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opencc-zeroOct 2022View details →

Divided by the range: evidence for geographic isolation of the highly mobile Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Conserving evolutionary processes is becoming increasingly important in conservation management as environmental changes threaten wild populations. Characterising genetically distinct populations and assessing connectivity across the landscape enables wildlife managers to prioritise conservation efforts with limited resources. In the NSW North Coast bioregion of Australia, one of the last remaining coastal populations of the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) has been state-listed as an Endangered Population, owing to its geographic isolation and small census size. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers, we examined the spatial genetic structure of Emus across south-eastern Australia and assessed the effective population size (Ne) and genetic diversity of the NSW North Coast Emu to inform management. We show significant genetic divergence between the NSW North Coast Emu and other localities based on thousands of highly resolving nuclear markers, which was not explained by geographic distance. Among NSW North Coast Emus, we found less genetic diversity and a critically low effective population size (Ne = 14.84 and 22.49 based on independent methods). Together, these findings suggest that the NSW North Coast Emu is at risk of further losses of genetic diversity and inbreeding depression. Incorporating genetic data into the design of captive-release and translocation projects would refine management plans for this locally important population and monitor risks to its long-term survival.

opencc-zeroOct 2022View details →

Does artificial feeding impact neonate growth rates in a large free-ranging mammal?

Variation and disparity in resource access between individuals in an animal population require attention within human-dominated landscapes where artificial selection processes may be at work. Independent, recreational human-wildlife feeding interactions constitute an increasingly prevalent yet understudied food resource for birds and mammals living in our cities, but only a limited number of risk-taking individuals may access it. Using urban fallow deer as our model species, we hypothesised that if these interactions result in positive effects for the engaging individual, e.g. increased milk quality and yield, then this would result in the increased growth rates of their offspring. Alternatively, if these individuals were prioritising investing time in engagement with humans, resulting in decreased maternal care, then this would result in slower growth rates in offspring. We found that the offspring of those females that regularly interacted with humans displayed significantly faster growth rates than the risk-avoider counterparts. This advantage for fearless mothers in terms of boosted neonatal growth rates could be mirrored in birds accessing garden feeders, seagulls or pigeons utilizing urban resources, or seals approaching city harbours. Here, we add a new piece to the complex puzzle of how humans are manipulating wildlife living within human-dominated landscapes.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2022View details →

Dataset: Ultra-Wideband Ranging Measurements Acquired With Three Different Platforms (Qorvo, TDSR, 3db Access)

This dataset contains distance measurements acquired with three different ultra-wideband (UWB) platforms developed by Qorvo (DW3000), TDSR (P452A), and 3db Access (3DB6380C) at the same locations. The dataset accompanies the paper: "Challenges in Platform-Independent UWB Ranging and Localization Systems" by Laura Flueratoru, Elena Simona Lohan, Dragoș Niculescu, published in the 16th ACM Workshop on Wireless Network Testbeds, Experimental evaluation and Characterization (WiNTECH) 2022. If you find this dataset useful, please consider citing our paper. The dataset (uwb_multiple_platforms.zip) contains the following directories: <ul> <li>parallel_measurements -- The actual dataset, containing all the measurements acquired with the three UWB platforms at the same locations. This directory contains three subdirectories, one for each device. The structure of the subdirectory of each platform is the following: <ul> <li>[location_name] <ul> <li>[LOSi/NLOSi] -- where i is the index of the recording and LOS/NLOS indicates whether that recording was acquired in LOS or NLOS <ul> <li>info.csv -- CSV file which contains information about the recording, such as: the device it was acquired with, the LOS/NLOS condition, the type of obstruction (if any), etc.</li> <li>unaligned_processed_data.csv -- CSV file which contains the data. Each row has the following fields: timestamp, true distance, measured distance, time of arrival index, channel impulse response (stored as a list), and the LOS/NLOS label.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>split_train_test_val -- Datasets that were used to train and test the models from Section 4 from the paper. The datasets contain the same information as the directory parallel_measurements, only aligned to the TOA and randomized according to the procedure described in the paper. We include the generated sets to ensure the repeatability of our results.</li> <li>trained_models_error_prediction -- Models trained for error prediction that were used to obtain the results from Section 4 from the paper.</li> </ul> We also provide code examples for reading the data, training and testing the models, and analyzing the data at the following repository: <a href="https://github.com/lauraflu/uwb-multiple-platforms">https://github.com/lauraflu/uwb-multiple-platforms</a> The accompanying code is subject to change in the case of bugs/errors. For more information about how the measurements were acquired, please refer to the file documentation_dataset.pdf, which includes detailed information about each of the rooms, the device setup, the structure of the directories, etc. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact the authors of the paper. Note: The dataset (in the parallel_measurements directory) contains measurements acquired with the devices at fixed locations and also "free movement" measurements, during which one of the devices was moved freely around a certain area. Therefore, free-movement recordings with the same name but from different devices were not acquired at exactly the same locations, only in the same rooms. The free-movement recordings were not used in the paper (because they do not contain ground truth distances), but we nevertheless include them in this dataset, as they can be useful to test future algorithms.

