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4,669 results for “Environment;”
Data from: The third dimension: a novel set-up for filming coelacanths in their natural environment
Here, we describe a novel design to obtain three-dimensional data on the movements of aquatic organisms at depths of up to 140 m. The set-up consists of two synchronized high-speed cameras fixed to two articulated arms. The set-up was successfully used to film and quantify the locomotion of coelacanths Latimeria chalumnae living at a depth of about 120 m in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. As an example, the detailed motion of the dorsal fin is presented here. This set-up can be used for any underwater applications that require synchronized video recordings of medium- to large-sized animals.
Data from: Developmental and evolutionary history affect survival in stressful environments
The world is increasingly impacted by a variety of stressors that have the potential to differentially influence life history stages of organisms. Organisms have evolved to cope with some stressors, while with others they have little capacity. It is thus important to understand the effects of both developmental and evolutionary history on survival in stressful environments. We present evidence of the effects of both developmental and evolutionary history on survival of a freshwater vertebrate, the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) in an osmotically stressful environment. We compared the survival of larvae in either NaCl or MgCl2 that were exposed to salinity either as larvae only or as embryos as well. Embryonic exposure to salinity led to greater mortality of newt larvae than larval exposure alone, and this reduced survival probability was strongly linked to the carry-over effect of stunted embryonic growth in salts. Larval survival was also dependent on the type of salt (NaCl or MgCl2) the larvae were exposed to, and was lowest in MgCl2, a widely-used chemical deicer that, unlike NaCl, amphibian larvae do not have an evolutionary history of regulating at high levels. Both developmental and evolutionary history are critical factors in determining survival in this stressful environment, a pattern that may have widespread implications for the survival of animals increasingly impacted by substances with which they have little evolutionary history.
Data from: Coral reef carbonate budgets and ecological drivers in the central Red Sea – a naturally high temperature and high total alkalinity environment
The structural framework provided by corals is crucial for reef ecosystem function and services, but high seawater temperatures can be detrimental to the calcification capacity of reef-building organisms. The Red Sea is very warm, but total alkalinity (TA) is naturally high and beneficial for reef accretion. To date, we know little about how such detrimental and beneficial abiotic factors affect each other and the balance between calcification and erosion on Red Sea coral reefs, i.e., overall reef growth, in this unique ocean basin. To provide estimates of present-day reef growth dynamics in the central Red Sea, we measured two metrics of reef growth, i.e., in situ net-accretion/-erosion rates (Gnet) determined by deployment of limestone blocks and ecosystem-scale carbonate budgets (Gbudget), along a cross-shelf gradient (25km, encompassing nearshore, midshore, and offshore reefs). Along this gradient, we assessed multiple abiotic (i.e., temperature, salinity, diurnal pH fluctuation, inorganic nutrients, and TA) and biotic (i.e., calcifier and epilithic bioeroder communities) variables. Both reef growth metrics revealed similar patterns from nearshore to offshore: net-erosive, neutral, and net-accretion states. The average cross-shelf Gbudget was 0.66kg CaCO3m−2yr−1, with the highest budget of 2.44kg CaCO3m−2yr−1 measured in the offshore reef. These data are comparable to the contemporary Gbudgets from the western Atlantic and Indian oceans, but lie well below optimal reef production (5–10kg CaCO3m−2yr−1) and below maxima recently recorded in remote high coral cover reef sites. However, the erosive forces observed in the Red Sea nearshore reef contributed less than observed elsewhere. A higher TA accompanied reef growth across the shelf gradient, whereas stronger diurnal pH fluctuations were associated with negative carbonate budgets. Noteworthy for this oligotrophic region was the positive effect of phosphate, which is a central micronutrient for reef building corals. While parrotfish contributed substantially to bioerosion, our dataset also highlights coralline algae as important local reef builders. Altogether, our study establishes a baseline for reef growth in the central Red Sea that should be useful in assessing trajectories of reef growth capacity under current and future ocean scenarios.
Data from: Male-limited secondary sexual trait interacts with environment in determining female fitness
Selection for secondary sexual traits (SSTs) elaboration may increase intralocus sexual conflict over the optimal values of traits expressed from shared genomes. This conflict can reduce female fitness, and the resulting gender load can be exacerbated by environmental stress, with consequences for a population's ability to adapt to novel environments. However, how the evolution of SSTs interacts with environment in determining female fitness is not well understood. Here, we investigated this question using replicate lines of bulb mites selected for increased or decreased prevalence of a male SST—thickened legs used as weapons. The fitness of females from these lines was measured at a temperature to which the mites were adapted (24°C), as well as at two novel temperatures: 18°C and 28°C. We found the prevalence of the SST interacted with temperature in determining female fecundity. At 28°C, females from populations with high SST prevalence were less fecund than females from populations in which the SST was rare, but the reverse was true at 18°C. Thus, a novel environment does not universally depress female fitness more in populations with a high degree of sexually selected dimorphism. We discuss possible consequences of the interaction we detected for adaptation to novel environments.
