species, the synchronisation of release timing with periods that show favourable environmental conditions for wind dispersal could be interpreted as a phenological adaptation to increase dispersal distances. According to the monitoring along the elevational gradient, individuals from higher altitudes showed lower temperature demands for ripening than individuals from lower altitudes. This might tentatively indicate physiological adaptations to lower temperature demands for locations with a shorter growing season. Our study provides basic insights into the ecological, environmental and evolutionary constraints that shape the ripening and seed release phenology of plants. We introduce data that can be used to advance existing models of ripening phenology, seed release and plant spread.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: The evolution of life cycle complexity in aphids: ecological optimization, or historical constraint?

For decades, biologists have debated why many parasites have obligate multi-host life cycles. Here, we use comparative phylogenetic analyses of aphids to evaluate the roles of ecological optimization and historical constraint in the evolution of life cycle complexity. If life cycle complexity is adaptive, it should be evolutionarily labile, i.e., change in response to selection. We provide evidence that this is true in some aphids (aphidines), but not others (non-aphidines) – groups that differ in the intensity of their relationships with primary hosts. Next, we test specific mechanisms by which life cycle complexity could be adaptive or a constraint. We find that among aphidines there is a strong association between complex life cycles and polyphagy but only a weak correlation between life cycle complexity and reproductive mode. In contrast, among non-aphidines the relationship between life cycle complexity and host breadth is weak but the association between complex life cycles and sexual reproduction is strong. Thus, although the adaptiveness of life cycle complexity appears to be lineage specific, across aphids, life cycle evolution appears to be tightly linked with the evolution of other important natural history traits.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →
dryad32/100

Data from: Ecology and sexual selection: evolution of wing pigmentation in calopterygid damselflies in relation to latitude, sexual dimorphism and speciation

Our knowledge about how the environment influences sexual selection regimes and how ecology and sexual selection interact is still limited. We performed an integrative study of wing pigmentation in calopterygid damselflies, combining phylogenetic comparative analyses, field observations and experiments. We investigated the evolutionary consequences of wing pigmentation for sexual dimorphism, speciation and extinction and addressed the possible thermoregulatory benefits of pigmentation. First, we reconstructed ancestral states of male and female phenotypes and traced the evolutionary change of wing pigmentation. Clear wings are the ancestral state and that pigmentation dimorphism is derived, suggesting that sexual selection results in sexual dimorphism. We further demonstrate that pigmentation elevates speciation and extinction rates. We also document a significant biogeographic association with pigmented species primarily occupying northern temperate regions with cooler climates. Field observations and experiments on two temperate sympatric species suggest a link between pigmentation, thermoregulation and sexual selection, although body temperature is also affected by other phenotypic traits such as body mass, microhabitat selection and thermoregulatory behaviors. Taken together, our results suggest an important role for wing pigmentation in sexual selection in males and in speciation. Wing pigmentation might not increase ecological adaptation and species longevity, and its primary function is in sexual signalling and species recognition.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →
dryad32/100

An effective mutualism? The role of theoretical studies in ecology and evolution

<p>Theoretical models often have fundamentally different goals than do empirical studies of the same topic. Models can test the logic of existing hypotheses, explore the plausibility of new hypotheses, provide expectations that can be tested with data, and address aspects of topics that are currently inaccessible empirically. Theoretical models are common in ecology and evolution, and are generally well-cited, but I show that many citations appearing in non-theoretical studies are general to topic and a substantial proportion are incorrect. One potential cause of this pattern is that some functions of models are rather abstract, leading to miscommunication between theoreticians and empiricists. Such misunderstandings are often triggered by simplifying, logistical assumptions that modelers make. The 2018 Vice Presidential Symposium of the American Society of Naturalists included a variety of mathematical models in ecology and evolution from across several topics. Common threads that appear in the use of the models are identified, highlighting the power of a theoretical approach and the role of the assumptions that such models make.</p>

opencc-zeroOct 2019View details →

ScienceDex guides

Understand access before you commit

These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.

Compare curated datasets

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.

allen-brain-atlas
neuroscienceopenDocumentation, web resources, and API references are available online.
Last verified 2026-04-30Open record

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.

abode-home-cage
behavioral-neuroscienceopenThe DataShare record exposes download links for annotations, documentation, license text, and the zipped per-snippet data directory.
Last verified 2026-04-30Open record

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.

dandi-nwb
electrophysiologyopenPublished Dandiset metadata and archive endpoints are available through the production DANDI API.
Last verified 2026-04-30Open record

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.

ibl
behavioral-neuroscienceopenPublic sessions can be searched and loaded from the IBL public data server through ONE.
Last verified 2026-04-29Open record

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.

openneuro
neuroscienceopenPublished datasets are available on demand over the internet.
Last verified 2026-04-29Open record

ScienceDex for faculty

Your academic CV and NIH biosketch

Make your CV in your school's format and your NIH biosketch from it, then download both as Word files.