opencc-byMay 2021View details →

Animation Shooting Range

Hello this is the best model in existance thx you will take it. God bless Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab

Range-wide intraspecific variation reflects past adaptation to climate in a gypsophile Mediterranean shrub

Phenotypic differences among populations stem from the interaction between neutral and adaptive processes, and phenotypic plasticity. Although clinal trait variation along climatic gradients often evolves in widely-distributed species, it is unknown whether substrate specialization, such as that of Mediterranean gypsum plants, has constrained adaptation to climate. Using a common garden experiment with two contrasting watering treatments, we quantified phenotypic plasticity, assessed evidence for footprints of selection using FST - QST comparisons, and identified the ecological factors driving genetically-based phenotypic differentiation of 11 populations encompassing the full environmental range of the gypsum shrub Lepidium subulatum. We found evidence for genetic differentiation among populations related to climatic differences, with populations from warmer and drier sites showing lower specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N, earlier phenology, greater water use efficiency (WUE) and greater fitness. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this differentiation was driven by past divergent selection rather than neutral processes. All populations showed high phenotypic plasticity, indicating that plasticity has not been selected against, even in populations from sites with harsher climatic conditions. Synthesis. Our results indicate that, despite strong substrate specialization, adaptive differentiation related to climatic gradients occurs in this species. However, we also found that populations from mesic sites may be particularly vulnerable to future climate change given their relatively lower fitness under both wet and dry conditions.

Data from: Forestry impacts on stream flows and temperatures: A quantitative synthesis of paired catchment studies across the Pacific salmon range

Forestry is pervasive across temperate North America and may influence aquatic environmental conditions such as flows and temperatures, as well as important species such as Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). While there have been many large-scale forestry experiments using paired catchment designs, these studies have yet to be quantitatively synthesized. Thus, it remains unclear whether forestry impacts are consistent, context-dependent, or unpredictable. This study aims to quantitatively synthesize forestry impacts on streamflow and temperature, through a systematic review and synthesis of paired catchment studies across the range of Pacific salmon. Specifically, we investigated whether generalizable relationships exist between forestry intensity (percent watershed harvested) and impacts to streamflow and temperature. We also examined whether watershed features (climate, hydrology, lithology) and harvest method mediated forestry impacts. We extracted information from 35 unique paired-catchments from California to Alaska. Forestry had strong impacts on peak and low flows and maximum summer water temperatures, but responses were quite variable. Across all catchments, forestry elevated peak flows ~20% (n = 31 catchments), reduced low flows ~25% (n = 13 catchments), and increased maximum summer temperatures ~15% (n = 35 catchments) on average. However, these impacts were variable and were not predictable based on forestry intensity, thus broader stressor-response relationships were not supported. Forestry impacts on peak flows and maximum summer temperatures varied spatially. Peak flow impacts increased with increased northward latitude and temperature impacts decreased with eastward longitude. However, the magnitude of impacts were unrelated to other watershed attributes, which included climate (precipitation and aridity), rain vs. snow hydrology, elevation, and bedrock lithology. Harvest method and riparian buffer presence also had no detected effects on forestry impacts across studies and statistical models explained a low proportion of variation overall. Collectively, our results indicate that forestry can have substantial impacts on key environmental conditions; however, the magnitude of impact was variable and could not be clearly linked to easily-measured watershed characteristics. This implies that forestry impacts are not broadly predictable. Probabilistic risk models based on distributions of potential impacts may therefore be more useful for watershed management in data-poor situations.

opencc-by-4.0Apr 2024View details →

Data for "Structure, short-range order, and phase stability of the Al$_x$CrFeCoNi high-entropy alloy: Insights from a perturbative, DFT-based analysis"

Data associated with "Structure, short-range order, and phase stability of the AlxCrFeCoNi high-entropy alloy: Insights from a perturbative, DFT-based analysis", published in npj Comput. Mater. 10, 271 (2024).