Data from: Relationship between maternal environment and DNA methylation patterns of estrogen receptor alpha in wild Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) nestlings: a pilot study
There is mounting evidence that, across taxa, females breeding in competitive environments tend to allocate more testosterone to their offspring prenatally and these offspring typically have more aggressive and faster-growing phenotypes. To date, no study has determined the mechanisms mediating this maternal effect's influence on offspring phenotype. However, levels of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) gene expression are linked to differences in early growth and aggression; thus, maternal hormones may alter gene regulation, perhaps via DNA methylation, of ERα in offspring during prenatal development. We performed a pilot study to examine natural variation in testosterone allocation to offspring through egg yolks in wild Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in varying breeding densities and percent DNA methylation of CG dinucleotides in the ERα promoter in offspring brain regions associated with growth and behavior. We hypothesized that breeding density would be positively correlated with yolk testosterone, and prenatal exposure to maternal-derived yolk testosterone would be associated with greater offspring growth and decreased ERα promoter methylation. Yolk testosterone concentration was positively correlated with breeding density, nestling growth rate, and percent DNA methylation of one out of five investigated CpG sites (site 3) in the diencephalon ERα promoter, but none in the telencephalon (n = 10). Percent DNA methylation of diencephalon CpG site 3 was positively correlated with growth rate. These data suggest a possible role for epigenetics in mediating the effects of the maternal environment on offspring phenotype. Experimentally examining this mechanism with a larger sample size in future studies may help elucidate a prominent way in which animals respond to their environment. Further, by determining the mechanisms that mediate maternal effects, we can begin to understand the potential for the heritability of these mechanisms and the impact that maternal effects are capable of producing at an evolutionary scale.
Data from: Acclimation of leaf traits in seasonal light environments: are non-native species more plastic?
1. In temperate deciduous forests, understory light environments vary dramatically throughout spring, summer, and autumn due to tree canopy leaf display. This variability in light level is a physiological challenge for understory species that produce sun-adapted leaves in the spring before being shaded by the tree canopy. Similarly, some understory species display leaves late into autumn after the tree canopy senesces. 2. Many species in North American deciduous forests with extended leaf display are not native to North America. Since many non-native species have been shown to have greater plasticity than natives, we hypothesized that leaves of non-native species may be more plastic with respect to seasonal light changes than natives, and that this plasticity may allow them to assimilate more carbon in the same environment. 3. We measured leaf traits and photosynthetic capacity of 17 native and 13 non-native understory shrub species in a common garden in Syracuse, New York, during spring, summer, and autumn. We tested for the contribution of seasonal mean and variance (plasticity) of leaf traits to a species' average photosynthetic rate and total leaf production. We also analyzed the extent to which leaf adjustments depended on whether plants continued to produce new leaves over the growing season. 4. Leaf traits of both native and non-native species varied seasonally, but plasticity varied in extent and contribution to overall carbon gain. Non-native species had the highest seasonal plasticity, but, contrary to our hypothesis, such plasticity did not contribute to their overall carbon gain. However, leaf trait plasticity was adaptive for native species that continued to produce leaves throughout the year, primarily due to increases in quantum efficiency and electron transport rate in leaves produced mid-year compared to leaves produced early in the year. 5. Synthesis. Despite large adjustments in leaf traits across seasonal light environments for both native species and non-native species, we found little evidence that leaf-level plasticity drives non-native invasion or contributes strongly to annual carbon gain or productivity in understory species. Instead, differences in mean leaf traits across seasons are sufficient to explain carbon gain advantages of non-native woody species in deciduous forests.
Data from: Seasonal differences in baseline innate immune function are better explained by environment than annual cycle stage in a year-round breeding tropical songbird
1. Seasonal variation in innate immunity is often attributed to either temporal environmental variation or to life history trade-offs that arise from specific annual cycle stages but decoupling them is difficult in natural populations. 2. Here, we effectively decouple seasonal environmental variation from annual cycle stage effects by exploiting cross-seasonal breeding and moult in the tropical Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus. We test how annual cycle stage interacts with a key seasonal environmental variable, rainfall, to determine immunity at population and individual level. If immune challenge varies with precipitation, we might expect immune function to be higher in the wet season due to increased environmental productivity. If breeding or moult imposes resource constraints on birds, depending on or independent of precipitation, we might expect lower immune indices during breeding or moult. 3. We sampled blood from 818 birds in four annual cycle stage categories: breeding, moult, simultaneous breeding and moulting, or neither. We quantified indices of innate immunity (haptoglobin, nitric oxide (NOx) and ovotransferrin concentrations, and haemagglutination and haemolysis titres) over two annual cycles of wet and dry seasons. 4. Environment (but not annual cycle stage or interactions between both) explained variation in all immune indices, except NOx. NOx concentration differed between annual cycle stages but not between seasons. However, within the wet season, haptoglobin, NOx, ovotransferrin and haemolysis differed significantly between breeding and non-breeding females. Aside from some recorded inconsistences, population level results were largely similar to results within individuals that were measured repeatedly. Unexpectedly, most immune indices were higher in the dry season and during breeding. 5. Higher immune indices may be explained if fewer or poorer quality resources force birds to increase social contact, thereby exposing individuals to novel antigens and increased infection risk, independently of environmental productivity. Breeding birds may also show higher immunity if less immune-competent and/or infected females omit breeding. We conclude that seasonal environmental variation impacts immunity more directly in natural animal populations than via resource trade-offs. In addition, immune indices were more often variable within than among individuals, but some indices are characteristic of individuals, and so may offer selective advantages if heritable.
Data from: Fur seal microbiota are shaped by the social and physical environment, show mother-offspring similarities and are associated with host genetic quality
Despite an increasing appreciation of the importance of host-microbe interactions in ecological and evolutionary processes, the factors shaping microbial communities in wild populations remain poorly understood. We therefore exploited a natural experiment provided by two adjacent Antarctic fur seal (<i>Arctocephalus gazella</i>) colonies of high and low social density and combined 16S rRNA metabarcoding with microsatellite profiling of mother-offspring pairs to investigate environmental and genetic influences on skin microbial communities. Seal-associated bacterial communities differed profoundly between the two colonies, despite the host populations themselves being genetically undifferentiated. Consistent with the hypothesis that social stress depresses bacterial diversity, we found that microbial alpha diversity was significantly lower in the high-density colony. Seals from one of the colonies that contained a stream also carried a subset of freshwater-associated bacteria, indicative of an influence of the physical environment. Furthermore, mothers and their offspring shared similar microbial communities, in support of the notion that microbes may facilitate mother-offspring recognition. Finally, a significant negative association was found between bacterial diversity and heterozygosity, a measure of host genetic quality. Our study thus uncovers a complex interplay between environmental and host genetic effects, while also providing empirical support for the leash model of host control, which posits that bacterial communities are driven not only by bottom-up species interactions, but also by top-down host regulation. Taken together, our findings have broad implications for understanding host-microbe interactions as well as prokaryotic diversity in general.
Data from: Decay of ecosystem differences and decoupling of tree community-soil environment relationships at ecotones
Ecotones are important landscape features where there is a transition between adjoining ecosystems. However, there are few generalized hypotheses about the response of communities to ecotones, except for a proposed increase in species richness that receives varying empirical support. Based on the assumption that transport of abiotic material and dispersal of organism propagules across ecotones are independent processes, we propose the new hypothesis that ecotones decouple community-environment relationships, increasing the importance of spatial structure that is independent of the environment. We tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of ecotones on relationships between trees and soil properties in a temperate deciduous forest. The study area included different landforms defined by topography, hydrology, and geomorphology, which we designated upland, bottomland, and riparian forests. The site also included a mowed herbaceous corridor. We found that soil properties and tree community composition significantly differed among landforms, and thus they could be treated as differing ecosystem types. However, inclusion of plots near ecotones significantly reduced the variance explained by landform due to introduction of increased noise, increased similarity of ecotone plots in different landforms, or both. To examine tree community-soil environment relationships, factorial kriging analysis was used to decompose variation in soil properties into structures associated with differing spatial scales, which were then used as predictors of tree composition using redundancy analysis. In agreement with the ecotone-decoupling hypothesis, we found that ecotones introduced significant unexplained variation into correlations between tree community composition and soil properties. In addition, spatial variation in tree community composition that was independent of soil properties was only detected when ecotones were included in the analysis, and little variation in tree community composition was attributed to small-scale soil property structures. Together, these results indicate that dispersal limitation and mass effects in the tree community take on increased importance near ecotones. We found no consistent changes in tree species richness associated with ecotones, and suggest that the ecotone-decoupling hypothesis may correspond with a more general community-level pattern that warrants further testing. Decoupling of community-environment relationships near ecotones also has important implications for accuracy of models predicting community distributions from abiotic information.