Plasticity and associated epigenetic mechanisms play a role in thermal evolution during range expansion

Due to global change many species are shifting their distribution and are thereby confronted with novel thermal conditions at the moving range edges. Especially during the initial phases of exposure to a new environment, it has been hypothesized that plasticity and associated epigenetic mechanisms enable species to cope with environmental change. We tested this idea by capitalizing on the well-documented southward range expansion of the damselfly Ischnura elegans from France into Spain where the species has invaded warmer regions in the 1950s in eastern Spain (old edge region) and in the 2010s in central Spain (new edge region). Using a common garden experiment at rearing temperatures matching the ancestral and invaded thermal regimes, we tested for evolutionary changes in (thermal plasticity in) larval life history and heat tolerance in these expansion zones. Through the use of de- and hypermethylating agents we tested whether epigenetic mechanisms play a role in enabling heat tolerance during expansion. We used the phenotype of the native sister species in Spain, I. graellsii, as proxy for the locally adapted phenotype. New edge populations converged towards the phenotype of the native species through plastic thermal responses in life history and heat tolerance while old edge populations (partly) constitutively evolved a faster life history and higher heat tolerance than the core populations, thereby matching the native species. Only the heat tolerance of new edge populations increased significantly when exposed to the hypermethylating agent. This suggests that the DNA methylation machinery is more amenable to perturbation at the new edge and shows it is able to play a role in achieving a higher heat tolerance. Our results show that both (evolved) plasticity as well as associated epigenetic mechanisms are initially important when facing new thermal regimes but that their importance diminishes with time.

Physiological thermal niches, elevational ranges and thermal stress in dendrobatid frogs: an integrated approach

Aim: We investigated the relationship between thermal physiology, elevational distribution, and thermal stress among nine closely related dendrobatid frogs during their aquatic stage by employing an integrated approach, combining thermal physiology, environmental temperature modelling, and predictive assessments of current and future exposure to thermal variation. Location: Ecuador Taxon: Amphibians; Anura, Dendrobatidae, Epipedobates, Hyloxalus Methods: We determined the Thermal Performance Curves of larval growth (TPCs) for each species and modelled the thermal variation in contrasting aquatic larval environments for both present and future times. This allowed us to estimate the expected elevational distributions and forecast periods of exposure to stressful temperatures that inhibit larval growth due to elevation and global warming. Results: We found significant correlations between optimum temperature (Topt), 50 % maximum performance temperature (maxB50), 50% minimum performance temperature (minB50), and cold resistance (survival at 9 ºC) with the current elevational distributions. However, thermal physiology predicted lower than observed distributions for high-elevation dendrobatids and higher than observed maximum elevations for lowland species. Nonetheless, our models predicted that low thermal variability habitats (i.e. streams and deep permanent ponds) can buffer the future increase in temperatures for all taxa, even when considering the most extreme scenario. In contrast, all species within high thermal variation habitats (open forest temporary ponds) are expected to experience stressful temperatures under present conditions. Main Conclusions: The findings indicate that thermal physiology may not be a limiting factor for dendrobatid frog species' ranges in this equatorial mountain gradient. Highland species may need to adapt to suboptimal performance, while some lowland species could occupy higher elevations. This study emphasizes the importance of habitat buffering to mitigate thermal stress in the face of climate change for amphibians in tropical mountains.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2018View details →

FIGURE 2 in The use of aerial and close-range photogrammetry in the study of dinosaur tracksites: Lower Cretaceous (upper Aptian/lower Albian) Molfetta ichnosite (Apulia, southern Italy)

FIGURE 2. Molfetta tracksite - Map of the trampled surface.

opencc-by-4.0Apr 2024View details →

Raw data from the pCUT+MC approach for the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg square lattice bilayer model with (non-frustrating) long-range interactions

This directory contains the data from the pCUT+MC approach for the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg square lattice bilayer model with (non-frustrating) long-range interactions. To get an overview of the organization of the directory and a description of the data we recommend the README.md file. The data is published in P. Adelhardt, J. A. Koziol, A. Langheld, and K. P. Schmidt, "Monte Carlo based techniques for quantum magnets with long-range interactions", <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00421">arXiv:2403.00421</a>

Data from: Genetic diversity in tempo determines foraging range in ants

The foraging behavior of a colony arises from the activity of individual workers. In this paper we explore the phenotypic differences among the workers of the western harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis in order to understand the temporal pattern of foraging in colonies. We know that the genetic diversity of colonies influences the temporal pattern of foraging: with greater genetic diversity colonies begin foraging earlier and forage for greater duration. We test two mechanisms to account for this pattern. The Temperature Hypothesis predicts that early foragers will be more active at lower temperatures than late foragers and will be the first workers to initiate foraging. Late foragers will be more active at high temperatures. The Tempo Hypothesis predicts that early foragers will be the first to forage because they have the higher overall tempo of activity at all temperatures. We measure the movement activity of samples of early and late foragers from 32 colonies over a range of temperatures from 9-37̊C. We find that early workers are more active at all temperatures than late workers, supporting the Tempo Hypothesis. Early and late foragers tend to belong to different patrilines, suggesting that there is a genetic basis for the difference in the tempo of behavior. We also find that colonies that have greater number of patrilines, due to greater mating frequency by the queen, have a greater range temporal range of foraging.