Data from: Convergence and divergence during the adaptation to similar environments by an Australian groundsel
Adaptation to replicate environments is often achieved through similar phenotypic solutions. Whether selection also produces convergent genomic changes in these situations remains largely unknown. The variable groundsel, Senecio lautus, is an excellent system to investigate the genetic underpinnings of convergent evolution, since morphologically similar forms of these plants have adapted to the same environments along the coast of Australia. We compared range-wide patterns of genomic divergence in natural populations of this plant and searched for regions putatively affected by natural selection. Our results indicate that environmental adaptation followed complex genetic trajectories, affecting multiple loci, implying both the parallel recruitment of the same alleles and the divergence of completely different genomic regions across geography. An analysis of the biological functions of candidate genes suggests that adaptation to coastal environments may have occurred through the recruitment of different genes participating in similar processes. The relatively low genetic convergence that characterizes the parallel evolution of S. lautus forms suggests that evolution is more constrained at higher levels of biological organization.
Data from: The effect of historical legacy on adaptation: do closely related species respond to the environment in the same way?
The many documented examples of parallel and convergent evolution in similar environments are strong evidence for the role of natural selection in the evolution of trait variation. However, species may respond to selection in different ways; idiosyncrasies of their evolutionary history may affect how different species respond to the same selective pressure. To determine whether evolutionary history affects trait-environment associations in a recently diverged lineage, we investigated within-species trait-environment associations in the white proteas, a closely related monophyletic group. We first used MANOVAs to determine the relative importance of shared response to selection, evolutionary history, and unique responses to selection on trait variation. We found that on average, similar associations to the environment across species explained trait variation, but that the species had different mean trait values. We also detected species-specific associations of traits to the environmental gradients. To identify the traits associated uniquely to the environment we used a structural equation model. Our analysis showed that the species differed in how their traits were associated with each of the environmental variables. Further, in the cases of two root traits (root mass and root length:mass ratio), two species differed in the direction of their associations (e.g. populations in one species had heavier roots in warmer areas, and populations in the other species had lighter roots in warmer areas). Our study shows that even in a closely related group of species, evolutionary history may have an effect on both the size and direction of adaptations to the environment.
Data from: Niche differentiation and colonization of a novel environment by an asexual parasitic wasp.
How do asexual taxa become adapted to a diversity of environments, and how do they persist despite changing environmental conditions? These questions are linked by their mutual focus on the relationship between genetic variation, which is often limited in asexuals, and the ability to respond to environmental variation. Asexual taxa originating from a single ancestor present a unique opportunity to assess rates of phenotypic and genetic change when access to new genetic variation is limited to mutation. Diachasma muliebre is an asexual Hymenopteran wasp that is geographically and genetically isolated from all sexual relatives. D. muliebre attack larvae of the western cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis indifferens), which in turn feed inside bitter cherry fruit (Prunus emarginata) in August and September. R. indifferens has recently colonized a new host plant with an earlier fruiting phenology (June/July), domesticated sweet cherries (P. avium), and D. muliebre has followed its host into this temporally earlier niche. We tested three hypotheses: 1) that all D. muliebre lineages originate from a single asexual ancestor; 2) that different D. muliebre lineages (as defined by unique mtDNA haplotypes) have differentiated on their ancestral host in an important life-history trait, eclosion timing; and 3) that early-eclosing lineages have preferentially colonized the new sweet cherry niche. We find that mitochondrial COI and microsatellite data provide strong support for a single ancestral origin for all lineages. Furthermore, COI sequencing revealed five mitochondrial haplotypes among D. muliebre, and individual wasps possessing one distinctive mitochondrial haplotype (haplotype II) eclosed as reproductive adults significantly earlier than wasps with all other haplotypes. In addition, this early-eclosing lineage of D. muliebre is one of two lineages that have colonized the P. avium habitat, consistent with the preferential colonization hypothesis. These data suggest that D. muliebre has evolved adaptive phenotypic variation despite limited genetic variation, and that this variation has subsequently allowed an expansion of some wasps into a novel habitat. The D. muliebre system may allow for in-depth study of adaptation and long-term persistence of asexual taxa.
Data from: Open-ocean fish reveal an omnidirectional solution to camouflage in polarized environments
Despite appearing featureless to our eyes, the open ocean is a highly variable environment for polarization-sensitive viewers. Dynamic visual backgrounds coupled with predator encounters from all possible directions make this habitat one of the most challenging for camouflage. We tested open-ocean crypsis in nature by collecting more than 1500 videopolarimetry measurements from live fish from distinct habitats under a variety of viewing conditions. Open-ocean fish species exhibited camouflage that was superior to that of both nearshore fish and mirrorlike surfaces, with significantly higher crypsis at angles associated with predator detection and pursuit. Histological measurements revealed that specific arrangements of reflective guanine platelets in the fish's skin produce angle-dependent polarization modifications for polarocrypsis in the open ocean, suggesting a mechanism for natural selection to shape reflectance properties in this complex environment.
Data from: Proteomic analysis of barley mapping population subjected to drought identifies proteins with genotype×environment interaction and pQTLs
Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses negatively influencing crop yield and is a serious issue in modern agriculture. To achieve further substantial crop improvements in terms of drought resistance it is necessary to incorporate scientific results into breeding strategies. However, most of the data on plant drought responses arises mostly from small-scale studies and, therefore, its use in breeding programs is very limited. Here, we present the results of the large-scale proteomic analysis performed on barley recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and their parental genotypes subjected to drought, applied shortly before tillering. The conducted proteomic analyses enabled us to monitor drought-induced proteome changes in leaf and root tissue, and to identify proteins that responded to drought in a genotype-specific manner, for instance Rubisco activase, luminal binding protein, phosphoglycerate mutase, glutathione S-transferase, heat shock proteins as well as enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. We also demonstrated feasibility of incorporating proteomic data resulting from large-scale study into genetic linkage analysis, which constitutes a fundament in biotechnology-driven breeding strategies.
Data from: The effect of weathering on bird bone survivorship in modern and fossil saline-alkaline lake environments
A modern Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) assemblage was collected along the shoreline of Lake Emakat, a saline-alkaline lake in northern Tanzania. Taphonomic analysis found the assemblage to be heavily weathered. This is likely due to the bone's heightened exposure to solar radiation and corrosive soil and water chemistries, as is expected to occur in such depositional environments. Analysis found that deep, wide, longitudinal cracks penetrate the medullar cavities of both weathered and unweathered long bones. The cause and taphonomic consequence of these cracks are addressed here, using data from Lake Emakat and from controlled studies. Results support repeated (episodic) submersion, followed by drying, as the causal mechanism behind these wet-dry cracks. Mineral salt uptake by bone may explain the early appearance and prevalence of these cracks in saline-alkaline lake settings, as compared to other depositional settings. The rate of weathering and incidence of wet-dry cracking varies significantly across limb elements. This difference correlates to element specific resistance properties to external loading forces. Heavy weathering weakens the structural integrity of bone and can accelerate its fragmentation. This can lead to bird bone loss in nearshore and ephemeral wetland settings, which may then affect resulting skeletal part, diversity, and richness profiles. Heavy weathering can therefore obscure important taphonomic and paleoecological information. The weathering data collected here are then applied to a fossil bird assemblage from the FLK Complex, (late Pliocene), Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania. Results provide evidence for the effect of weathering on paleoecological and behavioral interpretations. Weathering should be considered when analyzing fossil bird assemblages.
Data from: Differential survival between visual environments supports a role of divergent sensory drive in cichlid fish speciation
Identifying the selective forces that initiate ecological speciation is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Sensory drive has been implicated in speciation in various taxa, largely based on phenotype-environment correlations and signatures of selection in sensory genes. Here, we present a reciprocal transplant experiment revealing species differences in performance in alternative visual environments, consistent with speciation by divergent sensory drive. The closely related cichlids Pundamilia pundamilia and P. nyererei inhabit different visual environments in Lake Victoria and show associated differences in visual system properties. Mimicking the two light environments in the laboratory, we find a substantial reduction in survival of both species when reared in the other species' visual environment. This implies that the observed differences in Pundamilia colour vision are indeed adaptive, and substantiates the implicit assumption in sensory drive speciation models that divergent environmental selection is strong enough to drive divergence in sensory properties.