Data from: Rapoport's rule explains the range size distribution of butterflies along the Eastern Himalayan elevation gradient

Understanding elevational range size distribution of organisms can provide valuable insights on biogeographic pattern of species and their conservation. Rapoport's rule posits that the elevational range size of species increases with increasing elevation. However, the validity of this rule is often questioned due to variations in methodologies across studies and inconsistencies among different groups of organisms. In this study we examined the elevational range size distribution of butterflies in the Eastern Himalaya, and assessed the applicability of Rapoport's rule using different approaches, which perhaps is the first of its kind in the Himalaya. We sampled butterflies along the elevational gradient of 16 elevational bands (300 – 3,300 m) using point count method along the transect. The sampled butterflies were grouped into various sub-groups based on family, biogeographic affinity, and larval feeding pattern. We found that the majority of the butterfly species (total as well as sub-groups) had small range sizes, and their elevational range distribution showed support for the Rapoport's rule. Increase in variation in temperature as measured by temperature seasonality and mean annual temperature range were the most important predictors of range size distribution pattern of the overall butterfly community. However, the relationship between range size and climatic variability differed among various sub-groups implying that the perceived pattern may vary even within the species of the same taxon.

Pacific salmon in the Canadian Arctic highlight a range-expansion pathway for sub-Arctic fishes

The R code and data to support the manuscript "Pacific salmon in the Canadian Arctic highlight a range-expansion pathway for sub-Arctic fishes" published by Dunmall & Langan et al. 2024 in Global Change Biology. Briefly, this study investigated the mechanisms behind variable, rising catches of Pacific salmon by subsistence fishers in the Canadian Arctic. Detailed descritptions of the data and the performed analyses are provided in the associated manuscript.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Data from: Dispersal-related plant traits are associated with range size in the Atlantic Forest

Aim: The efficiency of animal-mediated seed dispersal is threatened by declines of animal populations, especially in tropical forests. We hypothesise that large-seeded plants with animal-mediated dispersal tend to have limited geographic ranges and face an increased risk of extinction due to the potential decline in seed dispersal by large-bodied fruit-eating and seed-dispersing animals (frugivores) Location: Atlantic Forest, Brazil, South America Taxon: Angiosperms Methods: First, we collected dispersal-related trait (dispersal syndrome, fruit size, seed size), growth form (tree, climber, other) and preferred vegetation type (open, closed) data for 1,052 Atlantic Forest plant species. Next, we integrated these with occurrence records, extinction risk assessments, and phylogenetic trees. Finally, we performed phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) regressions to test the direct and interactive effects of dispersal-related traits and vegetation type on geographical range size. Results: Large-seeded species had smaller range sizes than small-seeded species, but only for species with animal-mediated dispersal, not for those dispersed by abiotic mechanisms. However, plants with abiotic dispersal had overall smaller range sizes than plants with animal-mediated dispersal. Furthermore, we found that species restricted to forests had smaller ranges than those occurring in open or mixed vegetation. Finally, at least 29% of the Atlantic Forest flora is threatened by extinction, but this was not related to plant dispersal syndromes. Main Conclusions: Large-seeded plants with animal-mediated dispersal may be suffering from dispersal limitation, potentially due to past and ongoing defaunation of large-bodied frugivores, leading to small range sizes. Other factors, such as deforestation and fragmentation, will probably modulate such effects of dispersal on range size, and ultimately extinction. Our study sheds light on the relationship between plant traits, mutualistic interactions and distribution that are key to the functioning of tropical forests.

restrictedcc-zeroMay 2024View details →

Data and code from: Birds optimize fruit size consumed near their geographic range limits

This dataset is <a href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.931zcrjs5">available from Dryad</a>.

Data from: Is adaptation associated with long-term persistence beyond a geographic range limit?