Data from: Landscape heterogeneity and local adaptation define the spatial genetic structure of Pacific salmon in a pristine environment
Identifying the spatial distribution of genetic variation across the landscape is an essential step in informing species conservation. Comparison of closely related and geographically overlapping species can be particularly useful in cases where landscape may similarly influence genetic structure. Congruent patterns among species highlight the importance that landscape heterogeneity plays in determining genetic structure whereas contrasting patterns emphasize differences in species-specific ecology and life-history or the importance of species-specific adaptation to local environments. We examined the interacting roles of demography and adaptation in determining spatial genetic structure in two closely related and geographically overlapping species in a pristine environment. Using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci exhibiting both neutral and putative adaptive variation, we evaluated the genetic structure of sockeye salmon in the Copper River, Alaska; these data were compared to existing data for Chinook salmon from the same region. Overall, both species exhibited patterns of isolation by distance; the spatial distribution of populations largely determined the distribution of genetic variation across the landscape. Further, both species exhibited largely congruent patterns of within- and among-population genetic diversity, highlighting the role that landscape heterogeneity and historical processes play in determining spatial genetic structure. Potential adaptive differences among geographically proximate sockeye salmon populations were observed when high FST outlier SNPs were evaluated in a landscape genetics context. Results were evaluated in the context of conservation efforts with an emphasis on reproductive isolation, historical processes, and local adaptation.
Data from: Multiple signaling in a variable environment: expression of song and color traits as a function of ambient sound and light
Many animals communicate using more than one signal, and several hypotheses exist to explain the evolution of multiple signals. However, these hypotheses typically assume static selection pressures and previous work has not addressed how spatial and temporal environmental variation can shape variation in signaling systems. In particular, environmental variability, such as ambient lighting or noise, may affect efficacy (e.g. detectability/perception by receivers) of signals. To examine how signal expression varies intraspecifically as a function of habitat characteristics, we evaluated relationships between spatial environmental variation and song and plumage color expression in a tropical songbird, the red-throated ant-tanager (Habia fuscicauda) in Panama. We recorded male ant-tanager song, plucked feathers to measure coloration, and recorded the acoustic and light environments from each male's territory. In addition, we took several morphometric measurements from each male to assess the potential information content of song and plumage color. We found that males with redder and more saturated crowns occurred on darker territories, and males that sang shorter and lower frequency songs occurred on noisier territories. We also found that more colorful males tended to sing longer and lower frequency songs. Finally we found that song and color correlated similarly with male morphology (e.g. tarsus length, body mass). Altogether these results indicate that spatial variation in the environment is related to male coloration and song, and that males might be optimizing color and song expression for their particular territorial environment.
Data from: Brain plasticity over the metamorphic boundary: carry-over effect of larval environment on froglet brain development
Brain development shows high plasticity in response to environmental heterogeneity. However, it is unknown how environmental variation during development may affect brain architecture across life history switch points in species with complex life cycles. Previously, we showed that predation and competition affect brain development in common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles. Here, we studied if larval environment had carry-over effects in brains of metamorphs. Tadpoles grown at high density had large optic tecta at metamorphosis, while tadpoles grown under predation risk had small diencephala. We found that larval density had a carry-over effect on froglet optic tectum size, while the effect of larval predation risk had vanished by metamorphosis. We discuss the possibility that the observed changes may be adaptive, reflecting the needs of an organism in given environmental and developmental contexts.
Data from: Genetic inheritance and environment determine endocrine plasticity to urban living
As urban areas continue to expand globally, understanding how and why species respond to novel habitats becomes increasingly important. Knowledge of the mechanisms behind observed phenotypic changes in urban animals will enable us to better evaluate the impact of urbanization on current and future generations of wildlife. Physiological changes, such as those involved in the endocrine stress response, may allow individuals to inhabit and thrive in urbanized areas, but it is currently unknown how these changes arise in natural populations. In this study, we performed a 4-way crossfoster experiment in free-living house wren chicks, Troglodytes aedon, to disentangle whether differences in baseline corticosterone between urban and rural individuals is a result of genetic and/or plastic mechanisms during development. We found that urban chicks already had higher corticosterone levels than their rural counterparts on the day they hatched, which suggests a possible genetic component to the corticosterone phenotype. However, rural offspring that were moved to an urban environment significantly increased their corticosterone levels, mimicking those of urban offspring. Our findings suggest that, although differences in baseline corticosterone concentrations between urban and rural individuals may have a genetic component, plasticity plays a pivotal role and can modify the corticosterone phenotype in response to the environment experienced in the first two weeks of life.
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These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research 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.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.