Adaptation to new habitats might facilitate species' range shifts in response to climate change. In 2005, we transplanted experimental populations of coastal dune plant Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia into four sites within and one site beyond its poleward range limit. Beyond-range transplants had high fitness and often delayed reproduction. To test for adaptation associated with experimental range expansion, we transplanted descendants from beyond and within-range populations after 10 generations in situ into two sites within the range, one at the range edge, and two sites beyond the range. We expected to detect adaptation to beyond-range conditions due to substantial genetic variation within experimental populations and environmental variation among sites. However, individuals from beyond-range experimental populations were not fitter than those from within the range when planted at either beyond-range site, indicating no adaptation to the beyond-range site or beyond-range environments in general. Beyond-range descendants also did not suffer lower fitness within the range. Although reproduction was again delayed beyond the range, late reproduction was not favored more strongly beyond than within the range, and beyond-range descendants did not delay reproduction more than within-range descendants. Persistence in beyond-range environments may not require adaptation, which could allow a rapid response to climate change.

Hard edges, soft edges, and species range evolution: A genomic analysis of the Cumberland Plateau salamander

Aim: Gene flow from central to edge populations is thought to limit population growth at range edges by constraining local adaptation. In this study, we explore the thesis that range edges can differ in their dynamics and be either "hard" (e.g. a river) or "soft" (e.g. ecological gradients). We hypothesize that soft edge populations will have smaller effective population sizes than central populations and that gene flow will be greater from the center to the edge than vice versa. Conversely, we hypothesize that hard edge populations should have similar effective population sizes to central populations and that gene flow will be equal between the two. Location: Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia, USA. Taxon: Plethodon kentucki (Caudata: Plethodontidae). Methods: We evaluated landscape suitability using an ecological niche model, then we compared gene flow and effective population sizes between edge and central populations and quantified gene flow between populations. Finally, we characterized landscape genetic variation, testing for isolation by distance and isolation by environment. Results: We found continuously decreasing habitat quality along soft edges, with hard edges more variable. Additionally, we found that soft edges had lower effective population sizes than central populations and that gene flow was greater from the center of the range to the soft edges than the reverse. In hard edges, by contrast, we found effective population sizes in edge populations were similar to central populations, with relatively equal gene flow in both directions. Main conclusions: Understanding why species have range limits is central to investigations of the structure of biodiversity, yet the evolutionary dynamics of range edges remain poorly understood. We show that within a single species with a small range, the evolutionary dynamics operating at range boundaries may depend on the nature of the boundary.

Data from: Extreme range in adult body size reveals hidden trade-offs among sexually selected traits

Sexually selected weapons used to monopolize mating opportunities are predicted to trade-off with traits used in competition for fertilization. Yet, the limited size-range typically found among adults of a species often precludes clear comparisons between population-level and individual-level relative trait investment. The jousting weevil, Brentus anchorago (Coleoptera: Brentidae), varies more than 26-fold in body mass, which is among the most extreme adult body size ranges of any solitary terrestrial species. We reveal a trade-off at a population-level: hypermetric scaling in male weapons (slope =1.59) and a closely-mirrored reversal in allocation to post-copulatory traits (slope =0.54). Yet, at the individual-level we find the opposite pattern; males that invest relatively more in weapons for their size class also invest more in post-copulatory traits. In support of our findings from jousting weevils, across 36 dung beetle species we find the relative effect of population-level scaling increases in species with a larger range in adult body size. Our findings reveal that population-level allometries and individual level trade-offs can both be important in shaping relative trait allocation; we highlight that the adult body size range is rarely examined, but may be integral to gain a deeper understanding of trade-offs in reproductive allocation.

Taste aversion training can educate free-ranging crocodiles against toxic invaders

Apex predators play critical ecological roles, making their conservation a high priority. In tropical Australia, some populations of freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) have plummeted by >70% due to lethal ingestion of toxic invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). Laboratory-based research has identified conditioned taste aversion (CTA) as a way to discourage consumption of toads. To translate those ideas into landscape-scale management, we deployed 2,395 baits (toad carcasses with toxin removed and containing a nausea-inducing chemical) across four gorge systems in north-western Australia and monitored bait uptake with remote cameras. Crocodile abundance was quantified with surveys. Free-ranging crocodiles rapidly learned to avoid toad baits but continued to consume control (chicken) baits. Toad invasion at our sites was followed by high rates of crocodile mortality (especially for small individuals) at a control site but not at nearby treatment sites. In areas with high connectivity to other waterbodies, repeated baiting over successive years had continuing positive impacts on crocodile survival. In summary, we succeeded in buffering the often-catastrophic impact of invasive cane toads on apex predators.